Hi All... Apologies here is a guilt driven ramble...I've recently taken the decision to take my two out of their day creche which they attended two days a week, for a whole day. Cuillin was getting really anxious on creche mornings, and she had started barking at groups of dogs out on walks and looking scared around dogs. The creche was quite a big affair, with forty plus dogs playing all day in fields, so I decided it wasnt helping little C's anxieties. Also, given Brodick's current selective hearing recall issues, I reckoned him being allowed to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and basically running riot two days a week wasnt helping him either. Sooooo, have cut my work hours and now only at work 2 days full days, the other three days I'm only at work for half the day, so the pups are alone for 3.5 hours those days then I'm home. The pups are on their own for most of the day now for the two days I work full days though...and I'm feeling a bit uncomfy that its too long...on these two days they get a nice long walk first thing, I'm with them from half seven till ten when I leave for work, then I'm at work for for 3.5 hours, then I scoot home (luckily I live super near work) and spend and hour and a half with them, they get another walk and we play about in the house, then back to work for 3.5 hours, then home again. My sensible head is saying this is only two days a week and they would probably just be snoozing a lot anyway even if I was there all day, and they get plenty of company the rest of the time. ...but when I left after lunch visit today they looked a bit deflated...they are both in crates still, Cuillin seems to feel much more secure in her crate, and Brodick would chew the house up if left unattended and bored! Dog Walker services in the City tend to be adopt the model of driving vans full of dogs around on long pick ups round the city, giving them all an hours walk, and then driving around again dropping them all off. So although they are out of the house for three hours, its mostly in a van... Don't think Cuillin would thrive in the barky dark van environment, and another walk would be too much for Brods at his age...anyway, this ramble is really to off load my guilt but also to see what other folk do all day, is this amount of time alone unfair on them? I will brace myself ready for all opinions! As an aside, Dog Sitters are few and far between, there is a market to be had up here!
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble Lots of dogs manage to cope with their owners at work all day and only having a dog walker come in once a day and some dogs find being left an awful experience and it makes them anxious. I'm on maternity leave at the moment but on the days I had to be out all day when I was working I had a few options.....a dog walker (who does exactly as you describe), a friend walking her own dog and some neighbours who would let Riley have some garden time. Riley survived although he'd much prefer to be joined at the hip Hopefully your two will be absolutely fine. I would perhaps try and find some safe space for them though with crate doors open so they can stretch a bit while they eagerly await your return. Riley gets shut in the kitchen which we don't mind if he chews not that he has been chewing recently. This seems like quite a rambling reply hope it makes sense!
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble Debsie, don't beat yourself up about this too much. Your dogs are fine. Of course they would rather be with you - but that simply isn't possible all the time. You have made sure they have enough exercise, and that they are safe. It would of course be ideal if you could find someone to help with the dog walking during the day, since it is exhausting for you otherwise. But it sounds to me as if you are doing well! My partner has been working from home most of last year, which was wonderful for our dogs, but now he is away on a three-month contract. Now Poppy is on her own in the house most of the day, but I walk her in the morning, my cleaning lady lets her out at lunch, and then a neighbour, with a dog of her own, picks Pops up in the afternoon for a good long walk, and I take her out again in the evening. She seems very chilled and surprisingly satisfied with the situation, and I don't even use the crate any more! Try not to worry too much about your two - but I agree that maybe they could be allowed out of crates, if you think it would work.
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble Debsie, you exercise your dogs a lot and they must be really happy with that. I have a friend who leaves her rescue Husky/GSD 8 years old from 0800 until 4pm every day with one walk in the morning which she does by driving her car with the dog on a long line through the window trotting along side. A nightmare. The rescue home didn't even question this which I think is disgusting. I agree also about time out of the crate in a safe place for leg stretching. So please don't feel guilty there are many dogs don't get any exercise and are left for hours and hours every day. You do a great job and what lucky dogs they are. Helen x
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble thanks for letting me guilt trip! these replies were very helpful, they would rather be with me but I need to earn the money to keep us in Bonios, so its a fact of life they will need to be on their own sometimes...and actually, when i got home last night, Cuillin (A Nervy Wee Thing!) was looking the most relaxed I've possibly ever seen her, and continued that way all night.... she finds squite a lot of stuff outside her Home a bit scary, so a nice quiet, if a bit boring, day snuggled next to Brods is probably better for her...the dog walker option wouldn't work for her just now as she is sometimes a bit nervy around other dogs, so really you're all right in an ideal world i wouldnt have to leave them but I do so this is the best option for Cuillin particularly. And Brods is so laid back he's happy with everything... I know its daft but I find it really hard to imagine myself handing them over to a random dog walker, they are so precious, the 'good' walkers here in the City are all full up with waiting lists, the unknown ones would be a big leap of faith for me, and there are too many horror stories on Facebook for me to feel comfortable entrusting them with someone I don't know at all...the downside of living in a big city I guess...family are all down south, and friends all work full time! so We Are Where We Are (as we say in the Civil Service!) and having read your replies and seen how chilled wee Cuillin was last night I think we are in the best place given real life commitments...thanks for comments around crates as well, I'll look to Brodick Proof their wee room and work up to leaving crate doors open so they can at least mill about there and stretch their legs....Cheers folks!
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble Sorry I didnt reply Debsie but honestly, dogs do adapt , all they want it us, and if thats in shorter time periods, so be it When we sold our farm in France and returned to the UK 7 years ago , I worried terribly about how the dogs would adapt . They had had complete freedom over very many acres , a lake and a little woodland and suddenly all that went and they had a normal home only with me working and my ( by then ) disabled husband unable to walk them far . But adapt they did , as dogs will, because as much as we love them, they love us back , so pleased to hear that its going alright and please try not to feel guilty x
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble I don't do the dog walk from a car but do leave Lilly for quite long periods. I work long hours so Lilly can be home alone from 8.15 until almost 4pm for 3 or 4 days a week. We have done this from quite young. She always has a 30-40 min on lead in the morning, rain or shine (well....dark at present) before work/school, and a walk late afternoon on work days. When we are out she has free run of the house - gradually having built that up from full crating at first. She is calm and settled - though doesn't take much encouragement for a full-on frolic. I definitely believe dogs adapt. I am sure I read on here that dogs sleep a huge number of hours, using it to pass the time between walks, food and play. I'm not a totally bad mum though - we get lots of off-lead rampages in fields and woods and beaches at the weekends ;D Jacqui
Re: Home Alone: Guilt ridden bad owner feelings ramble Thanks again, I'm feeling increasingly better! Particularly about the ability to adapt....my two do seem fine after week one of a bit more Home Alone, I really do feel its better for Ninny Cuillin this way anyway, as she is looking very chilled....as an aside, have been de crating them overnight from Friday night on folks advice here, thought would try over nights first. Brodick in particular thinks its marvelous. They've been in my room as a first off to make sure Brods doesnt have any wee accidents over night and to test his chewage, and he has been brilliant. He's a right softie mind you so he the first night he leaped on my bed happily, curled up at lights out, and was CLAMPED to me on the bed the whole night, and has spent the last two nights in that position. Its like wearing a furry wrap all night....Cuillin prefers hopping up and down between her bed and my bed...will go for the odd half hour during the day next and see how we go....
