Please tell me it’ll be ok

[matthewtaylor]

I have a 7 m/o and I’ve been fortunate enough to stay home with her since we got her in late February. I’m faced with the opportunity to return to work from 7 am to 5 pm some days (most days will be 7:30-4:30). I love this dog so much and I know she depends on me and I’m her person. We definitely share a bond. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with her when/if I go back. I know daycare is an option but man, this is tough. Any advice/tips/positive words?

 

[differentviews]

@matthewtaylor Start crate-training now if you haven’t already.

You’ve by now figured out that ACDs thrive on routine. Start creating a routine that grows to eventually include you being away all day. Get up at 5am to take her for a run or walk or whatever you do. Take her out to play fetch at 5 or 6 or whenever you’d normally be getting home.

Get a ton of puzzle toys to work her brain, or Kongs she can work on in her kennel.

It is possible, it just requires you to be willing to put in the work and be committed to her needs.

 

[matthewtaylor]

@differentviews Oh yeah. She knows her routine. I try to vary it as much as possible so she doesn’t teach me when to do things. We don’t walk every day, she has lots of playtime with her brother and when we do walk/hike it’s never at the same time. Sometimes it’s morning or afternoon or evening. She knows when it’s nap time and she knows her bedtime routine. Thanks for the tips! I’ll probably create a pup room that I can have puzzle toys for her, water, food, bed and toys. That seems like the best option.

 

[differentviews]

@matthewtaylor Perfect.

You might have to change some of that up if she’s going to be confined most of the day. She will need to be walked/hiked/run every single day prior to you leaving and then again when you return.

Keep in mind she will have essentially zero stimulation while you’re gone- for 8-10 hours a day. You’ve got to stimulate her body and brain beforehand so she doesn’t get bored and destructive. Bored, destructive heelers break through windows, jump fences and eat through drywall for some excitement. Relying on playtime with her dog brother isn’t going to cut it.

You’re going to have to be mindful about this.

 

[buryacorns]

@matthewtaylor I wouldn't leave that puppy free in the house regardless of how long y'all have been home together.

These things are absolutely insane the last half of their first year and top that with any sort of separation anxiety.

RIP the house.

Of course, you could always have a chill dog but chances are....

 

[matthewtaylor]

@buryacorns Right, no. She would be crated. That’s pretty sad

 

[buryacorns]

@matthewtaylor Fwiw.

I bought a cam and my are crashed out during the day.

A PB/Kibble Kong and antler gets nawed on between naps.

Also, the crate is to protect them too. Not just your house.

Edit:

Start the crate training now and days when you're gonna be gone for a minute crate up so it gets used to the routine. Then you can have trials when you don't crate or let them out when you come home and have to leave for a couple hours.

 

[anonymous123456]

@matthewtaylor Mine loves her crate. She knows which shoes are work shoes and gets in her crate to wait on her good bye treat. It’ll be fine. Good luck

 

[planelane]

@matthewtaylor Also, I recommend doing 1 or 2 days a week at a dog's day out. Dogs love it, and helps with boredom.

 

[cscotte]

@matthewtaylor I had to start going into the office and mine is 7 months old. I started before I went and would put him in his crate while I was working from home. The first few weeks were rough, just because he wasn’t used to holding it, so now I feed/water him so it won’t affect him while I’m gone.

Here’s how I handle it:
1. Let him play outside with his sister for about an hourish each morning while I get ready.
2. Give him a treat/quick chew when I put him in his crate.
3. When I’m home, he eats only using puzzle toys.
4. We play fetch/go on walks every evening for at least an hour or two per night. If it’s bad weather, then I usually give him a chew for the afternoon. We have a no playing in the house rule, so he knows to settle when we’re inside.
5. My weekends are dedicated to the dogs. Hiking, swimming, playing, mental activities.
6. If friendly enough, use a dog sitter to come by and play fetch/let them out for a half hour during the day.
7. Repeat.

I don’t think it’s cruel if they have to be in their crates while you work, as long as you pretty much dedicate any time you can to mental/physical stimulation. It’s been a blessing teaching the dogs that inside means it’s time to settle, because rainy/bad days happen. I work every other day in the office, but even when I’m working from home, they’re in their crates for the most part. When I’m at work, I’m gone from 6:50am to 6:00pm. They’ve been totally fine so far, but I always tell people the reason it’s okay is because I dedicate almost all my free time to the dogs. I have a border collie mix as well. You’ll be okay, just takes some extra dedication!

 

[neshemah]

@matthewtaylor It will be ok, you might just have to get up pretty early!

I second the camera idea. We have one on our ACDs crate and most of the time she is sound asleep. It really helps with the human anxiety to be able to check in from afar.

Also try to start building extra crate time while you’re still home so they have time to get used to the longer hours.

If you can make it home for lunch or know someone who can let them out midday for a stretch while they still have the puppy energy that might help too!

Also remember that most dogs need way more sleep than we do. As long as I do some training and exercise with mine in the morning, she will sleep all day. (She’s almost 2 years old)

 

[truthbeliever7]

@matthewtaylor Crate training was tough for our acd pup but my husband and I just had a convo last night about how grateful we are we stuck it out. She loves her little den now (she’s 11 and SPRINTS in there when we ask) and it’s so convenient knowing we can take her crate anywhere and she’ll be safe and happy to have her ‘home’. We also got a Kong wobbler toy, it looks like a huge Kong but is hard plastic and you fill it with kibble. It wobbles, obviously, as the pup smacks it and a little food comes out. When she was mature enough to be out of her crate during the workday, we would put her days worth of food in it to keep her busy. It’s not as tough to solve as some of the other puzzle toys but she got bored/frustrated with those so fast, the wobbler was a nice in between occupier-toy for her alone days. Good luck, I’m sure you’ll set them up for success!

 

[sickswiff]

@matthewtaylor Would adopting an adult dog she could get along with be in the picture?

 

[matthewtaylor]

@sickswiff We have a 3 y/o Boston Terrier

 

[escaudill]

@matthewtaylor maybe you should try starting with doggy daycare 1 or 2 days a week now instead of waiting for when you go back to work. the worst thing would be waiting to try it only to find out she can't go for some reason but now you have to go back to work anyway.