Does any ever feel a little annoyed at the amount of time you have to give to your dog?
I have a lovely, well mannered Border Collie, but sometimes I feel my schedule is dictated by her needs more than my own.
I am naturally inclined to develop routines - so much so that I have be careful not to fall into ruts.
Only when I had 5 dogs and 3 on 4 medications 3 time a day. Now 3 dogs is a breeze.
My entire family is gone this week to various places and I’m home alone for a week. I’m loving it. Even though all the kids are out of the house, and husband doesn’t expect me to cook or anything, it still feels like I’m totally free this week.
I can’t imagine choosing to have a pet. After raising kids and moving on to not having those responsibilities any more, I want nothing to do with several times a day tasks that determine my schedule. My job takes enough of my autonomy away. I want all the rest of the time for myself.
And yes I love my family. 😄
Well just a little, but very little. I am glad that I have to walk him for my exercise. I love the commitment and trigger of visiting all kinds of people in my walks. I like being greeted when I return home at the end of a social outing. It is a struggle sometimes to have to plan my dog walker or kennel time a few days ahead when a spontaneous activity would be fun to do.
As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
True confessions time.
Our dog was ten years old when we got her. As with most rescue dogs, you don't get much history. The story we pieced together was that Dog belonged to an old lady who, apparently, had little to do besides spoil Dog. Then something happened that prevented Owner from caring for Dog. Owner's daughter took in Dog but that didn't work out so Dog was surrendered. Dog was fostered 2-3 months before we adopted her.
We suspect that, as a result of moving between so many "owners" in a relatively short time, Dog developed a personalilty disorder. She was indifferent to most people but she keyed on me to the point of obsession. As an example, Dog was so food-motivated that she would start whimpering and shaking 30-40 minutes before mealtime, almost like she was diabetic and needed to eat. We had her checked; no problems. She performed this act only for me, not anyone else. Lots of broken trains of thought and re-read paragraphs because she was impossible to ignore.
Come last Daylight Savings switch, Dog started waking up as soon as it was light -- and then waking me up to go outside and to eat. She never bothered DW. If I shooed her away she was like a snooze alarm, good for about 10 minutes before she was back. I lost about an hour of sleep a night because of this. I tried napping during the day, but 1) my schedule often did not permit it; 2) I can't fall asleep whenever I feel like it; and 3) if I did nap, Dog would start whining early about eating or she'd bark at someone moving outside (even if they were across the street and walking away).
I concluded some time ago that, because of my chronic lack of sleep and her obsession with me, the quality of my life was higher without Dog. But we'd committed to her and I really don't think Dog could have handled being adopted elsewhere.
Then she developed dementia. Poop and pee in the house, even less of a sense of time or place, ... but she still could get around on her own. Until she could not. A little over a week ago, Dog came into the room we were in and (we can only assume) had a heart attack. By the time we got her to the emergency vet (10-15 minutes, tops) her heart had stopped.
It's odd not seeing Dog's face in the window as I drive away or back. It's sad not getting the back-on-hind-legs greeting after I'd been out of the house. But -- call me terrible and think less of me if you want -- I am sleeping enough, finally. My BP and blood glucose levels have gone down in the past week. I can string together consecutive thoughts and plan projects because my time isn't so broken up now at a time of someone else's choosing. Annoyed? I was, mightily. I miss Dog, but DW and I have to admit she was really broken when we got her and I took the brunt of that brokenness. That part I won't miss.
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
Thank you Steve for giving her a great life. It is okay to feel relief when she is gone. I have been though this.
Steve, the little ones can make you crazy. My 16 year old senior citizen
Frenchie yapped and yapoed and yapped. We were relieved when it was obviously time to euthanize her.
2 of our dogs are 13 and 14. The 13 yo is really old as he is 80lbs. We are debating once the 2 old ones pass if we will get a buddy for the 1 yo. Couldn’t live without at least one dog.
Thank you for sharing your story, Steve - and for telling it so well. It put things in perspective for me. It was wonderful of you to do as much as you did for Dog, and of course you felt relieved when she died - you got your health and your life back!
My dog has no special needs. I'm the problem - I feel guilty if I don't spend all my time playing with her. I need to get a grip. I do enjoy walking an hour or two and playing catch a few times. That's enough, right?
My dog wants to play all the time - well, so do I, but our ideas of play differ. This has been really helpful to me - I have repeated this same pattern in other relationships and it's time to get off the guilt wagon.
Anyhow!
My routine is to get up 6:30-7, make tea and read the paper and do the crossword. Around 8:30, walk my dog
Get back to the house 10-11, make something to eat.
If I'm working, the hours are usually 12-6. I'm not working much these days, so more often I spend some time puttering in the garden or around the house and playing with my dog. It's usually at this time that my day gets focussed, and I'll decide what to do.
I may go swimming or hiking, and generally don't get back till 6ish.
I might run errands: library, drugstore, gym, hardware store, food co-op.
I might have a class (I belong to OLLI.)
I might work on a painting; I've been doing acrylics and enjoying that.
Whatever, I generally find I do SOMETHING productive between 1ish and 6ish, and
Then I have something else to eat, play with dog a bit.
(I usually eat just twice a day, early lunch and early dinner.)
Once or twice a week I have dance in the evening.
Once or twice a week I meet DH for a drink (half of Guinness please!) and sometimes a show or movie.
I spend many of my evenings reading.
I often walk my dog again in the evening.
If I haven't had much exercise, I'll go to the gym for an hour before reading.
In the spaces between, I practice French on Duolingo, hang out with DD (recently moved out,) write in my journal, check my email, play on the internet.
I'm completely off routine at the moment due to severe wildfire smoke, and am often at a loss - what do I do?
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