What to do?

[RachelandBella]

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Hi,

I recently got a 4-5 month old doggie from a rescue centre - and am starting to panic that I have done the wrong thing.

They told me that she is a Collie Cross but everyone keeps saying she looks like a lab and a Patterdale - I have attached a pic.

Its only been a week and a half but I am plagued with guilt everytime I go to work.

I work full time, and am leaving her in the morning in the kitchen, with her bed toys, food and water etc - and having people come in and check on her during the day. She is also going to my dads most days as him and his partner are around most of the day, and then I pick her up after work.

She cries and howls when I leave. When I am at home she follows me whereever I go and seems to hate being alone.

She hasnt had her last injection yet, so we cant go walkies yet.

I just feel like I dont get much time with her, and that she probably needs someone who can be with her more. I feel like I have been very selfish in getting her but then I did it because she looked so sad and scared in her kennel, surrounded by barking angry looking dogs.

Is it normal to have this panic or is it a sign that I have made a mistake?

Thanks

 

[Oreo]

She's gorgess.

When we adopted Oreo, we both worked full time. My partner would leave the house at about half 8 and around lunch time I would come home and spend half an hour with her then I would arrive home again at around half 5.

We then moved house (and further away from work) which meant I couldn't get home for lunch. For a while my brother popped in and a few other family members to sit with her for a while and let her out to the loo etc.

Now my partner works part time and we don't need to do that anymore, however if she were to go back full time we have to get in a dog walker.

The most we'd ever leave her is probably 4 hours or so (which I think is about the longest to leave her in an ideal world).

Sometimes I feel guilty however most people with dogs work and my thinking is that Oreo is better off with us in this situation than she ever would be in a kennel lonely.

Not sure if that helps.

 

[RachelandBella]

Oreo is a cute name!

I leave the house at 7.30/8.00 am each morning, and am not home till 6.30. I have some great family and friends who are checking in on her and who are taking her to their houses for hours at a time, so she isnt being left for too long at the moment.

I didnt realise I was so busy until I have had to unbusy myself and think I am just daunted by the commitment that I have taken on, and wondering how I will ever have a social life.

I know that this sounds selfish, and I am feeling terrible about thinking that too.

I just wish I could be with her more.

If the worst comes to the worst, I wouldnt want to give her back to the dogs home, but to find her a suitable home where she would be happy. (And ideally, where I could visit!) Does anyone know how to go about this?

I am going to be off work for a week soon, so can spend some quality time with her then at least.

Thanks for your message, I feel slightly better! x

 

[Oreo]

IF you decide to go down the rehoming route I would always go back to the place you got her from as first point of call (assuming of course you got her from a rescue).

Failing that I would take her to a reputable rescue as (unless it's someone you know well) you don't know what type of home they would go into.

Anyway, I get the impression you at least want to try and make it work?

People have to work, so I wouldn't worry about that aspect. In regards to evenings. I am not one for going out a lot now as I don't have much money and I would much rather have people round than go out and when I do go out it's usualy weekends so I am with Oreo throughout the day anyway.

Perhaps you could include your dog in your social life a little? Perhaps go to do friendly pubs in the summer or take her to a training class?

I am signing up for a couple for training tips but also for the social factor.

During the day Oreo sleeps alot and sometimes I have to push her out the door to go to the loo.

It is a massive commitment to own a dog, and it does take some fine tuning but it is workable and very rewardable if you can manage it.

Strangly everyone assumes Oreo is a boy! lol

 

[banana]

Oh she is adorable - I hope you can get it to work....

Welcome to Dog Forum - I am Anna

 

[Dizzyjenni]

Hi!

What a gorgeous puppy

The fact that you are worrying so much shows that you are a caring person and can hopefully make it work.

 

[hanneroon]

hi there. I've got a few questions, i hope i don't sound too fierce...

What are your reasons for not wanting to take her back to the rescue that you got her from? Most rescues require you to sign a form promising to give the dog back if there is a problem,

Are your friends and dad going to be able to continue to look after her? Or are you able to pay someone? You say she isn't being left too long at the moment: You are out of the house for eleven hours a day, add to that an hour for walkis in the morning and evening and any time spent collecting her from your dads house, this is a long day, no? If you are toilet training her, as she is so young still, she can't be expected to go too long without a wee; even paying a dog walker for an hour, is going to leave two 5 hour periods of being alone.

You say you only got her because she looked so sad and alone; were you not intending to get a puppy? What did the original rescue centre suggest about your hours of work?

I applaud you for going to a rescue, rather than just buying a puppy, but perhaps an older dog that is be able to cope with being alone a bit more might be better suited? failing that, there are ways to help a dog cope with being left, this will take time however.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and sorry to sound so negative, i truly hope you are able to keep her, and work out a solution that will make you both happy. If your dad is happy to take her, in the coming months and years then i'm sure this will work out just fine.

 

[Jasp]

To be blunt I think you may have been naive in your desire to have a dog with your current commitments but the blame should lie with the rescue centre. No rescue that I know of would place a young dog in a situation where it was to be left alone as much unless it had proven that it could cope with it.

Having said that, I would rather see a dog in a loving home like yours than sitting in kennels waiting for the 'perfect' home that is never going to show up. I spent 9 months touring rescues to get my dog and there was always some condition or other that wasn't within their criteria, I think they are very fussy about where their dogs go so that they can be sure that the dog is not going to be returned to them, which is obviously bad for the dog.

People work, fact of life, and at the end of the day our families (including pets) have to fit in around that. If you didn't work then you would not be in a position to provide a home to a dog that would otherwise end up spending its life going from one home to the next, in and out of kennels or even eventually being put to sleep. Whether your decision was right or wrong is now irrelevant, you made the decision and you made the commitment, so now you have to do what is best for the dog and in my humble opinion that would be to keep her and to give her the very best life that you can.

Dogs are like children, they get used to a routine and as long as you stick to it then she will adapt. She is still young and she will learn to cope as long as you give her reason to trust you. Keep her, love her and treasure her and she will repay you back tenfold.

 

[murphyrules]

I used to feel guilty about my work hours but I know my boys are happy and healthy and well looked after, I take mine for an hours walk around the woods at 5.30 in the morning then they have breakfast whilst I get ready for work, we leave together at 7.15 (I'm lucky in that mine can go in staff kennels at work) they sleep in their giant bed until I can get them out for a quick walk at lunchtime they then go back in the kennel until I finish, when we get home its another hour around the woods (rain, dark, snow whatever) then in for tea and playing, then a quick 5 minutes around the park at half 9/10 before bed. The kennel used to bother me but at weekends my dogs get walked then lie and sleep all day until next walk time so I feel theres no difference between them sleeping in my house to a kennel with a comfy bed, water, toys and each other.

If your family and friends are happy to help out with your new dog she will soon settle in to a routine, you say you have only had her what 10 days, everything is new and scary to her she needs time to settle in with you and her new home, dont give up on her too soon or you may regret that and be left with lots of 'what ifs' Im sure with lots of patience, time and family support you will have a happy life together, Good Luck :luck:

 

[lurcherman]

as a pup still you cant exercize the pup lots but when older giving the dog lots of big walks mainly before you go work will help but until then where ever you leave the dog make it bomb proof.