Those of you with young baby and school aged children...how do you get your dog walked in the day?

[karensb]

I need some advice. my dd is 7 months old and ds at school. We have two dogs and currently my oh is walking them in the evenings as I just can't see to get it done in the day?

Dd sleeps for 2 hours at lunch and then milk and pick up so only leaves am for walks. The problem is that by the time I have done the school run in the morning I am struggling to fit in dog walk with babies milk and then lunch at 11.30ish. Plus the dogs get so muddy you have to add on time to hose them down when you get home.also I like to take dd to baby activities and get things done.

So how do the rest of you do it? Any tips?

[NowBringUsSomeFriggyPudding]

I get up half an hour before everyone else (6.15), get dressed&out and have some thinking time before chaos starts!

[mumofthemonsters808]

My OH takes our boy for a quick walk before he goes to work then when he comes home at 5oclockish I take him.I have tried walking him during the day with the pram but it is too stressfull,my boy walks lovely on the lead alongside us but he can not handle all the dogs off lead running upto him and I can't either.At weekend we swap shifts and I do the morning walks.

[tabulahrasa]

I used to (DC are older now) take the dog to school with me and walk anywhere else I needed to go, shop or what have you. And I'd take him out after the DC's bedtime.

Would DD sleep in the buggy?

I hate morning, so I'd never contemplate getting up earlier to do it unless it was a dire emergency, lol

[ggirl]

I used to go straight after school drop off, strap baby to chest or in pushchair .

I also used to share dog walking with other friends from school, there were 3 of us so we walked each others dogs which gives you a few days off. You need a car big enough to take 2 more dogs though.

[karensb]

We have to get up at 6.30am as it is to get to school so can't get up any earlier!! Also can't walk to school even though would be ideal as dogs aren't allowed in school grounds and not safe to tie them up outside.

I am not happy to tie them up outside shops etc so walking them wherever I go doesn't work!

I tried straight after drop off today which was fine but got nothing else done!!

[shoutymcshoutsmum]

Karensb, I understand your pain!

We have tried many different routines to keep us/3 kids/dog happy and found for us that this works best - dog runs with DH in morning at 6am whilst I get the 2 school-aged kids ready for school. Then dog is walked by me in the middle of the day off lead with the 2 year old in the pushchair. He has got used to it and now falls asleep very quickly. When he drops his nap, he will join me for that middle of the day walk. This works really well for us.

I also wouldn't tie him up outside shops/school and he is not the kind of breed to get any real value from walking around with me on the lead. It drives him nuts! This was the only thing that worked. No doubt though that little else gets done!

[NothingIsAsBadAsItSeems]

Are you close enough to the school to walk? I intend to take our pack 4 large-ish dogs on the school run, stopping off at the park for an off lead run on the way home am and pm. I work from home so touch wood it shouldn't be a problem

[D0oinMeCleanin]

When I had a baby and a school aged child the dog did the school run with me and I waited at the gate and watched dd1 wander in, then he would go out again on an evening after DH got home.

[PottedShrimp]

I used to just fit the baby around me. Give her the milk and out the door. and as others say take the dog on the school run.

[diddiehunter]

i currently have this problem and i dnt live close enough to walk to school (6mile round trip). i tend to walk her around the streets wen i can and let her off in a lil field we have but sometimes it dnt do it at all im hoping that il get into a better routine with her soon and will be able to take her out everyday. i would deffo consider seeing if your lil one will sleep in the buggy instead of upstairs or wherever. a medium size dog only needs 20mins of exercise.

[Whippoorwhill]

I don't know if this would work for you but I had an arrangement with one of the other Mums at school. We'd meet up outside and one of us would take the children in to school and the other would watch the dogs. Then we'd walk the scenic way back home. It fell apart slightly if one of us was sick but when that happened the dogs coped with one walk a day.

[lurcherlover]

I used to put DS in the buggy at nap time, and off we'd go. I also used a sling when he was tiny and a backpack past 6 months (bushbaby's are excellent) then we could go off-road.

[Jinglemyalanbells]

We have to drive to dds school so usually we all (even dog) bundle into car, do the school drop off, leaving dog in boot. We then stop off at the woods near school, dd2 gets put in her buggy with a banana and we walk the dog. Usually home by 10 am so still have time to catch friends or a baby group before lunch.

[tiredemma]

I get up at 6am and take the dog out before everyone else is up

[Shelium]

Could you not do it after school with your ds? I work in the day, and this is what I do :)

[karensb]

Thanks for all your ideas. Can't walk dogs to school as they need an off lead walk as have lots of energy. I think the answer is for oh to walk them at 6am with me doing some post school drop off walks.

After school there is hwk etc so no good.

Will see how it goes!!

[EdgarAllanPond]

i can't walk dog to school either

so she gets walked when i get back at 10-ish - i usually do after drop off park/tea

with DD on my back and DS on my front. or i used to have a 3-wheel pushchair.


we do the last 100yards of walk on the paved bit to reduce mud, though it does still get muddy - my carpet is v practical though.

i can be back by 11 though i seem to be timewasting by feeding baby after school run and mnetting.

it would be nice if husband sometimes did an evening walk, but he just doesn't think its his job.

[karensb]

Wish I was rich and could pay for dog walkers some days to come and solve the problem for me!!

[twojues]

I am a registered childminder. I currently look after 2 x 16 month old children plus school aged children.

I take the children to school, then come back home, collect dogs and take them for a walk with the little ones. I have been doing this since they started with me when they were 8 months old.

We are out for about 30 minutes, so not a long walk, but better than nothing. They get longer walks when I don't have the little ones and at weekends.