Struggling to afford the dog walker.

[dangermouseisace]

How are people managing it? I don't know what to do; I work full time and only have a walker 3x a week (WFH part of the week). But it's unaffordable with everything costing so much. I just don't know what to do.

When I got the dog, and after a few years started work everything was affordable. It's not like I didn't plan for costs. But I wasn't planning for the catastrofuck we are currently going through.

A local swap with someone where you walk their dogs on your WFH days?

Borrow my doggy website!

Walk the dog yourself before and after work?

My DD used to walk a lovely dog via Borrow my Dog she really misses it as the lady whose dog it was died. But I know lots of people walked the dog for her taking turns through the week.

Boobs... You cant leave a dog alone and indoors for a full working day.

I don't think he'd be suitable for borrow my doggy- he can be reactive around certain other dogs/breeds. He's walked alone by the dog walker. It would be good if there was a local dog he could be walked with in a swap situation, but I can't see anyone being keen if they saw him being reactive! Most of the time he's fine, but when it's not fine its really not fine with him leaping and barking, and and he's pretty strong.

I walk or run with him before and after work too, but thinking 8-3.30 on his own (kids get back then) would be too long?

I used to just have a pop in visit from dog walker when I had 3/4 dogs to let them out into garden or short walk nearby just to toilet, which was about half the cost of usual walk.

That's a good idea ScattieHattie; I hadn't thought of that.

Of course you can and plenty of people do.

Have you asked around? Years ago one of our neighbours asked if they could walk my Lab. They wanted to walk for exercise but felt silly alone, wanted some company, didn’t want the full on tie of a dog though.

Would none of your neighbours be able to help?

We walk our neighbours' dog 2 days a week, due to their work patterns. He's a great wee lad, but one of my own dogs is very reactive (we have 6 dogs) so we walk him separately after ours are done. No charge of course, although he does give us wine at Christmas!

Would none of your neighbours be able to help?

We walk our neighbours' dog 2 days a week, due to their work patterns. He's a great wee lad, but one of my own dogs is very reactive (we have 6 dogs) so we walk him separately after ours are done. No charge of course, although he does give us wine at Christmas!

(sorry, no idea why mine posted twice! 🤪)

8-3.30 I would leave the dog, dogs always have been left - there was no such thing as a dog walker until recently and most people did work (typically one was pt school hours)

My ddog is left the whole day sometimes, he's fine, in fact he wasn't happy when everyone invaded his space all the time during lock down!

Yes but it's cruel. You shouldn't have a dog if you're going to leave it home alone all day

Are people really leaving their dogs for 7 and a half hours?? 😢

Hope not, that’s way too long. Mine is old and pretty much sleeps all day, but I wouldn’t leave him that long.
My heart is torn though in one way, in kennels they are left waaaay longer. At least in a home, they have home comforts- depends on the dog.

Yes but it's cruel. You shouldn't have a dog if you're going to leave it home alone all day

It is not "cruel" and as with all matters related to dog behaviour, depends entirely on the dog. Is it cruel to go to sleep for 8/9 hours thus ignoring your dog the entire time? Of course it isn't. Only on MN are people so hand wringing about this. Circumstances change and sometimes you have to change how you care for your dog with it. A dog walked in the morning and again straight after work for a good long, stimulating walk will mostly sleep all day, especially when they're older. I used to walk my dog for 30 minutes before work in the morning and then go for a 7 - 10 km run with him every evening after work. He was absolutely fine.

RaininSummer
Boobs... You cant leave a dog alone and indoors for a full working day.

Of course you can and plenty of people do.

^^ doesn't mean you should

I have come to the conclusion that it's not cruel (admittedly I don't have dogs with a high exercise requirement). I fairly recently moved and cant get a dog walker everyday I'm at work for love nor money. My happy well adjusted dogs seem just as happy and well adjusted as they were when I was employing a dog walk. Mine are left 1 day a week from 8am - 3pm when the days are longer they are walked an hour in the morning before work 40 mins at 3 and 1 1/2 hours in the evening. Now its pitch black (and pissing with rain all the time) they get 35 mins before and after work and 40 mins at 3 one has just come back from the vet she commented on what a happy well adjusted little dog he is "a real pleasure to handle", the is dog walker also says the same.
Mine sleep downstairs and are left alone for 8ish hours overnight I struggle to see the difference between this and going to work and leaving them for 7 hours.

@LondonWolf You would never be able to rehome if you said that to a rescue. Main reason people get puppies or tell porkers. It’s not just on mn, dogs are pack animals. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Plenty of people neglect their children too, it doesn't make it right.

There are multiple reasons I wouldn't be allowed to rescue. I live in a flat, my children have significant additional needs and so on. Rescues expect perfection, especially here in the UK, very few people tick all the boxes for them.

Dogs are pack animals they don't want to be left alone all day, night time is different - although given the choice I assure you most would rather sleep with you too. They might resign themselves to being alone all day but that really doesn't mean they're happy or that it's what they want.