I have a lovely 7yo dog, poodle (50%) x bichon x cavalier. As a young dog she went to doggy daycare- was delighted to get there, would run away from me inside to find the other dogs, and be equally delighted when I picked her up.
Then I was at home ill for a while (mental health so we still walked plenty).
Then I got a job she could be at with me.
In all of these scenarios she would spend most evenings snoozing, and wouldn’t be bothered at all if I went out to the gym or something.
for the last 3 or so years I have had work which sees me in and out of the home during the day, and also away for occasional weekends. During these she stays at home with my husband and his dog (who she’s very close to and they are always together). I have never ever come home to find her distressed, there’s no signs of distress like destruction of furniture or anything; and also if the dogs come with me and stay in the car they both settle well and are fine.
Over the last months I have noticed that she won’t settle except when I go out or when we all go to bed. If I am working at home she wants to sit on my lap (she can’t because I am working) and even in the evenings when I’m in and settled (and I never leave the home after 6pm so if I’m in, I’m in) she constantly asks to sit on my lap. She doesn’t settle to sleep. If I don’t let her she might sit with my daughter, but she’d always prefer to sit on me. If she goes in her bed she either gives me her back in a sulk or she stares at me.
Both dogs have a good walk every day and although we could walk them more (it’s difficult in the evenings during winter for various reasons) they generally go out twice and have plenty of interactions and interesting things at home, toys and chewy sticks and so on. Our other dog is older than mine but they still play together and enjoy going out. In the summer they spend a lot more time outside. Mine did used to have busier days than she does now but unfortunately I can’t see how to incorporate that into the work I do now, and we can’t afford a daycare for them (we don’t really need one as they’re never on their own for that long). We had a dog Walker but the other dog often refused to go, and my dog was still unsettled in the evenings.
Can anyone advise? I don’t think it’s healthy for her to stay awake all evening and to be so obsessed with being on my lap, she literally never settles down while the rest of the household is relaxing in the evenings and it’s quite unrelaxing for me too!