Work/dog balance

Lieja

I'm just looking for a bit of advice about how people arrange full time work around their pets? OH and I both work full time, which has never been a problem as I work days and he works nights/weekends, so there's always someone around to entertain the doggy. From next week, it looks like OH will be working some days, 7am til 7pm. I work 9 til 5. I'm trying to work out what will be the best way to arrange things so my lovely boy isn't left on his own for very long during the day.

My options at the moment look like a combination of working from home (I could manage 1 day per week at the most), starting super early to finish around 3pm, working short days when OH's working and making the time up later in the week, and paying for a dog walker on the days he'll be left longer than I'd like. There's the also the possibility of doggy day care, or taking him to my parents for the day (adding 30 miles to my commute each way).

He gets long walks everyday so exercise isn't the issue, but I know it isn't fair to leave him alone for very long especially when he doesn't get the full run of the house!

So, how do other people manage their work/dog balance? If you use a dog walker, how did you find one that you knew would be good and you could trust, and how much do you pay? Is doggy day care worth it?

Pooch has a frozen kong when left and stuff to play with/chew, but could you recommend anything else that might keep him entertained?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Ash_McCloud

A friendly, dog loving neighbour is worth their weight in gold.

elsien

My mother.
She has Gitdog while I'm working as I do shifts so a regular dog walker isn't an option. Plus he needs company so an hours walk with a few hours alone either side just wouldn't work. And I wouldn't have a house.
I looked at doggy day care because they can pick up and drop back, they do longer and shorter sessions and there's a lot of mental stimulation. It would have been great and he'd have loved it, but unfortunately they've introduced a bull terrier ban.
This week as mums away I've managed to get day shifts and he's booked in for the day at the local kennels. £10 a day or £30 for the week. I drop him off at 8.30 and pick up at 5.30, so it depends on the length of the commute. It's not as good as doggy day care, but it's company and so far he seems happy enough as he just likes being around other dogs.
Generally though, no mother would mean no dog, as I can't ask friends and neighbours to have him when I do 24 hour shifts.

gettingready

Dog walker here - 5 days per week at a cost of £10.00 per hour so £50.00 per week for an hour walk, mid day every working day

But you may find it difficult to find one to cover irregular days/ad hoc days to be honest.

rising_from_the_ashes

I do a combination of leaving her on days I can work a bit shorter hours, popping home at lunchtime on full days & a dog walker occasionally if that's going to be impossible / the day will be long / there's a chance I might be delayed

I have a fantastic dog walker - found through our Council's accredited scheme. There was loads there but I just really like the look of his website so sent him an email and he came to met Maisie

He is obviously a 'dog person' who genuinely loves being with them - I asked if I could ask a couple of his regulars for references, which he was happy about, and they sung his praises!

I'm on his books as an 'occasional' user but if I let him know I need a full walk for her a week in advance he can usually manage to fit us in

There's only been once he couldn't come & take her a full walk and even then he did manage to come for the 'play' session (1/2 hour - basically wee break & a little play) which I know he can always manage to fit us in for - as he walks my neighbour 3 doors down dogs every day!

My mum & dad are trying to sell their house (and move a lot closer) so hopefully I'll be able to drop her off a couple of times a week there


If he's used to someone being there most of the time, I'd start leaving him for short periods now and gradually build this up very slowly so you've time to get him used to there being no-one in the house


ETA just noticed you've said this is from next week!

Your husband's work must provide notice if they're going to change working patterns substantially so people have time to sort out things (eg childcare) that might be affected by a significant change

Lieja

Thanks for all the replies, I at least feel a little less bad about it knowing other people have the same issue!

I'm going to contact my council and see if they run a scheme, I didn't even think they would have something like that!

Unfortunately my pooch is a boisterous malamute, and we've only lived here a couple of months so aski neighbours to help wouldn't really be an option. We only know the couples either sides and one set works and the other side are retired, so although they do like the malamonster, I doubt they'd enjoy walking him!

OH's hours aren't really up for negotiation - I've posted here before about his employer being entirely unreasonable and he hasn't been paid properly since Easter, so he quit last week and has been working nights for another company. They've offered him some days, which he's dying to take because he's sick of nights so I don't want to say he can't because of the dog! I'd rather organise my hours/alternative arrangements around him so we can both enjoy some nights in together.

His new job is literally 3 mins away though, and it's security on a large rural site where they have dog handlers so they've kindly said he can take poochy with him for a day or two so he's not alone which will really help!

I'm trying to look for some good local doggy day care for the remaining day or two per week but I have no idea what I'm looking for. There are some ads on gumtree which I'm hesitant to trust although they do sound good, and the one fab one I found is fully booked until October!

Edited to add - he's used to entertaining himself for a while in the morning after I've gone to work and OH is sleeping, but not for longer than about 5 hours which I think is still a bit long.

catkins

I used to have a dog walker and I got her from Gumtree. I too was a bit doubtful but I looked at her website and spoke to her on the phone and then she came and met my dog and chatted to me.


I really liked her and she had some references and a police check so felt happy about her walking my dog.


Are you happy to post the area you live as then maybe someone on here will know of a good dog walker/doggie daycare in your area

Lieja

I'm in County Durham, Wear Valley area although I work in Sunderland so I could take him over there for doggy day care if I knew it was somewhere good. There's a few local ads that seem quite good, lots of land and countryside to play in as he much prefers outdoors to indoor games. I might give some a call and ask to visit with him. He loves other dogs and all people so I know he'd love it., I'm just worried he might get a bit too excited and scare everyone!

Tygermoth

We were fine until we had to move as our neighbour adored the mutt and stole him away during the day for company and i worked a few doors down.

When we moved we suddenly had to work round new shifts and his Lordship. We used a website that you can find carers, cleaners ect (cant for the life of me remember the name)

Met up with her out on a walk with her charges and got on like a house on fire. She does half day care 11 till 4 for £10 - he goes three days a week and stays home the other two as i do short days.

She is a godsend as she really is a doggy person and takes good care of him (and does nail clipping too)

jetplane

gettingready wrote: »

Dog walker here - 5 days per week at a cost of £10.00 per hour so £50.00 per week for an hour walk, mid day every working day

But you may find it difficult to find one to cover irregular days/ad hoc days to be honest.

£10 an hour, a childminder costs half that, good grief I'm stunned

catkins

jetplane wrote: »

£10 an hour, a childminder costs half that, good grief I'm stunned

I was paying £12 an hour over 2 years ago and that seemed to be the going rate. I was working and earning £6 an hour!