Guilty dog owner

[taddai]

Hi, fellow dog lovers. This has been weighing on me this week and wanted to pose it to a group of like-minded individuals.
I received sole ownership of my 2 pugs (5 and 15 years old) as a result of my divorce and it’s been quite a challenge. I began dating a woman who lives an hour away and as a result, I was either paying a dog sitter to watch my pugs or having family watch them. We tried a weekend with the dogs down at her condo and the older guy didn’t do well (up all night crying, peeing in the hall), but the other did great, so now I just bring the little one w me when I visit her a d pay my dog sitter to watch my older guy. Not an issue. But this weekend I would like to go see her with my little dog, which means leaving my old man at the sitter for New Year’s Eve. I feel guilty because it may be his last NYE, not that it matters at all to him. Should I go? Am I a jerk for leaving him? Am I stupid for humanizing my dog?

 

[jesus1983]

@taddai You sound like a great dog parent. You actually think like other dog lovers. I miss my very needy senior Pug and always worried about leaving her with a sitter even in our own home. Better the senior is comfortable. You have a life, just try to keep the Senior close and loved as much as possible.

 

[taddai]

@jesus1983 I’m trying. I have had him since he was 8 weeks old and we have been through a lot together. He’s my first roommate. I feel bad for him after my ex left him, as she was his favorite. It’s hard balancing a life with having two dogs. I’m happy I get to work at home 4 days a week with them

 

[fribus]

@taddai I wouldn't take one and leave the other, id leave both. Sounds mean too, but then they have each others company while youre gone.

 

[taddai]

She could. I honestly would rather go down there, as it’s nicer and I’ve been up here for two weeks and don’t really like where I live. Tried a diaper once w him and he tore it off. It’s more the behavior during the night. The first time we tired it, he got up every hour from 1am to 6am, wandering around and whining

 

[scarletl]

@taddai Can you bring a pop up crate to bring with you? Give him some bendryl and a longer walk. Bring his favorite treats and a toy and put him in there

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@taddai I’ve worked in pet sitting, and dog boarding for the last 6 years. You sound like a wonderful dog owner, however i will say I have seen this happen a lot with senior dogs. Their owners can’t bring them places anymore so they just board them or have them sat instead. It isn’t a bad thing but the dogs do get really sad. It’s not necessarily about the holiday, but more about how frequently you may leave him. As long as you’re not leaving for like a total of a week per month it should be fine but dogs left super often tend to go downhill faster.

 

[taddai]

@imagebeastmarkbeast Ok. I leave him every other weekend for 2-3 days. He comes trotting out of the house when I pick him up. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. I’d leave them both but it gets expensive

 

[sassybee]

@taddai Is there a reason why she can't come to you for NYE? Or could the older pug where a doggie diaper?

 

[elishiva]

@taddai Why doesn’t she come stay w you??