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.

This dog doesn't live outdoors though?

Some of the replies on this thread .

I imagine that would be fine, it's not particularly hot or wet at the moment (will be in a couple of days though). It's an animal, it will cope with a day outside. But are you 100% you will be home in time? I'd be wary of being stuck in hospital longer than planned. Use the more expensive sitter ideally.

Also, medical procedures are often delayed or unexpected complications where an overnight stay may be required, what then just hope it isn't distressed and scared left outside overnight as well as all day?

I’d go for the expensive dog sitter myself personally
but if you absolutely can’t afford this then as a last resort then yes garden it is. Is there any way you can leave the back door open and make it so no one can get access to other parts of the house.
my dog sleeps in our little room off the kitchen (which also has the back door)and I have bolts for the kitchen door. That way my dog gets access to inside and her bed. I’ve done this once or twice in dire circumstances.

I also had a dog in the 80s well a family dog, left to its own devices in the house barking ALL day, it ended up nippy and nervous hated being left the list goes on.

I have had numerous dogs as an adult non of them "fur babies" but dogs that i need to be responsible for and take care of their well being and make sure they don't bother people/children/cats/other dogs that is dog ownership

the standard of dog care where i grew in the 80s was substandard.imo

I think it’s ok as long as your dog is used to spending lots of time in the garden and you leave some treats like a licky mat and a pigs ear. I would also have a dish with a block of ice in it that can melt to be cold water later in the day. Would having a radio on be useful? I know some dog owners who do this when they go out.

Where are you ? My daughter in law is a dog sitter and she travels to clients homes

but not this dog!

I think it's unreasonable if it's not something dog is used to as he will be so distressed. You need to book the expensive care.

IME about 50% of dogs will dislike this and refuse to use it. I had one installed. One dog was fine, the other hated the collar and the little beep and wouldn't use it. And they can take a few weeks of encouragement before they learn to use it confidently — and OP doesn't seem. to have the time available.

I would be worried that he would be unwell , heatstroke / worried and stressed because you wouldn't normally do this.
You may have to stay in longer and he would be left at night / no food etc

Just in case the OP is still reading - you need to think about the impact on your own peace of mind; you are going to be stressed by the procedure without adding worry about your dog. Get someone in - as others have said maybe a local person who would also enjoy sitting in your garden for the day.

I live abroad and people literally take their dogs to the restaurant/shop where they work, chuck a bowl of water and dry food outside and the dogs all wander the street or hang out outside until hometime, literally all day, in weather far hotter than it gets in the UK. And all the dogs are fine - they're animals! Not people! The UK is a bit crazy about dogs. We have basically given them human needs and emotions and complexity. It's unnecessary.

It is a dog not a child, and will be absolutely fine, please don't worry. It sounds like you have enough to worry about. I love my dog and pamper him but he was rescued as a street dog in Romania and he survived that just fine.

One day in a nice enclosed suburban garden with food, water, shade and dog beds? He is set up!

Do NOT leave your back door open as someone suggested - if anything is stolen, insurance will not pay out.

I couldn’t do this because my dogs would bark and also I’d worry they’d be distressd.

I’d honestly cancel the hospital appointment rather than do this.

I'm pretty sure this is what all dog owners used to do because it's a dog? As long as it's not barking amd disturbing the neighbours and had lots of space and s kennel.fot shelter what's the issue

Yes and that's fine if it's the pets norm but if they're usually inside with a person and then get chucked outdoors all day and evening by itself it will be distressed.

Vets do vaccinations on the day, kennels won't be booked up as it isn't school hols so the op needs to that or book the more expensive sitter.

Animal welfare is important.

My dog would be better off inside too - to be honest, I'd be a bit worried about foxes coming for his food if he was out. There is always a slight chance that you have to stay in after a day procedure, so that would be another reason to keep him indoors, with lots of water and food.

If you bring him for a quick walk before you leave, he'll only be 12 hours without potentially having a wee.

My dog can easily manage that, as he hates going out in the rain, so if it's a rainy morning I wait to see if it will clear, then bring him out with a golf umbrella.

You could put some paper down by the door and in the bathroom in case of accidents - my dog is elderly and sometimes has a wee in the night without waking me up, and those are his spots.

Hope it all goes well, your dog will be fine!

My dog would be okay with this, she doesn't suffer separation anxiety and while she might bark a bit I don't think she would be overly distressed.

She would likely sleep 90% of the time.

Sometimes needs must OP, and it's not like you're leaving for a week.

The possibilities of delays is a real one though, so I would try and think of a back up plan for this.

You have an option - you need to pay for it

I think if he has shelter its fine but maybe pay for a dogwalker in the afternoon/early evening that then puts him in the house which should be fine say from 6.30pm

Whilst it's not ideal, in the circumstances yanbu dog will be fine for the day, assuming it's not too hot outside, he has shade, food, water in a secure garden. But I do think you should try asking a neighbour or someone to look in on him/let him out before taking the risk though but ultimately if you've got no choice you've got no choice. Please get him caught up with his vaccines asap.

I was responding to the person who said she'd never do what the OP is proposing because she saw a woman at the vets whose dog had died after swallowing a stone.

No way.

Options:

Get the vaccine and put him in a kennel for the day/overnight

Sign up to Pawshake and find someone to drop in on him / feed / play.

Get a dog walker to take him out twice.

Pay for a sitter

Look for a sitter near the hospital who will watch him in their own home

Except this is a dog