To feel guilty about not walking my dog?

[Tarytino]

I have a working breed, high energy dog. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with ME a couple of years ago. I work from home and although I get up at 6:30 - I don’t properly wake up until gone 8am (I can’t even see properly before that time bird not just a case of being groggy).
so what I tend to do is walk my dog at 9am - however with the weather being like it is it’s often too hot by that time. (She struggles in anything above 20). She won’t walk with anyone else so I can’t even get a dog walker in (and even if I could they won’t come before 8am).

I forced myself out this morning at 7am and could barely walk in a straight line, I had to turn back after 10 minutes.

I feel so guilty. She’s 6 years old btw, large breed. I didn’t have these health issues when I got her.

I'm sorry, but you either need to get a dog walker, there are lots here that will walk them early, sp sure you cam findnone, might just be an additional cost. If not, you need to resume the dog. You are not being fair to it.

A decent dog walker will be able to handle it.

Once the weather cools down we can go back to walking at 9am. I did have a dog walker but she screamed the whole time (the dog, not the woman). It’s a nightmare, she won’t even walk with DH

You don't need to feel guilty. You do need a plan longer term though, try Cinnamon Trust.
Image attached - reads Dogs never died from missing a walk

sorry to hear about your ME, OP. That’s really tough.

How is your dog, responding in the heat? Does she miss her morning walk when it’s hot? We do walk our boy early, because we can, but he’s very lethargic in this weather and needs much less exercise

do you take her for evening walks when it’s cool?

i wouldn’t feel too guilty - we don’t have many days in this country where it’s too hot for our dogs. If she has access to a garden to toilet, and enrichment games to alleviate boredom, later walks aren’t going to cause any real issues.

Do you have a big enough garden that your dog can run around in OP? If so, then I'd let it out early, and just allow it to wander in and out throughout the day, until the weather cools down again. Many of us don't feel like doing much exercise in this heat, so I don't think it will harm your dog for a few days.

It's been a very short heatwave and will be over tomorrow. Your dog will be fine. Take care @Tarytino

She’s much quieter than usual, pacing around looking for cool spots to flake out bless her. She’d still go out for a walk if I let her though - she’d go out if it was 40 degrees 🤦‍♀️
we have a garden and she can go out there whenever she wants and she still gets an evening walk if it cools down enough but lately it’s been over 20 until quite late 😕 I pray every morning that it’s going to be raining so I can take her out

Short term it’s not a major issue but given your health problems, I would absolutely be taking steps to get her used to someone else walking her. At only 6, she has many more years ahead of her and there is no guarantee that your health will continue to be good enough to undertake her walks long term

You are not being unreasonable not to walk her for a day or two during a heatwave. However you really need to work on introducing her to walks with someone else. I have a very anxious rescue dog so I do sympathise. I couldn't just get a dog walker for her and leaving her to go away for a night/few nights was such a worry (and difficulat to get someone to take her knowing she was anxious and not knowing if she would settle). I did find a lovely place though and did gradual introductions. While I still don't think she would accept a walk with a stranger from our house, she does settle at the doggy spa and just gets on with it. She has stayed at a friends overnight once too and was fine, loves their dog and enjoyed her walks but she still barks at him at ours. She has a very mixed reaction wanting to go and see him and not quite daring. Bless her she seems so conflicted. These things take time but it is worth working on it.

Sorry to hear about your ME, I agree with the other posts in that short term don’t feel guilty but if you could manage it or your husband you could do mental stimulation games in the back garden 20 mins of that is like an hours walk.
they could be simple scatter feeding her in the grass get her sniffing, hiding treats or a toy in the garden and getting her to find it. Is it free shaping where you decide what you want from your dog, something really simple to start and just sit and wait til she she does something you almost want - say it’s touch your hand and she touches your arm, you mark it and treat and again just wait and she’ll get the hang of it. It’s making her use her brain. Lots of ideas on the internet
or how about hiring a field and just letting her wander and you sit and watch and your husband could drive?

my dog trainer barely walks her dog but she does live on a farm, they can get their exercise elsewhere.

good luck

Meant to say I have a prey driven active breed of dog

The breed may make a difference. What breed is she?

I have a working breed, high energy dog who's used to early morning walks and would undoubtedly struggle without them. But I can think of many 'working' breeds that might not need the kind of exercise he thrives on - and some mornings he only gets half an hour sniffing round a cemetery.

I'd walk her late in the evening - about 9pm or so. If it's just the odd hot day or two, I can't see it hurting not to take her out at all, but obviously you can't just not take her out for days on end even if it's a effort for you to walk her later.

Sounds bizarre OP but can you walk her really late, like early hours of the morning, midnight or so?

You need a flirt pole! You can tire her out yourself with very little physical effort!

I had a big guy who needed lots of walking two or 3 times a day. We went miles.

But when it got hot, he would be okay with going maybe a block then turn around. He did not handle heat well. He was happy chilling in the house and getting short walks. Vet approved.

I think you need to find a different dog walker! Ask around for someone who is used to your breed. Your dog may be reluctant at first but a good dog walker will be able to take them. There’s also the charity ‘Borrow my doggy’ which provides dog walkers.

I think as your dog is only missing a walk whilst it is too hot, then don't worry. I also have a chronic condition and can't get up at 5-6 am on really hot days to walk him before it gets too hot. So he gets access to the garden, indoor fun and then a good walk when it's cooler around 9-10 pm. Re trying to make her happier to be walked by someone else - I think it'd be useful if you can, not for hot days, but because it takes some of the pressure off you if you're having a bad week. Will she go with your husband if you're not home? My stubborn dog won't go with my dog walker if I'm home but will happily go out if I'm not here.

Sorry to hear of your health difficulties @Tarytino. It must be so frustrating for you to be dealing with this unfortunate issue on top of managing your health condition.

I very much agree with @Dunnocantthinkofone comments. I’d advise perhaps getting a dog behaviourist to support you. I’d line up a confident experienced dog walker who could ideally be at these sessions as well and hopefully it will get the desired results. Good luck!

Even Vets advise, it’s better not to walk your dog at all if it’s to hot . A Dog will not die from not being walked ,but can if it gets over heated.
if your concerned, then maybe get a dog walker 2/ 3 times a week. She will probably benefit from other dogs interaction. I think you will be suprised, she will be fine with someone else. Dogs are very good at seeming not to cope when the owner is present,but once out of site she will be a different dog with an experienced dog walker.
Also Just to reiterate,if you can’t manage the walks in the hot weather, don’t worry about it. It will soon, change and be back to chilli rainy days. lol

Give her some games/puzzles to do to keep her brain ticking. You could throw ball in garden for 5 min. And definitely walk tonight. You need a dog behaviourist to train her to walk with your dh

I'd buy her a cooling mat for the day then it's hot and get a different dog walker. Your dog needs the mlearn to walk with others as if you get worse she will have to do so. You can do the very late 11pm walk once it's far cooler. An experienced dog walker will soon gain her trust.