Monday, June 18, 2007

Back To Business

Well, I got home to Pappy tonight after our ten-day absence-- my wife unexpectedly had to stay on in Austin. Our housesitting vacationing visitors were quite thoughtful and wonderful by all measures, and left us a lovely note extolling the virtues of Pappy. They grew quite attached.

On my return I find a few squirrely things about Pappy. Of course he seems a little anxious, which is to be expected. But there's more. Mere hours after we left, before the housesitters even arrived, he chewed up gloves and a hairbrush-- he hasn't chewed anything inappropriate for a year. Well, except the sprinkler, but that's in the back yard where everything plastic is for him.

And he seemed to be afraid of the kitchen. This isn't too weird, because in the past he has been a little leery of the slippery floor. But it hasn't been this extreme; when I first got home he stood outside crying and wouldn't come in to eat his dinner. Now he's standing outside the bedroom door, just staring into the room without going in to lie down.

Unfortunately I have to head out again for a two-day conference after a day home, and my wife is out of the picture. So I have to call in the other housesitter. Poor Pappy's getting put through the wringer with all the different faces. The pet psychologist bills we're going to have!

14 comments:

Scrappy and Pebbles said...

Awwww pappy you can come vacation down under with me.

Tail wags
~Scrappy

Oscar's mummy and daddy said...

Aw, poor pappy. I'm sure he'll settle. I have my first night with a pet sitter this weekend and I'm not looking forward to it.

Licks
Oscar x

Jude said...

Pappy needs a furry friend to share his days with . . . Pippi? :)

Gus said...

Separation anxiety is a problem, we solved it by taking Gussie with us most of the time. Hence, his "job" at the store! But seriously, maybe a furry friend would work. Gussie is better with Teka than without, which may be the first nice thing I have said about the monster!

gussies muzzer

Nat said...

Scrappy,
If we could come along too, that would make all of us happy.

Oscar,
Good luck with the petsitting biz. I trust you're ready.

Jude,
Maybe when I retire. If I get to retire. Few years to go.

Gus,
Certainly I think we're talking separation anxiety. He was pretty self sufficient prior to our departure, but this absence probably has him at loose ends. I plan to be with him throughout the weekend-- except the weather's so hot that you can't leave him in the car for even a couple of minutes.

Murphey said...

Poor Pappy, we pups don't always like change! I tear things up too when I get left behind, it helps when I get to stay with Judy and her dog Audrey. Auds makes me forget I have been left behind.

Murph

Frasier said...

Poor doggy...My mother-in-laws dog acts skittish around uncarpeted floors and baby socks have helped.

Nugget said...

Aww... Pappy, we feel for you! I have been eating shoes lately, out of the blue, Mum can't fiqure it out.

Hang in there!
Licks,
Nugget

Liza said...

We wish Pappy could come stay with us. We know how stressed out Dory gets she loves to go visiting people, but nearly melts down if you go out for dinner with your hosts!!

Hope he settles back in soon -

Take care - Liza and Dory

AnnB said...

Is he alone -- except for walks --when being housesat.

Maybe you should consider another option if you're away alot.

Also, let me play the Dog Whisperer here. You don't want to reinforce his anxieties. Just act normally around him -- if you aren't already.

Finnegan said...

You can come visit me. Mommy thinks you are very cool and possibly part wolfie.

Woofs,
Finny

Nat said...

Nugget's Mom,
I think Gus is on the right track with separation anxiety or maybe boredom. In Pappy's case it's easy to see what changed, but maybe not so with Nugget.

Murphy,
My wife always said, before we got a dog, that she'd never want to get only one because they could keep each other company. Not sure it works exactly like that, but it probably is soothing.


Frasier,
I put down an area rug where he slips coming around the corner, and I suspect it will sort itself out in a little while.

Scotties,
I use housesitters that live in the house, and he always seems to get along well with them. I think the problem must be in the transitions between "packs" or something. Thankfully we aren't away too often-- we shouldn't be away again before Thxgiving.

Finnegan and Dory & Liza,
Next time we're headed out of town, we'll parcel post Pappy to you! He'd enjoy the erudite company.

3dogcache said...

He can always come stay with 3dogs:-)) Hehehe. No time to get nervous in our house, too busy scrapping with the others in the house to worry about such mundane things as slippery floors.

Nat said...

3dogs,
Survival of the fittest, and all that.