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.

Yeah you're completely missing the point if you have more than one dog, they're not being left alone then are they?

You haven't said how old the dog is.

Assuming he isn't a puppy and doesn't chew the house up when you leave him or need a pee then for that amount of time I would try leaving one or two days a week, and get someone to pop in a third day. If he is getting a good walk morning and evening then he probably sleeps most of the day. I have two very energetic dogs and one of us is wfh every day these days and they don't get out of their beds during the day as they have burned off their beans in the morning. They don't even ask for a pee until tea time.

I wouldn't crate for that amount of time. But as others have said dog walkers are a relatively recent phenomenon and as long as he is loved, well treated and has enough mental and social stimulation the rest of the time, most dogs like and thrive on some downtime for part of the week.

What should people like the OP do, people whose lives are very different than they were when they got their dogs, due to the current shit show we find ourselves at the hands of our incompetent government? Should they give them away to be re-homed to one of the very few Perfect Homes deemed suitable. Where would her dog rather be? With her albeit left alone a few days a week or off in a rescue not knowing what is going or where his beloved "pack" is? I had a friend who was in the absolute perfect family set up and was allowed to rescue, one day she had a horrendous row with her husband and he shoved her down some stairs - nasty divorce, full time job for her, dog had to be left alone most days. Everyone adapted including the dog. Things change and sometimes dogs have to roll with it too.

If you have a garden, then doggy door.

if you don’t or dog can’t be trusted that long in garden unsupervised, then indoor piddle patch system. The nice ones that are like little patches of grass so the dogs don’t get confused about where they are allowed to go.

@Suzi888 that isn't correct about rescues. Most will take into account your personal circumstances and experience and aim to match the dog to the home. I have had rescue dogs for over 40 years and never had an issue with being out for work. The bigger issue we had was having a child under 10 and it took us a long time to find our current rescues as they wouldn't guarantee their safety.

DH has always WFH, DDog has always slept 8-3.30, she would sometimes get up to investigate what DH had for lunch but not always.

She toilets first thing and never asks to go out again until after her supper 6ish and if it's raining she needs to be pushed out the door. Getting her to do her last pee of the day is a battle of wills most of the time #bladderofsteel.

It definitely depends on your dog.

Forgot to mention she puts herself back to bed straight after breakfast and refuses to go for a walk then 🤷🏽‍♀️

So it's ok to leave more than 1 dog alone thats excellent news I wont bother to get a dog walker/pay doggy day care for the other two days I'm at work. There you are OP problem solved get another dog. Anyway when I had 1 dog it was left alone all night didn't seem bothered neither was he bothered when occasionally he was left alone in the day tine when dog walker went away was ill etc. Im really not sure why night time is different TBH. One of mine in particular even when he was one of one doesn't want to be with me overnight he always sleeps in the kitchen but a couple of times he's been able to sleep in the same room as me and definitely didn't want too. Like all animals routine is so important mine know when they are about to be walked, they watch me get ready for work and go and lie in their day time beds (they have run of the house), at night we do a quick walk they get a treat and they go straight into the kitchen and lie in their night time beds neither move till I come down in the morning.

This has started to concern me too OP, as our energy bills, etc are increasing hugely, and I worry that we won't be able to afford the dog walker. The dog already gets walked in the morning and at night by us, but we do need a walker for during the day time. I like another poster's suggestion of asking the walker to pop in to let the dog out to the toilet or a really quick walk.they may be able to offer a cheap rate.

My dog is left 8-3.30 some days, he's had that since we got him though. He's absolutely fine. Build up the time you leave your dog, despite what others say, he won't die in that time 🙄

My neighbours do it for even longer on a regular basis. Their old dog died and they got a puppy straight away. I can hear it crying most of the day 😢. I hate them for doing it, arseholes.

Fairly obvious you wouldn't do it with a puppy which is why I got my 2nd dog as an adult but as Tessabelle says build up the time you leave them.

@Dressageconvert sorry you made me laugh... I would so fill my house with dogs if my OH let me!

Seriously though OP. We have had one dog, two dogs and three dogs at various points in our lives and been out at work, worked from home, had a dog walker, not has a dog walker. As other have said they thrive on routine and knowing where their "crew" is. Build up to a new routine and see how you go. Every dog is different and they will soon let you know if they are unhappy.

Some dogs aren’t bothered about being left. Dh Wfh and our dog literally sleep all day, sometimes he gets pissed off if we wake him up! Some dogs are ok to be left and some aren’t; you know your own dog. Leaving a dog that just wants to sleep on its back all day with its balls in the air is o do so isn’t cruel.

Routine and treating your dog like a ... let me think ..... ah yes got it; a dog not a human being in a furry suit.
Its nearly all working dogs round here both gun dogs and farm dogs, they sleep in barns/out door kennels and Im pretty sure their owners are not loosing sleep if they are occasionally left alone for 7-8 hours whilst they taking livestock to market etc. All look exceedingly healthy happy and well adjusted. In fact I met a working collie the other day and thought what a wonderful happy dog he looked not the usual neurotic collies you so often see I know for a fact thats he's left some days.

How much do people generally pay for a dog Walker? London/SE area?

More cruel than sitting in a rescue centre without their beloved family?

Leaving a dog alone for long periods of time isn’t ideal, but with the cost of living crisis plenty of families are going to be making tough decisions.

I think most dogs would be better off staying with their family and being walked before and after work, rather than being stuck in a shelter waiting for a new family that may never come.

Varies, £15-25 an hour...

Is there any way you could get back at lunch time? Even just five minute walk for a toilet break for the dog and some human contact.
I think it’s probably too long to leave the dog really. But I suppose with even a short walk in the middle of the day, three days a week, may be ok if the dogs getting plenty of attention the other days.

I pay £8 for 40 mins for two dogs, before moving I used to pay £12 for 1 dog to be walked in a group for 1 hour. I pay £15 to put 1 dog into doggy day care.

Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking? I'm in London. The cheapest I have seen was £15, usually £18, as expensive as £25, not sure how she gets any work tbh but seems to do ok.

It doesn’t mean you should. It’s bloody horrible. Don’t have a dog if you are going to leave it all day! Bloody spiteful.

That’s not minimum wage by the time the walker has collected and dropped off.

That’s not minimum wage by the time the walker has collected and dropped off.

Surely means £8 for each dog?

Some dogs are fine. Some not.

Expect complaints from neighbours if the dog howls and barks when left alone. The dog that lived up our road was a nightmare, so bad that Environmental Health got involved.