Taking DCs friends on dog walks. How does this work?

[Solo2]

No matter what the weather or if someone is ill or doesn't want to go or has a lot of other things to do, we need to walk Rollo (1 yr old golden retriever) twice a day for about an hour a time. I manage this alone, between working, during the week when the DCs are at school. At w/es they have to come too, even in pouring, torrential rain or if one has a virus/feels sick and ill. No other adult to leave them with.

What we haven't yet faced is having to take a friend with us - another little boy who has come to play - who will also HAVE to accompany us on the 2 walks a day, no matter what he and DCs would rather be doing, no matter what the weather etc etc. Can't miss the walks, as Rollo gets hyper. Also I toilet Rollo across the road, twice at times other than his 2 walks and leave the DCs alone in the house for up to a few minutes. But of course I'd not be able to do this with visiting children.

I still sometimes pay my dog trainer to have Rollo at w/es so that I can focus on DCs and we haven't yet had a w/e where a playdate coincides with us having Rollo here. However, I'm aware of wondering how this works for other people - or do you all have another adult in the home to take the dog out, whilst you're in with DCs and their friends?

What if the visiting child really, really doesn't want to go out for an hour or two? What if it's raining? What if they don't actually like dogs at all? Do you just inform the other child's parent/s that the child will have to come out on a dog walk - or two - whilst they're there?

If the other child only visits for a couple of hrs of course, it's OK as we'd do an early morning and much much later afternoon walk. But if they're coming for most of the day, they're just going to have to come on 2 dog walks, no matter what! Do other people find this works out fine? Do all your DCs friends like dogs and dog walk anyway?

How old are the children?

I have an 11yr old, 9yr old and 4yr old. along with a 7 month old Springer Spaniel. If the 11 yr old has a friend over, they generally have the option to stay home together if I am not taking the dog far. If we are going further afield they come along too.

If the 9yr old or 4 yr old have friends over, then they have to come along when the dog is walked. I would generally put them in the car and go somewhere 'fun' to walk, so a country park or the beach rather than round the streets. If its raining they wrap up warm and splash in puddles, nobody has ever complained.

To toilet the dog asks to go into the garden, but I wouldn't have any hesitation in leaving children for a few minutes if I needed to go outside with him. Except for friends of my youngest. They would have to come too.

I am also generally the only adult as my husband works away from home, generally for months at a time.

If one of my younger two children was too ill to come and walk the dog with me I would get my 11yr old to take him for a short walk, if the eldest was the ill child, I would spend half an hour or so in the garden with the dog, throwing balls and training.

If it was absolutely impossible for me to leave the house with the dog or get someone elso to walk him, for example when one of the children was admitted to hospital, a neighbour was asked to let him into the garden to toilet, and he had to miss his walk that day.

Solo, can't help feeling from your post that you are almost expecting any visitors to hate walking the dog and to view it as a chore. Actually for many children dog walking can be an enjoyable part of a visit. Our nephews visit often and adore walking our three greyhounds. Next weekend two of them are coming over for a quick visit, which will incorporate dog walks, more dog walks, a charity dog show and - let me see - some more dog walks. With some dog tickles thrown in. It's never even been a subject for negotiation or conjecture - it's what we do, and the boys fit in and seem to really enjoy it. To be honest, even if they didn't - it's just a couple of hours out of a whole weekend - hardly child cruelty? Dog walk can incorporate fun in the park, an ice cream, stopping at a shop, outdoor games and fun, frisbees, and all manner of other excitements (squirrel spotting, bird watching, feeding the ducks).

I agree with Scuttlebutter, if I had a friend with a dog when I was in primary school and I got to go on a dog walk with them, it was the Best Thing Ever! I even used to get taken out dog walking by our elderly neighbours as I was so dog-obsessed!

My dog is the same age as Rollo and although she's also a high energy and intelligent breed which NEEDS a daily walk, it's really not the end of the world if she goes a day without a walk. We cope. I have a chest infection at the mo and she's not getting walks. It's not ideal but she lives in my world, not the other way round. Yes she is being a massive pest and yesterday ran around whimpering and then howling with boredom(!) but there's really not a lot I can do about it right now. She is also going to have to learn to settle when summer temperatures here reach 50+ and she won't be going out much.

Rollo has to fit into whatever is happening in your life, not the other way around :)

Both of mine would always fall over themselves go to friends with dogs! You will have to beat them off with sticks.......!

Waterproofs, wellies, change of clothes and bribes. However, most of DD's pals love coming out to walk the dogs with us. When it's warmer turn the walk into a picnic.
These days alot of my social life involves getting together with my friends with kids to go for a walk and then back to mine for some food. So the dogs walking isn't such a chore and my non dog friends love a reason to be out and about.

i tell them to bring clothes suitable for the weather, be prepared to get muddy and of course the route home does involve the sweetie shop

the walk usually involves some trees that can be climbed, or a stream that can be inspected, or even just a big field where they can throw a ball about.

A flask of hot chocolate and a packet of biscuits to eat half way round the walk with a rest on a bench usually keeps them going and then gives them an added sugar boost for the walk back.

Thanks everyone. I was thinking worst case scenario of torrential rain and icy winds and STILL having to drag DCs friends on a wild, windy walk with us. I haven't ever yet dared NOT to walk Rollo twice a day on 2 off lead walks, since he was older anyway. Where we go is a car ride away as his recall isn't brilliant at present (he's just discovered his hunting instinct!) so there are few places safe enough to let him off lead.

Think I've been affected by the fact that my DCs HATE most dog walks to the extent that we've had humdingers of family rows every single time we go out. So I now resort to paying for Rollo's trainer to have Rollo at w/es and I just do the weekdays walks alone when DCs are at school. Sort of assumed that their friends would probably also hate coming with us too, therefore but can't afford to keep sending Rollo away each w/e at £40.00 a night!!

Worried that if Rollo doesn't get his 2 walks, he'll not sleep through the night...like a mum worrying about her baby really!

DTs are aged 10 but one isn't trustworthy enough to be left alone and the other freaks totally if I go out alone (he has Asperger's traits and is v v anxious). So both always have to come with me. Would definitely not trust them alone with friends whilst I drove off alone on a dog walk nor do i think the friends' parents would like this either.

£40 per night? Blimey. When we're away sugar-pup goes to stay at the dog sitters. He loves it, they love him and it only costs us £10 per night.

Maybe worth checking out any similar set ups near to you?

Also we found that the hyperactivity of puppyhood wore off at about 18months ish with our boy and these days he's perfectly happy with the occassional day off. As long as he's allowed to snooze on the sofa!

Several suggestions - I've always told friends parents to dress visiting child in old clothes, esp with change of clothes in spare bag, and wellies too. I pride myself in sending other peoples children home, happy, exercised and slightly muddy - like my dogs.

If trouble, always walk with a nice cafe at the end of it for cakes/ice creams etc, or just have the stuff in the car ready for end of walk bribery.

If you have a spaniel, it will retrieve for you (after a bit of training), so you could stand in the garden and chuck a ball about in lieu of a walk.

He will sleep through the night without a walk. Ours does. She knows that even if she started any funny business in the kitchen, we still wouldn't go downstairs to her. Even if she's not had a walk, she sleeps from 10pm to 7.30am. Her excess energy when underexercised comes out in different ways (naughtiness, whinging, pacing - all tedious to put up with, but manageable) in the mornings and evenings, but these are manageable and it's never affected her sleep. You need to have more faith in Rollo and give him a chance to learn what to do and when on his own.

There are plenty of people over here with high energy dogs that basically go all summer without being walked due to the heat, and the dogs are fine.

I'm not advocating slacking off dog walking for anyone, but you could let it slip just occasionally - it will be for Rollo's own good to learn to vent his energy by himself in acceptable ways.

We've got wussy greyhounds. They hate being walked in the conditions you describe - Biblical floods, torrential downpours, howling gales. So we don't walk them. You know what? That's probably once or maybe twice a year. Unless you are living in the Outer Hebrides or on top of Ben Nevis this really should not be a problem. The combination of DC friends visiting and the probability of exceptional weather is very, very tiny. What about all the days when it is sunny, warm, or just a bit drizzly? I think you are massively overthinking this.

OK, ten year olds can't be left while you drive off to walk the dog, but they are certainly old enough to understand that you have to nip across the road to toilet him (I'm sure you've mentioned a garden in the past, can he use that?)

Can you dress the boys in waterproofs, keeping a spare set for any extra children and walk the dog in a field so they can play football or throw balls for him? My kids love playing hide and seek in the woods with our pup, and as long as they are wrapped up, it doesn't matter if it rains.

My kids sometimes moan about leaving the house to dog walk, but their friends never ever have. It's a novelty for them.

I've actually had a bad day today, so my dog has had a shorter walk than he would ideally get. This means he is walking around the house looking for mischief He will still settle down for the night and go to bed at the same time, and will sleep tonight. I will just make sure he gets a longer walk tomorrow to make up for it.

My DS2 is 3 and we often have his friend round for the afternoon after morning nursery as his mum's self employed and has to juggle childcare occasionally. He is treated like one of us; he and his mum know that when he comes here he will have to get his wellies on and walk, rain or shine with us. He's been with us 4 or 5 times to walk the dog and I'd say two of those have been pretty rainy. He didn't mind.

I appreciate this is rather younger than yours but I reckon the same principles could apply!

I agree with all the above tips for making your walks pleasant for guests, but also beg you to try, just occasionally, a day or two when Rollo doesn't get his two walks. I know, from reading your other threads, that you really want to do the best for him, and I'm sure two off lead walks are ideal, but you really will find he'll be okay with less sometimes. My 8 mo springer still chooses to go to bed at 10pm (or earlier) and sleeps till 7 or 8am, even on the days he doesn't get a walk, or just gets 10 minutes on his lead. I really try to give him a good hour off lead every day, but with a toddler (and being pregnant) I just can't always manage it. I do feel guilty, but he proves every time that he can cope.

I agree with all the above tips for making your walks pleasant for guests, but also beg you to try, just occasionally, a day or two when Rollo doesn't get his two walks. I know, from reading your other threads, that you really want to do the best for him, and I'm sure two off lead walks are ideal, but you really will find he'll be okay with less sometimes. My 8 mo springer still chooses to go to bed at 10pm (or earlier) and sleeps till 7 or 8am, even on the days he doesn't get a walk, or just gets 10 minutes on his lead. I really try to give him a good hour off lead every day, but with a toddler (and being pregnant) I just can't always manage it. I do feel guilty, but he proves every time that he can cope.

Your trainer is VERY expensive...

Look, your kids arre going to poison that dog as soon as it occurs to them. 2 walks a day in torrential rain, with no choice for them? Because the dog needs it? It's a DOG! What about their needs, as people, to be put before a dog?

Hang on- I missed that bit- he has to have 2 hour long walks very day come hell or high water? Why?

Hang on again- 80 quid a weekend.........?.....

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get someone in to sit with the children for an hour while you walk him? And if he's away very weekend, he's not getting much family life is he? Is that good for him?