Do you ever feel that you are failing your dog(s)?

[HyacinthB]

I wallow in guilt over most things so it could just be me....

but I do feel guilty about my dogs (9 month old Bernese and 4 month old daschund / JR cross)...

It is beholden upon me to do everything with them because dh leaves the house by 07.00 and is usually not back until 20.00. Consequently I do all the walking, grooming, feeding, poo shovelling up and training.

Thing is - with one child still not at school (2.5, his sister recently started Year R), I have to walk both dogs and steer a buggy. Doesn't sound that hard, but it is complicated...Also my little boy needs my time and attention too, I can't just focus on the dogs!

Any way I manage to fit in a walk 90% of the time (say 6 days out of 7), but it may only be half an hour....

Before and after the walk the dogs look so pigging bored and listless. They just seem to lie around a lot not doing much. I haven't got time to play with them or stimulate them much... and whilst I take the older one to dog training once per week, I struggle to fit in training sessions in between our formal class...

Ideally I would like to walk them for a good hour each day but it's not possible atm. ...and perhaps even 2 walks a day (a pipe dream I think)

Am I failing my dogs. Do yours get more 'quality'?

Any dog owners out there?

mine got alot less. in the end we gave him to friends who could provide better for him. but you sounds as though you are doing v v well. dont worry.

cx

Thanks carlyp...[weak watery smile ]

don't beat yourself up!

my dog is much older (11y). and i've got 8mo and 3.5yo children. i feel bad about how little attention she gets. dh walks her before work- 7ish adn some days that's the only walk she gets, just time in the garden. she doesn't seem to mind too much although she does love a good walk and a swim at the weekend.
i'm sure your younger dogs would love more than they get - but there's plenty of dogs out there who get much less and their owners don't worry.
life is full of compromises. i wouldn't worry too much. perhaps your children will be able to play with them more as they all grow?

Half an hour 6 days out of 7 is AMPLE for a four month old puppy and even your bigger dog will be fine: maybe your dh could take him to the beach/woods for a longer burn on the weekend sometime? Both dogs lieing around is nothing to worry about: bored dogs are destructive, and develop bad habits like repeated barking to stimulate themselves. If yours have your presence, your voice, and the ocassional game of fetch in the garden they are 100% fine - honestly!

my rescue springer lives in kennel/run in garden. this was introduced when i was newly pg.
he now gets a half hour walk with ball launcher in local park every day during week. at weekends we make family trip to give him more fun walk.
you can buy toys, eg kongs, to stuff with treats to give them something to do
i think you are doing a great job with 2 kids and 2 young dogs
keep your chin up

Dogs do need exercise and stimulation. But people can be too particular about how they get this.

I don't subscribe to the idea that dogs require an arbitary number of walks/miles a day. Playing ball, being with the family ('pack'), tackling a new skill, playing with other canines are just some of many ways that dogs can exercise and be stimulated.

The last thing a dog enjoys is being dragged about on a leash with a resentful owner round the block just for 'exercise'. They are happy when you are happy, relaxed and comfortable. Fitting 'walks' around picking the kids up from school, playing football in the park etc. so that the dog is part of natural 'pack' activities will do much more to keep your dog satisfied and you sane.

I do wish to walk my poor dog more often though. As his mistress is a recovering agoraphobic, he hasn't had as much time outdoors as he deserves. We're moving house soon to somewhere near the countryside, which should make walks more enjoyable.

Your dogs sound relaxed and content. Bear in mind that they have each other to play with if they need more stimulation.

I hate it when people suggest that you must have a degree in dog psychology and devote your life to your canines in order to be a good owner. The number of rescue dogs looking for homes because adoptees are turned down because they have children under 12 is daft.

Our dog is a part of the family, we don't make big decisions (like moving) without considering his needs and we enjoy time together. But just like children, they need space and time to themselves - to be obsessed about him wouldn't do him any more good than it would do me.

Some days we go to the park, other days we stay at home and play games, sometimes we run errands and others we curl up on the sofa together. I'm not saying I don't want to be a better dog owner, but my illness makes things difficult, and we are content to have one another on bad days.

Quality time is more important than quantity IMHO.

Hyacinth- I am reading up on Bernese at the mo as I am thinking of getting one (thanks for your reply to my post by the way)
Most of what I've read says that Bernese shouldn't be over excericised as puppies so you sound like you are doing it exactly right.
The fact that they don't need huge amounts of excercise is partly why the breed appeals. I too have a child under 2 and two more at school so probably wouldn't manage much more than you are doing.

As the previous post says, they would be destructive if they were bored.

Thanks everyone - really reassurin .

I've had a much better day with the dogs today (I'm sure it's all state of mind dependent - and I'm in a good mood today so feel happier about everything).

The dogs do play together quite contentedly, and they don't do anything destructive so I guess they are not bored and fed up. The children, albeit young, do mess about with the dogs, and when it's dry outside I encourage the children into the garden and have noticed that this seems to energise the dogs who run around like mad things when we outside together...

The jr / dasch cross has a sibling who lives with a good friend of mine and they get together socially once or twice a week too (she comes over with pup and there's lots of play fighting between them), so I suppose we are not doing too badly

HyacinthB you're doing absolutely fine. I second everything BroodyElsa said. Don't forget that by having two dogs they help to entertain each other (thats partly why we got a second one). Mine love that curling up together time in the evenings after the wriggler has gone to bed (dh actually being slowly pushed off sofa as I type ).

I also use one of those slow release food toys - the ones you put food in and as they push it around the food slowly falls out - keeps them occupied for ages. As your little one gets older there will be more interaction and things wil seem much better. Also, don't forget that some dogs have to be left at home alone during the day where as yours have you there (even if you're 'ignoring' them).

You're doing fine, don't worry.

unsure how practical this is dep on how busy you are but is great stimulating fun for doggies to try clicker training with them and then get them to do sequence of 'tricks'.a good 5 mins of this with each dog individually is really good value time with them.