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To shut my dog in the garden for the day?

442 replies

Dogingarden · 07/07/2025 10:49

Please read the full thing before you call me cruel.

I will be gone from about 8am until late on the night because I'm travelling for a medical procedure that I can't put off any longer. There is no way to make the time shorter due to where I live in relation to the hospital and I need the treatment asap.

I had a dog sitter booked but she had an accident and is currently on crutches and unable to drive. The others in my area are booked or just far too expensive. I have family but only my brother is able to drive and works 12hr shifts so he's only able to visit after 8pm. The house is rural detached with no close neighbours.

He can't go to kennels because I accidentally missed his vaccine boosters during the move and the local ones won't take him without them being up to date.

Dog is a large terrier. I have a large, safe garden with plenty of shady spots regardless of the time of day. I would leave multiple beds for him, including a dog house that was already in the garden when I moved in. There is also an automatic water bucket fitted to the house (previous owner) which he uses happily when we're in the garden. I will leave dry food out.

He absolutely will not toilet in the house, even with puppy pads, so he'd potentially be going 12+ hours without a wee which makes me very uncomfortable because he's had kidney issues in the past.

Please don't be awful - I'm terrified of what the biopsy will show and I'm doing my best.

OP posts:
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Dogingarden · 08/07/2025 11:09

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Dogingarden · 08/07/2025 11:08

profile22 · 08/07/2025 11:04

Exactly! I only know, and replied to your original post.
If your dog was up to date with his vaccinations, you could have boarded him with multiple dog boarders for that day that wouldn’t have cost £250, it’s not the dogs fault you as the owner has fell short on standard pet owner duties. You also get notice for hospital appointments, so you could have sorted this. It’s not ok for the dog to be left unattended for 12 hours outside if he’s not used to doing that already. What do you want me to say here? I’m replying to your original question 🤷🏼‍♀️

Try having a bit of fucking empathy.

You have no idea how fucking hard my life had been over the past couple of years. No idea at all.

I hope you have the life you deserve.

OP posts:
Gloriia · 08/07/2025 11:04

Dogingarden · 08/07/2025 10:35

You know absolutely nothing about my circumstances beyond what I've posted here. Here's the email if you don't believe me. @profile22

Surely it's a typo and she meant £25? Our kennels cost that for 24hrs.

profile22 · 08/07/2025 11:04

Exactly! I only know, and replied to your original post.
If your dog was up to date with his vaccinations, you could have boarded him with multiple dog boarders for that day that wouldn’t have cost £250, it’s not the dogs fault you as the owner has fell short on standard pet owner duties. You also get notice for hospital appointments, so you could have sorted this. It’s not ok for the dog to be left unattended for 12 hours outside if he’s not used to doing that already. What do you want me to say here? I’m replying to your original question 🤷🏼‍♀️

AllyDally · 08/07/2025 11:01

FiveShelties · 08/07/2025 10:40

Wow that charge is amazing - cannot believe she wants you to drop off dog bags as well!

Good luck with the biopsy, a very stressful time for you.

For 13 hrs daycare for the dog, its less than £20 an hour, am guessing they have added a fee for short notice. I found that some sitters do a day rate but some charged hourly it varies massively, I was being quoted from £30 to £90 a day for 6 hrs of care so the £250 doesn't surprise me massively.

There is not a chance I'd leave my dogs for over 12 hours though, absolutely no way. Some dogs would be fine though I guess.

FiveShelties · 08/07/2025 10:40

Wow that charge is amazing - cannot believe she wants you to drop off dog bags as well!

Good luck with the biopsy, a very stressful time for you.

Dogingarden · 08/07/2025 10:35

You know absolutely nothing about my circumstances beyond what I've posted here. Here's the email if you don't believe me. @profile22

To shut my dog in the garden for the day?
OP posts:
profile22 · 08/07/2025 10:30

I replied to the original post, I’m not here to sieve through every single reply, on every single post. She asked strangers for their opinions and we gave them.

DeanStockwelll · 08/07/2025 10:20

@profile22 yeah it's also wrong that you couldn't be bothered reading the wholethread or even the ops updates when she posted a update yesterday afternoon.
And if you font consider £250 for 1 days dog sitting I'd like to know what you would class as expensive.

hellsbells99 · 08/07/2025 10:19

Hi OP. Good luck with your procedure and well done for finding a solution to your dog problem. It would probably be worth looking into having a dog flap installed for when you need to leave your dog on the future when you are out. My brother has one for his dog and she loves being able to come and go as she pleases. His is just a simple one (not microchipped controlled) and goes through a wall into a large room where she has a bed etc. He also lives very rurally with no immediate neighbours.

Dogingarden · 08/07/2025 10:15

SErunner · 07/07/2025 23:38

She’s bonkers in that case. No one in their right mind would pay that (double the cost of central London full day at nursery). There would be others much cheaper. Glad you have a solution now anyway.

Honestly I think it's the "I actually don't want to look after him so I'm going to quote you a stupid price" thing. It's not her main job so she can pick and choose.

OP posts:
FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 08/07/2025 10:14

I’m glad you’ve sorted it, OP.

Your house set up sounds like my fantasy. Very jealous.

I hope your procedure goes well and it’s a good outcome.

profile22 · 08/07/2025 10:03

Yeah it’s wrong, and I think you know that, else you wouldn’t be asking on here.
You’ve forgotten to vaccine your dog, and you won’t pay what you consider to be expensive to make sure he’s looked after properly for 12 hours ,and kept completely safe ?!? Why have you got a dog? You’re not looking after it properly. I’m presuming & hoping you haven’t left him in the garden for 12 hours before, so he’s going to be distressed. If you’re in a country location with no neighbours, then you can afford to pay a professional look after your dog. So pay up, and be responsible!!

EmeraldShamrock000 · 08/07/2025 09:09

Dogingarden · 07/07/2025 23:36

I absolutely did not misunderstand the price. She wanted £250 to care for him for one day.

That's crazy. I paid that for 7 nights boarding, two walks per day as an "one dog per board" boarders home.
I can understand extra travel costs if your rural.
The dog will be fine for one day.

soupyspoon · 08/07/2025 08:51

Gloriia · 08/07/2025 08:48

No one charges 250 quid to dog sit for the day. You've misunderstood.

Glad your sil is keeping an eye, though as she is allergic to dogs is it really the best solution? Allergic as in her eyes water if she strokes it or allergic as in she'll wheeze and have problems if even near dog hair? The whole situation may be causing her some anxiety.

Wow so not only patronising OP that she cant understand a price given to her, now pissing all over the solution?

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 08/07/2025 08:50

I'd pay for the expensive sitter.

But if I really had no choice, then I'd leave my dog in the garden with shade, water and toys. It's not ideal but it's ok as a one off.

However, if you can fine someone to pop in to play with him for 30 minutes that would help.

Gloriia · 08/07/2025 08:48

Dogingarden · 07/07/2025 23:36

I absolutely did not misunderstand the price. She wanted £250 to care for him for one day.

No one charges 250 quid to dog sit for the day. You've misunderstood.

Glad your sil is keeping an eye, though as she is allergic to dogs is it really the best solution? Allergic as in her eyes water if she strokes it or allergic as in she'll wheeze and have problems if even near dog hair? The whole situation may be causing her some anxiety.

NewAgeNewMe · 08/07/2025 08:45

The OP SiL is going to look after the dog.

Sixpence39 · 08/07/2025 08:44

The RSPCA (and other specialists) say you should never leave dog longer than 4 hours. I'd pay for expensive sitter and bite the bullet. Will also give you peace of mind while you're having your procedure.

BooneyBeautiful · 08/07/2025 00:20

Eyesopenwideawake · 07/07/2025 11:15

Why will he go for 12hrs without a wee if he's going to be in the garden?

Confused.

OP means if she leaves him locked in the house all day.

BooneyBeautiful · 08/07/2025 00:18

JMSA · 07/07/2025 11:13

I can’t imagine kennels being much cheaper than a dogsitter popping in though.

One of our local dog walkers only charges £15 an hour which I think is definitely worth paying just for peace of mind. They could pop in during the day and take him out for an hour, weather permitting.

reversegear · 08/07/2025 00:16

urghhh47 · 07/07/2025 11:00

Put it on your local Facebook group. Someone will definitely help you. That will be much better than leaving him in the garden when that's not what he's used to.

But then you’ve told everyone you are out?

BooneyBeautiful · 08/07/2025 00:13

SUPerSaver721 · 07/07/2025 10:57

Could you not leave your back door open so the dog can go into the garden and house. I think it's fine for 1 day. Give him a licky mat and a bone and he will be fine.

And if she got burgled, the insurance company wouldn't pay out because she had purposefully left the house insecure.

SErunner · 07/07/2025 23:38

Dogingarden · 07/07/2025 23:36

I absolutely did not misunderstand the price. She wanted £250 to care for him for one day.

She’s bonkers in that case. No one in their right mind would pay that (double the cost of central London full day at nursery). There would be others much cheaper. Glad you have a solution now anyway.

Dogingarden · 07/07/2025 23:36

SErunner · 07/07/2025 22:46

Leaving a dog for 12 hours isn’t a solution in my opinion, it is totally inappropriate to leave a dog that long. The OP did have options (dog sitter) albeit the one she spoke to was expensive (although I think she must have misunderstood as there is no way a days dog sitting is hundreds of pounds, and she could have travelled to another sitter if needed). There were other options suggested by posters as well. No one was suggesting she should cancel her appointment. Her most recent posts show she has found a solution thankfully, so I’m not sure why you’re taking the discussion back to the beginning.

I absolutely did not misunderstand the price. She wanted £250 to care for him for one day.

OP posts: