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The doghouse

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Original poster

Am I looking after my dog ok?

38 replies

RedRobyn2021 · 19/11/2021 15:56

I have an almost 3-year-old Labrador, she's our first dog and we love her very much.

She is walked for half an hour before my partner goes to work at 7:30, off lead for the majority of the walk and either exploring or playing fetch.

She then generally sleeps in her basket until I come down with my baby at around 10:30-11am by the time baby has napped and I've dressed us both, both had a wash it's usually late morning.

Then we usually go out for another walk at around 1-2pm for about 40 minutes, again the majority is off lead and I throw the ball a lot for her.

Then she either doesn't go out again (just in the garden for toilet obviously), or my partner takes her out just to throw the ball around for 15 minutes when he gets home around 6pm

We also send her to a day dog place once a week which she absolutely loves but it's expensive so it's just once a week. She basically spends all day playing with other dogs.

I don't leave her often but when I do the absolute longest we will go out is three hours and she isn't crated anymore so she can potter around the house if she chooses to, I think she just naps though (after eating her kong).

I worry that we aren't doing enough. So please, if you have managed to get this far (sorry it's such a long post) can you tell me if this is ok? Are we looking after her well? If not what should we be doing?

OP posts:

SexyNeckbeard · 19/11/2021 15:59

Do you play any games or do any training throughout the day? Or does she get her walks and runs after the ball?

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 19/11/2021 16:01

@SexyNeckbeard

No games or training during the day no

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 19/11/2021 16:07

@SexyNeckbeard

Sometimes we play a game where I hide one of the her toys and she has to find it, she likes that. But we don't play it everyday or anything, just once in a while.

What kind of games could we play?

OP posts:

Frenchfancy · 19/11/2021 16:15

It sounds fine. Not perfect, but let's face it do we look after our DC perfectly, with the perfect amount of exercise and the perfect diet. If your dog is happy and not mistreated that is the important thing.

SexyNeckbeard · 19/11/2021 16:22

It does sound like she has a nice life just maybe a little dull for her but if she doesn't have any behavioural issues then she clearly doesn't mind! Does sound like you're doing the right things so I'm not criticising by any means especially since you have a baby to contend with!

By games I mean exactly what you do with her toy, I shut my dog out of the room and hide a single treat for her to find. Or get a muffin tin, put a treat in it and put tennis balls on top so she has to move the ball to get the treat. Or get a cardboard box, get some scrunched up paper and put some treats in there so she has to use her nose and her brain to figure it out to find the treats. Teach her to do some tricks like giving her paw or balancing a treat on her nose.

sjxoxo · 19/11/2021 16:27

I think you’re doing fine with her! I also think from our experience of dogs that if you aren’t doing enough or not meeting her needs, you will know because her behaviour will be poor. For example if she was bored stiff or not getting enough exercise she will be hyper / bouncy / destructive, chew furniture etc. So if she’s happy to snooze etc and not destructive and seems well in herself I think you’re doing a good job. Xo

friedeggandsauce · 19/11/2021 16:32

Sounds very much what we used to do with our lab when I had a newborn, he was an amazing dog

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 19/11/2021 16:45

@SexyNeckbeard that's what I thought that things must boring for her. I started rotating her toys now every time I swap them over it's like she's just got a new toy haha

Yes we have played games similar to this, but I probably haven't been doing it enough

I am going to make more of an effort to play with her every day, thanks

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 19/11/2021 16:52

@sjxoxo

Thanks for that. She has never chewed anything, she's a good girl. She does get over excited and bouncing going for walks with my mums dogs, I try my best.

I wish I took her to the beach more, it's only half an hour away, but it's just been hard to get out with the baby. There's so many things to think about to time it right. We are doing the same two walks over and over, I try to vary it up a bit but that's probably the worst part

OP posts:

Gardeningtipsneeded · 19/11/2021 16:57

Don’t worry, baby won’t be napping etc forever and you can get out more to more interesting places. Dog owning is becoming the new parenting in the standards and expectations are becoming higher and higher. In reality, dogs have been living with human as successfully and happily for many thousands of years.
Love, cuddles, exercise, decent food, company and reasonable living conditions and your dog will be happy.

SexyNeckbeard · 19/11/2021 17:37

My dog often gets the same walks during the week but we spend quite a lot of it going at her pace to let her sniff around (a "sniffari" if you like being twee!) as this is important to them and tires them out too. Anyway like I and other pp said it sounds like you're doing a great job as you are

icedcoffees · 19/11/2021 17:38

The only thing I would change is to chuck the ball a lot less.

Lots of ball-chasing is really bad for their joints, unfortunately.

Dragonfire282 · 19/11/2021 17:59

Sounds like you're doing a great job. It'll get easier as baby gets older, you'll have plenty of chances to enjoy the beach together.

dustofneptune · 19/11/2021 18:09

Honestly sounds like you’re doing just fine. The only thing I’d add is a bit more variety once you get to a point where you can. A game or puzzle here and there. A different walk at the weekend. Etc. But it sounds like you love her a lot!

I have a working Cocker and he gets about 30min of off lead walking per day, 5x on-lead pee breaks, and a few games or moments of training. I’d do an hour walk if our area was more interesting, but the local park is nothing really - tiny and boring.

To make it more interesting, I play scent games with him on walks (toss treats into leaves or grass), and I always work on some kind of training for a few minutes. Could be sit and wait while I throw the ball. Could be “leave it” while I throw a toy. Or emergency stop. Or tricks. Just something to engage him really. Sometimes we play hide and seek, which is fun. I’m not constantly engaging with him like this. This makes up maybe 10-15 mins in total.

If your lab likes retrieving, you could get into teaching her to sit and wait while you throw a dummy (gun dog training toy) into the bushes, then send her to go and find it, bring it to you, and drop it. This would give her mental stimulation and engagement while being easy for you once you’ve taught her how to do it.

Because our weekday walks are so boring (for us and doggo), we tend to go to bigger more exciting places on weekends. He definitely loves the change. Maybe you could do that with your doggo?

StillMedusa · 20/11/2021 01:48

Mine's a similar age.
I work 3 days a week, so on those days DS2 (adult) takes her out at 9am for a 40 min on lead sniffy walk.. sometimes with 10 mins off lead in the park (he's autistic and off lead is a bit scary for him) Those afternoons she goes out with a dog walker and gets an hour off lead run around.
Other days, I take her out at 9am ..at least an hour, usually more of walk, off lead walk and in the afternoon she gets at least another hour..usually more, of off lead, in woods, chasing, running, looking for squirrels. She pops in the garden at about 10.30pm for a last wee and treats,

In between she just flops, dozes or follows me around the house! I worry she is bored but she is unintersted in toys and seems happy snoozing!

I vary where I walk her.. her faves are in the woods where she can fantasise that one day she'll catch a squirrel or muntjac deer (never going to happen) but it sounds like you have a chilled dog, like mine...

I'm just grateful mine's not chewing the skirting boards or raiding the bins like my friend's dog!

Floralnomad · 20/11/2021 01:58

If she is settled during the day and not pestering you I wouldn’t change anything . Our dog is 11 but he’s always played with toys indoors , mainly plush animals and soft balls , he entertains himself . I don’t play with him with his toys as I find that he then gets wound up and starts pestering people to play which frankly is hugely annoying . As far as I’m concerned he gets plenty of exercise and attention and it doesn’t do him any harm to organise his own entertainment .

NotJustACigar · 20/11/2021 16:43

@SexyNeckbeard

These are great ideas, @SexyNeckbeard!

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 20/11/2021 22:28

My dog gets a half hour walk before work and another walk of about 45 mins to an hour in the evening. During the day when im working (at home) he generally sleeps or potters about the garden.

On the weekends he goes get a lot more attention and longer walks.

It's fine and I think it's about what the majority of dogs get in terms of attention and exercise.

Jenda · 20/11/2021 22:31

It sounds fine..you have a baby and it's not easy. I would just recommend the Canine Enrichment group on FB. So many good ideas that you can do easily to keep them busy without physical exercise

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 21/11/2021 09:31

@Gardeningtipsneeded thank you for that :-)

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 21/11/2021 09:33

@SexyNeckbeard

Oh she sniffs about as well, it's pheasant season and she keeps running into the brush and terrifying the pheasants. I know I should try and stop her but it's virtually impossible, they're everywhere at the moment. But she doesn't hurt them they just fly off.

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 21/11/2021 09:39

@dustofneptune I love these suggestions thank you so much, I will do these

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 21/11/2021 09:43

@StillMedusa

Yeah my dog chases deer as well, she hasn't got a chance of catching them and even if she got close enough I think they could take her haha

My parents Rhodesian actually caught a squirrel that was living in their garden once, it was pretty horrible :-(

I'm glad my dog doesn't chew stuff up either she's such a good girl. She doesn't even touch the babies toys. Such a lovely dog

OP posts:

Original poster

RedRobyn2021 · 21/11/2021 09:59

@Jenda great suggestion, I've just been looking on the one which is for Shay Kelly, it looks like a positive page. I love that there is a Facebook page for everything nowadays

OP posts:

Twattergy · 24/11/2021 19:48

This is really useful as we have a much younger lab and I was just wondering whether we are doing OK, so it's interesting to hear other timetables. We're similar to you OP, a 30-40 min walk around 9am, she then sleeps til about 12. We might let her wander around the house a bit (supervised as she is still chewy and young, but getting better!) or potter in garden. After lunch she sleeps again and gets another 40-50 min walk mid afternoon. She's then sleepy til dinner. I work from home so she is left sleeping for a lot of the day which I feel a bit bad about but she seems content. Weekends will include bigger trips out. Often a pub lunch and she's really good sitting with us and not causing a fuss. Luckily we have amazing countryside on doorstep so she gets very stimulating outdoor time. As she gets older I'm hoping we'll be able to let her mooch around the house a bit more during the day, at the moment she is contained in the utility as she's just not quite ready to have free reign of the house without chewing stuff.

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