Dogsitting Anxiety

[MayaConsuelo]

Ugh, sorry this post is going to be kind of whiny but I’m really nervous. My fiance’s dog is apparently coming to stay with us for a few (or more) days. I know how much he misses the dog but I really really don’t want it here. He seems to think that the dog and the rabbit together will be “fine.” I told him under no circumstances can Mr. Bun-Bun be out of his cage for even one second with the dog around. He’s an 80-lb dog and really playful/aggressive. Always gets in fights with other dogs when he gets the chance, and has never been around small animals, so you can do the math.

Also, my cat is a fraidy-cat and will be horribly traumatized… and the dog will eat her food so we can’t even leave her food dish on the floor. Add to that the fact that I’m allergic to dogs, and also scared of big dogs. I can be around them but I’m uncomfortable, due to being attacked by a pack of dogs when I was 6. I was fine, but having a growling, snapping pack of huskies closing in on you can certainly influence how you feel about dogs later in life LOL.

Ugh I don’t want to be unreasonable but I don’t know what to do. Basically Mr. Bun-Bun will have to come out and play only when the dog is being walked. We’ll have to put the cat food down whenever the cat wants some and hold the dog back. I’ll have to clean constantly when I’m not working so I don’t have an allergy attack. Oh and we’re all living in a 200 square-foot apartment. Ugh.

[Sarita]

Hugs to you. It sounds like that will be the only solution.

Big dogs can be very intimidating so based on your history with dogs, it’s no wonder you have this fear…I know I would be uncomfortable around this dog as well.

[Stickerbunny]

What you can do for the cat is put the cats food up where the dog can’t reach – my mother keeps the cat foot up on a cabinet because the cats can jump up there and the dogs would eat the food if it was left on the floor.

As for the bun – how many rooms is your apartment? Is there any place you could maybe set up an x-pen for him where he would be safe behind a closed door away from the dog?

Sounds like his dog needs some serious training / socialization if it is that aggressive. Perhaps you and your fiance could work with a trainer while the dog is there, it would be a good way to bond and work up trust as well as overcome the dogs more aggressive tendencies. Also, for allergies, an air purifier would be good, it really does help.

[MayaConsuelo]

I’ve tried putting the cat food up higher (so the bunny won’t eat it) but my cat won’t go up to eat it. Maybe she would if she were really hungry but she just sits where the food is supposed to be and meows. She’s old (13) and kind of set in her ways. I know she’ll flip out around the dog, we stayed over at their house once while in transit and she got so nervous she almost pooped on the floor (I scooped her up and put her in the litter box just in time.)

I guess the bunny won’t notice, except for being cooped up more than usual. We have a one-room studio apartment, this is part of the problem. So no way to keep any of the animals away from each other. Mr. Bun-Bun has a three-story condo so he’ll be fine if he has to stay in there more than usual. It’s just annoying.

[Stickerbunny]

Well, you could leave it where she can reach in case she gets hungry and feels like going up there. Just make sure you pick her up and show her where it is.

Is it a NIC condo? If the dog is huge and aggressive to other animals, I would probably be a bit wary of it being able to access the condo… NIC panels to an 80 lb dog that is determined isn’t much of a barrier. Will there be times when your fiance and you are both out and the dog is left alone with the bun and the condo?

[jerseygirl]

Maybe you can hire a crate for the dog while he’s there. It would only be a temporary thing for him. Then just give him tons of outings, walks and other activities etc to wear him out. All good bonding things for the dog anyway.

I’d feel more comfortable sleeping at night if I knew he was in his crate, Mr Bun-Bun in his condo and your cat wherever she feels safest.

[MayaConsuelo]

Ugh, more stuff to worry about
I think the dog is more curious and playful than murderous. They do live with a pet rat also, although the cage is up on a table I don’t think the dog has ever showed any interest in getting at him.
I doubt he can get through the NIC cube wires? Has this ever happened to anyone?

[jerseygirl]

: ( Not wanting to add to your stress but I think Stickerbunny brings up a good point. A large dog could knock the whole thing over if excited or determined. Can you just assure that when you go out, the dog always goes too?
What about your bathroom? Is there room to put the condo in there temporarily then shut the door? Not sure what to do for kitty though…

[Stickerbunny]

A dog get through NIC cubes specifically? No. But I have seen dogs get through wire that is about as thick. I lost my first pet to two black labs our neighbor had because my parents thought wire fencing and wood was a secure pen for our chicken. Had her 6 or so years, but to the dogs a little bit of steel was no barrier.

You can pretty much judge how strong his prey drive is when he comes in the house – if he is interested in the rabbit at all, a crate is an excellent idea. Crate training is good for dogs anyway, in case of emergencies or kenneling. You can train a dog to leave a cage alone, but if he shows interest I wouldn’t trust him alone with access to it. Also, remember, your rabbit is not used to dogs and if the dog has a strong prey drive even if he fails to break into the NIC condo, a dog chewing/digging at his cage bars while drooling could scare him enough to injure himself.

[Monkeybun]

I’m more worried about how the NIC grids are connected,than the wire itself. Wire is harder to get through than a zip tie, for instance. An 80 lb dog is NOT something I would want near a bunny, especially an 80lb dog that likes to “play” and fights with other dogs.

Honestly, I’d flat out say No. Especially with your fear. Your bf should respect that.

[Elrohwen]

That sounds so stressful!

I agree that an 80lb dog could knock the condo over and potentially get into it. I would try to get a crate for him while he’s in your apartment, or maybe lock him in the bathroom? Something to keep him away from the other pets when you’re not there to supervise.

[MayaConsuelo]

I think I was worried about nothing. They dropped the dog off an hour before I left for work. He didn’t even glance at the cage or sniff it. Mr. Bun-Bun stayed on the top floor staring down at him and the dog didnt even notice LOL. The people dropping him off had their kid with them, and he loves animals but is too young to understand they don’t always want to play… he reached in to pet Mr. Bun-Bun and he immediately stamped and peed on the floor! He is not going to put up with anyone invading his space haha!
My cat is going to be more traumatized I think. The dog was ignoring her too, but with all the extra people and noise, she went to go lay down in her litter box poor thing there’s no way to tell them it’s temporary!

[jerseygirl]

Well if you’re less stressed that’s a good thing because all the animals would probably pick up your stress. You never know, your cat may even figure it out if she’s getting a calmer vibe from you.
I hope it continues to go smoothly!

[Stickerbunny]

Your cat should be fine, after things settle down. It’s good his prey drive isn’t strong, if he’s not interested hopefully he stays uninterested. Good luck.

[MayaConsuelo]

Yeah all is well. Mr. Bun-Bun is not scared, but is being super-territorial. The dog is out being walked now and I cleaned Bun-Bun’s cage thinking he could come out and play, but he didn’t even try to leave his cage, and even lunged at me when I reached in to start cleaning, which he never does! Even though the dog is ignoring him, the scent is probably overwhelming to the other animals. He’s been thumping a lot too, and my fiance is trying to calm his bad mood with craisins (which works obviously but is going to make him even more spoiled!)
The cat is doing poorly, she ventured out of her litter box for a little food, but I’m sure the second the dog is back she’ll hide in the litter box again. She’s also vomiting out of nervousness. Poor thing.

[BinkyBunny]

From your first post..you had said FIANCE’s dog, so I thought…well, this is your fiance’s dog so you will all have to work out at some point anyway. (Unless this is your fiance’s family dog that is just visiting but that he doesn’t own)

I wouldn’t leave the dog alone though unsupervised.  The crate idea is good.  Otherwise where do you keep the dog when you are out of the house? Sorry I missed that. I am trying to read fast and scan stuff tonight. 

It’s good that so far the dog doesn’t seem to be directly causing issues through his own behavior. Now it’s just getting the rest of the fuzzy crew behavior under control about the new visitor (and possibly future resident?). As long as the dog stays calm, then they may just get used to him.

Is his dog ever coming to live with you all? If so, then it might be a good idea to get them used to the dogs scent even when the dog is not around with a shirt or ?? that smells like the dog laying around or ??– that may help with the transition so there is less bunny aggression and cat nauseousness. oye!

[MayaConsuelo]

Well yeah the dog was his with an ex. We are all still friends so he gets to see the dog when he wants to. She lives in a different state so it’s not that often… plus the dog is 11 which is pretty old, I know it’s important that he spend time with the dog while he can. But the dog will not be staying with us often, the people he lives with had to go on business trips so that’s why he’s here, instead of being boarded. Poor Bun-Bun still refuses to come out of his cage or even spend very much time on the ground floor, I understand that he wants to be as high as possible and watch over everything. The cat is hiding in the closet which I suppose is a step up from the litter box.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Glad all is going well!!! Perhaps with more sitting, if that happens in the future, you and bun-bun may become dog lovers Or more comfortable. How are you feeling with this big dog over?

[MayaConsuelo]

Ugh I don’t know. I was raised around cats and never really understood why so many people are dog lovers. I think it’s mainly their devotion, and also the fact you can take them outside and show them off to other people, whereas with cats and rabbits they’re basically trapped indoors and/or more independent. I did say that maybe in the future we could get a dog (however a mid to small-size dog). One of the few kinds of dogs I like are terriers, and those are the ones that are incompatible with rabbits, so forget that.

Pepino (the cat) is still traumatized, hiding in the closet and puking up almost everything she eats
Mr. Bun-Bun finally ventured out of his cage tonight (the dog is out being walked) but will scurry back in and start acting sketchy the second the dog is back.
AND we get to spend the next 3 days all together since we’re stuck here due to the hurricane… two people, a dog, a cat, and a rabbit, in a 200 foot apartment! Fingers crossed that the power doesn’t go out!!

[BinkyBunny]

Ah, I see. I understand why your fiance would want to have the dog visit. I personally love dogs, but I just don’t have the time for one, and adopting one that would be fine with rabbits/and vice versa would of course be a priority. Your poor cat. How is the dog reacting today with the other animals? Still somewhat easy-going with the situations?

It may just be a matter of everyone getting used to everyone…and training. Unfortunately, since this dog is only visiting for a few days at a time, it’s not really enough. But it must be at least a relief not to have the dog be in attack or predator mode as you were originally concerned about.

Just offer extra attention to the ones that are stressed out and see if that will help with this temporary situation. Have you ever heard of “t-touch”
Tellington Touch — it’s a time of massage that is supposed to help. Here is a youtube video of it being done on a cat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eiyQJldFXc

[RabbitPam]

 http://www.youtube.com/watch

[Joyfull_music]

I am a huge dog lover, and aspiring trainer. So let me hopefully shed some light on things for you.

A dogs size and “aggression” has little to do with it’s prey drive. Prey drive is a trait bred in to several breeds of dogs to chase/kill small things. For instance all terriers, big and small, and all sight hounds have very high prey drive. It is what they are bred for, it is what they do. A newfoundland for instance is one of the biggest dogs you could get and would probably care less about a cat or rabbit, and if anything would baby it. A dachshund on the other hand would be more inclined to prey on a rabbit, and they are pretty small. You can not change a dogs prey drive, but you can do things to cope with it and curb the impulse.

Aggression is not something dogs naturally come with. It is a learned behavior due to bad raising, lack or training, and lack of socialization. Or bad breeding. Most dogs become aggressive out of fear. Again, something they learn. Something scares them, so they growl/bite at it and it goes away. Yes there are dogs that are just plain mean for one reason or another, but that is more rare then you think. And don’t let things like the media lead you on.

My dog is a boxer/lab mix and he has a very high chase drive. If it is small and moves he wants to chase it. Never hurt it, just chase. He lives in a house with 5 cats and the rabbit. He plays very well with our rabbit, and she antagonizes him to chase her. Our little 6 lb rabbit also beats up a 15 lb cat, so don’t underestimate the bunny. Just never leave the dog unattended around the rabbit, and when in doubt, leash him.

I wish I could give you more advise with your cat. Normally younger cats just need a few days to get over themselves. But I know that it is much more difficult with a senior cat.

[MayaConsuelo]

Thanks to everyone for the info. Yeah this dog, although big, is a mutt, therefore not bred to specifically hunt or be aggressive. Even though I knew this ahead of time, my unfamiliarity with dogs made me more nervous than I needed to be. Mr. Bun-Bun is back to normal and is not thumping or peering down at the dog anymore. My cat ALMOST came out of the closet to lay on the bed, but then spotted the dog and ran right back in the closet. The dog is very well-trained and will lay down when I tell him to, even though he doesn’t know me well. Like I said I don’t think he even noticed the cat is there… but if she’s afraid of a 3.5 pound bunny, of COURSE she’s going to be afraid of a large dog! Poor thing. She was puking a lot out of nervousness but that seems to be slowing down. At least she apparently feels secure in the closet, and her food and water is there, so we can tough it out a few more days.

Also my allergies don’t seem to be that bad. I’m not touching the dog at all but of course the dander must be everywhere (he’s long-haired.) My allergies have always been bad, but worse around certain animals, and who knows what specific thing triggers them. I’m glad they’re not acting up since we’re apartment-bound for at least 48 hours!!

[Author]

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