| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/13/2008 9:27:16 PM | I do walk him from time to time
Well GOOD for you!
Acting like a responsible ALPHA dog every now and again!
Obviously only when it is convienent ... good for YOU!
I rescued this dog and saved his life so please stop judgeing me
Hero badge is in the mail, you rescued it from one prison and put it in another... well let me buy you a  hero.
If you want a self-fladulation forum contact the admin. Don't push your Dog Shit on me because you feel guilty.
In my 41 years I have never not had a dog in my life, and not as an accessory but as a major part of my life. Stop [u] taking [/u] from your dog and start giving. You cannot pass your lack of leadership on to some other dog. The dog wants you to be leader... if it is to big a role for you... take it back to the pound... to assuage your guilt for being a poor pack leader,
Don Quixote
Jousting one
Neglectful dog owner
at a time
PS Beer Shark, you had me at hello but lost me when you opened your mouth...
Animals CAN imagine
yes, in YOUR imagination, althought that "cool" sweater/ hat combo you bought your dog, they don't like it!!!
Imagination is limited to HUMANS don't trust me l0ok it up!!!! or have another (few) Beer!
PS *jinnie* or maybe GINie?
I hope you spent more time thinking about what you said than you spent typing it?
You are a dink!! I am definatley going to cry myself to sleap after that *witty barb* | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 2:35:57 AM | Cats are getting a bad rap in this thread. Not unlike the many other generalizations that are found in the forums, the following are untrue about all cats:
They don't care if or when you come home. Their affection is all about them.
I had a cat that I loved dearly. He was an affectionate soul that comforted me and vice versa. He was extremely loving due to his breed and the way I handled him when he was a kitten. On our normal schedule, he knew when to expect me home and greeted me at the door every day. I felt very guilty when I'd leave him alone for long periods of time and when that happened, he'd show his disapproval by completely ignoring me for the first 15 or 20 minutes after I got home. No matter how hard I would try to get him to come to me he would look at me with lowered eyelids and turn and walk the other way. He has passed on to the great pet cemetery in the sky and I'm not sure I'll ever get another one after the sad experience of his death. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 6:18:06 AM | | I have two cats and I feel guilty too.I work 3 minutes from home so I usually stop in to see them during the day to check on them.I think that its annoying to them because I usually wake them up when I check on them,they do sit in the window after work waiting for me. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 6:48:56 AM | Hello, "blueeyedbaldman"!
You can get him a buddy, or check into getting a pet sitter. I know you're talking about
weekend nights, but perhaps you could find a responsible person that's a homebody
on weekends that could watch him in their home while you go out. My sis, who is retired, does pet sitting to suppliment her pension! There are people that put adds in the paper for this. Also, check with local veterinarians as they may know of someone to recommend. You might even try Craigslist or putting an add in your local paper!
If you decide to get the dog a buddy, and pick one that is of the opposite sex, be sure to spay and neuter! Good luck! You seem like a good and caring pet owner! I wish all pet ownners were that way. I do alot of dog rescue work, and have found and placed many abandonned animals that were just dumpedout on the road!
-WL1 | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 7:16:18 AM | | Sometimes if I go on really long trips - like when I went to Africa, I felt a bit guilty leaving my cats behind. I've got great pet sitters. When you are with your animals just give them a whole lot of love and hugs. The love they give in return is awesome! | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 7:28:47 AM | I'm not bashing the OP, I like dogs too, but I wouldn't consider being a dog owner if I felt like I was not giving the dog the sort of attention that the dog requires.
I suggest the following:
Find a new home for Fido if you are always out late Fridays and Saturdays.
Or look for someone to sit with your dog while you go out.
There are boarding places that you can take Fido but that can cost lots of $$$; I know people who leave their dogs there while they execute their 9-5 job responsibilities.
Or get a second dog and see how that works out. That may cause more problems than it solves should the dogs not interact very well. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 7:45:24 AM | What do you do with him while you're working? ... You do realize this is a dog and not a child right?. Pets are used to being left alone.
I am always amused by these people that go way overboard with their pets. I see these women dressing dogs in outfits, Kissing them on the mouth ,you people do realize that a dogs favorite thing to do is lick it's own butt right? Have a pet if you want to, love your pet for sure. But try to remember that it's not human, stop treating it as such. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 8:14:13 AM | | Don is correct. I am a dog trainer. You can feel guilty if you would like to but your dog is sleeping comfortably while you are gone. Just make your time with your pet good quality time and it is adaquate. Even if you were home ALL day you would notice your dog would be sleeping during the day. Dogs sleep the majority of their life. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 8:22:31 AM | As you can see from my profile I have a big old dog in my pics...Kodiak. I've had animals all my life and I have had to learn along the way what makes them feel happy and safe. Dogs are pack animals and they do feel lonely (some more than others) when their beloved human companion is away, especially for extended periods of time. However this is inevitable as we all have lives outside of the home and so our doggies simply have to have time alone.
I believe the OP loves his dog very much and being a good dad is worried about leaving him alone for periods of time. Some things that help are leaving the TV on or music. They might like some quiet classical or perhaps a chatty talk station. If they have some sound in their lives and that can sometimes help. I noticed that Don Quiote (is that his name) was giving a mixture of advice that was both helpful and not. However he does have some points and is also an animal owner even if he isn't getting it across in a helpful manner. Walks with our dogs are very important to them as well as runs they have access too. A walk can really take the edge off a dog and is a good bonding experience for both them and us.
What I have realized at this late date in my animal loving world is it is sometimes better to get two dogs that get along so that when we leave home they have company but solo dogs can also survive quite well alone too. Two dogs can satisfy and pack instinct but whether it's one or two dogs they are always happy as clams when we come home to them. Whether they are alone or not they will run around all excited and overjoyed to see us when we return which is natural doggie behavior.
When you come home give him a pet, some love and whatever he needs and he'll really appreciate that. Also when you leave don't talk to him in a worried manner or he'll think there is a problem and worry too. Just give him a toy and a pet as well as food and water and then off you go. He knows you will return in due time.
There are many good and helpful books on the subject that can help you as well. It's a learning experience for all of us.
As for cats, I have two. I got litter mates so they would also have company when I left home. Cats also need companionship of their own kind even though they seem more independent than dogs and they are in a way. However they love us just as much and when we leave and if they have one of their own kind (that they can get along with) they are actually happier. The key is to have another animal that is compatible with our beloved pet, otherwise it will not work out for us or them.
I still feel a little guilty myself when I leave my animals alone, especially if it's overnight but they do weather it well enough and are sooo delighted when I return. My two little cats are right by the door when I come through it - every time. Good luck and the main thing is you love him. In the end that is the most important ingredient of all. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 8:23:54 AM | Blueeyed,,,,because i work the night shift (and have for 19 years), and sleep a good hunk of the day, i went out and bought my cat a 'sister'. A sweet kitten that wasnt much younger than the first one. They loved each other and got along sooooo well! They are both gone now, 3 years ago (first one lived to be 18, the other was 17). I think that having each other for company plus being much loved by me led them to a long happy life.
I would definitely recommend getting a'sibling' for your dog. It will make the long lonely days/nights so much easier on your pet,,and you!! :) | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 8:47:46 AM |
I can relate but it's a survival instinct. My mutt's a German Shepherd and they are ALL about their people. They have that look so you will feed them, because in the wild they'd rip your throat out, so in captivity they have to be good to their keepers. lol
Maybe not exactly. Those eyes can be poweful. But have you considered a blind pet? (Just kidding) Why don't you get him a couple kongs and you can put them out, or else another dog to keep him company? Do you leave on the tv or radio (NOT Jerry Springer or Maury). | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 8:58:05 AM | Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone. I just want to make something clear though. I DO take my dog for plenty of walks at different events that I go to. I have owned many of dogs and cats in my life so I know what they require in their lives. I guess what it is with this one is I am more attached to him than I have been to other animals I have owned. It must be a boxer thing. I think the best thing for me to do is get him a companion. The boxer rescue group where I got him has plenty of boxers all the time so it wont be a problem. He is fixed also so I could get a female and it wont be a problem.  | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 9:59:31 AM | I watch the Dog whisperer, and he says that dogs live in the present and don`t really get all gummed up with the feelings that we actually put on them. He is probably just happy to see you.
I have however dated a few guys that will never leave their dog. One guy wouldn`t leave his doggie door screen open when not home, so would only be gone for 3 hours at a time. So if you were going out on a date, it could not be more than 3 hours. If you took the dogs along further, you had to go through a drive through because he wouldn`t leave them in the car, even in nice weather. He also wouldn`t take them around other dogs because he was afraid they might catch something. So you couldn`take them on leash to a festival or walk around a downtown, etc. He also would only walk them on pavement in his complex so he could see if there were any bugs or animals that might attack them. No doggie parks, other dogs. His whole lifestyle surrounded the care, safety, and percieved happiness of his dogs. He really preferred staying at home with them 24-7 and just run out quickly to get what he needed and get back to them. It was always the absolute first thing on his mind. That was tough. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 10:39:46 AM | | That IS tough merry0709, I am no where near that extreme.lol 3 hours wouldn't bother me at all. That was kind of my point though, its when I leave for 9-10 hours. I work a lot of hours but I take him in my work truck a few hours a day or if I cant I at least stop home and check on him. I understand as well that they live in the present. I guess you would have to see the way he looks at me with those sad sack eyes when I leave and follows me to the door. Its like (where you going daddy?) Black Velvet, I think I know the difference between a child and an animal and dont treat him as a human. And if a woman wants to dress her dog in an outfit, who cares (its her choice.) I wouldn't kiss an animal on the mouth though, only on the top of their head. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 10:43:52 AM | | I neither dress my dogs up nor do i kiss them on the mouth. I am fully aware that they are dogs and not people , but if i am going to be gone for a day or more then i would prefer to have someone there to make sure my dogs are fed , watered ,let outside to do their business and given a little bit of affection. I also like that fact that if i am gone for days then my house is not sitting empty. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 11:01:56 AM | | Blueeyed....I'm so glad to hear you say that ! I've felt the same way and my 2 have to be crated while I'm at work (because one of them is Satan and destroys the house). I have a lot of guilt about leaving them during the day and if I go out on weekends, I feel even worse. I haven't taken a vacation in almost a year because I am NOT going to board them and at the same time, I can't let my "terror" destroy a vacation rental. I had just one dog and then joined a rescue group and got the 2nd dog. They're good for entertaining each other, but they still will cry after me. Sometimes I leave them at my mom's just long enough to go pick up a take-out dinner and they sit at the door and whine/cry until I get back. I don't know what the answer is; but ain't it nice to be so loved and missed? LOL | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 11:04:20 AM | @Don Coyote: and i quote:
First off Dogs and cats are not human, they cannot imagine, they live in the present
...you apparently never lived with a border collie, and apparently weren't very observant of your pets. Anyone with an ounce of compassion and understanding already knows how off-base you are. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 11:10:26 AM | | I am in the same boat - I also play pool in a league twice a week so leave again right after dinner. I feel very guilty about the time I am away from my dogs. But I take them hiking for one hour every day after work and I try to spend time with them during the day on the weekends. And I try to remember that so many pets have it way worse then mine. I know people whose dogs stay staked to a chain outside 365 days a year - they have them so they bark if someone comes up their driveway - I feel for those dogs. Nope, your dogs have a good life - don't beat yourself up because you can't be there 24/7 - enjoy them when you are home and give them quality time when you can - enjoy. What would life be without the love of our pets? | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 12:20:26 PM | I understand your guilt OP, and that's precisely the reason I don't have a dog at this time. When I was married I had a dog, but when we split up he needed to stay with her until I got myself relocated and settled halfway across the country. The plan was always for me to come get him once I had a place I could have him, but then she called me up one day and told me he had been hit by a car and had died.
Well, I moved back to the East Coast about a year ago, and absolutely I thought about getting a dog, for companionship and all that. But the simple facts are, I live alone, work an extended overnight shift and sleep during the day, so I'd have little if any time to spend with a dog, no matter how much I wanted to. For that reason I've decided to stay without a pet for the time being, until my schedule changes or I find someone special that I can share a home and a good dog with again. | |
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| How many other people feel guilty about leaving your pet behind?
Posted: 4/14/2008 12:58:45 PM | Now, if only we could learn to treat our fellow humans with all the love, loyalty and compassion we bestow upon our pets, maybe we could actually find a partner. For the most part,
I haven`t found that to be true , sorry to say | |
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