Help! I don't want to get rid of my doggie!

my boyfriend and I have split up. He's moving out this week. He worked from home so Albert always had someone around and got his daily walks. I work 11 hour days. Is it more humane to take him back to the ASPCA? What if they are unable to adopt him out for some reason? What will they do?? I am just dying of worry. I don't want to give him up. I will give him as much love as possible when I am home. But I have to work. Now with my ex gone, money will be a little tight so I don't know if a daycare is an option. I don't have any friends that are home during the day close by either.

Do any of you have doggies that stay home alone that long? Is it OK? I walk him in the morning..and take him for a nice walk at night too. He's already used to being alone because the last few weeks my ex started working away from home. Even though he was only alone for about 6 hours, he's adjusted to holding off on guzzling all his water. He's such a good boy and NEVER had an accident in the 5 months I've had him. It is getting warm out but I don't want to leave him outside all day either. I thought about those puppy pads. Maybe if I put one in the laundry room or something he can at least do his business there if he needs to. But I have to train him for that right? He came fully housebroken so I wouldn't even know how to train him! I'm so upset. More over Albert than my break up actually! Isn't that funny? Well, any advice would be appreciated!

Sorry to hear about your situation.

11 hours is too long to expect a dog to go without peeing. I sure couldn't do it.

Can you see how much it would cost to have a dogwalker come in once a day and take him out? There are lots of companies that offer this service and I dont' think it's too expensive. I would check that out first.

You could leave him outside if you can install a safe kennel that locks with a good doghouse in it.

IF you can't do that, you're only other option is to rehome him yourself. Taking him back to the shelter to be abandoned again is not humane.

Puppy pads aren't going to work for a male dog if he lifts his leg.

Wow..truth hurts. I rent. While I have full access to the backyard I don't think I could install a kennel. How would I go about re-homing him? He does lift his leg when he pees. I'm sorry, I got him with the thought of keeping him forever. This just kills me. :(

Well, why don't you check out the cost of a dog walker first, then take it from there? With a half hour walk in the middle of the day, he would be fine!

If you really feel you must rehome him, I can help with the process, adoption contracts etc.

I say try a dog walker. For sure! You must try your best to keep him and paying a dog walker once a day is not expensive at all. even if you have someone come by to let him out 1 - 2 times, which is even cheaper.

What breed of dog is he? If you try to get a hold of your local breed rescue, they might be able to help you out with someone to let your dog out when you are gone to work. Most of them will let you list your dog on their site and screen potential new owners if you must rehome.

While 11 hours isn't a good thing, there are dogs that have done it. Quality time when you are home can be much more important then quantity time.

When my ex and I split, I wound up in an apartment (after living in a house) with 2 dogs. Rehoming simply wasn't an option for me for many reasons, not the least of which being I couldn't bear to part with them, they're family. Dog walkers are relatively inexpensive or if you have a good friend you trust to come during the day, it's an option you need to find a way to make work if you're intent on keeping Albert. That being said, it comes down to how committed you are to your pet as a valued member of your family. I also found that having my 2 helped with the split, I had something other than myself to focus on (not saying that's your situation - it very well may not be). Good luck and I hope you don't decide to rehome.

Dog walkers are relatively inexpensive or if you have a good friend you trust to come during the day, it's an option you need to find a way to make work if you're intent on keeping Albert. That being said, it comes down to how committed you are to your pet as a valued member of your family.
I agree with this. Rehoming and leaving the dog alone for 11 hours are not the only options here. If you really want Albert in your life, you can make it happen.

just some other ideas:

if you rent, do you plan to get a roommate? it could free up some money for a daycare/dog walker and/or help out w/ Albert if you have different schedules.

are there any neighbors you're friendly with and TRUST that could check in on Albert?

I agree w/ the dog-walker idea... maybe your vet could give you some referrals to check out.

I hope you and Albert find a solution that allows for you to stay together.

Not to cause problems, but we looked into dog walkers, and it is cheap at first glance, but if you really work it out, your looking at at least 200 dollars a month for the animal and that is assuming you find someone REALLY cheap, because most walkers are more in the range of 300 a month. And if she is living alone, its hard to give that much up, but not impossible. But, check it out anyway, i hope you find a good solution though, and it may cost less to just get the walkers to take the dog out into the back yard for 15 mins and then leave. Maybe you could inquire about that.

I never had to get a dog walker but I'm thinking if they are really 'cheap' their might be a reason. Do you have any elderly neighbors or a senior's center close by?

When I first got my dog I found out that my one neighbor had just lost his old boy the previous winter - this guy used to come over every morning & just hang out on my deck in the back yard & have coffee with Taz - I guess it used to be a routine for this older man & his old friend & Taz just loved him & it made it easier on both of them.

Around here,I've heard dog-walkers charge $18/per walk,which to me sounds like a lot.
If I were near you,I'd walk him for free:sad:

Hey chico,

We couldnt find anyone to walk our dog for less than 10 dollars per 15 mins or so PLUS TAX... for half hour walks, its 18 or more plus tax... its a little high i think as well..

Well, I have a meeting with a local agency this evening. The owner is coming with a dog walker to meet us. Because I got Al from a shelter, I'm getting a discount rate of $10.00 a day. Which like someone said earlier, does add up to about $200 a month. Most other places I've called are about $13 a day. At this point I'm willing to do what I can to keep him. He's my baby and the thought of not having him around just kills me. He has helped a lot through my break-up too. I just can't give him up. I'm not looking at a roommate since my lease runs out in 3 months. I'll just move. So I'm hoping that my next apartment will take doggies.
While my block has a lot of dog owners, I haven't really chatted anyone up. I think I just might now..to see if they can give me any ideas/suggestions too. I will keep looking at my options. Worst case scenario, I will rehome him but I want to make sure I know who he is going to and that I can keep in contact after. But that's absolute worst case.
I was also thinking of seeing if I could maybe bring him to work a day or two a week. I work right by a river with a woodsy area. My office is actually in a seperate suite from the rest of the company. Hardly anyone ever goes in there. We usually just go to the other building if anyone needs anything (i'm a computer tech). He could lie under my desk and he's so quiet and lazy i'm sure he'd be no bother! I have to run it by my boss first though.
God what an ordeal! Right now I'm so nervous because my ex is still moving out and I'm scared that just to spite me he'd take him away. I know he can't keep him, and I know he loves Albert..so I'm hoping he will think of what's best for him and leave him be. I can't wait until it's all over and it's just me and my baby. :sad:

When I used a dog walker for Joey it was 15 dollars a visit. It was a sometimes thing though, when we would go away. My mom always stayed with him but couldn't do a long walk so once a day we had someone come in so he could get one good walk a day.

If Albert is well behaved and doesn't nip etc. maybe you could find a teenager or pre teen who would be willing to come by for less. I have two friends with 13 year old daughters who are real animal lovers. They have both offered to come by and play with Cooper if there's a day where I'll be out for a long time. I'm going to have them come over and spend time with him and learn his routines and his habits.

Of course a professional walker gives you the benefits of being insured and mayb e trained in emergency situations as well.

I kind of like the idea of trying to find a senior center and seeing if there are any pet lovers there that could let your dog out. Is there a fenced in area that they can just let the dog out or do they have to walk Albert? Reason I'm saying this is, a lot of seniors are on budgets and could use a few extra dollars under the table to help them out -- please no one take this statement the wrong way, but provided they are "reliable" and of "sane" mind. The reason I say this is because of my own grandparents, one grandmother could handle it no problem, but the other yelled at my uncle on the phone for two hours because he "stole" her glasses when they were sitting on top of her head. Anyway, I know a lot of seniors could use some extra cash to let the dog out and am sure it would be a lot cheaper than a dog walker.

Jessesmom,well,I am kind of senior,at 62,but I walk Bailey(neighbors Cocker)firstly because I love her,secondly because she makes me go for a walk every day,which I need.
This week the kids are gone,so Bailey is alone pretty well from 7:30am-6:30pm and I just came back from taking her on an extra walk...she's so sweet,I just love her:love:
Maybe Im9012,could find someone who need a push to exersice,like me,no better inspiration than taking a dog out:love:

chico, you're exactly the kind of person I'm talking about! I didn't want to insult anyone by saying what I was saying. I'm glad you understand what I was trying to get across. Thanks, you made me feel better that I didn't phrase it wrong. :D

I can only hope I can find a nice lady in my neighborhood where we can help each other out like that! Now I wish I lived in Canada!
Bless your heart for doing what you do.
My puppy is feeling this breakup too. He stares at the front door at night looking at me like 'where's daddy?' here's a dog who will give anything to be in bed with me. He will wait now. Like he can't go to sleep cuz our family isn't together in the bedroom. It's so sad! I've had to force him to come to the room with me. He licks my tears away and hugs me. I swear he knows! I feel like he senses what's going on. I mean he sees my ex coming during the day little by little taking his things away. I guess they are intuitive and much smarter than we think huh?
Thank you so much all of you for the helpful thoughts and ideas. I am responsible for this little guy and can only wish I can pay him back for how much he's helped me through all this.
I wish I was like him, that I had simple needs and all this unconditional love to give, it is really quite remarkable! :angel:

Hey there,
sorry to hear of your situation.
Do you maybe have a friend or relative who would
be willing to swing by midway through the day
to let him out for a pee?
Maybe a teenage or young relative who would gladly
rush at the opportunity to make a few bux for a few minutes
time once a day?
Perhaps a trustworthy neighborhood kid after school or something?
Maybe a next door neighbor?
Maybe you could talk to your boss about an extended lunch hour
so you could go home and let him out and working a little later instead?
I hope you dont re-home him! Things will get better eventually and you
will end up with more time!
Good luck!

I had another thought LM, how far are you from work and would your boss be ok with you taking a mid-day break over lunch to go home and let Albert out? I know that equates to gas and car (or transit of some type) costs, but then you would know for sure he's getting out and seeing you in the process. Being in the computer industry too, I know my boss is pretty laid back as long as the work is getting done, so when Simon was having trouble, I doubled with a friend of mine so someone was taking him out every 2 hours or less. Just a thought and hopefully your boss is cool like that too :)

What about your EX? He also made a commitement to the dog! See if he will pay half of the bill for the dog walker or daycare until you get on your feet again.

Its worth a shot!

My ex has already left me stranded. He freelanced so he paid me what he could when he could. We had just taken a trip to Vegas, which I paid for. Plus he was still behind on last month's utility bills. I tried to tell him that he should leave me some money. But his attitude is, he no longer lives there, it isn't his responsibility! As far as Albert is concerned, I know he loves him. I know it was very hard to let him go. He's fully moved out as of yesterday and he left me Albert. I can't ask him for anything, he's completely useless to me. I got the best part of our union..Albert.
The funny thing is, he wanted the dog. I've always loved them but with my work schedule, understood I couldn't have one. With his schedule, we saw that it was feasible.
I'm not worried about him anymore and I'm not counting on him for anything. I'm just worried about my little guy.
Last night we met with a dog walking agency owner and the walker. He liked the owner but barked at the walker. UGH! The owner was very nice and just fell in love with Albert, he has a dog himself. I explained my scenario to him and he even said that he'd take him for himself if I wanted to re-home him. And that I can ask for updates or go see him whenever I wanted to.
So it's nice to know there's options. But obviously, I want to keep him. I have a few more meetings this week with other walkers.
I work about 45 minutes away from home. i don't care about the drive/gas part too much, I have a hard job. One that barely lets me take a break let alone a lunch! The Vegas vacation was my first vacation in over two years. I lose all my vacation time every year!
Like always, my ex has skipped out on responsibility. I mean he has kids he never sees or pays any kind of support for! I can't expect him to do right by Albert if he won't do it for his daughters right?
Thanks to all. You have no idea how much you have helped. :grouphug: I'm going to take all your options into account and keep you guys posted! Thanks a bunch!

Well thats to bad. I was really hoping he would be the type to pull through for you and Albert.

I hope things work out for you and Albert

Do you live by any Jr. HS age kids that would like to make a little extra money for walking him? You'd have to really interview them to make sure they love dogs and will take good care of him, but when I was in Jr. HS (maybe even HS) I would have gladly walked and played with a neighbors dog for a few extra bucks.

As you have discussed the cost of a daily walker does add up - to amounts (Cdn.) as noted by Mrs. Bungle and Chico. My dog goes to socialization once a week and gets a walk for an additional price of $15 - but if he went daily it would be $15 a day, and this would obviously not include daycare. No one has really mentioned this, but I am a firm believer in that a dog has to have a place to "go" if he/she needs to during the day - after all people do, sometimes more than often. My vet had a patient break through the living room window because the dog was trained that under no circumstances was he to go in the house - well jumping through the window solved that problem. The people now have another dog and they have a spot where the dog can go. They found a very large tray type of thing with raised sides and they put puppy pads/newspapers in it. Sometimes the dog goes, other times he doesn't. I know 11 hours is a long time - I worked those hours as well and it was tough - we had more than one dog so at least they had company. Just a thought. My current dog has SA and a small bladder. No way could he hold it - and he has a place he knows he can go - which takes away a lot of the pressure from his mind. Wish you the best of luck.

That's what I was thinking of doing. But how would I go about 'training' him to go there? He came trained so he never has had an accident and will only do his business outside. Would I study housebreaking teqniques online for puppies and try them on him? It was mentioned earlier that since he was a boy he lifts his leg and just some paper on the floor wouldn't be enough. But if I can find a tray like that, with tall sides..it could work!

I've called a few senior centers and churches, they all say they'll get back to me. I will try the local high school too. Also, this weekend I will make it a point to try to approach anyone I see walking a dog in my neighborhood and see if they have any suggestions.

Unfortuantely, I never really chatted anyone up locally so I don't know anyone (child, senior, etc.) that lives nearby.

The saga continues.......

Im9012,Albert looks really cute,a JRT right?
In my case,I am certainly no hero,I knew Bailey as a puppy,she would always come to our fence for a treat.
She's now about 6yrs old and when the mom went back to work and hubby and I retired and needed an incentive to walk,Bailey was the answer,of course we also love her:love:
It probably would be different for you,since you don't know anyone,but I hope it works out,Albert seems to be such a good little dog.
As for your boyfriend,you should thank your lucky star you were not married:thumbs up

In case any of you are interested! First off, that was such a rough week and thank you for all your advice and kind words..especially the PM's sent to me! THanks!
So Albert and I are doing just fine! Turns out my ex wasn't a total jerk and did help with Albert for a few weeks. It was awkward, but whatever is best for Al. So he checked on him mid-day while I worked until I figured something out. He also gave me some money. Not much, but better than nothing! Now I found a GREAT lady that walks him 2-3 days a week for $10.00 a day but she spends 45 minutes with him. The rest of the week my dear wonderful best friend, who just got transferred to a job location near my home, helps me for free. How awesome is that!??
So it all worked out in the end! Of course Albert went through a rough phase at first, he was depressed and not eating and I thought something was physically wrong with him. I took him to the vet and he was fine. I guess he was just a little down. But he's doing great now. He just needed stability, and a steady routine..he is flourishing now.
Next step is moving out of the apartment..too many bad memories...it will be rough beacuse I would like to stay near my dog walkers but it has to be somewhere they'll take doggies. So that's my next hurdle. I'm going to start looking soon since my lease runs out end of May.

So we're good. Al is getting nice, thorough walks, which will help cuz he was getting a little chunky on me! And now I'm a single mommy! I didn't plan on it...but I figure it could be a lot worse. It's just him and I now! Thanks again everybody!!! :thumbs up

thanks for posting an update! that's wondeful news! sooo glad to hear it's all working out for you & Albert! :)

Yes,thank you,that's great news:thumbs up

Yey! That's so great that it all worked out. Yey for Al!