Pet Sitter

Don't jump up against the bird enclosure!
By Tony Blake

I always had a passion for pets and I always wanted to do a pet job when I grew up. This dream took me to the other side of the world in Australia, where I was lucky enough to get free accommodation for my efforts. One time I did a job and had an amazing dog. His name was Rufus and he was just so darn cute.

He did however have a problem when it came to jumping up against a bird enclosure that the owners had recently put outside. This would scare the poor little birds and it was up to me to try and stop this! Firstly, I would always watch Rufus when I was outside. As soon as he went in for the attack I would growl at him and tell him off. When he obeyed me, I would give him a doggy treat. Sometimes he wouldn't listen to me so I would get a bottle of water and spray him with it to stop him that way.

That seemed to work a little bit better. I had to always ensure though that I rewarded him whenever he behaved himself so that he would understand he was being a good boy. As with any form of dog training it took a while for it to happen and having the right amount of patience was critical for its success. The owners were very happy I had succeeded so I guess you could call it a job well done!