I know your bored an open letter to my dogs

[disneyspendingmoney]

The weather is white, and the only times I can walk you it's pitch black, I am sorry, but with you, and getting the DC's 13&10 up and off to school and then me to work, with no one else to help.

I do understand how you feel, I would feel the same too but I do t think I would tear a huge hole in a 1yo sofa.

I hope things get better they should do from march onwards when it's lighter and dryer. but please bear with me and try to understand.

with regards your really pissed off owner

any one else want to send an open letter to their dogs?

[TropicPlunder]

Sorry to hear it's hard, but it sounds like you're doing great by them. Do you run? I have half an hour to exercise my dog at lunchtime, so I canicross run with her, which tires her out more than a walk. Gets walked in the evening too. She's no husky though. Im struggling with the weather and dark too, and I'm lamenting wet socks, after having just run accross a soggy field in trainers.

[disneyspendingmoney]

mental stimulation: aaaaaargh!
nylabones, real bones, those rubber ones you stuff with food, soft toys, balls, pinecones, sticks.

what they seem to enjoy more is ABS black plastic, which I'm not sure is that good for them. Basically they want to chew everything they shouldn't

[Wolfiefan]

If you work full time they may well have developed separation anxiety. How long are they left for?

[disneyspendingmoney]

no greater than 8 hours. my routine is out the door by 8:95 at the latest DC's get home by 4:40 or today for example I'll be home at 3, never after 5

[Wolfiefan]

That’s far too long and that’s why they’re eating the house.

[PositivelyPERF]

mental stimulation: aaaaaargh!
nylabones, real bones, those rubber ones you stuff with food, soft toys, balls, pinecones, sticks.

That’s just toys, OP, nothing to do with mental stimulation. Mental stimulation is making the dog ‘work’ his/her brain, rather than just playing. It involves responding to commands to do something more challenging than sit, stay, etc.

Look up a few ideas on YouTube.

[Spanielmadness]

Dogs need mental stimulation. There are Facebook groups that are fab for ideas. You can do home made things that cost nothing and wear the dog out.
I keep all my pots - yoghurt, olives, dips etc and wash them out. Put a little kibble under each at meal times. My dog has to figure out how to lift each one up to get to the kibble. He loves it and I love having fun with him. Thinking tires a dog out more than walking.

[BiteyShark]

For us mental stimulation is a series of 'tricks' fired at him quite quickly so he really has to think what you want and respond fast. We also do agility techniques which are similar to tricks that we can do inside or out.

Other things I use when I can't be with him are licky mats as we feed wet and he loves them unlike kongs which he gets bored of quickly so it's about finding the right item to use to make them work for the food. I have also done things like hiding tiny piles of training treats around the house and he has to go hunt them out.

It's stuff that involves them thinking rather than just being a passive toy.

[adaline]

You're leaving them for eight hours a day? That's why your house is getting destroyed I'm afraid - that's far too long for dogs to be left, especially huskies.

Can you look into daycare or even a walker to take them out for a few hours during the day?

[Tim720]

I love these threads , I have a dog and work full time. I walk him twice a day and he has a dog walker mid day. But why do people lie about how long they walk them for 😂😂😂. Two hour walks my ass

[Kennycalmit]

🤦🏼‍♀️ seriously... you leave two huskies alone for 8 hours a day and wonder why they’re ruining your house?
I think you’re telling a few lies here. Could be wrong but.. I doubt it

Leaving any dog for 8 hours every single day is cruel. But to leave two dogs who are high driven and have lots of energy is a whole other level! I’m surprised it’s only your sofa that’s been damaged. You either need to change your lifestyle asap or find dog walkers or use day care.

I have a German shepherd. I work nights so she chills with me during the day and I drop her off to either DP’s house or my parents every night time. I walk her before/after I sleep, she gets plenty play time AND mental stimulation. I know for a fact if I left her alone for 8 hours (which I wouldn’t) she would be barking up the walls. It isn’t fair

[makingtime]

The thing is I know they are not getting what they were used to before separation, I enjoyed my 1.5 to 2 hour walk between 6 and 8 before going to work, the DC's were up out and gone when I got back, the evenings again it would be 6 to 8, then 10 to 11. During the day they'd get an hour at 11, an hour+ at 2 to school pick up.

Eh? You used to walk them for 7 hours a day? How did you get anything else done?! Also why are you walking them for two hours between 6-8pm then going out for another walk two hours later? Do other people do this? Am I a dreadful dog owner for walking mine once a day?!

[TropicPlunder]

Ok, I didnt get the 8 hours alone bit previously, that doesn't seem great. There's the excuse for the sofa munching. Will that change in March?

[adaline]

@makingtime these are huskies - they need hours and hours of exercise a day!

[disneyspendingmoney]

pre separation they had a good walking schedule my time walking them was so I could have some space to myself. Post separation, it's become really difficult, so difficult it looks now like it's totally unsustainable and they will have to find a new family.

Given the difficulty I've had getting child maintainance from my ex partner, and the contact center for them to see the children is going to set me back £220 a month (£30 less than the child maintaince) as it's 50/50. Does anyone think I'll be successful in getting anything from my ex regarding doggy daycare.

I fully recognise how horrible this is for the dogs, I also have a primary focus on the children to ensure there well being.

It really obvious to me how wrong this situation is, can you imagine the missery I will go through when I tell the children the dogs, they've been told they've always wanted, are off to a new family. Because of the nature of the breakup they are terrified of going into care because of social worker involvement. How are they going to see a rehoming?

This is unbelievable fucked up and since the weather turned really bad in the last three weeks it's now getting to a pinch point.

Oh and extra difficulty for rehoming, pedigree and passports don't have my fucking name on them so I'll have to sort that out with the ex, who will be bloody minded and demand I keep them because they don't have time or space. That narcissistic fucker won't comprehend this situation at all.

sorry to vent.

I've taken on board advice about mental stimulation and other small changes, but by Jan I thing I'm going to have to be very hard

[Roystonv]

So sorry to read this; you have such a lot on your plate. What a difficult situation to be in.

[adaline]

It's a horrible situation :(

Is there anyone locally you know from dog walking that could maybe take your two out with theirs during the day?

I don't know if you'd get very far with claiming costs of daycare from your ex but it really doesn't have to be hugely unaffordable. We pay £10/day here and our dog gets two walks included in that price.

[Wolfiefan]

It’s awful but if the microchips are registered to him then ultimately the dogs are his. What would happen if you hand them in as partner left them behind when he went? I’m guessing the rescue would contact him and he wouldn’t want/be able to have them so they would get signed over. Or is he such an utter bastard that he would take them and be awful to them just to spite you.
Can you doggy proof a room they can’t eat?

[disneyspendingmoney]

Yup chipped and registered but not to me.

Getting anything towards dog care costs, that's pretty much a no.

I have dog proofed a couple of rooms but it's not adequate not by a long stretch.

and the sheer hellish feeling of guilt this morning, when there was that tilted head look of unconditional doggy love, just prior to me getting the Dcs up, was not a nice feeling.

all I really want is for it to stop being such shit weather so it's a bit more pleasant walking them for me that is.

[Nesssie]

Dear NessssDog

We both know you can't swim, so why do you continue to try and show off to the rowers on the river by hurtling down the bank and throwing yourself in after them, only for me to have to go in and pull you out??

Love Mum

Ps if you could learn to wipe your feet before entering the house, that would be grand too.


Hate when lighthearted threads get brought down...

[Wolfiefan]

But you’ll still be leaving them for 8 hours a day. That’s not ok. They need at least the chance to toilet outside. And huskies are unlikely ever to be ok with being alone that long.

[Kennycalmit]

OP try borrowmydoggy ? I think it’s called

Any family or friends who want a hobby who would be willing to walk them during the day to break up the 8 hours??

If they’re not in your name you need to change that asap. If your ex won’t cooperate with you being able to do this then tell him you expect money towards doggy day care.

Work on the mental stimulation - you’ll be amazed at how effective it can be. But regardless 8 hours on their own is not very kind. I’m very very sorry for your situation - I really hope it improves