View Full Version : What is your pet care routine?
awakenedsoul
4-10-14, 5:20pm
Many of us have pets. What is you routine with your animals? I have two large dogs and a chicken. I take my dogs out early each morning around 5:00 a.m. I have a cottage with a fenced yard, so it's easy. I can do it in my pajamas. If I don't go out with them, the German shepherd will bark. So, I have to put her on a leash. I give them a treat, and have my coffee. After breakfast and a.m. meditation I run them on the walkydog. I take them one at a time. I feed both dogs and my chicken when I get home. the chicken likes leftovers, too. I let her free range around 4:00 p.m. and close her up in the coop when it gets dark. She usually lays an egg around 1:00 p.m. The dogs eat dinner about 5:00 p.m. and go out again before I go to bed. They usually play out in the yard for an hour mid morning. I only take them to the vet if something is wrong. I do their shots at a low cost clinic, and give them that flea treatment from Costco once a month. How about you?
Cool question...
I have one lab/terrier/border collie. She wakes me up with the sunrise, and I take her for a walk around the neighborhood if it's a weekday. If it's a weekend, we get to go in the back to the school and walk around off-leash. She loves exploring the nooks and crannies of the school building--even though she's done it hundreds of times!
Then I bring her in and give her breakfast while I have coffee.
Around lunchtime, DH or I or both of us take her to a totally awesome dog park near our home. It has a pond and she LOVES to swim. I've never seen a dog love to swim as much as she does--she just swims around and around forever. Serendipidously, we named her Nessie after the Loch Ness Monster, and I think she thinks she's in Loch Ness when she's in the pond!
We'll dry her off in the back yard on a tie-down. She eats after an afternoon walk, around 6pm.
For years she slept on her own downstairs, but unfortunately, when I travel, DH lets her sleep in our bed (my spot), so I have to fight with her for it when I return. Our sleeping habits could definitely be improved. But as I said to DH, we were the same way with our kids when they were babies--we took them into bed when they cried, so why should we treat our dog any differently :)
I have two cats and the better question would be to ask the cats what their human management program is. I am more or less the cat concierge.
awakenedsoul
4-10-14, 6:06pm
That was really funny, Catherine. Your dog sounds very loved. I forgot to add that I take my dogs to the elementary school on the weekends. The school principal there has a white lab, and we let them run off leash on the soccer field. They love it! I usually walk around the track while they chase birds.
My dogs sleep in the bedroom, but on dog beds. They are NOT allowed on the bed anymore, because they started peeing on the bed while I was at knitting class! Unbelievable. They're both females, and they were fighting over which spot they got. It was so gross. I had to wash the duvet cover, down comforter, and sheets late at night, after class. Not any more...
Dog got his annual checkup on Tuesday with all shots,nails clipped etc and bordetella prevention shot so I can board him at a kennel he loves to visit with all its dogs for company.
Daily he gets fed at 9am, walked for 45 minutes (rain or shine, winter and summer) and placed in his kennel or on a chain. When I am out and about, he gets to stroll with me on a lead until 5pm feeding time and another 30 minute walk. Into the garage at 7pm and last trip out after 9-10pm.
Being a lively hound, he must be kept on a lead at all times or will follow his nose to parts unknown which is how I ended up adopting him from the local humane society.
Simpler at Fifty
4-10-14, 7:47pm
I begin and end my day with our dog. He gets up about a half hour after me and goes out for a morning wee. Comes in for his pills. I give him fresh water and food. Sometimes he eats his food right away but most of the time not. He sits on the desk while I am working for about an hour. He hears DH rustling around in bed and he wants to go by him. I distract him as long as I can. DHs has been sleeping longer with his recent Cancer diagnosis. Sometimes I close the bedroom door so the dog does not hear him moving around. When he does go in by DH he paws at him to wake him then licks his face for 10 minutes. Then he plops down next to him and lets DH rub his belly. He actually stays in bed for another hour after DH gets up. It is funny to observe this every day. I take him for a short walk on my break or at lunch. DH takes him to one of two dog parks M-F in the afternoon. (Apr-Dec depending on the weather) The smaller one is open now but the larger one will open soon and he meets a group of people there at the same time each day. They all skip the weekend because that is when the people come that don't discipline their dog or pick up after them.
At night after supper, DH gets on the floor and they wrestle. There is more face licking and then he plops down for some belly rubbing. When I sit down to watch TV he comes on my lap and we snuggle. He is ready for bed by 9 and sometimes will go to bed on his own. He started sleeping with us 2 years ago after a 4 hour thunderstorm. He sleeps between us but I think he senses which one needs the deeper sleep. He will snuggle next to that person and we stay in one position most of the night. He is a 20 lb Shih Poo. Our life has been better since we got him 5 years ago.
I have to go with Florence.
I'm the support staff but she's really not very demanding at all. I mean seriously, when you sleep 12-16 hours a day how much needs doing? *grin*
awakenedsoul
4-10-14, 8:44pm
Yeah, it's true. Cats are totally different. If you want to add anything about your cats, it's still fun to hear. These stories are very entertaining...
We have 3.5 cats (the .5 cat belongs to our neighbors but he likes us better) ... we feed them, and they tolerate us. They let us pet and snuggle with them, and even let us take them to the vet now and again for shots, but they don't like that part much. They are in-and/or-out cats, but I'd like to secure the back yard so they couldn't wander (which they love to do), but our subdivision CCRs won't let us put up a higher barrier fence {sigh}.
Edited because I needed to.
iris lilies
4-10-14, 9:32pm
Dogs
3 French bulldogs, 1 English bulldog
Each day
AM:
1) feed all of them, Frenchie food has been soaking overnight (some have teeth problems) and in this routine
* 2 Frenchies ("Granny " and "The Biter" ) eat outside, no matter the weather except for pouring rain
* alpha bitch Frenchie is served in the comfort of her salon'
* English guy fed last, he is low in the pack and is easy going except in issue below
*pick up food dishes in the correct order or else There Will Be Blood (alpha bitch is NOT ALLOWED! to sniff English dog's food dish!!!)
2) Granny Frenchies let in house; two room gates managed so that The Biter does not interact with her mom or her sister or else There Will be Blood
3) Pee and poo evaluated and cleaned up--sometimes diarrehha, usually not; pull towels that may have pee, toss downstairs to basement for washing later
4) Meds given out
*English guy given $$$ allergy meds and eye salve and whatever meds of the moment go into him
*alpha bitche gets medicated eye drops
*Granny and Iris Lily get regular store-bought eye drops to lubricate eyeballs
Some days water dishes get filled if low
Some days The Biter is set up on a "perch" she likes where she will remain all day
Some days Granny is locked in crate for rest and relaxation (and pee control)
Early Evening:
*Same feeding routine as in AM plus fill food dish with dry food and water for the AM
*English guy gets eye salve
Bedtime routine
*Cookies: Each dog gets a cookie that is appropriate for his/her diet. English guy is expected to Roll Over for his cookie; we have no expectations for Frenchies, they are too stupid
* Meds: Alpha bitch and Granny get medicated eye drops: English guy gets eye salve
*usually English guy is one some kind of medication for PM
Through all of these The Biter must always be kept separate from her mom and her sister because she hates them and will kill them. Therefore we have multiples gates in our thresholds that must always be closed, and opened, and closed.
Cats
2 cats
* Throw food into their self feeder 1X weekly
* Throw water into their water dish 3X weekly
* scoop litter boxes 2X weekly
Our Vacations
The Biter precludes having a house sitter, she will bite them. She is surprisingly well behaved off of her turf so we will take the whole passel of them to a kennel if we need to leave for vacation. But frankly, I've been unable to envision leaving for almost a year. The arrangements we have to make for this groups boggles my mind and I am quite certain no one has read my entire post, it's just too--detailed. Complicated. or Crazed.
But this English dog, I am telling you, he is god's gift to me. Sweetest boy EVER. He loves his mommeeee.
iris lilies
4-10-14, 10:11pm
Oh honey, I hear ya about the pee in bed.
I feel so sad for our little Biter dog, she's left on her own in the breaksfast room a lot becuase she cannot get along with any of the pack. But I would take her with me to sleep at night except that she will pee in the bed. No. Not acceptable.
awakenedsoul
4-10-14, 10:35pm
Oh, these are so funny! I read your whole post, iris lilies. It actually made me feel better. In the future I will have a male and female dog. Not two females. And definitely not two dominant female German shepherds. (like I have now.)
I'm not sure I'll keep rescuing abused dogs as I get older, either. One of my dogs was definitely going to be put to sleep because no one could go near her. (She was abused by gangs.) She's good with me, and with other dogs, but totally afraid of people. She ignores everybody. Anyway, sorry, I'm getting sidetracked. I hope to hear more of your animal stories and routines.
Dogs
3 French bulldogs, 1 English bulldog
Each day
AM:
1) feed all of them, Frenchie food has been soaking overnight (some have teeth problems) and in this routine
* 2 Frenchies ("Granny " and "The Biter" ) eat outside, no matter the weather except for pouring rain
* alpha bitch Frenchie is served in the comfort of her salon'
* English guy fed last, he is low in the pack and is easy going except in issue below
*pick up food dishes in the correct order or else There Will Be Blood (alpha bitch is NOT ALLOWED! to sniff English dog's food dish!!!)
2) Granny Frenchies let in house; two room gates managed so that The Biter does not interact with her mom or her sister or else There Will be Blood
3) Pee and poo evaluated and cleaned up--sometimes diarrehha, usually not; pull towels that may have pee, toss downstairs to basement for washing later
4) Meds given out
*English guy given $$$ allergy meds and eye salve and whatever meds of the moment go into him
*alpha bitche gets medicated eye drops
*Granny and Iris Lily get regular store-bought eye drops to lubricate eyeballs
Some days water dishes get filled if low
Some days The Biter is set up on a "perch" she likes where she will remain all day
Some days Granny is locked in crate for rest and relaxation (and pee control)
Early Evening:
*Same feeding routine as in AM plus fill food dish with dry food and water for the AM
*English guy gets eye salve
Bedtime routine
*Cookies: Each dog gets a cookie that is appropriate for his/her diet. English guy is expected to Roll Over for his cookie; we have no expectations for Frenchies, they are too stupid
* Meds: Alpha bitch and Granny get medicated eye drops: English guy gets eye salve
*usually English guy is one some kind of medication for PM
Through all of these The Biter must always be kept separate from her mom and her sister because she hates them and will kill them. Therefore we have multiples gates in our thresholds that must always be closed, and opened, and closed.
Cats
2 cats
* Throw food into their self feeder 1X weekly
* Throw water into their water dish 3X weekly
* scoop litter boxes 2X weekly
Our Vacations
The Biter precludes having a house sitter, she will bite them. She is surprisingly well behaved off of her turf so we will take the whole passel of them to a kennel if we need to leave for vacation. But frankly, I've been unable to envision leaving for almost a year. The arrangements we have to make for this groups boggles my mind and I am quite certain no one has read my entire post, it's just too--detailed. Complicated. or Crazed.
But this English dog, I am telling you, he is god's gift to me. Sweetest boy EVER. He loves his mommeeee.
I did read it. And enjoyed it immensely. :)
mschrisgo2
4-11-14, 12:28am
I have one very sweet American Cocker Spaniel, Cricket. (She was rescued from a horrible hoarding/abuse situation: her very own breeder- she is featured on an Animal Planet show). She's been with me a little over 2 years now.
I am careful NOT to feed her before 6pm, because exactly 12 hours later she Will be looking for her breakfast- and 6am is the perfect time to start my day, lol!
In the morning I run her outside for a quick pee. Then she inhales her food in exactly 14 seconds (I timed her again today), drinks about half a cup of water, lays down and takes a nap while I shower and do my hair and get dressed. Then we go for a walk. If I'm working at home, she sleeps nearby, either on the chair or on the floor. If I'm home, she's looking for treats at about 11am, and we go for a half hour walk. Often I'm out of the house in the afternoon; sometimes she gets to go with me, otherwise, she sleeps on my bed all afternoon. Her dinner is at 6pm or slightly after, as soon as I get home. I change my clothes and shoes quickly, and we go for another walk, often seeing lots of friends with dogs around the neighborhood, so it's a big social time. Then about 9:30pm, we do a 30 minute power-walk, no visiting, no stopping. Bedtime after that; she cuddles in bed with me for about 20 minutes, then goes to sleep on the floor- her choice. I'd be fine with her on my bed all night, but she seldom stays.
On Saturdays, I often take her with me where ever I go, especially cool if we go visit my daughter and grandsons and their dog and kitties, Cricket loves them all! About every 3rd or 4th Saturday afternoon, I give her a bath and a haircut. On Sunday afternoons, we go for a long hike in our regional park area, checking out the birds and the people and the marina and dock to see the ships and boats, often spending 3 or 4 hours. She comes home as one very tired and very happy dog.
She gets routine vet care, decent food and treats. Oh, and she has a collection of handmade beaded collars!
I have a 14 YO female miniature schnauzer and a 5 YO male malti-poo. Here's our routine:
6:30 am weekdays - hubby and I get up, dogs get cookies... if I feed cookies, they must sit / lay / etc... dh just tosses them out. We have a doggy door, so they come and go as necessary.
Upon arrival home from work, more cookies are given.
After dinner, we take the dogs for a walk. The male is off-leash and runs, the female is on leash... she has zero focus, and will slowly wander away so we leash her. She never pulls and is the best leash walker! The boy needs his speed. He will walk four times the mileage that dh and I do with all his zig-zags and cut backs. This last week, the female has begun to not respond when asked if she wants a walk... if we "make" her, she will just go a few feet out the door and then sit down. If she doesn't want to go, we can't make her - it's sad - she may be aging very quickly now. I have begun running with the male - something we did a year or two ago alone, but now that dh joins us we just walked. Dh is a heart patient, and could not run... that may be improving and he is doing some very small intervals of jogging.
Water and food bowls are cleaned and refilled each night before bed.
If grandchildren are present, then the dogs get people food - those little rugrats are loved by the dogs for this! The grands also dole out the cookies when they are there...
On the weekend, we try not to rustle around in bed, since the male dog will begin barking / jumping / licking / shoving his head at you until you get him his cookies... trust me, we are perfecting the awake corpse look to sleep in!
Both dogs sleep with us on the bed. The schnauzer can no longer jump up and down so we lift her. Dh made her stairs, but apparently she is too regal to use them!
We have come home from work to find her still on the couch where we left her that morning... she doesn't like to move - she's a slug, and will happily sit on your lap for hours.
awakenedsoul
4-11-14, 11:17am
We have some very dedicated animal lovers on this forum. This is fun reading...thanks!
Two cats, same age, same litter. Dry food and water is available 24/7 and gets topped up/changed daily. Litter box gets scooped every morning--maybe a second time in the evenings, occasionally.
Trips to vets only as necessary. Fat cat Pini is accident prone, so he visits more often. Sneaky, squirrel-like little Dudu minds her own business and stays out of trouble.
They can sleep in/on/under our bed during the daytime, and occasionally with us at night if they aren't too rowdy and we don't have to get up early. When DH awakens at 4 a.m. for his nightly run to the toilet, they follow him...after which he locks them out of the bedroom by putting a chair under the door handle. (Big fat Pini figured out early how to open those doors by jumping up and "pulling" the handle down.) Dudu, however, has copped to this game and often hides under the bed, duping DH into thinking she has left the room. The only way he can get her out now is to grab his laser-light keychain, shine a red dot on the floor, and aim it outside the room and down the hall. Dudu can't help but chase it...it's her feline Achilles "heel," so to speak!
awakenedsoul
4-12-14, 1:12pm
It's funny how we develop these eccentricities with our pets. I have to keep the bedroom door closed at night. If I don't, my German shepherd will bark like there's an intruder or a major emergency a few times a night. If I block the noise, she's quiet and peaceful.
2 11-year-old female littermates (Black Lab, GSD, Collie, St. Bernard)
1 7-year-old male (Bernese Mt. Dog, Catahoula)
1 5-year-old male (Cattle dog, coyote)
They let themselves out and in via dogdoor
Breakfast: cooked by DH and me once a week for the whole week + kibble + meds
Run in forest with DH and me for an hour
Chew on bones or turkey necks
Get Tellington TTouched by me for at least 5 minutes/dog
Supper: same as breakfast
Sleep: males on or under bed (their choice), females beside bed--all have orthopedic beds available
When I was younger, they also got a 30-minute run in the evening; now toss a ball for the younger ones if they initiate it or seem restless
I try to space out the reliable good experiences above throughout he day. When DH or I go shopping, one dog gets to go with us--if we take more, they bark at people walking near our car
Gardenarian
4-13-14, 2:38pm
I have 2 small dogs (Italian Greyhounds - often called Iggies). They are not litter mates but came from the same foster home and are very close. One is around 10 and the other 4 years old. The older one recently had surgery on his foot, so our routines have changed temporarily. (Too bad we didn't have foot surgery at the same time!) I belong to the older dog, my dd to the younger.
We have a dog door with flap so they can go in and out into our fenced yard at will. We have to keep this closed at night (a raccoon got in the house a couple of times) and occasionally they pee on the floor in the early morning. I like Simple Solution Urine Destroyer (http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Solution-Dog-Urine-Destroyer/dp/B003VYR6FE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1397413821&sr=1-1&keywords=simple+solution+urine+destroyer) for cleaning up accidents. It really gets rid of the stink, and they have been having fewer accidents since we started using it.
We feed them each 1/3 cup dry food in the morning, and 1/3 dry food with scraps in the evening. Along with various tidbits tossed from the table, chewy rawhides, etc.
One of the dogs sleeps with me, one with my dd. They are definitely bed dogs; they love to get under the covers and snooze.
We walk the dogs 2-3 miles each day, always on leash unless we are somewhere entirely safe from cars. They have no self-control when it comes to squirrels, birds, cats, or other dogs.
They do not enjoy socializing with other breeds - this is normal in Iggies.
When we go on a trip we get a house sitter who does not mind sleeping with the dogs. I'm always surprised when people take their dogs to the kennel when it is so much cheaper to have a house sitter, and less stress for the dogs - but that depends on your situation I guess. I feel more comfortable with having someone at our house.
Neither of the dogs are very good in the car. Apparently, they think they can drive. When we need to transport them we use a soft-sided crate with a pile of blankets in it. It wedges firmly into the back seat and I think it is safer for them (as well as less crazy for us.)
awakenedsoul
4-13-14, 7:31pm
I am getting such a kick out of these stories! larknm, I remember the Tellington Touch from my Santa Fe days. I didn't know yo had so many dogs! Gardenarian, I am amazed that your dogs do well with a pet sitter who lets them sleep under the covers. That just cracks me up. One of my dogs would be good with a pet sitter. The other one is WAY too possessive of the house. (the abused one.)
I have two cats and the better question would be to ask the cats what their human management program is. I am more or less the cat concierge.
+1
awakenedsoul
4-16-14, 7:51pm
That cat quote makes me chuckle. Spartana, your dog sounds like she has an exciting and fulfilling daily life. The animals on this forum sure are loved. I was thinking today that the reason I love having dogs is the company. They are so devoted and affectionate. They're the perfect roommates if you're single.
My friend's mom had a duck that she talked to all day long. I'll probably end up like that lady. I heard my next door neighbor complaining, "She talks to her dogs like they're children."
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