Sweet dog, no time for him...

[Anonymous]

So, classic case of everyone agreed to pitch in, and yet I'm the only stuck with the pooch...

Sweet dog - the kids grab his tail, and everything and he won't harm a hair on anyone's head. But with the children sucked into virtual school and me glued to the PC all day; then there's afternoon activities (soccer, gymnastics, etc...) - no one has time for him other than the occasional romp around the house. No one wants to walk him, and I have to walk him, let him release, and bring him back in the house. He has chewed on everything this side of the planet, and won't let me breath. I don't have the energy for him, playmate, caregiver, and taxi, while parenting 3 children under 10.... my spouse business requires standing all day, so is completely exhausted upon returning home.

I want to get rid of the dog, but feel obligated to the commitment, the kids will be heartbroken - even though they don't lift a finger - and the pooch would lose it at the shelter....

Welcoming suggestions.

Signed,

Pooped.

[Anonymous]

First off, if no one wants the dog then all will be happier if he’s rehomed and you aren’t an awful person for thinking of it.

That being said...sounds like a puppy with the energy and the chewing? There’s a reason nature made puppies cute, otherwise we’d all get rid of them! Can you hire a dog walker or send to doggy daycare a few times a week? Will things lessen up with summer? Can you hang on 6 months and see what he outgrows?

If those options fill you with dread, then rehome sooner rather than later, because it’s easier to find a home for a young dog. Did you get it from a decent breeder or rescue? They will take the dog back so it doesn’t end up in a shelter. If it’s purebred from a crummy breeder (or even if it’s a doodle) contact the breed rescue and offer to foster it while they list it online and screen homes. The dog doesn’t need to go to a shelter.

[Anonymous]

After school is done, my kids don’t get screens until the go play in the backyard with the dog.

[Anonymous]

You either all need to step up as a family or let the dog go to a more loving home. You can do that without sending him to a shelter though. Why are they allowed to pull his tail? Teach your kids how to treat animals! Would a midday dog walker help with the exercise the dog needs? Or send him to doggy daycare a couple of times a week..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You either all need to step up as a family or let the dog go to a more loving home. You can do that without sending him to a shelter though. Why are they allowed to pull his tail? Teach your kids how to treat animals! Would a midday dog walker help with the exercise the dog needs? Or send him to doggy daycare a couple of times a week..

I was also going to suggest doggy daycare. After our dogs go for a day, they are pooped for at least the next day if not more. Burning off that energy makes them much lower maintenance at times when we aren't giving them the exercise or attention they deserve.

[Anonymous]

Have you crate trained him? Sounds unlikely from the situation you describe. Dogs sleep 18-20 hours a day. They are perfectly happy to be in a crate for hours at a time, especially a crate in a quiet location with a covering that makes it a safe dark space like a den - like wolves make in the wild. A crate keeps the dog from chewing everything. It keeps the dog from being up in your shit all the time, and not letting you breathe.

But yeah, you’ve got to walk the dog at minimum once a day. That requirement can serve not only to teach your kids responsibility and empathy for another living thing - it can also teach them great habits like regular physical activity, rain or shine.

[Anonymous]

Is the dog a puppy? Many dogs mellow over time and require less exercise, although some breeds are still quite active.

[Anonymous]

You say you have 3 kids under 10. Is the oldest 9? That's old enough to walk the dog around the block. Send them out together. Maybe go out with them the first couple times to teach them how to do it (no pulling or jerking!).

And agree with crate training the dog. Even if you're home all the time with the pandemic, you won't be when the kids go back to school and you all go back to work. Start on it now, start small and build up.

[Anonymous]

I think it would be great if you re-homed the dog. If you don’t have time now, there will only be less in the future. No guilt.

[Anonymous]

You may just need a break. Find someone you like and trust on wag to walk the dog for an hour or even take it over to their house for an hour or two. We do this a couple of times a week and it breathes life back into us.

Yes, we could have the battles about who does what. But you could also just pay $15 for 1/2 hour on rover a couple of time a week to make your life a little easier. I don't feel guilty at all doing this. I never felt guilty hiring a babysitter pre-covid!

[Anonymous]

You made a commitment to this dog. Honor it. When you got the dog with three young kids did you really think or expect THEM to walk him? If you did, fine -- enforce it. If you didn't, well, walk him yourself like you knew you would. And if you're too busy to take on the responsibility of caring for the live being that you voluntarily took on, then cut back on the kids' extracurriculars or yours to walk the dog.

Grow up, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You say you have 3 kids under 10. Is the oldest 9? That's old enough to walk the dog around the block. Send them out together. Maybe go out with them the first couple times to teach them how to do it (no pulling or jerking!).

And agree with crate training the dog. Even if you're home all the time with the pandemic, you won't be when the kids go back to school and you all go back to work. Start on it now, start small and build up.

This should be a given. Your oldest should be able to take the dog for a walk during lunch or any of the zillion breaks.

And no tail pulling allowed. Let's show some respect.

What type of dog is this? A retriever I'm guessing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You either all need to step up as a family or let the dog go to a more loving home. You can do that without sending him to a shelter though. Why are they allowed to pull his tail? Teach your kids how to treat animals! Would a midday dog walker help with the exercise the dog needs? Or send him to doggy daycare a couple of times a week..

I was also going to suggest doggy daycare. After our dogs go for a day, they are pooped for at least the next day if not more. Burning off that energy makes them much lower maintenance at times when we aren't giving them the exercise or attention they deserve.

This! If you had a break 2 days per week, might make a huge difference. Then make a schedule for the kids!

[Anonymous]

Now is the perfect time to rehome the dog. There are waiting lists for dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After school is done, my kids don’t get screens until the go play in the backyard with the dog.

+1 not sure why mom is playing the martyr. You have kids. Send them out to burn the dog’s energy.