I don't have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.

Confessions of a pet sitter

Those are the faces of some very memorable pet sitting jobs. Everyone has aspects of their job that they do not like. Having done nearly 500 pet sits and dog walks the past year, it is safe to say that I have pet peeves. They are not just isolated to one or two clients but many clients from all walks of life. The rich, the poor. The sane, the crazy. Here are my peeves in no particular order:

• Dogs kept in outdoor runs or crated for extensive periods of time (8, 10, 14 hours). Poor babies.
• Filthy, dirty food bowls. Water bowls too. Ugh. I mean how hard can it be to put bowls in the dishwasher? On that note, seen plenty of dirty panties and bras in plain sight, too.
• Feces-infested backyards. Disgusting. Need I say more?
• Cheap litter in litter boxes. You know, the bad kind that is dusty, doesn't clump well and makes you gag because it is so stinky!
• Crappy door locks, unlocked doors and unsecured gates. Can't tell you how many times clients forget to lock up when they leave in the morning. Geez.
• Clients who were not completely honest about their pet's behavior. He walks great on a leash! Yeah right. We know which dogs get daily walks. She's friendly with other dogs! Really?
• Cleaning up the damage from an unruly or bored pet. It's amazing what clients leave laying around the house that sets up their pet to fail.

**Sigh** Believe me, its not always awful. In a future post, I'll write about the cool stuff!