Dog loan- fair on dog?

[Hairyfriend]

MIL has several dogs & since this particular dog was a puppy, it has stuck with DH & I whenever we visit. Sleeps in our room & constantly stays with me, rather than MIL.

MIL has said we can have the dog. Problem is, (pre-lockdown) we work abroad 3mths a year. Is it fair to then hand the dog back if/when we need to go abroad for work or holidays?

[ButOneMistressHere]

I think it depends on the dog but I would imagine most averagely resilient/confident dogs would be fine with this - especially if they spent some time with MIL throughout the other 9 months so that their home always felt familier and had its own routine.

Clingy, attached, needy or under confident dogs may struggle more with this, I think.

[ButOneMistressHere]

Just thinking on it, I guess it also depends on how much the dog enjoys living with the other dogs. Some wouldn't mind being an only dog, many would prefer it, but some do better with other dogs.

[vanillandhoney]

What's your work schedule like normally? Are you home during the day to look after it/are you able to pay for a walker or daycare?

If you can look after it the rest of the time, I don't see a problem at all. Dogs are pretty resilient.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Before I switched jobs (not for reasons of DDog care), I had to work away from home a lot - easily 1 week in 3 I would be away on business. DDog always stayed with my DF. They adore each other, and he settles in to both places like nothing has ever happened.

I ought to add that DDog isn't even slightly emotionally resilient after being rehomed multiple times in quick succession as a youngster. He's still fine with this arrangement!

Are the three months in one big block per year? If so I'd look to have DDog stay with MIL for a couple of weekends through the rest of the year just for the purposes of maintaining familiarity with life there!

I'd be concerned if a dog was going to be in kennels 3 months of the year, or off to a succession of different dog sitters, but not going and staying in a familiar place with a familiar person.

[Hairyfriend]

Some good points. We'd obviously trial things initially- a walk alone from the other dogs, a night away at ours etc. The dog would still see the other dogs on a regular basis-yes.

DH works from home, so would be there all the time. I'm moving jobs, but likely at home at least 2 days during the week also. We'd love our own dog, but if we needed to go abroad again, we'd feel awful leaving it in kennels, and there is no guarantee our dog would get on with MIL's or could be left with her. It just seems a happy medium for us, but I wouldn't want to dog feeling left out/abandoned etc.

[midnightstar66]

I think in this situation it would be fine for most dogs. Not like it's being shipped back and forward between strangers and might like a bit of time being an only dog. Worth trying it anyway