dog not being taken for walk

clare57

Hi i am new here and want some advice. I am suffering from severe depression and since christmas have developed agoraphobia. This means I havent been able to take my 8 year old labrador for a walk since then. I have had him from a puppy and love him to bits. I am with him all day and the back door is open all day so he has access to a very large garden. I try playing with him to give him some exercise but he is not too keen on chasing a ball - he runs after it once but then loses interest. I feel so bad about this i wonder if maybe i should find him a more suitable home (although this would break my heart) where he would get taken out for a walk. I have no family/friends who could take him out and cannot afford to pay for a dogwalker. Just like anyones thoughts on this.

Buddy_Banana

I was going to suggest a dog walker as dogs need physical and mental stimmulation and even if he gets physical stimmulation in your garden the mental stimmulation will deteriorate if he does not get out and about in different areas.
I would strongly advise you to try your best to find someone who can help walk him for at least an hour a day or try to look into your finances to see if there is any way of hiring a dog walker.
I currently walk dogs as well as offering behaviour advice and other types of pet care and if some of my dogs miss a walk their behaviour is also affected (depends on the energy level of your dog)
I dont want to tell you to re-home him as you clearly love him but if there is no other way around this problem then it may be fairer for him - you could also ask the new owners if they would like to keep in touch and send you pictures so you know he is safe and happy.
If you feel comfortable in your garden you could also purchase an agility set and give him lots of mental and physical stimmulation that way rather than rehoming him - after all if you are getting treatment for your depression and agoraphobia you may recover faster than you think and back to normal - you don't want to risk more depression by rehoming him if you want to keep him.

Keep us posted

mrs_pepperpot_3

what would you not do for yourself, if your dog was gone..
confusing question, but when i was a counsellor and worked for mind, we encouraged pet ownership as it help people to recover and also keep enduring. all im wondering is what kind of home could your dog end up in?
and would you let it go, or feel guilty if they ended up longterm in a kennels.
i understand you want the best for your dog, and a big garden is great, but would you be alright with the uncertainty of your dogs wellbeing.?

ixwood

Take the poor thing for a walk. It'll do you both good!

I'm not up with phobias etc though. What's the fear of? What do you think will happen? Isn't being outside in lovely weather with your chum enjoying himself fun?

Mips

Aren't Labradors the ones they train for Guide Dogs? They are often just with someone in the home and don't get about much, do they? Or am I wrong?

RedBern

Perhaps you've not got family/friends who could not take dog out on his own, but would they be able to come for a walk with you - and perhaps give you more confidence about being out and about? Perhaps just a very brief walk to begin with - just around the block - a couple of times a day?

Are you in contact with any support group if you're suffering from depression? If not, then perhaps you could contact a local group. Exercise is key for good mental health, and you need the stimulus as much as the dog.

cocoluvsmummy

I would suggest you contact the RSPCA to see if they can put you in touch with someone on their volunteer list who may be able to help you.

Also bear in mind there are plenty of people out there who do not excersie their dogs by walking them so you shouldnt feel guilty that at the moment you are unable to, agraphobia need not be a permenant condition so you ahve the thought that when you are feeling better your dog can give you the confidence to venture out with her

Deep_In_Debt

I do dog walking and I don't charge any money. I do it for elderly neighbours and people in my road who can't do it. It's up to them if they want to give me any money - I don't ask for it. I just enjoy being outside, walking and meeting people and I've lost weight too. This time of the year, it's lovely. I often have 4 or 5 dogs at the same time and they all get on well. Can you put a note in your local shop window asking for a dog walker and perhaps offer an incentive like a bottle of wine or something every so often?

I'm not in it for the money, just enjoy being outside and walking. It's also great fun and satisfiying letting them off the leads in a big secure field and watching them all play and rush around.

globalds

couldn't you pop the dog lead on and take him for a 20 minute walk around the garden ..Not to exciting ..But that may be easier for you to achieve as your not to far from home if you start to feel uncomfortable .

clare57

thanks for your replies. I am able to go out in the garden (probably because it is totally private)and i spend time out in the garden with him. To be totally honest he is the only reason i get out of bed at all so i do understand why pets are recommended for people with mental health problems. BUT i think the guilt at not taking him out is making me more depressed.

sammy_kaye18

ixwood wrote: »

Take the poor thing for a walk. It'll do you both good!

I'm not up with phobias etc though. What's the fear of? What do you think will happen? Isn't being outside in lovely weather with your chum enjoying himself fun?

agoraphobia - is a fear of large open spaces/being outside in general which usually leaves the person confinded to their own home and not aboe to face going outside. It causes a great deal of upset for the sufferer and can be very traumatic if forced