Agreed, they are stupid. Dogs can feel cold too just like the rest of us.

Always IQ test your animal watcher

^good advice

Very good someone needs to standardize that

I'm pretty particular about petsitters (being that I am one, myself). I have a neighbour whose dog I look after that I can easily trust with the cat, but if the dog is going to be alone for longer than ten hours, he gets dropped off with my partner's parents (as they have a dog he's buddies with and a fenced-in yard, he has a grand time there). I'd never leave my dog at a kennel - used to work at one, it was miserable, and there are very few (even 'elite' kennels) that give your dog the kind of attention they need. And cats at a kennel? They stay in a cage barely large enough to walk in a circle in - enough room for a tiny litter box, food and water dish, and the cat in a cold metal cage, usually hissing and/or meowing at being surrounded by other cats. There are plenty of GOOD home-based petsitters who either come to you (if you have a cat or a dog that isn't that friendly with other dogs) or whose house you can drop your dog off at. I also have a few friends who could look after my dog in a pinch - and my parents, if they're around. I charge around $40/night if I'm sleeping over, which I usually do for dogs, otherwise it's $10-$20/visit depending on distance from me - most cat people have me visit once a day - and I'll do things like bring in the mail and water the plants, move curtains around and change what lights are on so it looks like there's activity. I have one client with three cats and a mansion who prefers me to stay there, gives me free access to their wine cellar (they make their own), and of course, they have a jacuzzi. I don't mind being paid to stay there. :P

at least it wasn't -10 degrees F

Wow. Someone has a case of TMI!

Thanks for the life story, 59....

I'm sorry, did someone force you to read it?

No did someone force you to write it? Because we would have been much better off if you hadn't

Why post something if you're going to get all whiny and defensive when people read it?

81 - I'm sorry to inform you but this is FML, not MLS (my life story).

I wasn't aware I was posting my life story - and I'd hardly call that 'getting whiny'. I was posting some basic information based on my personal experience as a petsitter, what prices to expect, and my personal experience with kennels. Maybe a sentence or two added for flavour. Wasn't aware that everything posted here had to be short and to the point. Then again, I'm being increasingly shown that some people on here can't read more than a single paragraph without freaking out that someone is telling their 'life story'. No one forces anyone to read what is posted - and no one forces them to post comments bitching about how long it is - even though that probably took longer than it did to read the comment. In other words, if you don't want to read it, you don't have to - and if you don't like it, you're probably not my intended audience. I posted information I figured would be helpful to the OP and other people looking for petsitters (being that the thread was headed in that particular direction). Apparently that warrants melodramatic comments and lynching via 'thumbs down'. C'est la vie. I apologize if I wasn't 'witty' enough for your tender sensibilities. Shall I bring out the smelling salts?

It's not really that you forced us to read it, it's just that 1st you totally thread jacked and 2nd it's fml. The point of comments is to comment on the actual story or something somewhat related. How much pet sitters cost and how kennels are is not related nor did anyone really ask about it.

The second, third, and fourth comments tell me otherwise, being that they mentioned an IQ test for petsitters and 'someone should standardize that'. The thread didn't get 'jacked' until people started whinging about it like a bunch of butthurt children.

Well if you read they clearly said the neighbour thought they would be home sooner than they were. It sounds to me as an unfortunate misunderstanding. Glad your dogs are ok!

I agree that it was probably a misunderstanding. But, why would anyone just leave them out without being sure? I'm sure the dogs went out and did their business in a few minutes due to the cold. The neighbor could have easily just put them back inside and if he wanted the dogs out he could let them out again.

I believe this is cause for animal neglect and you should definitely press charges

I don't know if I would take it that far, but you can be damned sure she would never watch my animals again.

You don't say?

--Comment removed by owner.--

Especially if it's 10c outside! Not sure what that is in Fahrenheit, but doesn't sound very pleasant.

-10C is 14 F

53- 0*C is freezing

My bad I meant to say 88 not 53

I would have been pretty confused if you'd meant me, I'm Canadian, so I know my Celsius pretty well. :P I spent a lot of summers in the U.S. (my Dad was born in Ohio) so I can kind of ballpark Fahrenheit, but I'm better at summer temperatures than winter. 100 degrees is effing hot, 90 degrees is obnoxiously hot, 80 degrees is tolerable, but my ideal temperature is around 75. ;)

Just to clear it up, it was 263 kelvin. Now everybody knows just how cold it was right?

It's about 8 F

(Temperature in Celsius) x 1.8 + 32 That's the formula to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit. However, being Canadian, I don't find -10 to be that cold. That's actually not too bad for a winter day. If they said -35 with a windchill, if feel a lot worse.

regardless of whether it's -10 C or F, it's STILL below freezing on either scale. it may not bother PEOPLE, but we're able to bundle up, have protection on our feet and hands, etc. the dogs only had their fur coats, and their paw pads were completely exposed to the weather. the dogs SHOULD have been let out to go to the bathroom then immediately back in, regardless of how long the neighbor thought OP would be home.

It's cold enough to get frostbite, especially if the ground is frozen and their bare paws are touching it. I live in Canada and work with animal rescues. Plenty of animals loses parts of their ears/tails/paws because of freezing. Anything below zero is enough - but the lower you go, the less time you can spend outside without risking injury from the cold.

68- Like you're never cold. Living in the ******* North Pole wouldn't make you used -10 C weather.

So only cats will think it's cold? Guess it's a good thing that they have a dog that was in the cold then

-68 Are you serious? I live up here in northern Michigan so we get snow quite frequently. We have 3 dogs all of them of the chiwawa breed and the smallest of them comes back in cold every time. Think of it this was how would you like it if I threw you out in that kinda weather for some time. No coat, no heat. Let's see how you like it.

Chihuahuas (and all small-breed dogs) are really susceptible to the cold - especially if they have short hair, but honestly, just like humans, the extremities are at the worst risk. If a human gets frostbite? It's usually nose, ears, fingers, toes - same for dogs. Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, and other small delicate dogs aren't well equipped to bounce around in the snow for hours. Neither are greyhounds - they FREEZE and shiver. My neighbour has two, she has to put really warm fleece sweaters on them before they'll go outside as soon as it hits freezing. Dog boots are pretty expensive and fit REALLY poorly, especially on tiny dogs - I just use some baby socks held on with hockey tape, I used to do that for some of the rescue dogs. They walk funny at first (and it's priceless), but it gives them a few more minutes before their feet get freezing. Then you just dry them and reuse. My parents bought their sheltie a pair of boots that cost almost $30, and they fell off constantly, poor thing always had cold, sensitive feet. The baby socks/tape solution is, at least, really inexpensive. And if you're going to be out with the dogs in the snow for a long time, cutting the top off of a rubber balloon and sticking it over the sock before taping it helps keep it from getting wet. If for nothing else, the socks help keep salt/ice melting products from causing the pads of their feet to crack and become painful. If they're in a yard, this is less of an issue, but for city-dwellers, preventing cracks means preventing potential infection and expensive vet bills. :)

Thumbs up for length.

Written in less than five minutes on an iPhone, too. (Some people here seem awfully nitpitcky about comment length, but why does a discussion have to be limited to a paragraph?)

Thank you Sputnik! I have two maltese dogs. Neither of them can take the cold very well. I always go outside with my dogs and I figure if I'm cold in my jacket and boots they are about freezing, and that it's time to come in. You are very knowledgable about the animals you help care for and it makes me extremely happy to see people going through the effort to protect animals when I'm at the shelters visiting and walking dogs.

And willing to sacrifice, Your love. She never takes advice...

Yeah who would give a dog the cold shoulder like that it act-chilly makes me sick.

It doesn't matter. You don't ever leave an animal alone, outside in below freezing weather that can't take care of itself or let itself in the house.

-10

It was minus 10c or minus 50f, which is pretty cold for humans and dogs

I believe the FML says -10 C, which is 14 degrees Fahrenheit. and this may just be an opinion as I'm used to warm weather, but that's colder than a witches teat. D:

OP said it was NEGATIVE 10C. That is 14 degrees F

-10C is not -50F

I stand corrected. I read the FML wrong. Poor dogs :(

no one said it was...

For where I live -10c is not very cold but it may also depend on what you're used to and how much wind there was that day because that could make things seem a lot colder

None of you would survive in Canada if -10 is cold for you.

The US has the sue-happy asshole stereotype, and Canada has the "oh you don't know cold, you *******" one. Nice job reinforcing the stereotype, #55.

So in terms of stereotypes, the US has the sue-happy assholes, and Canada has the "you ******* don't know cold" rimjobs. Nice job reinforcing the stereotype, #55, though I wouldn't expect anything more from a douchebag who calls himself awesome on his own profile.

Just cause its cold doesn't mean they can't survive. I'm from Puerto Rico and anything below 70 is cold to me. My tropical ass still went to Alaska and I survived.

Agreed

I'm from Canada (lived here my whole life) and I think -10C is pretty damn cold. Not as cold as -40C, but I wouldn't want to be out without a tuque and gloves. But it's especially cold for a dog walking about with bare feet on the ice. I can handle the cold, but being properly dressed is key - and depending on the size of dog, -10C could easily cause frostbite on a dog's paws or ears, depending on how much time was spent outdoors.

Your an idiot

Haha yes I am a douche bag; I have nothing to hide. However my comment was not one of douchebaggery (made up words make me more of a douche bag, right?) my comment pertained to the fact that the stereotype I actually referenced in my comment is one of ridiculousness. Just like nearly everything, temperature is relative to what you're used to. If you don't find my comment amusing there's a button for that, I see no reason to rip into each other pointlessly. Sincerely, An amused but never surprised by people's ignorance, Canadian.

86 not sure who that comment is aimed at but no not your, the correct term is you're. Quality first comment.

Here's an idea how bout she uses Fahrenheit so no confusion

Because only Americans use Fahrenheit, and it takes about four seconds to google a conversion? I suppose the metric system is a no-no in your books as well?

Don't look now #128 but your ignorance is showing.

It doesn't matter whether you think that -10C is cold or not. (though, I don't.) The point is, OP thinks it's cold, which means that his/her dogs aren't used to it and might get sick or hurt.

Yea go canada

Where I live it's been going between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius all week. So where I am -10 Celsius would kill us. It really depends on what you are used to.