What does your dog do each day?

[Natalie]

As a follow on from a different thread, and also after a conversation OH and I had a week or so ago - it was early morning and we were drinking tea before getting ready to go to work. Monty was curled up on the bed having just mugged us for toast and was settling down for a post-snack, pre-breakfast nap. OH said 'He hasn't really got a clue what's going to happen today, has he? He may have a jam packed, or lazy day, and he takes it all in his stride'

So this is what a typical week for Monty might look like:

Monday - we are both up early well before 5. I leave last at 7.30 leaving Monty with a kong (natch) and my SIL comes and collects him by 9.30. He spends the day with her, her dog and two cats, and our nephew and other children from 3.30. There will be walks, stealing of food, playing with children and chewing up their toys, plus kitten cuddles with his favourite, Bowie. OH picks him up between 6 and 7 and he's home for dinner and bed not long after.

Tuesday - a later start, and he's left alone between 8.30 and 9. Dog walker arrives at 11 for an hour long group walk. Back home for a snooze and a kong. Our neighbour then comes and gets him after 2.30pm to spend a couple of hours at her house with her 2 labradoodles.

Wednesday - again, dog walk around 11, then he goes back to their house to spend the whole afternoon with them and his good mate Marley, a lab. They play in the garden and have lots of sofa snoozes. I pick him up by 7pm and back home.

Thursday - I work at home, so mid morning walk and 5 mins of training a few times through the afternoon. Maybe a shorter evening walk.

Friday - The quietest day and the one I feel bad about sometimes, My SIL comes across to walk him mid morning, she will sometimes stick around for a little while to put washing out for me or tidy the kitchen. Then he's left on his own for up 5- 6 hours before I'm back home . As it's only once a week I convince myself it's good for him to have a rest before weekend walks.

Does your dog have a varied schedule?

 

[Leanne]

Mas is up most days by 7:00 has breakfast and starts prancing around following everyone who is getting ready for work/school.

8am we leave for work/school drop off.

He has a walk when we get to school with a child who struggles to come into school, then he has his reading group, and usually spends an hour in one of the classrooms.

11:30-12.00 he usually dozes in my classroom.
12-12:30 he goes out for his afternoon walk to Morrison’s so I can buy my lunch .
12:30-3:15pm I have my class and he’s usually busy being groomed or doing some training with the kids.
3:15-4:15 he’s charging around the school on the look out for members of staff to get fuss from or to throw his ball

We leave work at 4:30 and get home for 5 when he has his dinner.

Invariably he is then sound asleep for 3 hours until it’s his bedtime walk and then he goes straight back to sleep.

 

[Selina27]

Looks like Mas and Monty both have funpacked lives!

Cassie's days mostly go like this ;

I come downstairs about 7 ish (she doesn't sleep with me) and make a cup of tea. She says a brief good morning and then hops up into her favourite armchair and goes back to sleep. I go back to bed and catch up on MLF. We both have breakfast 8-8.30 ish, usually she will get her main walk after this, but it does depend what I'm doing. Sometimes it's a short pre breakfast walk. Usually we are out for between 45 mins and 1 and a half hours, which includes training - anything from heel work and sit/stay to retrieving and hunting as a reward. We love it and get quite carried away in our own little world. I do play find it games and a version of ping pong recall too.
Then she'll probably sleep until mid afternoon and if I need to go out I tend to go then as she enjoys a ride in the car. We don't always go for another walk but will do some training and games in my small garden. It depends on her energy levels and the weather really. At the moment we have gundog training on Thursday evenings.
One reason why it suits me to work nights until I can retire fully is that it fits in well for Cassie, she sleeps then anyway. Quite often my daughter will be here and gives Cassie her breakfast when she leaves for work so then I can take her out promptly when I'm home. On those days she gets 2 short walks, and is ready on the 3rd day for more! If I work a day shift I pick 12-8 so my daughter will be home to feed her, or if not I pay the lad next door to feed her and take her for a lead walk.

 

[Ashley]

Quinn’s week is totally different daily because OH’s shifts are all over the map! The past 6 weeks have been consistent mon-fri.

I get up at 6, Quinn rolls out of (my) bed at around 7:15 and we leave for her morning meet up at the field. Approx 40 mins of running with her 5 dog friends, fetch etc. Home for a treat hunt, breakfast from a kong toy/spread around main floor. I leave at 8-8:15.
OH is home from 9:30am-1:30pm and they usually do stuff in the yard, go on car rides for errands and stroll on leash in the neighbourhood. Sometimes she gets some ball play.
He leaves her with a treat or a Kong.
I get home at 5:30 and we go for another 40 mins to an hour mostly on leash walk.
Then dinner. Then if the weather is nice we go around the block around 8:30. Quinn puts herself to bed at 9pm sharp!

When OH works days she gets a dog walker, but that is usually once a week at most. Some shifts he’s home two days a week so we only juggle 3 week days. Weekends are always different..saturdays I’m usually on my own (OH working) and we do a big hike and visit the pet store and sundays we usually visit family and she comes along!

 

[Boogie]

Tatze
7am up and wees/poos
7:30 breakfast
9:30 long off lead walk with daddy
Snooze
Lunch time play in the garden with Mummy and Spencer
1:30 scent work games
Snooze
4pm sniffy lead walk round the green and the common with mummy while mummy does litter picking
5pm play in the house with mummy and Spencer
6:30 Kong while mummy and daddy have their tea.
7:30 meal
9pm snooze on mummy’s knees while she watches tv
10pm bed

Spencer
7am up and wees/poos
7:30 breakfast
9:30 training walk then bus or train or tram ride, shopping centre, cafe or garden centre
Home and snooze
Lunch time play in the garden with Mummy and Tatze.
2:30 free run in the park or by the reservoir/lake/woods/river four times a week or another training walk three times a week round the streets.
Snooze
5pm play in the house with mummy and Tatze.
6:30 Kong while mummy and daddy have their tea.
7:30 meal
9pm snooze on my bed next to mummy while she watches tv
10pm bed

These times all change - only meal times are set but that’s a typical day for us

 

[kateincornwall]

Reuben wakes around 6 but if I`m lucky , I can settle him until 7 , Nelly is still asleep and wont get up until 8ish . He goes out to check the garden whilst I make coffee , then starts the push for breakfast ! He gets this at 7.30 and if Nelly isnt up , he will settle back for a snooze on the sofa , if she is up then its a little play together . He has his first walk around 8.30 - 9 , usually around 30 minutes or so, then back home to check the garden over again and do a little pruning for me , such a helpful boy ! We do a little pre lunch ball play and I attempt to do some gardening with my two assistants . He has a mid morning nap waking full of beans at around 12ish .
After lunch we have our big walk off lead, which is usually around an hour or so and at weekends Silas might pop over to play with him in the garden . Sometimes we might take them both out in the car and go somewhere new for the afternoon , if he is lucky its the beach but only at quiet times !
He just potters around while I get our meal ready , they have their tea at 4 , after which he and Nelly have a play .
By 6.p.m he settles for a hour or so , then we have a short training session when he wakes up , just silly games really , then thats it , sleep until he goes out for the last wee at 10 and has a small supper , then its bed until groundhog day starts again xx

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

It's so interesting to see what different lives all the pups have! So far Monty gets the award for most complicated schedule (kudos to Natalie for arranging all that) and Mas the hardest working.

Carbon, like pretty much all my dogs since I started working from home nearly 20 years ago, has a "No Schedule" schedule. When I work, I just kind of stick in walks, play times and meals in around computer time and meetings. I have the attention span of a flea, so I'll do an hour or so of work, then doggie breakfast, more work, then walk, more work, then playtime, etc. Unlike Brogan, Carbon is pretty insistent that his meal times DO come at the same hour every day...but because I usually have to cook some part of his meal he usually ends up waiting anyway. Poor pup!

Now that I'm not working again (hopefully temporarily!) every day is like a Saturday or Sunday which means a Big Excursion Walk of 2-3 hours once a day, usually in the afternoon. So usually breakfast and wee walk before 9am, training session for both of us and study session for me before noon, then Big Excursion Walk sometime after noon, dinner for Carbon when we get home, another training session, last walk, sofa cuddles, bed around 9pm. We're kinda boring.

 

[Anne123]

Finn: 8am walk on lead and 8:30 breakfast, after a snooze he gets to play in the garden. At 11:00 walk off lead, sometimes a play with another dog friend, all depends who we encounter and at 12:30 a large carrot.
At 4pm off lead again with a play with another dog. 5:30pm dinner time and a snooze till 10pm. By that time he told us it is time for his bed....

In the weekends from Friday till Sunday nights we are in the woods and he gets a lot of walks longer then 2 hours. Almost same regime, more play/help in the garden. Times are the same for eating and sleeping

 

[Naya]

A typical week for Harley (when she’s not injured). My OH works various hours being self employed so I’ve taken him out of the equation except for Monday as this is the only set time he’s home

Monday
Up at 7.30am, quick trip to the garden then breakfast. After breakfast, snuggles on my lap.
8.50am I leave for work. 10.30am 12pm out for off lead walker with dog walker. 1-4pm I’m home for play, training and snuggles. I leave just before 4pm to go back to work. OH home at 5.30pm and plays for a bit. OH gives her dinner at 7pm. OH takes her around the block around 8.15-8.45pm. I’m home at 9pm for a few bedtime biscuits. 9.30/10pm she usually takes herself to bed (my bed)

Tuesday - Thursday
Up at 7.30am, quick trip to garden then breakfast. After breakfast, snuggles on my lap
8.50am I leave for work. 11-12.30/1pm out for off lead walk with dog walker. 3/4pm I’m home. We play / do training for an hour then she settles until tea time at 7pm. 8.15-8.45pm I walk her around the block. 9pm few bedtime biscuits. 9.30/10pm she usually takes herself to outperform bed.

Friday
Up at 7.30am, quick trip to garden then breakfast. After breakfast, snuggles on my lap.
8.50am I leave for work. 12.30pm I’m home and we go for a long off lead walk and usually meet several of her friends. 3-5pm snooze time for Harley. Dinner at 7pm, walk around the block 8.15-8.45pm. 9pm bedtime biscuits. 9.30/10pm off she goes to bed.

Weekends start whenever Harley wakes up (7.30-9.30am). She has breakfast once she’s up. We lounge around until around 11am then go for 1-2 hour off lead walk and often bump into some of her friends. Afternoons vary, but her evening routine from 7pm tea are the same as the other days.

 

[Stacia]

No one mentions housework, when is that fitted in!

Rourke up about 8am waits until I come down at 9am and he has his breakfast then some kibble to search for scattered on the patio. Back in house, waits for the milk foam in coffee machine, cleans my plate! Wanders around until about11.30 when I take him for his short walk about 20 minutes (now on lead poor boy) home and he goes straight to his bed in the utility room as we usually go out. Home about 1pm, he gets up and he goes into the living room and lies on his other bed, looking out of the window. About 3.15 we go out for his longer walk, it used to be an hour plus, now I have to make it shorter as he is on the lead. Home, has his dinner at about 5.30ish, then he goes to sleep. Wakes about 8pm for his Bonio and dentastix, goes to sleep. 11pm or later, he has three biscuits, is tucked up in bed with two teddies, has kisses and loving words from me. then lights out. Occasionally I will do the odd couple of minutes of training here and there. It looks as if he has quite a boring life compared to the others, but he seems happy.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

No one mentions housework, when is that fitted in!

Well, you know I just get a new house every week or so...that way no housework.

 

[MrChew]

Chewie's schedule varies quite a bit.

Monday-Thursday (except Wed) there is someone home most of the day, with one of us working from home for the morning, then having the afternoon off. On these days he is up around 7-7.30am, we go for a sniffy on lead walk with some training, then home for a play and breakfast. In theory he hangs around in the office while we work, and he is getting a lot better at this. Then a midday off lead walk, lunch and snoozing for most of the afternoon while we do whatever. Much excitement when the other person gets home, dinner is usually a little training session and treat toys. Then more snoozing and cuddles before bed.

We have Wednesdays off and our cleaner comes in the morning, so we take Chewie out for the morning. We try to go to different places and to make sure he has fun. He might also get a playdate with his lovely friend Rudy. So that's when cleaning happens in our house! Part of these Wednesday mornings involves training Chew to relax while we have a very important cup of coffee! Then the rest of the day is freeform.

Fridays at the moment (only for 2 more weeks!) we both work all day so we do a nice long morning walk at around 6.45, home for a play then kongs when we leave. In the middle of the day he goes out with a walker for about 1.5 hours and naps till I get home at 5. Luckily my work is about 5mins walk from home.

On the weekends we are all over the place! But we try to make sure he has at least 2 outings a day and loads of cuddles.

 

[Jen]

Stanley’s life is a bit rubbish at the minute.

He gets his walks and cuddles & fuss.

But the majority of the day he watches me bounce Rory around trying to settle him with me giving him kisses on his head when I walk past his spot on the couch

 

[Leanne]

But he also has you home all day Jen!! Don’t underestimate that!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Stanley’s life is a bit rubbish at the minute.

Doesn't sound rubbish to me.

And no matter what, Stanley will think Rory is extra magical when he starts eating solid foods and flinging delicious stuff on the floor for Stanley to clean up.

 

[Emily]

Our schedule varies so much as OH is a shift worker. I'm at home Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. We mix up the walks depending on OHs shifts and if, on the rare occasion, we'll be out of the house for more than 4hrs, I'll pop home from work during the day (I work 5mins from home) to toilet, treat, play and train her before heading back to work.

 

[MrChew]

I'm sure Stanley is happy to have you and his new friend around @Jen! They are so adaptable.

 

[Selina27]

No one mentions housework, when is that fitted in!

Er.... what ?

our cleaner comes in the morning, so we take Chewie out for the morning

That's the way to do it!

 

[Selina27]

takes herself to outperform bed.

This is interesting

 

[Shaz82]

Mon, wed, thurs we are up at 7am and leave for work by 7.15am in the car. We park up and meet a friend and her dog for an hours play in a park and Maisy does toilets. Then to work and we both have breakfast before opening the shop. She then waits for my work colleague who will take her upstairs to play before she comes down to start work. (I suspect there is some helping with her own breakfast at this point).
Then sleep til 11.30 when I will have my lunch and a play/train with Maisy for an hour, maybe a chew or kong, then another sleep til about 2 or 3 and if the weather is ok she will play in the yard or snooze in the sun. Sometimes we go to the bank together. Leave work at 4.30, home by 5ish, wait under the table for scraps from OH then a walk. Dinner after walks and more snoozing until bed time.

Tuesdays is doggy day care where she has huge fun and is completely worn out. Tues evening we visit granny which is more stimulation so she is extra tired Tues PM.

Friday mornings we walk before going to work and she sees lots of other friends, usually about 7 walking together. Window cleaner comes to collect his money from the shop and she loves him so gets lots of attention from him. Friday PM we visit granny and there is usually other family there who all make a fuss of Maisy so she is continually flitting between them all.

Saturday similar to mondays except a shorter day at the shop (only open til 3pm) so walks are when we get home 3.30pm
Sunday we usually meet lots of other dogs for a walk in the morning then a fairly lazy day until evening walk.