CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: Chris_J on January 20, 2011, 12:42:40 PM
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Due to a change in circumstances with myself and partner's working schedule, we're having to leave Cassie alone during the day for a little longer. We now both leave the house at the same time in the morning, so unfortunately, she will have to be left for around 8 hours during the day, on weekdays.
I'm a little bit concerned by this, but there's not really much I can do about it. We both still have to work and provide for ourselves and the dog.
We've talked about increasing the frequency that the dog walker comes over, but at £8 a time for an hour's run, it's not something we can readily afford.
Is there anyone else in my situation who leave their cocker during the day?
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If we are going to be that long we would get the neighbors or are own daughters in to let them out for pees and phoos..I think that is just a shade to long 8 hours.We are lucky to have good next door neighbors....
P.S Are Neighbors next door do have a key as we do with them for there pussy cat....
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We have a dog walker for Daisy mon-fri so she is never left more than 4 hours max.....my mums dog is left about the same time as your pooch though and she has a cat flap for him (he's ten and only little) it only works if they have a magnet on their collar to release the door so no other creatures can sneak in......he loves to sit out in the back garden and can relieve himself when he needs the loo :D
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Oh what a difficult quandry.....are you friendly at all with any neighbour/fellow dog walker who you would trust enough to offer a 'wee' break?
We are lucky enough to have my retired Dad on hand for the days when either myself or hubby are doing a long day....and my daughter is in 6th form so she finishes early a few days a week.......I would say the maximum we leave them without being let out would be 4 hours.
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Due to a change in circumstances with myself and partner's working schedule, we're having to leave Cassie alone during the day for a little longer. We now both leave the house at the same time in the morning, so unfortunately, she will have to be left for around 8 hours during the day, on weekdays.
I see from previous posts that she's almost 6 months old, and a working cocker. 8 hours would be a long time for a show cocker, but for a worker I personally would think that's too much without a break, not just for toilet needs, but for mental stimulation and company. When does the dog walker come in?
We've left Alfie once for 5 hours; usually we wouldn't leave him for longer than 3-4 hours. The RSPCA recommendation is no more than 4 hours.
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You have my sympathy... its a difficult situation, as others have said maybe worth seeing whether your neighbour etc could pop in to let her out/have a little play etc.
Maggie is left occassionally for 4-5 hours, I aim to keep it to less than four if I can. On the day I have to go in the office she goes to a dog sitter for the day, but thats only once a week which I can manage financially. She copes fine with 4-5 as long as I make sure she's had a good walk etc beforehand she will sleep while I'm out.
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I feel for you on this one...before my current situation which now means the dogs are never left at all but when we were both working the girls were left for 3 hours every morning. They didnt seem to mind that tbh but I think 8 hours every day is too much if I am honest. Really hope you can come up with a solution :D
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I agree with 'ask the neighbours' if you are friendly with them, AND they love dogs
I work full-time, but a couple of the neighbours are retired, or work part-time. They love dogs, but don't want the tie of having their own dog, so seem very happy to look after Bracken 1 day a week.
They go in late morning - take her for a walk, or play with her in garden. My Mum (retired) also pops in whenever she is passing the door
On the days when she doesn't have baby-sitters!!! she comes to work with me... folk in work have cigarette breaks, I have Bracken Breaks :005:
If its freezing - they allow me to bring her into building - she is very quiet so they don't mind
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I own two workers and leave them both for about 6 hours a day (9am, when OH leaves for walk till, 3ish when I get in from work) but they have been known to be left for 8 hours if I get stuck at work ph34r Usually I know before lunch and get my OH to go home at lunch but he only has 10 mins and its a quick wee before he shoots off again. I can think of once of twice when they've been left all day and been fine. :luv:
However OH gives them an hour and a half in the morning and they get between 2 and 3 hours out with me in the evening to ensure they get the exercise and quality time with us that they deserve.
Mentally they can get a bit stir crazy by about mid week due to a lack of mental stimulation. It helps if they have a mid week activity (agility and flyball are both ran in the evenings in the summer) but I have to put alot of effort in privately if theres a week without something going on. We have a training schedule (sad I know) that seems to be working to keep them mentally tired all week long
I know some people dont agree but it works for us. It seems like a long time but I know that I put alot of energy into my dogs outside of work. From talking to people in my area and at training classes I find that Very often I do alot more than people who are at home all day. If Im honest sometimes I think I do so much because of the guilt ph34r .
Only you know if you are commited enough to make it work. Id suggest you and your OH look at what activites you have the time and money to do with her to keep her mentally stimulated and whether you think it will be enough
Also its worth mentioning that I absolutely dont leave the dog alone in the evening after being alone all day. Its just not fair IMO. So if I want an evening out I have to book the day off work.
I hope that helps
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This is a hard one for you. And, it sounds like you already know it would be difficult for the doggie.
Is there anyone in the area, retired and active who would perhaps like to earn just a little money (to pay for a luxury or something)? When I worked full time, we had a lovely lady living on the estate aged 67.............I used to give her just £10 a week(and as she said, it paid for her paper each day, and chocolate), and she would just come half way through the day, make herself a cuppa, play with Lily...........then take her to the local field for a run. Luckily, I didn't work full-time for too long, so I got to do it myself eventually. Sometimes it not vast amounts of money these people are looking for, but it is nice for them to do something, and to have a bit of spare cash for a luxury too.
I have you find a way to get around the problem. I feel for you.
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I'm a stay at home mum and am forever on the look out for little things like this to do. My SIL's friend recently moved next to me and I go most days, just for half an hour and she pays me £2.50. I exercise a lab and a rottie in her garden, and play with them inside/cuddles etc. Maybe you could also find someone like a stay at home mum who likes dogs??
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I'm a stay at home mum and am forever on the look out for little things like this to do. My SIL's friend recently moved next to me and I go most days, just for half an hour and she pays me £2.50. I exercise a lab and a rottie in her garden, and play with them inside/cuddles etc. Maybe you could also find someone like a stay at home mum who likes dogs??
I offered to do things like this when I was made redundant.......maybe an advert in your local village shop?
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I think it depends on the dog and the dog's age. Our last cocker was occasionally left for the day (6-8 hours) but only when he was much older and honestly was quite happy to have the house to himself......no running kid, no noise, his soft bed parked right in the best spot for sunshine all day!! However, our new pup can't be left for any longer than 3-4 hours. We both work full-time so he is alone for 3 hours in the morning and we come home for lunch (we stagger our lunches so there's someone there for approx. 1-2 hours) and then he's left for another 2-3 hours. We find that he's fine and well-behaved when we're gone but he's always very happy to have us come home - he's almost two years old and we've only been doing it this way for the last year. He came to work with me for the first 8-9 months. We are looking into taking him to a doggie daycare for a couple of mornings a week just because he doesn't get as much exercise during the winter as he normally does (too cold for long walks and runs!). He seems content but we think the stimulation and socialization would be good for him. It really does depend on the dog and the situation. If you could get someone to pop in and spend a bit of time with him that would be an ideal solution.
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Do you have a kennels near you? I only say this as the kennels where I used to work years back did day boarding. You dropped them off each morning and picked them up each night. The dogs had lots of company, plenty to do and where usually worn out when they got home. There are also doggy day cares, which are a similar sort of idea, but perhaps not in a kennel environment. May be worth looking into as I know all our customers where really happy with it and so were the dogs. Just another idea. ;)
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Hi
Just one thing to add - I have just renewed Brackens insurance, and one of the exclusions on her Policy (which I hadn't noticed before) is if you pay for someone to look after your dog, it could nullify an Insurance claim.
Is this is a standard exclusion? - may be worth having a look at your policies - or if anything happens then bear this in mind for the Claim Form ;)
I don't pay the Ladies that look after Bracken, and I assume that most 'professional' dog walkers and kennels have their own insurance cover.
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It may be worth saying where you are located ;) There may be another COLer in the area who would willingly take your girl out with their dog/dogs.
I know that if there was a cocker in my area in the same position, I would readily step in to help. :luv:
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Freddie is left from 8.30 til 3.15 two or maybe three days a week (sometimes OH works from home) which is almost 8 hours. He is 15 months old. Until October, when he was 1, I came home at lunchtime for him on those days and spent half an hour with him. He has an hours walk in the morning then me or my daughter takes him out when she gets in from school. He is obviously very excited to see us but seems to cope with it OK as he has built up to it. I wouldn't have left him that long at 6 months, though. Why not contact a local dog club of some sort and ask to have a little announcement made there? Either that or friends and neighbours. I know my OH wouldn't want someone he didn't know coming into our house so wouldn't let me advertise in a shop window or anything. Good luck. ;)
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We are lucky in that my retired parent walk our dog most days when we are at work but 2 days a week we pay a dog walker - to be honest I feel like I leave Albert too long on his own when the dog walker takes him out as hes on his own from 8.30 til 12 then from 12.30 til 5.30. Saying that though he seems to cope with it well. Yesterday we had to leave him home alone from 8.30am til 3pm and he was fine, we made sure though that he had an hour and half walk last night and he slept upstairs with us - so as he wasn't on his own for too long
I feel for you though as its really expensive to pay a dog walker every day
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This isn't ideal but can work. I for one with my first two cockers used to leave them for 8 hours a day - They got a walk before work, I used to nip home for a walk at lunchtime and then a walk as soon as I came home from work - We never really left them in the week in the evenings and they often got another walk later on. They were full on in the evenings but I don't think unhappy - weekends were all about them - The last five years I have worked from home and three years earlier children came along so plenty of maternity leave. Sometimes it isn't ideal but my boys were solid, sound boys and had a routine. They were my world but in the early years I had to work. When you consider the life what some dogs have out there and see the results on the rescues sites. If you can break the day up with a walk/visit that would be great. You obviously care alot to be considering/thinking about the situation. :)
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I understand this is hard for you and changes in circumstances are impossible to predict, but I feel the need to be brutally honest here. Eight hours alone, 5 days a week, IMHO, is just not right for a 6 month old working cocker. If it were me, I would have to make arrangements for doggie day care or day kennels, regardless of cost, in the same way I'd have to make arrangements for childcare. I'm sorry to be harsh.
We have a worker and a show x worker, both aged 5, and we're lucky enough to be home all day with them (we're retired). I can tell you that they do NOT sleep, except maybe half an hour after their dinner at midday. Granted we don't spend all day training, walking or mentally stimulating them, but they're out in the garden puttering, or watching interfering with what we're doing, or going in and out, or whatever, between their a.m. and p.m. walks mad runs which take 2 hours or so.
We used to work full-time and we had 2 dogs but they weren't working cockers, they were aged 10 to 13, and they had each other for company. I think that was still too long and I felt guilty. I also found winters difficult because their morning and evening walks were in the dark and they could never get off leash except for weekends.
Sorry, I'm now off to hide ph34r and really hope things work out well for you and Cassie.
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This isn't ideal but can work. I for one with my first two cockers used to leave them for 8 hours a day - They got a walk before work, I used to nip home for a walk at lunchtime and then a walk as soon as I came home from work
That's the difference though - you came home at lunchtime to walk them, so their 8 hours wasn't constant, it was broken up into two parts.
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Thanks for all the comments, guys.
We're going to do our best to arrange for someone to come in more often and break up the time for Cassie.
I must say, I'm not a huge fan of these doggy day care places. Although in principal they are a good idea, most of them are asking for over £10 a day and it just gets silly.
We're going to start by asking around the neighbours, as I know of at least two who are retired and have had dogs in the past. We are friendly with many of our neighbours, so I hold hope for this. Pretty much all of our friends work full time during day hours, so that's not really going to be an option.
I'd be over the moon if a fellow COLer was in my local area (Manchester) and could help. At least then it would be someone I could trust and would be better than letting any old stranger into the house!
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Due to a change in my personal circumstances I have to leave my cocker all day whilst I'm at work. It's not something I'm happy with but I don't have much of a choice right now.
That said, he does have a good walk before work. I feed his breakfast kibble in a pyramid ball so he has to work for his food, this usually keeps him occupied for twenty minutes ( I put some big bits in there that he really has to work for to get them out of the pyramid ph34r ), I also leave him with a frozen kong which keeps him occupied for approx 20-30 mins. When I get home he goes for another long walk and I never ever go out at night and leave him alone if he's been alone all day. If I a going out at night I book half a day off work.
Its hard work as before and after a hard days slog at work I have to ensure Billy is kept occupied. He has to be my priority even when I just want to curl up on the sofa and chill, or when I get home and its pouring with rain I still have to take him out.
Billy has the run of the house whilst I am out and he has a dog flap so has full access to the secure garden all day. I would never expect him to go 8 hrs without access to the toilet, that is just not fair. I also leave a radio on timer ( not sure if it actually makes any difference! :lol: )
I discussed this with Billys behaviourist at the time. The best piece of advice she gave me was to introduce it to him gradually. Slowly build up the time time he spends alone and look out for any signs of stress or unhappiness. Billy was used to being alone for 4 hrs each day so it didn't actually take that long to build up. I always leave him with some kind of treat when I leave so he actually gets really excited when I put my coat on :lol2:
He is fine, at the moment, but he is 7 years old and is a show type. He has an iffy temperament so dog walker/day care and rehoming isn't an option. If however I had a young worker pup then it would be a different story . If a dog walker wasn't an option I would have to "consider" rehoming :-\
Good luck with whatever happens :D
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I must say, I'm not a huge fan of these doggy day care places. Although in principal they are a good idea, most of them are asking for over £10 a day and it just gets silly.
Yes it works out expensive for a 5 day week doesn't it.
Even one day a week at day care is better than nothing :D
Where in Manchester are you? :D
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This is a really interesting thread for me as I will be returning to work after a long period of sick leave soon (start of March I think) and we are trying to work out how best to ensure that Merlin is okay whilst we work (I hope to go back on a part-time rather than full-time basis which would made things better for all of us though). Asking the neighbours is a possibility and we do have a friend who loves dogs that is recently retired so may be an option also...
Chris, I found this comment curious.
At least then it would be someone I could trust and would be better than letting any old stranger into the house!
I can see already that this is a great forum with lots of great people who love their dogs which is why I joined up. However, I would ask you to remember that we are all still 'strangers' that you don't really know from adam as it were. Do take appropriate precautions in the same way you would as if you were inviting a child minder from a toddler forum to babysit for you ;)
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I'm in Burnage, South Manchester, which is fairly close to Stockport.
Miadanu, you're right. I guess we are still all strangers. But, I would just feel happier if it was someone from here rather than sticking an advert in the shop window, if you know what I mean.
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Someone is asking in the Meet Up folder to see if there's any interest for another get together in the near future. You could always post there and see if anything comes of it. If you met any members there, at least you'd know them from Adam ;)
Here's a link to a photo thread from their last meet:
http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=66014.0 (http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=66014.0)
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I'm in Burnage, South Manchester, which is fairly close to Stockport.
http://www.mypetstop.com/quote_form.html
Not cheap but even if its just one day per week it breaks the week up :D
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I just wanted to continue on the insurance theme. If you are sticking an ad in the local chop or whatever, you can be sure their will be no insurance which also means that during the time your dog is with this person, they are not insured at all. A local girl here advertises dog walking for £5. She is not registered or insured so basically this is a bucky. Not that I mind but for and extra £2 per day, you could get an insured, checked-put, dog walker that is registered(so has some regulators). You get what you pay for.
IMO, 8 hours is way too much for a 6 month old pup. Would you go al day without a bathroom break? And you are an adult with a full sized bladder! I think that the dog allready sleeps approx 8 hours at night so expecting them to snooze all day is a bit much. I have trouble finding the energy every day to walk my lot but I need to and I work from home so they have company all day too. I'm sorry but if it were me I would either pay for a dog walker every other day at least or considering re-homing.
Just give it a go one day. Stay home in the one room with no TV, PC and stick the radio on low. Have a bit to eat and a couple of drinks sitting there and see how long it is before you feel a bit uncomfortable and bored. I have a litter of pups atm(not advertising as a different breed & sold) but I have turned down people who work that haven't considered what they were going to do. I've nothing against working as everyone needs to but you wouldn't take a job without thinking of what you were going to do with your kid. How's your dog different?
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saffysmum, I appreciate your comments but I think you should read my question again. You appear to be suggesting that I haven't properly considered my lifestyle when choosing to have a pup, which is simply not the case. Myself and my partner thought long and hard before getting Cassie, but it is unfortunate that our circumstances have now changed, which was something we could never foresee.
Can I make it clear to you that we channel every ounce of energy we have into her and we're not the sort of family that treats their dog as some kind of toy that you can toss to one side when you're bored. Cassie is part of the family and allways will be.
I have come on here to discuss what viable options I have to break the day up for Cassie. I never once suggested that I propose to leave her for the entire time. As I say, I want to do what's best for Cassie. In my opinion, re-homing would cause her much more stress and anxiety, so I'm afraid I disagree with you there.
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I'm pleased you took up mooching's suggestion about getting to know fellow COLers on a meet. :luv:
Fingers crossed for you that you meet someone who will help with the Cassie/work situation. :bigarmhug:
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All I can offer is that you make sure there is a stimulating and tiring walk in the morning and as soon as you get home in the evening. This must be a minimum for a young working cocker. I know that putting an ad in the shop or local paper or whatever seems a bit daunting but if you don't have any luck with neighbours or COLers you won't have much option if the professional help is too expensive. 5 days a week would be far too much for such an active mind, let alone body.
If you speak to neighbours and anybody else you know (they don't need to live close - just know other people that you don't) you may find the answer you need. A friend or neighbour's kid who goes to school nearby or something like that.
I really hope you get it sorted because it's not nice for you to be doing this to your little puppy. Situtations change and we have to deal with it as best we can, which sometimes means getting out of our comfort zone. Almost anything must be worth a try before you end up looking at rehoming. 40 hours a week alone isn't really workable for a pup.
Good luck. Sorry I can't help more.
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Its also worth having a chat with your place of work. Lots of places offer flexi time. If you and your OH could stagger your shifts its soon knocks the number of hours down that cassie is left alone
I asked at my place of work before getting a dog and Im now in work for 6 am but home to make the most of the afternoon, as well as avoiding rush hour so spending alot less time traveling. It also means that by the time everyone else starts I have delt with alot of my departments night shift dramas which normally would have been left till 9am so my boss loves it.
Obviously not all jobs are so flexable but its something to think about.
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Hi, I work full time and understand totally the dilema you are in. I have 2 show type cockers, Diesel 3 year old and Olli 2 year old. I walk them in morning, feed them using puzzle balls to stimulate mind and give them something to do for 15 / 20mins, go to work (about 4 hours) come home at lunchtime, its only a short walk at lunchtime about 15/20 mins, then back to work (about 4 hours) On an evening we have our main walk. After lunchtime walk I leave frozen kongs to keep them occupied.
I dont go out on an evening if its a workday, evenings & weekends are totally dedicated to them.
I was very worried at first as to how they would cope and must admit I have on occassions left cam corder running and watched what happens ph34r all fine, :005: slept alot more than they do when im in. On occassions when I have had to go away with work for the day my neighbour is only too eager to give them their lunchtime walk, so im lucky there.
Doggie day care is not really an option for me as Olli can be a pain in the bum with some dogs >:D, Diesel on the other hand is the perfect little :angel: (and it is very expensive)
Hope you find a neighbour or COLr that can help, if not a registered dog walking service may be the answer, try googling for your area and do your homework on them, ask if you can go along with them on a couple of walks so that you can get a feel for them and the dogs they walk.
Good luck :luv:
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Well, spoke to one of my neighbours today who is very friendly and I have done quite a bit on work on her house in the past. As luck would have it, she absolutely adores dogs! So, I'm going to introduce Cassie to her tomorrow and she said she would do her best to take her out for 15-20 minutes every afternoon during the week.
This is perfect! The only unfortunate down-side is that she has actually got her house on the market and could potentially be moving in a couple of months.
I'll have a chat with the other neighbours and get myself to some COL meets for when she eventually moves on.
:D
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That's excellent news. :D
At least you have some help in the meantime and when she eventually goes you'll have had loads of time to meet all the other neaighbours and looked into other options. Even just a little bit of company can make a difference to a puppy. Having so much time completely alone could be laying the foundations for problems later on otherwise.
Start looking at toys that require mental energy to get the treat to help prevent any destruction. We're lucky that Posie settled very quickly and we now let her have the run of two connected rooms instead of being stuck in her large cage. She also gets to sit on the windowsill and watch the fairly busy street. We still never leave here for any more than 4 hours but tha'ts by choice as I work from home (or will do soon).
Good luck with the rest of the options.
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I leave my boys for 8 hours a day, before we got our first cocker I researched leaving them for so long and asked my vet and he said that if thats all they know then they will be fine with it and ye my oldest boy has no problems being left. Our new lil chcocolate is only 4 months so he is still getting used to it but he has his big brother to play with and seems to be getting along fine.
We always leave them kongs and hide treats round the room so they have to spend time searching, not sure how long this keeps then busy but it seems to work. :005:
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Interesting.
I wonder if, by getting my neighbour in, I'm teaching Cassie that someone will be there to take her out every day? Should my neighbour not arrive one day, Cassie could become quite stressed?
Maybe I should ask my neighbour to only spend a short while with her, maybe to just have a wee and put her back?
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Interesting.
I wonder if, by getting my neighbour in, I'm teaching Cassie that someone will be there to take her out every day? Should my neighbour not arrive one day, Cassie could become quite stressed?
Maybe I should ask my neighbour to only spend a short while with her, maybe to just have a wee and put her back?
I used to come home for Freddie at lunchtime but don't any more - again I built this up gradually by not coming home one day a week then 2 days, now 3 days a week. He seems to have adapted. OH does usually work from home one day, though.
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A long shot but - what sort of work do you do? Have you asked if Cassie can go to work with you? Or to your partner's work?
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Interesting.
I wonder if, by getting my neighbour in, I'm teaching Cassie that someone will be there to take her out every day? Should my neighbour not arrive one day, Cassie could become quite stressed?
Maybe I should ask my neighbour to only spend a short while with her, maybe to just have a wee and put her back?
I used to come home for Freddie at lunchtime but don't any more - again I built this up gradually by not coming home one day a week then 2 days, now 3 days a week. He seems to have adapted. OH does usually work from home one day, though.
Same here. We did it by moving OHs lunch back, then I used some flexi hours to finish abit earlier. So lunch moved from 1 to 1.30 for a week, then 2pm. Then I made sure I was home by 2.30 for a week, until they could cope with waiting till I was home.
My advice is to see about getting your neighbour to vary the time they vist. It means that Cassie isnt expecting someone to come at a particualar time. Dog get most stressed in the time just after you leave (which kongs and hidden treats can help with) and at the time of day when she expects someone to come home.
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We're both now in office based jobs, so there's not much chance of any of us being able to take Cassie with us and although my place claims to be 'flexi time' orientated, eyebrows still get raised if you come in at 9:30 one morning.
My advice is to see about getting your neighbour to vary the time they vist. It means that Cassie isnt expecting someone to come at a particualar time. Dog get most stressed in the time just after you leave (which kongs and hidden treats can help with) and at the time of day when she expects someone to come home.
Are dogs really that time concious!? :-\ I was meaning more like if Cassie got used to someone coming over between me leaving and arriving home, she could start to become dependent on this?
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My advice is to see about getting your neighbour to vary the time they vist. It means that Cassie isnt expecting someone to come at a particualar time. Dog get most stressed in the time just after you leave (which kongs and hidden treats can help with) and at the time of day when she expects someone to come home.
Are dogs really that time concious!? :-\ I was meaning more like if Cassie got used to someone coming over between me leaving and arriving home, she could start to become dependent on this?
Ive always though so. Try feeding Cassie late one time and see how time concious they are :005:
My girl Clover sits by her food bowl at 7.30 on the dot every day irrespective of what has been going on throughout the day. Both mine go and get in their beds every morning at about 9.30 as thats when my OH goes to work. Its quite funny that at weekends they are both sat there waiting for us to leave in the morning. :005:
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I would have said yes about the time conscious thing too. Kali sits on my chest at 4.45pm to remind me to feed her and then at 7.30pm she sits in the hall waiting for her Daddy to come in!
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its very hard to know what to say.... when you are not in this situation....
I am lucky that i take Bob to work with me... and i hope this will never change...
This is how he spends his day....
In the summer ..or when it lighter we get up and go for a free run in the woods for about 45 minuets
we get to work for about 8.00am he say hello to the other staff and then has his breakfast
he is then sleeps.... we have our tea brake at 10.00am and he is up and about to see whet every one is up to
and what they are eating... he has a chichen wing... he then gos back to his bed
he is up next at around 1.00pm when he gos out for a walk for about 30 minuets.... then its back to bed
he is up again at 3.45 tea brake and he has a biscuit.... we then go home and he gets an evening walk
we also do a training class and an Agility class after work......
so as long as you can take him out before you go to work for a nice long walk...
and when you come home..... it would be nice to get some one to take him out in the middle of the day
there must be a way.. you can get someone to take him out for you... i meet a lady on FB the other day
we have a Black show cocker in commen now we are friends and have meet up.... she some times meets us in the afternoon and walks with us.... so it is possible to meet new people who may want to help...
I do hope it works out for you and you dog... I would go and meet some of the COLers they are alway will to help if they can...
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I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but I used to leave Henry in my car while I was at work. However, there were some special circumstances that made this possible:
I work in the country, so there was no passing people that might steal. As a result the car windows could be left open. Also our receptionist has a clear view of the car park so could keep an eye on the place.
There are plenty of tress, bushes, hedgerows etc around our car park and as a result the car could be parked in guaranteed shade all day.
There are plenty of places for walking so I could walk him before work, at lunchtime and after work, all off-lead.
It was not ideal but it did work for us until I could start taking Henry into the office with me.
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Hi, I hope you can find a solution, its horrible when circumstances change I have had it happen myself and all your best plans go out of the window.
Give things a try with your neighbour and see how it goes I hope that she and your pup get along well.
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Hope things work out for you with the neighbour. You never know.....if and when she does move, she might know someone interesting in taking over the job.
Good luck with it all. :luv: :luv:
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There have been some great ideas already, and I hope you get something sorted. I can't imagine how you must feel knowing things have changed beyond your control, and you need to find a way to make this work.
We both work but made arrangements with my hubbys niece and our neighbours for the first 2-3 months when we first got Dylan. Lots of toilet breaks and fuss, but only for 15-30 mins at a time. He genuinely never seemed stressed, although we couldn't get home from work quick enough.
The thing is he adapted really quickly. He's a show type, and I appreciate workers are different, but given time I assume he would also settle into the routine. Some company from your neighbour, no matter how brief, would be a welcome break in his day, and then lots of attention when you both get home again.
They aren't puppies for long, so as he gets older the issue may reduce. It has for us anyway.
Good luck and I really hope you find an answer that fits all of you.
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Tia is left for 3 - 3.5 hours in the morning and then 4 hours in the afternoon on weekdays. We are up early between 5.30am-6am and she doesn't get left til 8.30-9am. She gets a walk first thing (in the dark!), a good play in the garden at lunchtime when I come home, then she gets her 2nd walk when I come in at 5 ish.
She gets left kongs etc and radio 2 (and the cats :005:) but I suspect she sleeps most of the time. We have a rule that one of us is always at home with her on a weekday evening, she seems to doze a lot then too! She's 5 months old.
She's barely left at the weekends, just a couple of hours on Saturday morning.
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The lady who has been walking Cassie has been enjoying every minute of it. She takes for out for a 30 minute run at about mid-day during the week and Cassie seems to love it.
As I mentioned, however, my neighbour will soon be moving away. She told me yesterday that it could be as soon as two weeks! :-\
However, on Friday, work announced to me and two other people that our positions are under consideration for redundancy and I've decided this weekend that I'm going to take voluntary. Of course, this is mainly due to other reasons, but it will certainly benefit Cassie in the short-term and it means I can look for new work with more suitable hours/arrangements.
Funny how things just 'work out' sometimes!
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Sorry to hear about the redundancy situation,not a nice thing at all ....but as you say at least Cassie will benefit :luv:... due to illness my OH has been unable to work since Nov 09 and its not looking like things will change anytime soon so the only good thing about our situation is that the girls aren't home alone :luv:
Hope you can find a job that suits when you are ready :D
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Sat and read all the posts, some interesting thoughts and remarks.
It you have the will I feel you can make anything work. Maybe not to your total satisfaction but enough to make it worth while.
At the moment my OH is reluctant to commit to another dog (we had 3 up until just over a year ago) because of the restrictions they put on you (his words). However I am working on a solution that will be acceptable so I will be able to get my special person again.
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This thread on the forum has been really helpful. My two boys used to go to work with my OH but unfortuantly we broke up and I managed to keep the boys. This is great but I work very long hours and although have a great dog walker who takes them out every day felt really guilty about leaving them. I've managed to find a new job which will allow me to work shorter hours so I can be home earlier and leave later but will still have to rely on a dog walker. I have felt really guilty about leaving them but there has been no damage and I try to entertain them with games when I get home at night. They do go to agility as well twice a week. In the summer I'm hoping to walk them before and after work as well as their trip with the dog walker but in the winter it's hard to find somewhere light enough that I feel safe to walk them on my own.
I felt like the only person who left their dog in the day so this thread has made me feel a little better. It's hard when circumstances change but I couldn't be without the two of them :)
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This thread on the forum has been really helpful. My two boys used to go to work with my OH but unfortuantly we broke up and I managed to keep the boys. This is great but I work very long hours and although have a great dog walker who takes them out every day felt really guilty about leaving them. I've managed to find a new job which will allow me to work shorter hours so I can be home earlier and leave later but will still have to rely on a dog walker. I have felt really guilty about leaving them but there has been no damage and I try to entertain them with games when I get home at night. They do go to agility as well twice a week. In the summer I'm hoping to walk them before and after work as well as their trip with the dog walker but in the winter it's hard to find somewhere light enough that I feel safe to walk them on my own.
I felt like the only person who left their dog in the day so this thread has made me feel a little better. It's hard when circumstances change but I couldn't be without the two of them :)
It sounds like you do plenty to keep your boys happy........I think we all suffer from guilt at one time or another ;)
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Ollie is a lucky boy, he is rarely left, If he is it is for a couple of hours max. We didn't get him whilst we where working full time. This isn't meant as a criticism,
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I felt like the only person who left their dog in the day so this thread has made me feel a little better. It's hard when circumstances change but I couldn't be without the two of them :)
As with ANY discussion there will always be a range of views. This particular topic, I feel, can produce extremes of opinion ranging from A dog under a certain age should not be left longer than... A dog of any age should not be left longer than... to Dogs can be left for long periods without any trouble as long as they get plenty of stimulation before and after. As this thread has shown, there are a range of views in between as well and it will depend on the individual dog too. Yes, cockers are people loving dogs but I know at least one who doesn't sit with the family in the evening, preferring to be on her own most of the time. We all do the best we can.
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Have just read all through the posts, blimey what a lot of suggestions etc.
My dogs must have had a charmed life, used to have a pub so dogs were always "hanging around" either in the bar (no doggy bans then) getting as much fuss as they could from anybody and everybody, or running about in the very secure yard/garden area.
When I moved on to be a sheltered housing warden I could pop back every hour to Choccy my chocolate lab or he would be in his run outside and I could hear from all parts of my patch if he was barking etc.
We didn't have Maddy until I retired so she is used to us being under her feet all day, though she will quite happily stay sleeping on Mummy's chair whilst we go out shopping etc. the max we have ever had to leave her in an emergency was about 5 hours I was worried sick after the first 3 but she was fine when we got back, wouldn't go out for a pee till she had been suitably cuddled :-* Neighbours said they never heard a squeak from her :luv:
I doubt I would have had the heart to leave them for long periods but as said it works for some families.
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I have read this post with interest as we leave Roxy for 8 hours a day, mon-fri, and i also thought i was the only one that did this and felt rather guilty. We have done this ever since she was a puppy, though to start with i did have all my family coming in to let her out. At about 4 months old, we had one of the outbuildings turned into a kennel and run and she is in there during the day, with space to go outside. Roxy has never known any different and i dont think it affects her. She doesnt chew and is very good. She is her own dog and is very independant, doesnt sit on our knee and will lie on the back of the seatee instead of on us. She is never left on an evening, i do obedience and agility on a saturday, and sunday is our dog walking day. If we go out on a weekend, she goes to MIL with her springer :D
xx
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I guess we would all like to be the perfect dog owners but sometimes it's just not possible. I'd like to think my boys look forward to the weekend just as much as me, knowing it means long walks in the country and lots of fun :D
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This has been of real interest as I am potentially in a similar situation.
At the moment I WFH about 70% of the time but I am interviewing for a new job which is a dream job but will potenitally mean working in an office again for at least 3/4 days a week plus some international travel. OH has a job with stable hours and stable location so can pop home at lunch but we are thinking of a dog walker 3 times a week (mon/wed/fri) for 45 mins as I have calculated that is what we can afford and ofcourse morning and evening walks every day. I would also go running with Fred on the Tuesday and Thursdays where we wouldnt have a dog walker to tire him out a bit more.
Its encouraging to see other people are able to make their circumstances work for both them and their dog and the suggestion regarding neighbours etc to walk their dog seems like a great idea. My neighbour is home on tuesdays so I will see if she will be able to give fred a pee break and I do like the idea of advertising and paying people to walk my dog.
Thanks for this as it has been very helpful!
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I found our sitters by putting a poster in the local shop window - it had a picture of Annie looking up at the camera all sad-eyed and explaining how her mum and dad were going to have to go out to work all day and would anyone look after her. I had a couple of calls, and she (and now Jeff) spend any days we're both out with a lovely retired couple at the top of our lane. They've been sitting for us for over two years now :D We drop them off before work and pick them up when we get home, and pay them £10 per day (it was £5 per day for Annie on her own).
The only problem we sometimes have is when they're unavailable; so far we've managed those incidents by using a local dog walker or I've nipped home at lunchtime.