And so it begins (lockdown puppies)

[Sailawaysailaway]

I’ve seen two posts this week on local Facebook/Nextdoor groups of

“Does anyone fancy walking my dog. Back to work for us etc etc”.

Quite obviously asking for someone to walk for them for free, not asking for a dog walker

I have been quite a defender on posts about lockdown dogs etc, hoping that the majority of people wouldn’t be so stupid as to get a dog with no forward planning at all - but I’m now seeing my hope was misplaced.

Not quite sure what my Aibu is - but seen yet another post today (by a teacher no less - so they were always going back to the “office”) and it’s pissed me off.

So I suppose Aibu to say - don’t get a dog if you have no plan on how to look after it when you go back to work.

The separation anxiety for all dogs is going to be huge as we go back to normal. Even well trained older dogs are going to struggle.

@Justajot

I think you're making a bit of a leap from them asking if anyone wants to walk their dog (like borrow my doggy) to assuming they have no plan or intention to properly care for their dog. They may well intend to get a dog walker, but are just testing the water about a neighbour offering the odd walk.

We can't have a dog as DH refuses. I'd love to be able to borrow a dog for walks.

Have you joined Borrowmydoggy.com?

@Stellaris22 l had this too - my friend split up with his girlfriend so used to ask me to "pop in" (5 miles each way) once a week which then went to every time he had to work late and if he had to go away for work. Literally never gave me a bean for all my fuel or time so l ended up not doing it any more and hey presto he got a dog walker . Not sure why his dog was ever my responsibility really and l should have been firmer from the start. Live and learn eh?

Last post I’m referring to is literally this (hope not MNetter!)

It’s literally this...

“Does anyone want to walk our lovely puppy (name). Maybe someone working from home who fancies getting out and about during the day, or someone retired. We are both teachers so back to work for us”.

I would post links to local dog walkers but don’t actually know any!

I'm a dog walker myself and I've already started to get enquiries from owners looking for care when they go back to work.

Although everyone on MN seems to plan their dog care months in advance, in real life it really isn't that common at all. Every single one of my enquiries has been from owners who want their dog to start walks within the next week or so, or as soon as possible - even the next day in several cases!

I've never ever had a single person message and say "we're getting a puppy in three months and want them to start walks with you in five months time".

As long as people arrange suitable care, I can't get worked up about it being last-minute, tbh. Many people won't have known when they were due back at work until recently, so wouldn't have wanted to arrange care in case it wasn't needed.

I get what you are saying. I think the responsible thing to do would be get a puppy in lockdown when you know yiure going to be around more. But then only if you had a plan for returning to work.

As an example I know someone who's husband normally works away. She said his work have realised they can save money and do the same thing Wfh. So have confirmed going forward there will be much less travel. They then decided it would be OK to get a puppy as it wouldn't be her working, looking after the puppy and kids alone. I think this was a really sensible approach as they had a plan for post lockdown.

It's pretty sad people who have no plan have got puppies but not surprising. Unfortunately I think what will end up happening is loads of dogs will just not be treated well enough. Rather than given up and then find a better home.

@LimitIsUp

I really doubt there are many people who have been told that they can work from home 'forever'

I have. I'm local authority. I'm going to have to visit buildings with people in them occasionally but I won't have an office. I've a friend who works in a bank (not in a branch, in an office) who has been told similar. The company are saving money on office rent.

@Sailawaysailaway

Last post I’m referring to is literally this (hope not MNetter!)

It’s literally this...

“Does anyone want to walk our lovely puppy (name). Maybe someone working from home who fancies getting out and about during the day, or someone retired. We are both teachers so back to work for us”.

I would post links to local dog walkers but don’t actually know any!

The thing is, they'll soon find out that this won't work and will be arranging a dog walker.

I know lots of people who try and go down the route of free dog-care and it never works out long-term. If you work, you need someone reliable, not someone who can just cancel with no consequences to them.

Personally I think asking for free dog care is incredibly and I would never send my dog with someone who wasn't insured and first-aid trained, but some people seem happy to take those risks.

I suspect this person will be back and asking for professional walkers soon enough!

Oops, that was meant to say incredibly risky.

If a neighbour asked me if I could walk their dog on my day off I probably would, just to get my lazy arse in gear and have a reason for walking around the streets.

However it wouldn't happen because the thought of picking up poo and walking around with it and walking in the rain makes me glad I've got a cat. I do need exercise though.

Both DH and I have been told neither of us will go back to the office full time but new policies haven’t been published. This is in two different industries and has been said to all staff via the MD or managing partner. We had a dog before all this and hired a dog walker for her as we both worked full time in the office. We’ve continued with our dog walker, when we can, as we didn’t want her going out of business as we expected to need her this is all over. We got a lockdown puppy, had been in the planning for a while before lockdown, and factored the cost of additional dog walks into getting him. Like I say, we probably won’t go back full time but pup still goes out with dog walker for various reasons. It’s frustrating, I’d comment with the name of a good dog walker and also highlight that you want an insured dog walker etc.

Maybe they already had the dog before lockdown, then didn't need care because they were wfh, and are now looking at maybe going back out to work and are just trying to put something in place for the pet. Just a thought...

Yes I would worry about this, there are going to be quite a few people who bought puppies in lockdown, and are not really what I call dog people. If we are talking about puppies, they should not be left alone for hours on end, as puppies will fret and be upset, just when they need to start puppy training. I don't like thinking about it really, I have three cats that's all, but remember having puppy dogs years ago, but was always home, with them.

YANBU OP.

Unfortunately so many people don’t think beyond the cute bundle of fluff and unless they have previously been dog owners have no idea what they are taking on. I also predict that dog rescues will be chock full of rejected older puppies in a few months time (if they are not already).

Same kinds of people who buy bunnies and guinea pigs for their DC and then pop them on Preloved within three months “because the kids have lost interest” which is my personal bug bear People just don’t think long term.

(In case anyone’s interested, statistically 9/10 children lose interest in a new pet, whatever it is, within 8 weeks. So moral of story is ASSUME they might lose interest and only get said pet if you actually want it yourself).

To be fair I do think a lot of the new lockdown dog owners will do the right thing and pay for proper dog walkers on their return to work. But unfortunately there will always be owners who act rather like some parents do with childcare expectations - ie assuming that others are quite happy to take regular care of their DC for free. The people saying “anyone fancy walking our lovely dog?” are exactly the same types as the working parents who assume that a SAHP will be more than happy to act as their unpaid childminder “because they’re at home with their own kids and doing the school run anyway.”

@looselegs

Maybe they already had the dog before lockdown, then didn't need care because they were wfh, and are now looking at maybe going back out to work and are just trying to put something in place for the pet. Just a thought...

Read my update - for at least one of the posts I’ve seen tbis isn’t the case as A - the dog is a puppy B they are teachers

But unfortunately there will always be owners who act rather like some parents do with childcare expectations - ie assuming that others are quite happy to take regular care of their DC for free. The people saying “anyone fancy walking our lovely dog?” are exactly the same types as the working parents who assume that a SAHP will be more than happy to act as their unpaid childminder “because they’re at home with their own kids and doing the school run anyway.”

Spot on!

I was a neighbour who got roped into looking after a neighbour's dog. It's very tying & the dog had an accident whilst out, so it got a bit awkward.

Pre-covid, I nearly lost the plot with a guy at the gym, who was in the emergency services, then going to the gym after work. Puppy was on its own for up to 12 hours. He admitted it wasn't trained & had destroyed his kitchen...

I would’ve thought this was the same as always not lockdown related - just the number of dogs purchased has gone up. So normally 100 people buy a dog and 10 didn’t think it through but you don’t really notice whereas in lockdown 2,000 bought a puppy so you do notice the 200 who were irresponsible.

A lot of people in mine and my DH offices have bought puppies during lockdown - us included. We are both wfh full time now and will be until October but afterwards we’ve both been told it’ll be wfh 2 days a week each. Our puppy has been going to a good daycare 2 days a week even throughout lockdown so that when we do go back to the office it’ll be used to a few days at home with us and others in daycare. We have family who will mind him on holidays and if not the daycare also do luxury boarding so not horrible kennels! I think were pretty sorted.

Like @sunflowersandbuttercups I'm a professional dog walker, I've got several lockdown pups already on regular walks to help them get used to the routine as a return to working out of the house looms. These are all households who have planned ahead. I have also already turned down three pups because I'm not comfortable with the attitude of the owners and the pups have not been brought up to be good dogs. I'm simply not in a position to provide remedial therapy at dog walking prices, especially to households who (from past experience with this type of human) will not listen to advice.

@QueenOfLabradors

Like *@sunflowersandbuttercups* I'm a professional dog walker, I've got several lockdown pups already on regular walks to help them get used to the routine as a return to working out of the house looms. These are all households who have planned ahead. I have also already turned down three pups because I'm not comfortable with the attitude of the owners and the pups have not been brought up to be good dogs. I'm simply not in a position to provide remedial therapy at dog walking prices, especially to households who (from past experience with this type of human) will not listen to advice.

Yeah, I hate the attitude that we're expected to be trainers as well. Some people are just too cheap to fork out for the proper help and care for their dogs.

@LimitIsUp

I really doubt there are many people who have been told that they can work from home 'forever'

My son works in the City at the head office of a national construction company. WFH has been so beneficial to the company and staff that in January nearly every employee got a revised contract that commits them to a maximum of 2 days in the office even after lockdown is over. There was a small pay increase to reflect the costs of this. I doubt many people will ever work 5 days a week in an office again.

I agree, people need to plan this carefully (as we did with ours). But if it’s a pup that only needs a 10 minute lunchtime walk, I think it’s a fair ask- someone might be lonely and actually really enjoy it. I imagine they’re only asking before employing a dog Walker.

We pay £250 per month for a walk every weekday but we had budgeted for this.

We had the opposite problem at the start of the first lockdown. Neighbours were queuing up to walk our dog for their hour of exercise a day. Poor dog was exhausted! At least they had the sense to “borrow” and not buy a puppy to fill their needs.

@QueenOfLabradors how can you tell if owners are doing the training? We are training our lab daily but she’s still not great on a lead.

Yanbu of course.

But I can understand why it might come as a shock if you hadn't really thought it through and been seduced by the idea of a lovely squidgy puppy and lots of free time.

We have a 6yr old DDog and a DPup and despite me only working VERY part time and DH being here until the end of the Summer at least, I am still trying to work it all out now we have two, it's going to take a lot of juggling and