Bit of background, we got Willow last October at 8 weeks old, she is now nearly 11 months old. At the time my husband was working local but then at xmas was made redundant he found a job which he really wanted to do but is a 1.5 hour drive (3 hours total a day) so he isn't around as much and he works longer hours. He leaves at 7am and is home 7.30pm. So we have to walk Willow at 6am before he lives as we have a young daughter. He started this new job about 2 months. I work Mon - Friday - 6 hours a day. twice a week we have a cleaner for 2 hours who plays with willow and lets her out so she has company then and once a week my neighbour lets her out in garden for a wee, but the other 2 days she is own her own for the whole 6 hours. Think this routine has been going on for a good 3-4 months. Prior to that when she was younger I paid my cleaner to go in every day and stay 30 mins each time, but my cleaner said willow wasn't bothered about her being there and did a wee and went back to bed, so we stopped this. just recently Willow has had a few upset tummies, resulting 2 trips to the vets for antibiticocs and pro-biotics and RC Vet Sensitive Food, but it keeps coming back so Vet suggested today to keep her on the RC fodo all the time and not swap back to her normal food. but I am just wondering if its because we work and leave her and its stressing her out. The vet said she had Colitis. She is funny because in the evenings when we watch tv she gets on sofa for a cuddle for 10 mins then goes off and sleeps out in our dining room Just thinking should we have got a dog really. We walk her AM and PM and sometimes a little walk after school. When we got her we had 2 weeks at home with her and gradually over that time left her for longer periods so be fair I don't suppose she knows any different. She's a very happy dog (although gives me the sad look when I get ready for work). I am happy to ask a friend or neighbour to walk her for me and pay them to do that every day if you think that would help with Willow? Or should we re-home her with a family who are there. At weekends we don't go out as much and spend time at home more or if going to be out for longer periods of time, we ask my neighbour to walk her.
Working and having a dog Bit of background, we got Willow last October at 8 weeks old, she is now nearly 11 months old. At the time my husband was working local but then at xmas was made redundant he found a job which he really wanted to do but is a 1.5 hour drive (3 hours total a day) so he isn't around as much and he works longer hours. He leaves at 7am and is home 7.30pm. So we have to walk Willow at 6am before he lives as we have a young daughter. He started this new job about 2 months. I work Mon - Friday - 6 hours a day. twice a week we have a cleaner for 2 hours who plays with willow and lets her out so she has company then and once a week my neighbour lets her out in garden for a wee, but the other 2 days she is own her own for the whole 6 hours. Think this routine has been going on for a good 3-4 months. Prior to that when she was younger I paid my cleaner to go in every day and stay 30 mins each time, but my cleaner said willow wasn't bothered about her being there and did a wee and went back to bed, so we stopped this. just recently Willow has had a few upset tummies, resulting 2 trips to the vets for antibiticocs and pro-biotics and RC Vet Sensitive Food, but it keeps coming back so Vet suggested today to keep her on the RC fodo all the time and not swap back to her normal food. but I am just wondering if its because we work and leave her and its stressing her out. The vet said she had Colitis. She is funny because in the evenings when we watch tv she gets on sofa for a cuddle for 10 mins then goes off and sleeps out in our dining room Just thinking should we have got a dog really. We walk her AM and PM and sometimes a little walk after school. When we got her we had 2 weeks at home with her and gradually over that time left her for longer periods so be fair I don't suppose she knows any different. She's a very happy dog (although gives me the sad look when I get ready for work). I am happy to ask a friend or neighbour to walk her for me and pay them to do that every day if you think that would help with Willow? Or should we re-home her with a family who are there. At weekends we don't go out as much and spend time at home more or if going to be out for longer periods of time, we ask my neighbour to walk her.
Re: Working and having a dog I am sorry that you have this problem with Willow , and yes Colitis can be caused by stress, but not always, sometimes its just the way they are , so try not to blame yourself . Rehoming is a sensitive issue , no one on here is judgemental but all I can say is that only you can know how you feel about it, what impact it would have, or if it may be a relief ? Its hard for me to advise you as I have always been at home with my dogs so never faced your problems , many people work and have happy dogs, its all down to planning really . I do think that 6 hours is a long time , so maybe yes, arrange for a dog walker to come in , it will relieve the boredom for her even if she doesnt want to walk too far . Sorry I cant be more help , but good luck with whatever route you take x
Re: Working and having a dog I think your worrying too much about leaving you dog for 6hrs. Most dog owners leave their dogs alone for 8hrs or more every single night when they sleep.
Re: worknig and having a dog This is just a personal opinion. I admit, up front, that I am retired and therefore around much of the day. So you may think I don't know what I am talking about. I got Molly at eight weeks on November 22nd last year, so you can see they are virtually the came age. Both are teenagers, bad news I don't think the 'traditional, Mummy and Daddy with Mummy at home all day' family exists anymore except in books. I have two adult daughters, one has a son and works. The other has a toddler and a newborn, she doesn't work and certainly wouldn't have time for a dog. You seem to have put a lot of thought and effort into Willow, you have coped with much of the worst of puppyhood. Both you and Willow would probably find re-homing distressing. And she may well end up no better off. Good Luck with a difficult decision.
Re: Working and having a dog I also work full time and so does my OH. When we first got Penny I was in a different job and was able to come home at lunch times for an hour. She would be left 8-12 and then 1-4 about 3-4 days per week (I was rostered so worked different days). Some weeks she would only be left for two days a week, sometimes it was five. She seemed to cope very well with this and I only had three full days home with her, then two half days before I went back to work properly. My current job is regular hours but I am not able to come home at lunch for her. She is now left 9-5:15 including travelling time, Monday to Friday. Sometimes I worry that I am not home enough for her and that perhaps we shouldn't have gotten a dog. But then I look at her and think that she actually does have a good life, and she doesn't mind being left alone during the day. We make the most of weekends and we are either away on day trips with her, or local long walks. As Kate said rehoming is a sensitive issue and it is a very personal decision to make - I know, I have recently had to rehome my rabbits and it was the hardest decision I have made. I still wonder if it was the right thing to do but then I realise that it was the best decision for them. Even if it hurt me. This is something you need to have a long hard think about and put aside how you and your family might feel and try to think about what would be best for your dog.
Re: Working and having a dog I work much longer hours than you (although not all year) and my dog has a fun, activity packed life. I do arrange things for him to do while I'm at work. Mainly a dog walker, but otherwise friends and family spend time with him. My spare time is pretty much 100% dedicated to doggie activities, and holidays include him. I reckon he has a better social life than I do. Certainly a great deal more time goes into planning things for my dog to do than for me and OH to do! That's the way we want it, though. And training (or trying to train) my dog is a big part of my hobby time. I don't have kids, this helps with the time (and probably energy) available for the dog. (No, my dog is not a baby substitute, although I nearly decided to have a baby until I realised it would only be a puppy substitute ;D ). I don't think a happy dog is a question of working or not. I think it's about how well a dog fits into your life more broadly. It's also about budget available for activities for your dog, or friends and family to help out, while you are working too. Very personal decision for you and your family. Best of luck with making it.
Re: Working and having a dog My old lab had colitis all his life. He lived to 15. For most of his life it was diet related but did become occasionally stress related when he got older. It wasn't until he got to about 10 that the vet advised me to put him on a special diet. He went on royal canin vet sensitivity and a probiotic supplement and it worked. I think he only got one upset tummy again after that. Wish I'd changed him years before so you might find putting willow on the sensitivity diet permanently sorts out the problem. Does she show any other signs of stress when left alone for example destructive behaviour or constant barking ? The decision about what to do is a hard one that only you can make. Putting aside the fact you work consider how much of your free time you spend with her that's the important bit people have to work it can't be helped. Finding somebody who could give her a walk in the middle of the day to break it up would be a good idea if its possible. Dogs do get used to a routine though. I hope you get her tummy sorted and don't blame yourself lots of dog owners work. Good luck
Re: Working and having a dog Don't get down-hearted. Being a working mum too I have guilt pangs, but try my best to make up for not being there by prioritising my non-working week in a different way. SO less house-work and cleaning and more trips to the beach! Seriously though, I believe most dogs don't mind inactivity, but something like a web-cam to check and see how your dog is behaving without you might put your mind at ease, but I'm not the one to advise on that - Julie and Lauren may be able to help with this among others?
Re: Working and having a dog There are very few of the traditional, someone at home all day homes around nowadays. So far you have coped. Re homing would be very stressful for all concerned and Willow would probably be no better off. Good Luck with what you decided to do.
Re: Working and having a dog [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=7141.msg98103#msg98103 date=1406642193] SO less house-work and cleaning and more trips to the beach! [/quote] That's it exactly.
Re: Working and having a dog It doesn't sound to me as though Willow is particularly stressed by being alone for six hours during the day; but I think it would be a very good idea to make sure that someone comes round each day if possible, to take her for a short walk / play in the garden, and give her a bit of interaction. It is clear that you are doing your best, and you weren't to know that your husband would have to take a job with a longer commute. You obviously clearly care about your dog very much, and want the best for her; only you can decide whether rehoming her would be better for her and your family. Please keep us informed about how you are feeling and your thought processes (if you want); we are here to listen to you and give advice as best we can, or just to be a virtual shoulder to cry on.
Re: worknig and having a dog Good luck on whatever decision you make I use a webcam to check on Harley when I'm at work - there is an app called Jumicam which you set up on your laptop and link to your phone
Re: worknig and having a dog [quote author=Naya link=topic=7140.msg98128#msg98128 date=1406651786] Good luck on whatever decision you make I use a webcam to check on Harley when I'm at work - there is an app called Jumicam which you set up on your laptop and link to your phone [/quote] I really want this!! I would LOVE to see what Penny gets up to whilst we are at work. I come home and her blankets are everywhere and I think she has a party! Lol OH has some special cameras he uses to catch trespassers on the railway, I wonder if I can persuade him to bring one home one day...
Re: worknig and having a dog I just have a laptop and a basic webcam focused on the kitchen really simple to set up and costs £2.99 for the app. I can also talk to her....did it once when she was trying to jump on the work tops
Re: worknig and having a dog We both work full time too (well, i work 9 days a fortnight) and have never considered it to be an impediment to having a dog. Three days a week our dog has a dog walker or playgroup, and one or two days a week he's by himself in the house for longer than your dog is. That is probably his limit but he seems to handle it fine. It sounds to me like you are doing a good job of making sure your dog has enough company.
Re: worknig and having a dog Dogs get used to a routine and if she is used to being alone for 6 hours for a few days then dont worry too much. As long as she is a happy dog then thats all that matters Me and my fiancee both work full time 5 days a week, during these days Nero is left from 8.30 - 12.30 and then 13.30 - 17.00. We are lucky that we both work in the same building which is only a mile from home so we get to call in to see him every lunchtime She will be fine, no need to re-home her, i hate to see dogs being re-homed
Re: worknig and having a dog I have set up Jumicam on my laptop and iphone, haven't worked out how to use 3g though...works well when in another room working from home though, and free!
