Feeling Guilty About Your Dog Waiting at Home?
Are you stuck at work, feeling guilty about your best friend waiting at home all day?
That guilty feeling is there for a reason.
Your dog depends on you for their whole day. Food, water, medication if needed, potty breaks, exercise, fresh air, sniff time, companionship, and someone to break up the silence while you are gone.
That is a lot.
And when your workday is long, your dog may be waiting at home, but you do not have to feel guilty all day. There are simple things you can do to help set your dog up for a better day. Leave on calming music. Give them a safe puzzle toy or treat game. Make sure they have fresh water. And schedule a midday walk with Doggy Daybreaks so they get a real break in the middle of the day.
Dogs don’t just need to “make it” until you get home. They need to move, sniff, potty, feel connected, and have something to look forward to
Holding It All Day Is Not Ideal
A lot of people think, “Well, my dog can hold it.”
And maybe they can.
But just because a dog can hold it for hours does not mean it is the best daily routine for them.
The American Kennel Club says healthy adult dogs usually need to relieve themselves 3 to 5 times a day. Puppies, senior dogs, smaller dogs, and dogs with medical needs may need to go more often. VCA Animal Hospitals says a healthy adult dog can usually hold urine for about 3 to 4 hours when inactive, but active dogs often need to go more frequently.
Most of us would not want to go an entire workday without using the bathroom.
Our dogs should not have to either.
A midday potty break is not spoiling your dog. It is meeting a real need.
A Walk Is More Than a Walk
Yes, dog walking helps with exercise.
But it is also fresh air, companionship, a change of scenery, and mental stimulation.
Dogs were not meant to sit in the same quiet house all day with nothing to do. Even a good dog can get bored. Even a calm dog can get lonely. Even a dog who “seems fine” can still benefit from having their day broken up.
The American Animal Hospital Association says enrichment helps keep dogs mentally and physically stimulated, reduces stress and anxiety, and can help prevent problem behaviors.
That is why a midday walk can make such a difference.
It gives your dog a reset.
A potty break.
A stretch.
A little sunshine.
A friendly face.
A chance to use their brain.
A reason to relax again when we leave.
Dogs Read the World With Their Nose
This is one of my favorite things about dogs.
We walk outside and notice what we see.
Dogs walk outside and notice what they smell.
Every tree, mailbox, fence post, patch of grass, sidewalk, and breeze tells your dog a story. Who walked by? Was it another dog? A squirrel? A cat? Something new? Something familiar?
That sniffing is not wasted time.
That is your dog reading the newspaper.
VCA says dogs have more than 100 million scent receptor sites in their noses, compared with about 6 million in people. The part of a dog’s brain that analyzes smell is also about 40 times larger than ours.
So when your dog stops to sniff, they are not being stubborn.
They are being a dog.
And sometimes a slow sniffy walk is exactly what they need.
Your Dog’s Day Should Not Be Hours of Waiting
You have work, errands, phone calls, lunch, traffic, texts, and people to talk to.
Your dog has home.
That is why the middle of the day matters so much.
A Doggy Daybreaks visit gives your dog a chance to potty, stretch, sniff, move, get some love, and feel connected. It breaks up the silence. It gives them something to look forward to. It helps their day feel shorter, happier, and a whole lot less lonely.
Some dogs need a brisk walk.
Some dogs need a slow sniffy stroll.
Some dogs need a quick potty break, fresh water, and a little attention.
We pay attention to the dog in front of us, because dog walking is not just clipping on a leash and walking around the block.
It is noticing.
It is caring.
It is helping your dog have a better day while you are away.
Set Your Dog Up for a Better Workday
Before you leave for work, do what you can to help your dog feel safe, comfortable, and cared for.
Leave fresh water. Put on calming music if they like it. Give them something safe to do. Make sure they have had a morning potty break. And if your day is going to be long, schedule a midday visit so they are not just waiting and holding it all day.
Workdays can be long, but they do not have to be lonely.
Doggy Daybreaks provides professional dog walking and potty break visits in North Fort Worth and surrounding areas. We give your dog the potty break, exercise, sniff time, enrichment, and companionship they need while you are busy.