Walking my dog

[FCEK]

I'm due to get an assistance dog in the next few months.

As it's an assistance dog, I can take it to work with me and I'll take it for a walk during my lunch break and after work.

It's the morning that worries me though. It's so hectic with getting ready for work, getting dd ready for school. It takes me a bit longer. DH is away at 6.30, home at 7. I'm 8 til 6 (including commute). Dd is at school and her grans before/after.

If I let the dog in the garden in the morning and do the walking later, would that be ok?

DH doesn't want mess in the garden but I don't really see any other way as I won't leave dd who's only 5 herself or make her walk with me that early in the dark and/or rain. I'd pick up after it obviously

[ender]

That sounds fine, some days my dogs don't get walked till mid afternoon. They often have one long walk instead of 2 shorter ones in the winter. I try to avoid more than one session of washing and drying two soaked muddy dog in a day.
Good luck, hope it all goes well

[Twitterqueen]

it's fine!
Dogs very quickly get used to when their 'normal' walk time is. The main thing is that they do get a proper walk - doesn't matter when.

[mintchocchick]

Walking in the morning with a 5 yr old before school/work could be really stressful, whereas picking up one or two poos from the garden each day is no biggie!

I think dogs get used to being flexible about walks - I walk mine for an hour each day, that's pretty set but the timing varies - morning if dry then, if not afternoon if dry then, if not dry either time then evening walk no matter what!

My dog hates walking in the rain and gets drenched and shivers!

[CMOTDibbler]

My dog is very flexible about actual walks. As long as they are eating food that suits them, picking up a poo a day is no problem. We use Dog Rocks in cmotdogs water to stop his wee making the grass yellow which is v effective.

[WeAllHaveWings]

our garden is total ruined as pup's wee his killed lots of the grass.

if you can try to train him to go in one part, or fence a bit off. Dog rocks made no difference for us.

[BrownSauceSandwich]

Don't worry! Walks are most important for the mental/social stimulus they provide... Your assistance dog will be getting more of those each day than most dogs get in a week! I'm not sure about other trainers, but I know Guide Dogs are trained to poo on command, which makes cleaning up much easier.

[InTheRedCorner]

I let our dog out in the morning whilst I shower and DC eat breakfast and then she comes in for her breakfast whilst DC are upstairs getting ready and I wash up and then she goes back outside whilst we all get ready to leave.

We now have a garden run but before that I used to pick up poo when I returned from work, much less stressful than trying to fit a morning walk in.

She is walked in the evening and poos in her area in between. I can honestly say she is a happy, lovely thing