nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Gym Membership and Dog Ownership

alyssa0061

I've been very seriously considering joining a gym recently. Up to this point in my life the only gym I've ever been inside of is the one I was forced to occupy during high school phys ed classes. I can tell you for me personally there wasn't any actual activity going on during that time unless you count talking to my friends about our sweet weekend plans and moving from machine to machine (some were much more conducive to conversation than others).

I digress. My main consternation at this point isn't about actually joining the gym but about my dog. I live alone. I work a minimum of 50 hours a week. She spends a lot of time alone and I spend too much time worrying about leaving her alone. I try to appease the guilt by telling myself that she was an outside dog before I adopted her and she didn't have much human interaction at all. She's happy, she's healthy and she gets nightly walks in addition to the two to three trips to the dog park every week. When I am not working, she's my focus.

I'm having a difficult time rationalizing joining a gym when I know she's home waiting for me. I have a perfectly good house that I can work out in. And I clearly have a great partner for many activities like walks, fetch and running (should I every consider such a thing).

I'm interested in hearing others' experiences. How do you schedule your gym time around your canine responsibilities? Are there other ways to incorporate my dog into activities? Should I just start by attempting to bench press her and forgo the weights? (kidding, she's way too heavy.)

Replies

wizzybeth

Hey why did it go sideways?

fattothinmum

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

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

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

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

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

What about doggy day care a couple days a week?