How to get my dog "fix"

Pthree

Work life (10-12 hour days) and home life (1st floor flat, not really allowed pets even if I could stretch to a dog walker) mean I cant have a dog, but not having one is killing me!!!

I get to walk a neighbours now and again, but its just not the same.
I have applied for Cinnamon Trust 3 times and never had a answer.
No dogs homes close by and Battersea require regular hours which I cant give as its a good hour to get there and I cant offer every weekend (plus I think I would fall in love with one I cant bring home and that may upset me even more)

Not having a mutt it really depressing me!

What I really need is a weekend pooch............. if only!

Any ideas??

P3

OnAndUp

Put an advert up in a local shop / ask around if anyone wants their dog walking / entertaining on the weekend?

Tiglath

Date someone who has a dog? (I was going to say look at free doggy !!!!!! on the internet but that's just going to be wildly misconstrued!). Put an advert in a shop window offering weekend walkies?

Pthree

Tiglath wrote: »

Date someone who has a dog? (I was going to say look at free doggy !!!!!! on the internet but that's just going to be wildly misconstrued!). Put an advert in a shop window offering weekend walkies?

Free doggy !!!!!! - ahh you mean dogsblog??

Thing is its just not the walks (which I miss a lot, a walk without a dog is rather pointless to me) its the cuddle on the sofa, having one to talk to etc... Just to have a head on my knee looking up at me.

I suppose at the end of the day I'm a bit lonely and prefer dogs to humans 99% of the time!!

P3

Tiglath

I don't know about dogsblog - I'm a cat-person - I meant tasteful video clips of redsetters and golden retrievers loping gracefully through wheatfields etc.

eco

why don't you put some adverts in your local vets, you could become a dog sitter lots of people want to go away for the weekend or night. but have no one trustworthy to leave there dog with

Tiglath

eco wrote: »

why don't you put some adverts in your local vets, you could become a dog sitter lots of people want to go away for the weekend or night. but have no one trustworthy to leave there dog with

That's a good idea - some might even prefer you to stay in their home so as to not upset the dog by moving it to a strange place.

Sally_A

Totally understand you P3.

You haven't stated where you live but here are some more weekend options. You will probably have more takers in a city.

Do you live near campsites? people may take their pooch with them, but need full days for sight seeing.

People moving house within the area could quite often do with the dog out of the way for a day or two whilst they move (lots of doors open, furniture shifting, and general chaos).

If you charge, you may want to get liability cover (approx £126 per annum), but if you do it for free, get them to sign a form saying you are not contractually liable, do not take payment - but maybe gratefully receive a bottle of plonk after all has gone well.;) Also, get in writing what they expect you to do should there be illness/injury/loss etc.

I've been dog-less since June, so far I've looked after a mates dog for a weekend, and am looking after a neighbours dog overnight for the next week - in the meantime I was "adopted by a cat" - and I don't do cats.

A friend of mine is the PA to a surgeon, you get these stubborn old ladies that won't have the hip op because they don't want Mutt to go into kennels, she has often had a dog for a few days (free of charge, and part of the service).

Good luck in your search, my favourite sound of all time is a snoring dog, with the odd bit of dreaming/bunny chasing thrown in for good measure.

zaksmum

Not the same though if it's not your own dog.

Minding someone else's dog wouldn't do it for me at all.

I just couldn't imagine life without my own dog.

Dollardog

Its not the same as having your own dog, but a good compromise if you can't have one for some reason and a lot cheaper!!

One of my neighbours often has the dogs of her friends, including mine, if they are going away. Her and her partner lost their dog a couple of years ago and don't feel in a position to have their own dog again until they move, they love it when they can 'borrow' someone elses,

lostinrates

No friends with dogs? Mine love most of my friends. One loves brushing them, and the dog adores it too, I am thrilled when she visits. I sometimes feel restricted about going out, I don't like to leave them alone too long, having a near by friend to baby sit them for me for an evening/ ove night would be wonderful. ( ATM I have a live in parent, but it's amazing how often we want to do stuff on the same evenings)