I have a Personal Dilemma

[Never Grow Up]

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So, our circumstances are changing somewhat; a few personal things here and there and a few business things, nothing traumatic. Except this, our time is becoming more and more limited. We are home less and less. Jimmy leaves for work at 6 a.m. and soon I may have to drop him off before I go to work so that would make us have to leave earlier and get home later.

I have a sinking feeling that we may need to find new homes for our animals. I want what is best for them but the thought of giving them up breaks my heart! Those beautiful faces just melt me, especially the dogs.

But with such limited time we don't have much time to care for them and spend time with them. I don't want them in their crates all day and all night, but we can't leave them loose to go to the bathroom on the floor.

I am really at a loss and kind of heart broken...

What do we do? Find them happy homes or be kind of selfish??

[Betty]

Anyway you can give them a doggy door?

[Gemini Cricket]

I think it's a very tough call, but I'm thinking if you can't spend a lot of time with them then maybe you should find someone who can. I know that sounds rough, but it's true, imho.
My corgi, Frodo, is with my ex because he takes Frodo to work with him and at work there are other dogs for him to play with. If he stayed with me, he'd be locked up all day by himself.
The two dogs you have are a handful. They need constant attention, without it, they can get rambunctious. I met the pooches the other day with NA when we ran into Jimmy in LB. One of the dogs isn't socialized very well. He/she is kinda nippy... I think the dogs may need to be in an environment where they have a chance to be around other dogs, other people daily.
My two cents.
I don't mean to sound heartless, I loves ya both.
:)

[Never Grow Up]

GC, I totally understand. Molly is brand new and a rescue. From what we could gather she was abused then abandoned. So yes, she does need some attention. We may need to do training classes before we make any decisions.

BTW, I wanna lick your avitar!! He's HOT!!!!

[Never Grow Up]

Anyway you can give them a doggy door?

They have a doggy door but it just goes to a balcony

[Gemini Cricket]

BTW, I wanna lick your avitar!! He's HOT!!!!
He is, but he's not much good at fixing fences. But I think I'll keep him on the payroll anyway.
:D

[MouseWife]

He is, but he's not much good at fixing fences. But I think I'll keep him on the payroll anyway.
:D


With abs like that, I can think of a lot more he can do than mend fences.....

Never met you or your pooches but I think it is responsible of you to come on here for some answers. :snap:

[Never Grow Up]

I just got this advice on another board...

if you see to their needs before and after.... they will wait for you
because that is their nature.... to want to be with you, or in the last place
that they were with you.... it is not selfish to my thinking....
just think more like a dog and less like a human who feels guilt
over something a dog cannot even imagine... a life without his top dog!!!

I am tending to agree...

Molly was abused and her pelvis was broken before she was abandoned. The animal shelter fixed her up and she is pretty fully recovered. She had a limp when we brought her home. All her playing with Toby had built up her leg and she isn't limping anymore.

When she is happy....her whole body wags!

[Gemini Cricket]

I don't know if I agree. Waiting in a crate all day isn't good for a dog, imho.

[Never Grow Up]

I don't know if I agree. Waiting in a crate all day isn't good for a dog, imho.

I have done a lot of research on it, since we have been in this situation, and a LOT of trainers go with the "den" theroy. But I don't want to over-do it.

[3894]

What kind of dogs are they?

[Not Afraid]

You know my answer already. They need mid-day walks of they need to go to doggy day camp. I think the time that they are alone is too long for dogs of their age. If they were older, I'd think that more alone time is ok, but they need to go out and walk at least once during the day. You'll come home to happier puppies that way. Other than Alpha, there is Pet Set in LB that would be an option as well. Or, maybe a combination of both. Or, maybe there is a day camp option closer to where you work.

[3894]

I like NA's answer. Dogs require exercise and companionship as much as they require food and water.

[Gemini Cricket]

I like the doggie daycare idea, too.
:)

[alphabassettgrrl]

If they're tired enough in the morning, they'll sleep a good portion of the day. Another walk in the evening, and they'll be tired again. Dogs normally sleep quite a lot.

[innerSpaceman]

And a good many dogs wait out the human work day for exercise and human contact. Perhaps not in a crate, but they wait.

We got another dog to keep the waiting dog company ... and it turns out they both likely slept all day anyway, and one especially liked a small area so much he may as well have been crated (but we would never do that ... just seems icky, no matter what breeders tried to tell us - Bah on that).

[Never Grow Up]

Yes, even when I was working from home, they slept in one spot, all day. I may be able to come home at lunch and walk them. We'll just need to work it out.

[CoasterMatt]

Our dogs have become quite precise at aiming poop underfoot if they're in the house too long- but we plan our schedules around their needs as much as possible.

[wendybeth]

He is, but he's not much good at fixing fences. But I think I'll keep him on the payroll anyway.
:D

Fences? What fences?




(I hope you can find a solution that works- I can see both sides of the equation here, but I lean toward NA's response).

[Stan4dSteph]

I agree that they need more exercise and activity. If you can't provide it, I would suggest you find an owner who can.

[Disneyphile]

I have been around all of them, and they are just awesome. Everybody is housebroken and very loving.

[Morrigoon]

I used to have just a balcony for Barnum when I lived in an apartment in Texas. I laid out some astro turf (with a heavy sprinkling of baking soda underneath), and taught him to use the balcony. Well, as well as Barnum will allow himself to be taught anything, that is.

You have two dogs, yes? So they're not really alone all day. Your only major issue is the potty thing. If the balcony solution is not acceptable, then NA's suggestion of a walker to come get them midday is a great one.

Doggy day care, even if only once or twice a week, would also help keep them active and interested.

But from one dog owner to another... they really do sleep almost all day long.

[sleepyjeff]

We currently have 2 dogs and one cat and although it is rare that there's more than a 4 hour stretch without a human around it does happen time to time. Except for the bedrooms the pets have the run of the house when we're not home....but as has been stated in previous posts, all three of them mostly sleep during the day(((of course we have a huge backyard that they wear themselves out in in the morining and evenings))) and now that the Beagle is finally 2+ years old we don't have accidents anymore:):):)

[Never Grow Up]

Well, we have worked out a few solutions to the situation. We have however decided to find homes for the cats.

Mia & Nicky are both fixed and up to date on all of their shots. If you are interested or know anyone that might be, please send me a pm.

Mia
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/8961/miato2.jpg

Nicky
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/526/nickyac5.jpg

[Disneyphile]

If we didn't already have 4 of our own, we'd take them in a heartbeat.

[Gemini Cricket]

Lisa... no.
















:D

[Not Afraid]

Why the cats?

I'm of the mind set that when you agree to adopt a pet you're in for the long haul.