To shut my dog in the garden for the day?

[Dogingarden]

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.

With that weather and those surroundings dog will be fine. Don’t worry and good luck

Sorry, but you need to pay the expensive dog sitter. You can’t leave him in the garden all that time by himself

I think I have a solution!

My sister in law has managed to get the day off work (originally she was just taking the morning off to drive me to the hospital). She's allergic to dogs but is going to travel back to stay at my house and keep an eye on him. I'll get the tests then my brother will drive me home. I've also ordered some cameras to put in the garden to keep an eye on him.

Im glad you managed to find a solution you probably wouldn't have been able to settle worrying about him, I hope your biopsy goes OK.

Fab news!
Very best of luck with your health, OP x

Excellent news - and very excellent sister in law! I hope doggo's very grateful for the effort you're all putting in, he's lucky to have you. (But bet he doesn't even bloody notice!)

If you have no neighbours to annoy and he doesn't get distressed when left i think this would be fine.

Good luck with your appointment 💐

use the expensive sitter. They only need to come for an hour to let him out surely? Or can you drop him to your usual sitter or drive to collect her?

I've had breast cancer and the punch biopsy was done within an hour with local anaesthesia was home within 2 hours. Are you sure you're not confusing the biopsy with the tumour removal as I was a day patient with that and was in roughly 7 hours from start to finish, could have been longer but I recovered quickly. You may want to check with the hospital.

I would either

1. book the expensive sitter
2. get dog vaccinated so he can go to a kennel for that day and probably overnight at least your garden sounds great in that it has shade , shelter and you can leave water plus food . But I’m wondering if they’d get very anxious, get themselves into a pickle or bark too much when you’re gone

He's fast asleep under a bush in the garden with his stomach full. Men eh?

I have some other medical stuff going on too so they're being extra careful.

I hope you're okay now 💐💐💐

I’d do this, but maybe get a dog walker to take him out for an hour in the middle of the day

If he has shade, cover, food, water and a secured area I dont see the problem. Its a one-off.

I hope the biopsy goes well and is nothing serious

He will be ok. But have you considered a dog flap then he can come and go as he likes. They are quick to fit

And how will your dog understand that he is not to ask to come back in the house as he normally does after using the garden? What when he discovers that nobody is letting him
back in the house? See the issue?

Hope the biopsy goes well with a bit of luck you will be straight in and out and home earlier than planned. Dog will be fine I’m sure. Some people do that every day which isn’t fair but….

Yes fine now. Checked every year and nothing has returned. Don't worry, you'll be fine. My 89 yo MIL♥ has advanced stage BC because she wouldn't go to the doctors. She can't have an operation but they're controlling it with Letrozole and it isn't spreading. They can do so much more these days, lots of choices available.

Glad you’ve got a solution OP. Hope your appt goes well.

Pay up for your dog to be cared for - no brainer.

Ps sorry just read you’re sorted

No way. Shady spot or not you can’t leave a dog unattended for all that time. What if he gets heatstroke? Spooked (if we get thunder) ? What if he gets stung by a bee or a wasp and has an anaphylactic shock. What if he gets stolen? What if your medical procedure doesn’t go as planned and you are away from home longer than you thought you would be? Please pay for a dog sitter.

Reach out to people! If a neighbour or colleague I didn't know very well was in your situation I'd be happy to help - even if it was just to check on him halfway through the day!

Brilliant news OP. You'll be able to relax more now. I hope your hospital trip goes OK.