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Dog Walkers?

Zumie05

Well-known member
Just curious if anyone here has a dog walker for the middle of the day?

I am just not sure what is wrong with Coco recently, but she lost control of her bladder and bowels it seems. Almost every day I am coming home to find her pen soiled. First she was gated in the kitchen, started having accidents, so I moved her to a large pen. That was soiled often, so I made that pen smaller. Well she still is soiling it?!?

What on earth could make her need to go more? The only thing I can think of is she is deliberately not emptying herself when we take her outside. Don't get me wrong, we still give her plenty of opportunities to go out and she always does. Her urine and fecal tests from the vet came back normal too.

We decided to hire a dog walker so that on the days we are at work she can get taken out again. I hope this will work out well, I would love to hear about others who have a dog walker!

Is this a common teenage phase?
 
Humm. Don't know about the potty issues, maybe someone else has some better advice on that than me...but I will comment on the dog walkers :)

We have a dog walker that we use for Brooklyn if we are out all day, late or something (I am not working at the moment, but I had a all day 3 week course a month ago that we used her for too). We love her. But, I interviewed about 10 people! I wanted to make sure Brooky just wasn't going on one of those massive walks with 10 dogs. This woman we hired comes over for just a play and potty with Brooklyn (no walk), or takes her for a walk or picks her up and take her with her dog and no more than 3 others up to the reservoir damn where then can at off lead too. The best for the evenings or when Brooklyn was just a puppy was when she would just come over and hangout with her for 30 min and take her out back to pee. Sometimes we don't need a full walk, just someone to stop by do a potty break and some play time, that is cheaper and might be something to look at as well if you think she is getting enough exercise :) it's all about finding the right person, a good one will come over to your house first to meet you and Coco.

During that full on three weeks I was away too, I took Brooky to daycare one day a week as well (but again, interviewed a ton of places!). I ended up taking her to a daycare that was further away because it was just so much more calm and for small dogs only...the owner has a cavvie and there were a few others there to. It was just a chill, calm, fun environment...that is key with daycare because you dot want them picking up bad habits. Daycare is expensive though, so once a week or once every other week worked fine for Brooky.

Oh. Now that I think about it too, when Brooky was having some potty issues a month back, our trainer helped us to understand that our stress around it, not the we showed it, but what we were feeling on the inside, was actually contributing to Brookyln's stress which then made the problem stick around. I would never let her see me, but it is true on the inside I was like "what the heck??" because it was such new behavior. When she pointed that out to us and just said "Let it go. If she goes inside (but is in her "proper confined place), she goes inside. She will grow out of it again, but the more nonchalant about it we are, she will follow." And it worked! Took about a week, but I think our internal anxiety over it just fed into her own. Now sometimes, if Brooklyn is in one of her "moods" and won't go potty before we leave in the morning (or not going as much as normal...I.e. The fake pee for a treat!) then I just smile and say oh well. Put a pee pad down with her behind the baby gate and go on with what I planned for the day. She doesn't like to go inside, so eventually she realizes "oh, mama won't just stand out here longer if I don't go, I still have to go inside after 30 min". Do you have a pee pad or anything that you put in the pen when you go? I wouldnt make the space smaller as of yet, unless you are going back to crate training 101 (letting them out every hour like when they were pups), because she is obviously going to soil the space if she if left alone for even a little while (might just be adolescent regress that will pass if you go back to basics a bit, we did that with Brooky and since inside she already knew what to do, we weren't in "basics" again for very long). What about attaching your x-pen to her crate with the crate door open? And a pee pad in the far corner of the x-pen?? Like back to the basics for a while 'a la Ian Dunbar'?

This might not be what you are dealing with at all but thought I would throw it out there just in case!

Good for you for ruling out bowel and urinary stuff with the vet too!!
 
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I would guess that Coco is a bit stressed, perhaps because you have been busy with a wedding?! More comings and goings, disrupted routine - however much you tried to include her, things can't have been completely normal and she's also been having to share you with more people, so there may be some attention seeking in there as well. So back to basics, but perhaps also some reassurance?

If I'm out for most of the day without the dogs - I mostly work at home but have meetings and conferences occasionally - a friend comes and spends about an hour with them at lunchtime. She works at our local pet shop and is very dog savvy, lets the boys out, sits and has a cup of coffee, plays with them. This seems to be all they need, they don't miss having a walk; I think with Cavaliers it's company that is more important. I pay Amy a bit - I think she would do it for love of the boys, but I know she needs the money. Perhaps you could find a neighbour in a similar situation?

Kate, Oliver and Aled

PS You need to change the signature on your postings!!:lol:
 
Thanks for your replies :) I honestly do think a huge part of Coco's behavior was stress related, from wedding plans, schedule changes, and rescuing that puppy. All those things combined took a lot of my attention off of her, the poor pup.

Today is our first day of dog walking, hope it goes well! I went through a reputable program, met with my walker, and went over the details, so I feel comfortable with our decision. She is going to send me a text message every day after her visit to let me know how things went, if there was an accident in her pen, if she pottied outside, etc.

I am hoping this will get her back on track to gaining free run of the house one day!
 
How old is Coco? Nalu is 18 months old and has been able to hold it all day from 9 to 4 for a while now, although I've heard that little dog bladders aren't totally reliable until two years. Nalu's LOVES having full run of the house. Maybe if Coco had the whole house she'd have something to do besides stare at her water and drink all day. Nalu's up at 7 and I take her out right away. I feed her and then take her out again. She would probably love a walker midday and it would burn up some of the energy she saves up for us, but it would be too complicated for our situation. Good luck!
 
Is this better?!?

It was just that Kevin isn't your fiance any more!! How did dog walking Day 1 go?

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
The dog walking is going great so far! Every day I get a text message for a short update of what Coco did, then when I come home there is a page filled out in a journal keeping track of their time together. So far so good, it seems like Coco is a lot happier :)

And haha I didn't put Kevin back into my sig because I am not used to calling him my husband :| its just weird!! I will probably add him back in soon ;)
 
Glad the dog walker is going good. I have had a walker for over 5 years. Started when Chelsea was a pup and I worked too long to be able to get her house broken. Felt like paying for day care, but worth every cent. As she got older I reduced the days from 4 a week(I work 4 days) to 2, back up to 4 when got Vivian. Down to 2 again, they are only alone one day one week and 2 days another.

I had orginally wanted day care, but the hours and location never worked with my hours.

My walkers leave notes on the frig and I can text any changes needed. They either walk with just the 2, the walkers dog, or a cocker in the housing developemnt behind me. Works well, some outside social interaction.

The best investment I have made for the girls beside insurance.

Glad you have found someone who you like.:)
 
I'm glad your dogs walker is working out great.

Not to dissuade you, but for other s who might be considering hiring a dog walker, I would just say be careful with dog walkers & trust your gut. I had the same dog walker for Lucky for 4 years and then things started to feel off. Little things, like a ceiling fan was on that I never use, an object that was moved, the payment check not yet picked up when I came home early from work on a Monday ... I dismissed it and gave the benefit of the doubt. Then my sister got a backache and was given prescription meds and 13 of them came up missing, so we had to fire the dog walker and change all the locks.


Next dog walker we will be getting a nanny-cam. It's a lot of trust that you put in someone when you give them the keys to your house and the responsibility of watching your pets. I don't mean to sway you, because I know there are great dog walkers, but I want to make sure you do understand the risks. There was a person I know on another board who felt something was off, installed a nanny-cam and found out her dog walker was coming in, writing notes & not walking the dogs. There are all kinds out there and you need to be careful.
 
I'm glad your dogs walker is working out great.

Not to dissuade you, but for other s who might be considering hiring a dog walker, I would just say be careful with dog walkers & trust your gut. I had the same dog walker for Lucky for 4 years and then things started to feel off. Little things, like a ceiling fan was on that I never use, an object that was moved, the payment check not yet picked up when I came home early from work on a Monday ... I dismissed it and gave the benefit of the doubt. Then my sister got a backache and was given prescription meds and 13 of them came up missing, so we had to fire the dog walker and change all the locks.


Next dog walker we will be getting a nanny-cam. It's a lot of trust that you put in someone when you give them the keys to your house and the responsibility of watching your pets. I don't mean to sway you, because I know there are great dog walkers, but I want to make sure you do understand the risks. There was a person I know on another board who felt something was off, installed a nanny-cam and found out her dog walker was coming in, writing notes & not walking the dogs. There are all kinds out there and you need to be careful.

No, you raise a very valid point. This I was also worried about which is why I went with a company rather than a private walker or a home business type of deal. I like the idea of getting a nannycam, maybe I will do this! I do think Coco is getting walked, because she is not pooping in the house anymore lol! I also admit that I am looking at everything when I come home to see if things have been moved or not.
 
As far as cameras:
We have this one http://www.molecamera.com/
We use it when we leave the house so we can see Toby in his crate/playpen. It pans 270 degrees and tilts 150 degrees. You can view it on most smart phones or all computers. Great picture for a camera. We bought it at Costco for I think it was $200. They have a display that you can actually use with your smart phone to see a camera in their offices.
**adding on** You can move the camera from your smart phone or computer to see all angles

Becky
 
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