How to increase dogs time spent outside

Ailishcrehan

Hi,

I have four fabulous dogs of varying ages and breeds (17yr old collie, 8/9 year old Labrador, 8ish yr old terrier and a 4yr old GSD x Collie...all bar the GSD x were adult rescues so ageing them has been difficult!)

I started working full time in May and my hubby is at home with the dogs. He is starting work now (part-time) and herein lies the problem...our dogs have never been left alone for longer than around four hours and they literally go outside to the toilet and they are straight back in again.

Our main concern is one of the dogs, a GSD x Collie who in the first two years of her life, was inclined to jump fences. Now, she never actually got out on to the road and as a result, she is never left in the garden alone. We have one 'weak spot' in our garden where the wall is around 4ft high, the rest of the garden walls are much higher (sloping garden). We plan to secure that weak section of the garden but we know that she can clear that height when she is playing fetch. She has never attempted to jump the wall here though. We also tend not to leave her alone out of fear of her destruction...in the first two years of her life she ate sofas, beds, pulled curtains off walls etc but hasn't chewed anything in the past two years but again, she's not left alone so the opportunity hasn't arisen. To add to her issue, she has Diabetes Insipidus and drinks an awful lot of water so needs constant access to water and to the garden for pee breaks.

The help we need though is how to make this transition as easy as possible on the dogs....what we intend to do is use our back sitting room as the doggy room, leave a radio on and have the back door open so they can run in and out while we aren't home.

Any suggestions on what else we can do or need to do? I am really worried, the dogs are our babies and we feel guilty if they are outside for more than the time it takes for them to pee!!!

aonb

OP I felt bad for you that no-one has replied to your post (yet!) so thought I'd jump in though not much useful advice to give you. Sounds like your biggest issue is the GSD and whether she will jump out of the garden??
What hours is your husband going to be working if he's going to be part time (i.e. presumably a shorter day than 8 hours)?
If you are making the back sitting room the doggy room, could you just make that gsd-safe for the few hours your husband is going to be at work, and hope she will 'last' that long? If its a doggy room, you could take up any rugs and put down lots of newspaper - or would there be a total flood?? At least she would be safe indoors rather than worrying about her jumping out of the garden. Leaving the radio on is a good idea. Sounds like it wont be too much hardship to them to be indoors since they dont go out in the garden much. Have you got a friend living nearby, or a neighbour that would be willing to let them out in the garden to pee once/day?

Its really tough for an animal owner when you feel 'guilty' about leaving the dogs alone or changing the routine (which they are so happy with) or whatever, but what can you do - dont feel too badly - sounds like they are very well cared for dogs. Good luck, hope the transition goes ok

Ailishcrehan

Thank you for your reply. Today was the first day of the dogs being left alone...walked the dogs at 7.30, left the house at 8.45, I came home on my lunch to let them out and came home again at 6pm. Both times I came home, the house was perfect and no pee inside so I am a very proud mamma! Same again tomorrow, the problem starts on Saturday when I won't be able to take a break at work long enough to come home (20 min drive) and it will be after 7 when I do get home. Not sure yet of what the hubbies hours will be, will hopefully know early next week. I have a friend who lives nearby who I will ask to call in but she is highly allergic to cats (I have 6!) so not sure if that will be a goer.

Thank you again for your reply, it is muchly appreciated

aonb

That sounds good. Hope your husbands working hours will work out for you. Between 6 cats and 4 dogs you have a full house 8-) I have an elderly dog who has v.recently started to pee in the house when left home alone for any length of time, poor old guy, but you know Ive just resigned myself to cleaning up pee - its not smelly & he's happy - I just make sure he is limited to non-carpet rooms & lift the curtains off the ground. If your dogs are getting a walk in the morning before work and your husband will be home at some stage during the day with his shorter hours, they will be fine when they get used to the new routine. Lucky you two with your new jobs - you'll no doubt just spoil the dogs a bit more to make up for being out longer 8-)

Ambersky

I am currently working on cat proofing my back garden so that my own cat has the freedom of outside but stays within his own garden.
Some of the ideas for keeping cats in gardens may also work for some dogs.
This idea could work to prevent a dog jumping over a fence and rolls of galvanised wire can be purchased here in various strengths and sizes http://http://wireandfencedepot.ie/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6