If you normally go home to your dogs in your lunch hour to play, train, exercise etc and then you are told you have to attend a course which would mean your dogs may be left 11 hours alone for 2 days????

I have come up against this and although I should be allowed to decline the training my boss is being particularly difficult about it.

I am adamant I will not leave my dogs that long and I don't really have anyone to let them out as people have their own dogs to sort during their lunch hours etc.

Would anyone else leave their dogs?

I wouldn't leave them alone that long under any circumstances.  I'd employ someone to come and look after them OR I'd put them in kennels (mine are ok in kennels for a few days).

Sometimes courses are necessary but you should be given plenty of notice in order to make arrangements

I'd do the same as dogsababe, 11 hours is too long on their own in my mind. Do you have a kennels near you that does day borders? Although if you're going to be away for 11 hours you may as well go for a two day booking.
Any friends or family that could pop in at all?

Depends on your dogs I suppose.  I have had to do this twice with mine not so long ago and they were fine  It is not something that I would really want to do again though.

I would kennel them as we do if we go up to twickenham to rugby anything over 4 hours, I admit we take them with us to work so they do not ever get left for over 4 hours. Failing that we get my son or the guy that works with us to go and watch Sky at our place and give the dogs garden access. Or get Colins Dad to come for a visit. 11 hours i too long IMO. But if you really have to do it Im sure they will not come to harm!! they probebly will not mind it as much as you do!

Your going to miss out on a training session if you dont go on this course and suppose it must be important for your work. Id be thinking of kennels to cover the days your on the course. It will give you peace of mind to enjoy your course and consentrate on what your course is about. im sure the dogs will be fine and pleased to see you when you pick them up.
Jean

I have no intention of going on the course, I plan to get out of it somehow - it isn't anything vital to my job...I only come here to pay the bills lol my own business is taking over so I will soon hopefully be leaving anyway.

I'm just frustrated that my boss is being so awkward when they know that I do not go away anywhere for the day because of my dogs - arranged when I took the job 4 years ago.

Oh well whats the worst that can happen - the dogs come first in my eyes.

My friend has recently come up again something like this at her work. Unless it is written into your contract you can turn down training. You do not have to give a reason or justify why, just say that at this time it is not convnient for you to attend.
HTH.

Edited to add: if your boss is being particularly difficult about it maybe you should arm yourself with some facts and remind him of basic employment law :-) Too many 'bosses' think they can bully staff into doing things - stand up for youself, you are quite within your rights.

Can you not put your dogs in kennels for those days, or hire a dog walker sitter there are plenty about as they are very much needed by many people today for instances just like this. There should always be an option for someone other than yourself to care for your dogs.

Although I fully understand being a dog owner how you feel. I think you also need to look at it from your employers side. Is it really your employers fault that you have dogs?

It has taken womens rights so long to get equality in the work place due to childcare issues where women were passed over due to emergency childcare being needed, days off etc, we surely do not wish for people with dogs to be judged the same do we? If you have a dog and work then it is up to us to find care for them not take days off work or miss training courses because of them, otherwise employers are going to treat dog owners as no go areas as they can not give 100% commitment to their jobs.

Your job pays for your food, bills etc so I certainly would not be upsetting my boss over my dogs care, IMO I would go on the training course as others are having to and arrange for a walker to come in for your dogs. :-)

Mine have been left for 12 hours once when I was caught up in a car accident and had no credit on my mobile to get someone to go in to them.

The dogs were fine and hadn't even done a wee, bless them, but its not ideal and if you can make other arrangements that would be best, try a dog walker or dog sitter.