This is where we are lucky as Sid works from home and I work only 17.5hrs a week.

But, I remember the days very well indeed where I had two large dogs to walk and had to get up very early to exercise them before work and when I got home just immediately got my scruffs on and went back out with them again for an hour before I made the tea.

It is difficult splitting your time (and yourself!) and trying to do everything. I used to hate walking in the pitch black too, it is so much nicer in the summer!!

Never mind Pidge, winter will soon be over and you'll have bright sunny mornings again to look forward to.

Washing dogwalking clothes? When its stinky but mud falls off - or if not then the only people I meet are mucky too
I am lucky that my two have teflon coats that the mud just falls off - and most days Mia and Ben have hyper zoomies that ends up with Ben skidding 1/2 was along the park on his back through all the puddles - a shake, 5 min road walk and he is clean again

I do know what you mean about being overwhelmed tho - I live alone and work so I have to juggle the dogs and when the sun goes down my energy drops

I feel so lazy tho - me and the dogs dont get up before 9 - sometimes later. The get 30 min to an hour in the morning, a afternoon walk slightly longer and an evening walk of about 30 min, several times a week one of the daylight walks is a longer offlead run
In the summer or winter the long walks are weather dependent - not that I dont walk in the rain - I am just more motivated to bundle them in the car when the sun is out ( not too hot in the summer)

LOL true but without the mud there would be no dog so its one of those eternal question what came 1st the dog or the mud!! LOL

Not trying to cause offence but if you are thinking of establishing a routine in the new year wouldn't it be better to start the routine as soon as poss. I know you are taking Woody to work (very jealous here Ben not allowed at my work despite the fact he would have a ball) but if you do intend to have a routine establish what points are important in that routine and start it as soon as...so lets say walk times are important because thats what Woody gets excited about decide when they will be and start that now, same with food or play - if thats the route you are going down. Ben would walk and play all day every day and constantly drops Kongs or balls on our laps but we decide when to play and when to ignore its not play on demand.

I asssume Woody is quite chilled at your work so is that because you are a bit more in official mode rather than crazy mummy if so then try that at home too, as once the routine is established its easy to manage. I was lucky in that Ben had a routine of sorts from a pup and its always been that way and now he just moseys along with whatever and will do as he has to eg on Christmas day he'll be at mums with elderly grandpa and he will lie on his bed until its wak or play time.

But if you are going to have a routine start it asap would be my advice.

Where I live (very rural) there are no street lights at all (there are no streets to light ). However, I do have plenty of fairly decent tracks on the estate to make my way around with a torch. The big plus is that I know them like the back of my hand, and it is ultra safe up here as it is a private estate so I never see another soul, except the odd gamekeeper. It does have footpaths over it, but you never see any walkers at night. Also my dogs have to have a reasonable recall, as we have lots of wildlife they could beggar off after, but other than a quick chase after the odd bunny they are pretty good.

Have to agree with this.

Dogs don't hang around and wait for the owner to establish a routine. Although the dogs needs are paramount, the routine has to work for everyone as well as the dog and this routine should start now, not weeks later in to the new year. Sounds like the dog needs it now and he's what's most important.

If you're already finding one dog and a part time job difficult, adding a baby in to the mix would be just plain daft, as the dog would suffer and probably the baby too. And it's just not fair on either, especially the dog who was there first.

A newborn baby is not going to hang around and wait for over a year and wait for a routine to be set out that works for them, they need it from the beginning.

As for the energy levels, the active behaviour of the dog and the inevitable dirt and mud they attract, he's a young Springer Spaniel, all that is typical of the breed, well into their adult life, so hardly a surprise there. Maybe you should've got a less demanding and smaller breed of dog.

JMO.

I actually quite enjoy my walks in the dark, but do feel 100% safe here, and also know my dogs won't do a disappearing act. In this month's Dogs Today, the editor is testing a tracker collar on her wayward springer bitch and loves it ... perhaps you should invest in one, then at least if Woody does go off a wandering, you will know exactly where he is

I'm sure Pidge is perfectly capable of adjusting her life to accommodate whatever comes along. She is simply discussing the problems (we all have) of dog ownership in the winter. She has overcome a number of challenges since Woody came along and will continue to do so in her good humoured Pidgey style.

Right.

The part in bold? Not so for me. It's a fact of life when owning dogs, it's not a problem.

If you wish to use "fact of life" as a euphemism for darkness, mud, snow, driving rain that's fine by me. There is however, no getting away from the fact that owning dogs (and horses) is much more pleasant in the summer.

Ouchy, bit harsh don't you think? Pidge was only venting. I can totally see how winter can be tiresome to first time dog owners (I think Woody is 'your' first dog right, Pidge? sorry if I am mistaken), particularly if they have a very demanding dog.