Those of you that use dog walkers, what's your routine?

[vallin]

The husband has a new job much closer to home (yay!) which unfortunately means Daisy's day care is now too far away to be suitable (boo) and we've yet to find a local one we're happy with. As such the next option is for a dog walker to come in and there seem to be a couple of suitable ones. Please can you share with me your routines for dog walker-walked dogs in terms of walks, time alone at home etc
Thanks
V

 

[{97702}]

Depends on my shifts in my current job, but if I’m working 9-5 then I sort the dogs before work, leave around 7.30am, my dog sitter comes twice during the day to let them out into the garden for a wee break, then I walk them when I get home at 6ish

My dog sitter is paid to come for 10 minutes so they can literally have a comfort break, but she loves the dogs and they love her so I know she often stays for longer! She is brilliant, I’ve been using her for about 6 years now and trust her 100%

 

[druid]

I leave anytime between 6-7am, dogs have been out for a run around the garden and fed by then. Walker comes between 12-1.30 and walks them for 45mins (she can walk right on to trails from my property so no car ride etc). I'm usually home by 4-6, emergencies not withstanding and they get a training session or swim in the lake. If we have a colic/dystocia etc coming in in the evening I usually run home and let them out for a pee before heading back to the clinic

 

[The_Shetland_Collector]

I am the last to leave home, normally around 0800, at which point our two have already come down to the ponies with me and had a good run round in their dog paddock down there. I always leave them with their 'snake toys' which are similar to a Kong type toy, stuffed with something scrummy, which I normally freeze so it lasts them as long as possible and either BBC1 or Radio 4 for company.

Our dog walker normally comes at 1200ish and they go for a one hour walk with her, which they love! My partner is normally home first at around 1700, in the summer months my partner will ordinarily run up to the ponies with the dogs to meet me, they then have a bit more time in their dog paddock before going home. Once the clocks change we do stick to smaller (less treacherous with mud) routes in the evenings, but there energy levels and exercise requirements seem to adjust with the change in seasons anyway.

It works really well, and means they're left for around four hours, I have before borrowed a home security camera from my sister to spy on ours in the day ... turns out they are very content and sleep a LOT, but this is very much down to the dog and I imagine it could be a bit of a shock to one who's always been used to going to a daycare with lots of four legged friends.

We also have a lovely neighbour who is always willing to let ours out for a comfort break should we be running late home for any reason (Ordinarily thanks to the M6 or M1 being a nightmare).

 

[Widgeon]

Very similar to the above; we leave the house around 7.20, by which time dog has emerged groggily from his bed, we've taken him out for a walk and toilet. We leave him with about half a dozen different toys which he has to roll / throw / chew to get the food out. He plays with these enthusiastically and completely ignores us leaving. His dog walker takes him out for a 50 minute walk around 12-1ish, then one of us is usually back at just past 5.

He also sleeps a lot - whenever one of us works from home he will pester us for half an hour to play, then when he realizes that's not happening he settles back into what I assume is his normal daily routine...which mostly involves napping. Our dog is a two year old terrier who's been trained from a tiny puppy that it's okay to be left alone.

 

[splashgirl45]

i do a dog sitting job (no walking) husband is the last one out at 8.30, i go at 12 .30 ish let dogs out into the 1 acre paddock for a mooch round, they can be out for 20 mins if it is raining or an hour if its nice weather. this depends on what they want to do, if raining they really dont want to stay out long, so i sit in the house with them for a while, husband is usually home by 5,30 and if neither of them will be home by then they call me and i go back and let them out for a short comfort break about 4 ish.... the dogs know me well as i have been doing this for 11 years so everybody is very relaxed with this routine...