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The doghouse

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Original poster

Dogs have ruined christmas

145 replies

QueenOfPharts · 22/12/2018 11:08

I know there is no such thing as a bad dog(s) just bad owners so yes I am aware this is all my fault.
Here goes our lovely pile of Christmas presents under the tree has been destroyed and ruined by the dogs cant work out what was from who and will cost 100s to replace.
I have 2 chocolate Labrador dogs (mother and daughter) aged 7 and 2 and after a catalogue of awful stuff, running away, destruction, defication causing huge expense I no longer can cope. We have 2 young dc and me and my dh work full time. I try and take them on a decent walk everyday I dont always manage but its usually 40mins-hour each day. Its tricky in the winter so sometimes just take them 10mins round the block.
I dont know what im asking but any advice of sympathy would be very much appreciated.

OP posts:
TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/12/2018 11:57

A shame about the presents but not a surprise, surely, given the list of things they have already done. They're clearly bored out of their minds. What have you been trying to address the problem so far? As you know, they need 1 to 1 and a 1/2 hours of exercise a day, so that would be the first thing to schedule into your routine - maybe half an hour in the morning and then half an hour in the evening?

Sethos · 22/12/2018 11:57

This reply has been deleted

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NotTired · 22/12/2018 11:57

I know you want sympathy OP but come on. You're an adult and mother, grow up. Dogs don't have off switches, like children they need care and attention. Your circumstances clearly aren't suitable, you need to rehome the dogs. To leave presents out in this situation was ridiculous. Hopefully you haven't poisoned the poor dogs with chocolate.

missbattenburg · 22/12/2018 11:57

...Looks at Battendog (springer) and imagines what life would be like on a max of 40mins walk, left alone with new presents under the tree...

Shudders.

Clutterbug13 · 22/12/2018 11:58

Please get a dog walker! I have one for my two small dogs and despite being on my own, it’s an expense I factor in with the same importance as my mortgage and my bills. Even if it’s just a couple of times per week, it will give them an outlet to burn off some energy and give you peace of mind that it’s another job you don’t have to think about.
Yes it’s tough in winter and not fun being out in all weathers with them getting up to their eyes in mud but please, for the sake of the dogs, do it.
Not sure which part of the country you are in but up here in lovely Northumberland, the average cost is £15 -£20 per day for a dog walk for my two for at least an hour.
I do feel for you as I know it’s hard juggling everything but I worry that if the dogs aren’t getting the exercise they need that they could snap and become aggressive which is what happened to a friend’s dog who was cooped up all day and ended up biting her daughter on the face and needless to say, it was curtains for the poor dog.

Krankypants · 22/12/2018 11:59

Sorry here comes my first really harsh post.

I think you should be absolutely ashamed of how you have ended up keeping your dogs.
I think you should be furious with yourself and your DH for so badly neglecting two animals that can do nothing for themselves and rely on you to give them a life worth living.

I feel so sad because I’m imagining how told off those poor dogs got when you discovered this completely preventable damage.

SantasBassoon · 22/12/2018 11:59

I'm amazed it's taken you years to realise you're not giving the dogs what they need. No stimulation and barely any exercise is going to make them look for their own amusement.

BiteyShark · 22/12/2018 12:00

My dog never chews anything and I took the risk of putting parcels on the floor as he had ignored them in the past. I stupidly forgot one present had come in the same box as his dog treats so he thought it was his with the smell and chewed it.

Lesson learnt and who did I blame? Me.

KateGrey · 22/12/2018 12:00

I think you need to give some very hard thought to whether you can give these dogs what they need. We’ve had a lab before and he was very gentle and quiet but I’d get up early and he’d have a super long off lead walk very early in the morning and then another in the evening plus lots of playing during the day. Dogs like labs need a lot of walking and stimulation or they create it for themselves.

MissRhubarb · 22/12/2018 12:01

Hi OP. I really think you should rehome them. A dog walker would help massively, but it sounds like your heart isn't in it with your dogs. It sounds from your update that people are home more often than your original post made it sound like, but even then no one seems motivated to exercise the dogs. If that's true then rehoming would be your best option. I have rescue dogs and they'll have a much better life somewhere else with a family with more time.

HarrySnotter · 22/12/2018 12:03

I have a chocolate lab and no way on this earth would I ever leave presents under the tree, he'd be through them in a heartbeat.

I don't doubt you love your dogs, really I don't. But you have to do the right thing by them and if you are unable to care for them properly you really do need to rehome them. Mine is at home for 5 hours every weekday and has an hours walk with a dog walker halfway through that time. It costs us a fucking fortune, but I wouldn't leave him on his own for 5 hours. He's a lazy bastard so sleeps, but he's also friendly and affectionate and needs human company. Sorry this has happened for you.

Original poster
QueenOfPharts · 22/12/2018 12:05

Sorry not meaning to drip feed info. Can you all read my update before getting your judgy pants on. Yes I work full-time but mostly from home. The dogs are never left more than 4hrs but I dared to have a long lie in this am as I am knackered with 2 small dc.
I am mainly upset because I have come to the realisation that I cant cope with the dogs. They are part of my family I cant rehome them.
The presents under the tree were not chocolate, they were plsymobile pjs, soft toys etc for the dc we have never had a problem with non food stuff before or leaving stuff under the tree. The presents were in a heavily taped carboard box...I struggle to get into dsil presents.
I live in the middle of nowhere so it is hard to go out with the dogs at night in winter.
I've actually made a real effort in recent weeks taking dogs out for 2-4hr hikes at weekend with smallest dc on my back. I have to take them out at lunch or between times when working.If anything I have been better at taking them out they have got worse so Im at a loss.
There were some really kind helpful responses so again thank you for those.

OP posts:
WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 22/12/2018 12:08

So why did you breed one of them?

SoupDragon · 22/12/2018 12:08

Bloody hell. The OP is upset and admits it is her fault in her very first sentence and people still think it's fine to berate her?

Badcat666 · 22/12/2018 12:11

As other have said, the dogs haven't ruined Christmas, you and your incompetent family have.

I mean it's like leaving young children alone in the house all bloody day and then coming on MN moaning that your darling children have wreaked the house, eaten the soap powder because they were hungry and then crapped on all your lovely new wool carpets and are out of control all the time and wanting tea and sympathy.

Also, it's not like you don't know what your dogs are like so why in burning anus hellfire did you leave your presents under the sodding tree for??! Was it for smug showing off or do you have no awareness of what would happen?

And why let your older dog get up the duff if you are completely incapable of looking after 1 dog?!! I mean, come on!

Please re-home them so someone can actually look after them and give them the care they need and deserve because they aren't getting it being left alone living with you.

May sound harsh but what do you expect? If you can't be arsed to actually be a dog owner and put in the time and dedication needed get some pot plants. (I was going to suggest something small and fluffy but they still need to be fed, cleaned out and played with.... I don't think you are ready for small fluffy pets either)

WilburforceRaven · 22/12/2018 12:11

I'm stunned you'd pile a load of pressies under the tree with such dogs. We have two fairly young cats and don't do that for obvious reasons.

Write · 22/12/2018 12:11

Hikes at the weekends won’t make up for anything midweek.
You need to treat their welfare the same as you would your DC, you’d never say “I’ve got better at meeting DC basic needs lately” it’s a priority.
If I’m going to leave my Ddog for any length of time he needs a good hour+ walk beforehand. If not and I have to go out in a rush or end up out longer than expected I wouldn’t be surprised or angry to find he’s caused carnage in boredom and distress.

BrendasUmbrella · 22/12/2018 12:11

If you work from home is there any chance you could bundle up warm and take your laptop to the nearest dog park? Fresh air for you, exercise for them.

missbattenburg · 22/12/2018 12:12

OP, routine can be very important to some dogs so I wonder if the change in routine - albeit one that is meant to make life better - has thrown them a bit? Throw in things like Christmas, stress and their human having an unusual lie-in and I wonder if this just pushed them a bit further to do something they don't normally?

ihatehoney · 22/12/2018 12:12

You sound like a bad dog owner. All of this can be solved:

  1. get a dog walker- they need a run around and at least they'll both get a good 1hr walk a day if you get one for 5 days a week.

  2. discipline them.

  3. get some toys to exercise their mind, Kong wobbler, treat ball, chew toys etc.

  4. don't leave dogs alone with anything you don't want destroyed. We lock ours either in his cage (which he loves and feels safe in with his blankets) or we leave him in the hall with the other doors shut (we live in a flat).

  5. dogs are not supposed to be left alone for max 4hrs. Either get a dog walker to pop in and visit them or even as a family member to drop by and let them out if you're at work.

40mins per day is not enough for a lab. They're active dogs and need at least 2 40min walks a day. Preferably some off lead time too.

Our cocker spaniel gets 3 walks a day. Morning done by dog walker- he gets an hours run around either in the woods or on a field with the other spaniel that our dog walker owns.
Lunchtime, taken out for a 5min walk for a wee and poo. (Either me or my boyfriend does this as I'm a student and he works from home).
Evening walk- usually the woods for a run in the spring/summer when it's not dark. At the moment we've been doing an hours lead walk around the town. (Lots of things to sniff!).

BrendasUmbrella · 22/12/2018 12:14

Some of these comments are over the top harsh.

And we don't know she did breed them. Maybe she adopted them as mother and daughter?

Badcat666 · 22/12/2018 12:16

And I was bought up with dogs and had them as an adult and worked full time but luckily one of us worked from home so was there to let her out for wee breaks and play in the garden but I'd still have to get up at 6am to walk the dog, come home at lunchtime to walk her and then walk her at night for at least 30mins because my sis was unable to walk far. (my dog was bloody enormous!)

My mum always said that having a dog is like having a toddler for the next 10-16 years. You have to be there physically and emotionally for them and if you can't give the time and energy then you shouldn't have them.

I'd love a dog but we are both out working full time and the house isn't big enough nor is the garden. Once I win the Euro millions by gods I'll be in the country surrounded by the hairy buggers!

Laiste · 22/12/2018 12:17

Can you tell us a bit more about how you got the dogs, when, why ect.

Was it you and DHs decision to get one dog then DCs arrived and then you bred from Dog1?

Or one dog then puppy then DCs?

doodleygirl · 22/12/2018 12:18

Your updates are making me even angrier, its all poor old me. You have two dogs who behave like dogs (how surprising) you dont stimulate, exercise or enrich their lives but you are surprised when they behave as they do. Yet you still blame the dogs!

I

AndItStillSaidFourOfTwo · 22/12/2018 12:18

Really - and I mean this kindly - you need to rehome them, and I'm honestly not sure why you got them in the first place. Did you breed from the mother?

I'm not a dog person at all (have cats, and sometimes they're difficult enough!), but I can't help but understand why people are laying into you when you seem to have very unrealistic views on dog-keeping - taking them for long walks at weekends only isn't 'making an effort' (dogs don't know about weekends), and it does seem strange that you think it is.

You imply it's hard to go out with them in winter - are you not taking them out when it's dark, because it's dark? That really won't do either, as I think you know. Your perspective just seems so skewed - a bit like someone who has a baby and expects to be able to carry on their pre-baby life pretty much as was.

You say they're part of your family so you can't rehome them, but again that is very, very much from your perspective - it's not doing the dogs (nor, indeed, you and your dc) much good to be part of your family because the family set-up isn't meeting their needs.