so i was at work yesterday and was offered the chance to manage a small team of new starts for a month. its a real honour to have been offered as i haven't even asked about advancing this way. the prob is its full time days. my partner works the same shift so tio will be on his own all day (at present i work afternoons and evenings so he's alone for just a few hours till liam gets home)

i started today (half a days warning) so i got up at 6am to take tio for a walk, rested him till about 8 then fed him. he always sleeps after a walk and takes badly to early mornings. knowing him after this he will have kipped till about 12.30. my dads going in between 12 and 1 for an hour or so and toileting him while i'm doing this, he's also going to take the girls with him occassionally so tio gets a play.

he's got stuffed kongs and challenging toys.

any other thoughts on how i can make it easier for him?

So long as he gets a routine it should only take a few days/a week for him to settle.  If there are any changes to that routine then it will upset him, so let your dad and Liam know what the routine will be.  Perhaps if your dad was to stick to certain days to bring the girls over?  I really notice that my dogs, and mum's, respond well to routine and badly to upsets to that routine once they are in it.

Get another dog :)

thats a fair point. they need to come over soon to get a bath anyway:) we've a walk in shower you see.

edited to add: got home last night and he came racing to the door, lookied interested then kind of went "oh, its only you" and shot off after his kong!! and here was me worrying!

i wish i wish i wish i could :)

Haha, it always amazes me how they cope better than we do.  It's like they know something we don't.

Not sure about you but i have noticed in the mornings my dogs are wide awake and ready for anything, the whole afternoon they donk until around 6pm and then they are awake for a few hours before sleeping again.
So i would of thought a walk and company in the middle of the day would be fine, many dogs tend to sleep anyway when they are on their own. Its not forever as you say only a short period of a few weeks.
Tio i'm sure will be fine.

> have noticed in the mornings my dogs are wide awake and ready for anything, the whole afternoon they donk until around 6pm and then they are awake for a few hours before sleeping again.

Snap! I occasionally bring Molly into work with me & she won't play or chase a ball, just mooch around & sleep under my desk!! but as soon as I start to close the office she's wide awake as she knows we're our way home & off to the park.

Sounds like you've got a good system in place there Kim, I'm sure Tio will be fine.  Congrats on the new opportunity, I hope it leads to many more splendid things for you at work :)

> Not sure about you but i have noticed in the mornings my dogs are wide awake and ready for anything, the whole afternoon they donk until around 6pm and then they are awake for a few hours before sleeping again.

mine are the same and I have been on annual leave this week and last and they look at me with a 'do we have to' look when I drag them out on another afternoon walk.

Seems like he has settled, although a bit unsettling to you when he races for his Kong, instead of you........ouch

But I just wanted to congratulate you on your new found opportunity at work!  Huge Congrats!

> Not sure about you but i have noticed in the mornings my dogs are wide awake

lol, definately not! Tio hates mornings! he wakes up early for the loo then goes back to bed till about half ten/eleven usually without the walk.

> But I just wanted to congratulate you on your new found opportunity at work!  Huge Congrats!

thanks! its exhausting but good :)

My aunty leaves the radio on :) not too loud though just enough for the dogs to hear a voice in the house.