Morning routines including dog or how am I going to get out of the house by 8.30am on Monday?!!

[insicknessandinhealth]

Sounds idiotic I know but I've got to get me and DS ready for work and school on Monday with our puppy rushing about the place and I've been spoiled this week with my MIL here and I'm dreading it. DH will be staying in with puppy during the day so we will get him up before we leave (he is disabled following a stroke so is around at home) but I need some sort of strategy in place. I'm thinking I will have to start making our packed lunches the night before, try and get us both up and dressed and take puppy out for a short walk around the block before we go off. DH cannot yet manage her on the lead so he will exercise her a bit in the garden during the day. Also what do you do with the puppy whilst you have a shower?! Says not to leave them unattended with children but I don't see how this can be avoided in real world! One positive thing is puppy wakes up about 5.30 so will have at least an extra hour in hand

How old is DS? I take my dogs for a walk at 6.30 for half an hour with the kids and we are all in pj's (live in a village) then leave dogs in utility while we all go and get showered/dressed and then breakfast before nursery run. I work things in half hour blocks, dog/breakfast/dressing if you see what I mean.

Depends on how old the puppy is. As you have a garden and is all fenced in, could he not be let out into the garden to play and do his wees and poos while you are busy in the house.

You shouldn't need to walk him. He can play in the garden.

He wakes at 5.30 - he must be very young.

Yes, she is 14 weeks so very young still. Not sure I would put her out in the garden on her own quite yet. That is a good idea to walk at 6.30 if we are both awake. If not I could walk and leave DS with DH snuggling in bed or something. DS is 5.5 so not quite old enough to behave predictably around puppy. Sometimes he plays sensibly with her, the next minute can be found holding open the stairgate so she can run upstairs!

I've only had my puppy for 2 weeks but for what it's worth, maybe try to crate your puppy while you have a shower? Although this morning, I had the puppy in the bathroom while I had a shower - which was fine.

I've been reading Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy Book which has loads of really great tips - one of them being to teach your dog how to be alone for up to 2 hours (for a puppy) without stressing. Might be worth a try just to have a bit of a break, which it sounds as though you need!

We have 2 dogs and I leave at 7.30 in the morning. I get up at 6am, showered, dressed, breakfast before the ds's are up. Get the boys up and start them with breakfast, Dp stays with them, whilst I walk the dogs at 7 am, home by 7.30, drop the dogs of, collect my stuff and set off. If Dp is away it is a similar routine except for get the boys out of bed and dressed, we all walk the dogs and then ds's come with me at 7.30 and I drop them at breakfast club and they eat there.

Mornings are manic, but doable. You get used to it.

I walk my dogs between 5 and 6am