Dog would not go to dog walker...

[Itsnotahoover]

I'm feeling really guilty here and just want a bit of advice.

Yesterday, I went to a concert in London. We took a coach so were tied to specific times to leave and come home. Ddog has come in season so can't leave her with any of my friends as they all have male dogs. My neighbour, who dog walks for a local charity offered to pop in several times over the day and take ddog for a few short walks (I don't have a garden so no option of just letting her out for a wee). I was happy with this as we know the neighbour well, she's been round for coffee loads of times and ddog always mugs her for fuss whenever she sees her.

So I walk ddog at 8am, leave on the coach at 9am, get a text at 2pm to say neighbour has been in my house now for over an hour and my dog won't go near her. She's running round barking, peeing everywhere with her tail between her legs and is petrified. Neighbour says she's currently sat on the stairs throwing dog ham, which dog is eating happily, but she still can't get within 6 foot of her. I ring her and she says she has nothing else to do until work in the evening, so will make herself a cuppa, put the TV on and sit at mine for a bit so at least ddog has company. I asked if she wanted me to try and get home early but we both assumed ddog would eventually realise that she actually knows the neighbour quite well and allow her to walk her, and at least she wasn't on her own.

8pm comes, neighbour has to go out and concert is about to start. Dog still hasn't been walked (although has emptied her bladder all over my house!). I spend mostly of said concert ringing Nationl Express to try and get an earlier coach, but nothing available, and only train I could get was an extra £140 with 4 changes, meaning I would get home later than originally planned anyway, so no choice but to stay and not really enjoy concert as I was worrying about ddog :(

Go to catch coach at 11.30 and find it's delayed til midnight. Finally get on it to get stuck in a massive traffic jam on the M1 and eventually arrive home 3 hour later than planned at 5am :(

Poor ddog had gone nearly a full day by this point without a walk, although she hadn't messed in my house at all, apart from the excited/scared weeing when neighbour was there, and didn't seem that pleased to see me, or eager to go out.

I feel so guilty for leaving her! It was all totally out of my control, as wasn't to know that the daft mutt would react so badly to my neighbour coming in, and couldn't get back any quicker, but I feel awful about it. Please tell me she won't be scarred for life??

Meant to say, she acted weird when a friend once popped in to get her for me, and hid behind the sofa, but she did eventually come out and let friend take her. Other people have been in when I'm not there and she's been fine. I just don't understand her!

She won't be scarred for life, honest.

Might be a good idea to do a dry run next time though!

Yes I will! It was a bit last minute as she has come in season a month early so was originally going to my friend who has 2 male dogs. Obviously, we had to have a rethink on Tuesday when she came in season. Assumed she would be fine with neighbour as she knows her pretty well and sees her regularly!

My dog usually goes to my mums when i work or I leave her with DD in the holidays. Last week mum took DD on holiday. DB offered to have dog. She has been in his house loads and often is walked with his dog. When there she would not eat and refused to come out of her crate. We're talking a sociable greedy lab here. I think some dogs just don't like change.

If the behaviour is a bit out of character could it be down to her being in season? Some dogs do get a bit 'clingier' or stroppy when in heat.

My dog was terrible while in heat - spent most of the time whining and being even more of a velcro-dog than usual. At that point, she was used to going out for walks and play every 3-4 hours, but during her heat, she wouldn't go anywhere at all.

You did everything you could (and so did your neighbour), and it's not your fault that your dog reacted in an unusual way to the neighbour.

Your dog will not be scarred for life - she'll be absolutely fine.

I think it is probably down to her season; she's not really clingy or anything but she is looking very sorry for herself. Although that could be due to me abandoning her for 21 hours...!

She can be a bit odd with strangers, but she's usually ok with people she knows, but then I'm usually with her. I've been putting off getting her spayed til we move somewhere with a garden, as I can't imagine coping with her post-op without being able to let her outside, but I might have to look at getting it done sooner.

I was told by our vet that there is no point in waiting with having the dog spayed.

We had our dog spayed after her first season and the vet said that even that is late. But there is a lot of disagreement on that.

Our dog had a bad reaction to the morphine plaster, so she was tripping like mad until we realised what caused it and removed it. The painkillers she was prescribed were enough for her.

She's a 10kg cocker spaniel, so we put her in baby onesies instead of the cone she was terrified of that cone and that worked really well.
When outside, we just kept her on a leash (as instructed by vet) and did short walks - witout the onesie on. Did training and gave her mental exercise toys at home, and she was fine with that, despite being used to loads of fetching and exercise outside.

We don't have a garden, but during the time she had stitches in, she wasn't allowed to be off leash or to run around at all.

My vet said no exercise or walks for at least a couple of days which is what's made me wait as she will not go to the loo unless there's grass (apart from peeing on the laminate yesterday!) and we have to walk to get to grass. I think they recommend spaying in the middle of seasons don't they? I've got a week off work in October so I'll get her booked in then I think :)