Gym Membership and Dog Ownership

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  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I was thinking the other day they should have a doggie daycare at the gym like the one they have for kids. All our pups could get together and have some fun while we workout!
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    I was thinking the other day they should have a doggie daycare at the gym like the one they have for kids. All our pups could get together and have some fun while we workout!

    That would be amazing!
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
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    Thank you so much to everyone. I really appreciate the replies. It is very nice to hear others in a similar situation and how it can be overcome. I take having a dog very seriously and I'm happy to see so many others who do as well. :)

    I got some very good news at work today that I will be going from 50 hours a week to 45 beginning the first full week of June. Since I'm already gone those five extra hours a week now I won't have to feel as guilty about using them to go to the gym. I think I'll be joining soon!
  • fattothinmum
    fattothinmum Posts: 218 Member
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    Alidecker wrote: »
    I am gone from my pup from 7:15 AM until 6:30 or 7PM. As soon as I get home we go for a good walk, then we play fetch and tug-o-war in the evenings and whatever else. If I have plans in the evening on a work day, my neighbor takes him out and usually keeps him at her house for a couple hours and hangs out with him. I totally understand the feeling guilty part, finding a neighbor for those nights has helped me. Working out has given me even more desire to walk him further and play with him more. Win -win

    I might be missing something, but what do dogs at home do when they need the loo for such a long time? Just suffer, or is there some kind of potty for doggies I don't know about yet.
  • harowlands
    harowlands Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm quite lucky as my mum has dogs too and so when she's out I check in on her dogs and when I'm out she checks in on mine! That way they have loads of company, they're rarely on their own and get lots of doggy play dates!
    But a friend of mine hires a local dog walker to take her dogs out during the day and it's not too expensive!
    Good on you for making your dogs wellfare a top priority!
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
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    fattothinmum wrote: »
    Alidecker wrote: »
    I am gone from my pup from 7:15 AM until 6:30 or 7PM. As soon as I get home we go for a good walk, then we play fetch and tug-o-war in the evenings and whatever else. If I have plans in the evening on a work day, my neighbor takes him out and usually keeps him at her house for a couple hours and hangs out with him. I totally understand the feeling guilty part, finding a neighbor for those nights has helped me. Working out has given me even more desire to walk him further and play with him more. Win -win

    I might be missing something, but what do dogs at home do when they need the loo for such a long time? Just suffer, or is there some kind of potty for doggies I don't know about yet.

    He doesn't seem to be suffering, and he doesn't go on the floor. When I get home and we go outside he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go. I wish he could talk sometimes so I would know these things.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    edited May 2016
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    fattothinmum wrote: »
    Alidecker wrote: »
    I am gone from my pup from 7:15 AM until 6:30 or 7PM. As soon as I get home we go for a good walk, then we play fetch and tug-o-war in the evenings and whatever else. If I have plans in the evening on a work day, my neighbor takes him out and usually keeps him at her house for a couple hours and hangs out with him. I totally understand the feeling guilty part, finding a neighbor for those nights has helped me. Working out has given me even more desire to walk him further and play with him more. Win -win

    I might be missing something, but what do dogs at home do when they need the loo for such a long time? Just suffer, or is there some kind of potty for doggies I don't know about yet.

    My big dog will willfully refuse to go out if she finds the weather distasteful. I have seen her hold it without even batting an eye for 18+ hours (not my choice, mind you, but if your dog refuses to leave the stoop or immediately returns to it if you shove her out in the rain or snow, there's not much you can do!). We had a blizzard this winter, and it took many, many hours before she decided she was desperate enough to get her butt out in the spots I dug out for her, despite my cajoling. The little dog seems to have the same iron will/bladder.

    If I'm gone much more than 10 hours, I have a dog walker come or ask my land lady to let them out. That being said, on the rare occasion something happens and I get home later than anticipated, neither one is knocking me down to get out the door to pee. I think their needs are different than ours. My biggest concern, particularly for the young dog, is that they get plenty of exercise when I'm home with them. Keeps them out of trouble!
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
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    fattothinmum wrote: »
    Alidecker wrote: »
    I am gone from my pup from 7:15 AM until 6:30 or 7PM. As soon as I get home we go for a good walk, then we play fetch and tug-o-war in the evenings and whatever else. If I have plans in the evening on a work day, my neighbor takes him out and usually keeps him at her house for a couple hours and hangs out with him. I totally understand the feeling guilty part, finding a neighbor for those nights has helped me. Working out has given me even more desire to walk him further and play with him more. Win -win

    I might be missing something, but what do dogs at home do when they need the loo for such a long time? Just suffer, or is there some kind of potty for doggies I don't know about yet.

    Like the two posts above say, dogs are different than humans in that (and many) regard. I'm gone for 11 hours on week days. When I get home it takes about a half an hour before my dog will even go outside. Then it's another half hour to hour before she goes to the bathroom. And she's exactly the same as the above poster's dog in inclement weather. She won't go in the rain, ever.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    AmandaDanceMore wrote: »

    My big dog will willfully refuse to go out if she finds the weather distasteful.

    My Trixie will NOT go out if it is raining more than a drizzle. And go figure, she's a labrador retriever. She will go and plunge in muddy swamps, but heaven forbid if I try to make her go outside to pee in the rain. She will back up away from the door and bark RUDELY at me if I try to make her go out. LOL

  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    We got caught out in the rain during our recent hike. You can see how thrilled she is.

    2vh7yk5t07bb.jpg
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    Hey why did it go sideways? :(
  • fattothinmum
    fattothinmum Posts: 218 Member
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    He doesn't seem to be suffering, and he doesn't go on the floor. When I get home and we go outside he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go. I wish he could talk sometimes so I would know these things. [/quote]

    If it's the dogs choice then fine, but I've owned dogs and I know they'll hold it in as much as they can to please us, inuding our ritual welcome home, even more so if they're scared, but all I can say is, as my dog got older, she'd have suffered more and more with long stretches between toilet breaks. I got a dog walker for days I couldn't get home or got neighbours to pop in.

    Dogs aren't like us, no, but when you gotta go, it's a nightmare holding it in, especially if it's hot and they've drunk more water than usual, or have a wee infection.

    I couldn't do it now. I'd love another dog, but I just don't have time for one.

    Just sat dog mats for weeing on indoors, online. Amazing what's around. I don't think I'll ever understand that way of dog owning, so I'll shut up now. Sorry for interrupting.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
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    fattothinmum wrote: »
    He doesn't seem to be suffering, and he doesn't go on the floor. When I get home and we go outside he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go. I wish he could talk sometimes so I would know these things.

    If it's the dogs choice then fine, but I've owned dogs and I know they'll hold it in as much as they can to please us, inuding our ritual welcome home, even more so if they're scared, but all I can say is, as my dog got older, she'd have suffered more and more with long stretches between toilet breaks. I got a dog walker for days I couldn't get home or got neighbours to pop in.

    Dogs aren't like us, no, but when you gotta go, it's a nightmare holding it in, especially if it's hot and they've drunk more water than usual, or have a wee infection.

    I couldn't do it now. I'd love another dog, but I just don't have time for one.

    Just sat dog mats for weeing on indoors, online. Amazing what's around. I don't think I'll ever understand that way of dog owning, so I'll shut up now. Sorry for interrupting.[/quote]

    I had a little dog before and was having the hardest time potty training him so I decided to try the potty pads. All he did was push them out of the way so he could go on the floor. So frustrating at the time but very funny now. Eventually he learned and now he happily lives with my parents.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
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    I had my dog before I started my gym membership and before I started a healthier lifestyle. He may be home longer no, but he has a more active lifestyle now too. He seems happier now too. He gets way better walks and we play a lot more.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
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    Doggie Daycare!!!

    My husband and I both work, so we we drop our two 'kids' at daycare 3 times a week. They come home happy and exhausted.

    Maybe you can take your pup at least once a week?
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
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    I work around 10.5 hours a day. I keep my dog in a pen with a faux grass potty tray so if he needs to go he can. He also has cow hoof and a kong to chew on. There is also a bowl of food and water in the pen as well so if he gets hungry or thirsty.

    I also try to walk him at least an hour everyday. There are some days that I can't get him outside that long and that's fine. I'm going to be sneaking him into the softball fields when I go to practice. He's too cute to keep him home.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    What about doggy day care a couple days a week?

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