Hello
Okay im having a guilt attack and i am sure its unjustified... or isn't it?

I have a 6 month old ckrsp and he is a merry little soul with masses of energy. He's given excercise/play until the sun goes down ...but come 7pm i and our dinner time i am quite tired and haven't much left to give..its kind of sofa time..
NOw my question is should i still be stimulating him.. playing etc... i mean he gets his cuddles and seems happy but i worry he is bored and we aren't doing enough...

can anyone else tell me their routine with their dog .. i mean do you really spend 24 hrs a day entertaining or is "me" time okay... and how long can "me" time last....

thanks for any help/suggestions this is our first dog..

Don't feel guilty. If you give your dog all the attention he wants you'll end up with a spoilt brat! Teach him that there are times when he just has to lie down and relax. He's got your company, you don't need to entertain him 24/7. As long as his days aren't full of long lonely hours he'll be fine.

I don't know whether its a breed thing (as no matter what breed I've had they do all the same thing) but my poodles seem to be just content with being with me and usually settle down when I'm relaxing, or on the computer. Maybe I've trained them without realising it as I tend to ignore them when I'm doing something I want to do, let them distract me when housework rears it's head though :)

Jesse

Oh how I sympathise!! I work part time and ever since I got my puppy I have been guilt racked continually. I go home every lunchtime and on the days I don't work I spend most of the day with him. I am lucky as I have a 13 year old german shep who keeps him amused and company when I am out but I know what you mean. I finish work at 5.30 and literally come in feed them and walk them (or else he just poos on the floor when I am not looking! )I spend every day worrying about him when I am there or worrying when I am at work! Last night I woke in the night and he was (as usual) on the pillow above my head, I thought he had stopped breathing, lights went on, disgruntled hubby woke up and eventually dog roused, so panic over. I had a nice quiet life before Luca and now I spend all day either feeding, clearing up wee or poo (weed on sons bed tonight) or walking or feeling guilty about not walking!! I think eventually it works out (it's been so long since our other dog was a pup and he was so good compared to Luca!) Also it is a horrid time of year, you really don't want to be walking a dog in the freezing cold, they don't want to stay in the garden long, and you can't leave the back door open so they can wee and poo when they like! roll on summer..... If you want some moral support or to compare notes you can reply to this and we will keep a progress check and a sympathy thing going!

Hi Caroline
Sorry its taken me an age to get logged back in to this site.
Glad i have found someone to worry with.

I actually now have a pet sitter (i probably dont' need one) and now i feel guilty that he is confused with being in one house after the next... my bf works nights and we cross over during the day for about 4 hours .. people tell me this is fine for a dog on its own but i just don't think i could leave Barney for that long... hence pet sitter. Costs me a fortune.

What's the longest you leave yours??

I can't wait for summer!!!
Niki

Sorry, but I'm going to make some enemies perhaps.   We are talking about DOGS here arn't we??   If you have children, do you play and interact with them 24/7 - surely not.  So why would you worry about dogs as much as you all seem to be.  I can't believe that you are all having this converstion.

So would you think it fine to leave a child unattended with no stimulation for hours on end too? ;) (Though I would agree that some children are never given time to relax - it's rush, rush, rush from one activity to another.)

to many people including me, my dog is my 'child' and i will play and interact with her for as long as she wants me to, she knows when it 'my time' and she knows when its 'her time' 60% of the time its 'her time' :) i worry about my dog most of the day even when i am with her, she's my baby, same as i will do when i have children, i also think that people worry about their dogs because they dont show when they are unhappy as easily as a child does.

just my opinion :)

Glazby my two year old boxer is walked in the morning - a quick around the block (lets go and scare the cats) before going back home.  We then go out to work and he's left to his own devices (not crated) until I get home at 12noon (4hrs).  I then take him out for a 40 minute run off lead on the local footy pitch with his ball.  We then go home and he's left again until I get home at 5pm (again, 4 hrs) when we then go to meet "Dad" from work - that is another 30 min walk each way - so an hour walk - some off lead - some on depending on other dogs about.  We then get in, have dinner and feed him after us.  He then usually settles down to watch the tele with us (though usually he gets a bit of play too) and then he has his last walk round the block (lets scare those pussy cats again!!) at around 9.30pm.  He's fine in this routine and he has our full attention when we get home in the evening.

We live in quite a busy household with friends popping in all the time and I think he really enjoys the interaction - he's always the main topic of conversation and gets lots of fusses and attention.  He then sleeps happily outside our bedroom door on his bed until 6.30am when he starts sniffing to be let in for his half hour bed fusses before we get up and the routine starts again!!

Sorry Niki been an age since I had time to look at Champdogs! Don't worry it does get easier! Luca is 9 months now and turning out to be a real little sweetie! he does have his moments (this morning thought he had slept through to 7.30am then discovered pooh on kitchen floor!) but he is still a baby after all! I am learning to be more relaxed and try to cut the attention down and have time for myself, I think its cos when they are pups they are soo cute you just want to spend all your time with them! Anyway keep posting replues and we will see what happens! By the way Luca is a Bolognese (looks like a poodle/bichon who has had an electric shock!) and this weather is piddling me right off, everytime I take him out he comes back black and I have to bath him!! Another task to add to the list!!!!

take care    

By the way forgot to say, i work 3 full days a week so I leave him from 9-1pm then spend lunch hour with him and then 2-5.30pm then big walk after tea! Nice to have the lighter evenings! Don't worry about barney he is probably loving all the attention!

hi, i've got a 6 month old gsd. he's completely perfect, but likes to be the centre of attention all the time. he has so much energy, even after a long run (which he gets loads of). when i first got him i worked part time, he had the run of the house and did little damage. now i am with him 24/7 and i am amazed that he didn't go loopy on his own.