I just would need to find someone I trust, and arrange at least 3-5 meetings so Kestral would know them well enough not to react which to be honest I just haven't got round to..

I use a little camera called foscam. I think it was about £70 off amazon. It links up to the computer somehow (can you tell I didn't set it up?!). There is also an app for your phone so you can log in and stream live what the dog is doing. It can also be moved around the room remotely.
Plus it has a motion sensor which will notify your phone if there's movement (we use this if we're on holiday as a burglar cam!)
It's really useful if you've ever wondered what they get up to!

Just had a look - looks good

I live alone and work 8-4 as a District Nurse in my local town.

6am: Drag myself out of bed, wash and dress.

6:30: Out with the dogs for 40 minutes.

7:10: Breakfast for everyone!

7:45: Off to work for me!

12:30ish: I either pop home for ten minutes between calls to let them out or come home and spend my half hour lunch with them. Either way they either get some dry food scattered in the garden to hunt down and eat, or 5-10 minutes retrieving practice each.

4:10 I get home from work and they get their Tea and another 1 hour walk/training minimum.

Occasionally if I'm very busy and can't get back they get left all day, which doesn't seem to bother them. If the weather is nice I leave the back door open for them after my afternoon visit. Also my Dad usually picks them up on a Tuesday afternoon and my parents have them over night then I pick them up Wednesday afternoon after work. Mainly to give me a break, but also because my Mam misses them as when I worked 12 hour shifts my parents had them almost 50% of the time!

Are you still hoping to get a GSD in the future

I am a stay at home mum at the moment, and help OH on the farm, but when I worked full time it went as follows :

6am - Out with dogs for an hour
8am - Leave for work
12pm - Home - take dogs out for 40 mins or so
5pm - Out with dogs for anything up to 3 hours depending on time of year, energy levels etc, but never less than an hour.
9pm-ish - Last quick walk and toilet for around 20 mins

Weekends revolved completely around the dogs - exploring new areas and looooooooong walks

Our routine:

6.45 - downstairs for wees/poos
7.30 - Walkies
8.30 - Back from walkies, breakfast
9.00 - Leave for work. Bella now has the downstairs with radio on (she likes looking out the window)
12 - 1 OR 1 -2 - OH home on lunch
4.30 - Me or OH home from work so walkies
5.00 - 5.30 - Back from walkies
6pm - Dinner
Most of the evening is then either playing, games, or cuddles

xx

Thanks everyone! Just handy to see what others do in the situation!


I am indeed! I am wanting a Boxer next but I will definitely own a GSD at some point yeah!

I used to get up at 5.15am, out with Teg for an hour.
I'd leave for work about 7.
Mum would pop in at 8.30 for toilet and breakfast.
Toilet break at dinner time then my mum would have him round theirs from 3.30pm until I got home, somewhere between 4-6.
I'd take him out straight away (providing it wasn't too hot) for an hour/two hours.
Food later then cuddles/training in the evening.
Two days a week mum didn't work so had him at theres all day.

When I had my own place and lived with the ex, the routine was as follows:

Monday and Friday - dogs got left at home but OH walked and fed them before he went to work (I was at work for 5am). I'd nip home as and when I could depending on workload (I was a courier) but they always got let out for a wee and played with at some point. Then when I finished work i'd take them out for a proper walk.

Tuesday - Thursday - I'd take dogs round to my Mum's for about 04:45am, she'd feed them at 8am and generally kept an eye on them, then i'd pick them up on my way home from work and take them a proper walk.

Now I live back with my parents I feed them before I go to work at about 7am then Mum keeps an eye on them all day and then they go for 2+ hours walk at about 3/4pm.

Up at 5: dogs go outside reluctantly! Eat their Brekkie then take themselves back to bed.
8.30: housemate lets them out again.
14.00 home and anything between 3-5 mile walk.

I used to feel terribly guilty leaving them. But.....they don't seem to mind. When I'm home all day, they get on the sofa first thing and don't move all day, until 2/3pm when they know it is walk time.
They know their routine now.

On days that I work

4am - Up and out with the dogs for a good 40-50mins
5.30am - I do theirs and our breakfast
6.45am - Alex and I leave for work

5.00pm - I get home, let everyone out and everyones dinner
6.00pm - Dogs out for 30mins

9.00pm - Dogs out for another 30mins

Weekends/Days off are not like this, I tend to take them out for 2-3 hours at a time