A Personal Delimma

dwtnphotog

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??

changeling

If you honestly are not caring for them in the way they deserve (exercise, companionship...) then place them in good homes. It will hurt, but you know that's the right thing to do.

changeling :)

BreakingAway

What animals do you have ? I do have another take on this.Giving them to a good home is sadly no guarantee that they will actually be in a "good home".As weird as it might sound, their currently limited environment, may very well be preferable to them being with someone else as they begin to view YOU as a companion as much as you view them in that way.I have a client that puts the dogs in the cage before she leaves and they just get used to it.They go to sleep and seem fine and well adjusted.On the other hand when a pet is given away to someone else they also get depressed and emotional when they're no longer with their owner.Perhaps you're more upset than they are ? Maybe you can make some adjustments to your schedule to be home more ?

jamiebowers

Assuming they are house trained and would only relieve themselves indoors due to hours of being left alone, why don't you hire someone to walk them and play with them? There's got to be a neighborhood teenage kid who would love to earn some extra money and not charge an arm and a leg for the service. If you had someone who is reliable, there would be no need to keep the dogs in crates all day. Also, I've seen on the Dog Whisperer that dogs can be trained to run on a tread mill. It's not to take the place of a walk but to provide additional exercise.

Bumble Bee

Is this just a temporary thing? I know when I was working long hours, I put my two dogs in doggy day care. I know it sounds strange, but actually it was great for them and me. There was someone there 24/7, the dogs were rarely put in the runs (not small kennels), and when I dropped them off super early, the guy there always took the dogs back to bed with him lol (he loved my girls). It taught them how to interact with other dogs and they also taught some "manners" lol. Look into it before you give your babies up.

BB

chickpea

at the risk of over-using a word here.....

i was trained as a dog-trainer by a master trainer
who was more dog than human.... the guy could read
a dog's temperment and personality like nothing else
i have seen before or since.....

his professional and personal belief about a dog
being in a crate is that it was like being in a den....
safe, protected and the last place he was with his pack leader... you

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!!!

ETA: is there a possibility of doggie/pet daycare?
often there are groomer/boarding facilities that will
tend animals during the day .....

dwtnphotog

We have 2 terriers both 13 months old. They seem to do well in their crates in the day time. Mostly they sleep.

We did doggie day camp for our first dog Toby. He did really well.

Our second terrier Molly was abused and abandoned. The animal shelter told us she was hit hard enough to break her pelvis but they helped her heal up and since she's been playing with Toby so much her limping is going away even.

I guess she is much happier with us than living on the street or being mistreated! But she is not socialized well, so we are nervous about sending her to day camp.

But, when she is happy....her whole body wags...

BFD

Hello! Doggie Day Care.

BFD

Edit: Sorry didn't read much.

A Personal Delimma

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