Day care doggy

Well I had a very irate neighbour call round today. Selkie has him at his wits end! She has been howling and singing from the moment I leave for work at 8am till the moment I get in at 1.30 waking him up and keeping him up all morning every morning, as well as when I go out (I went to a medieval faire at the weekend) he says he's at his wits end. He thinks it's bloody inconsiderate of me to go out socially when I know my dog cries all the time.

In my defence I didn't know it was that bad.

I knew Selkie had been 'barking a bit' he had mentioned this before, I have changed my work hours, cut back to one full day and two half days only. On the day I have to work a full day, my Mum comes round at 1.30 to try and keep Selkie's alone time to a minimum.

He doesn't have a problem with Kismet and at the moment Pharaoh is fine, but obviously we will have to wait and see what happens when Selkie is gone and Pharaoh is home alone for the first time as Kismet has a run in the garden during the day... Pharaoh is far too delicate to be outside during the day he needs his soft bed and home comforts.

So...

After some phone calls I have arranged for Selkie to go into kennels on my work days. I have no idea how she will cope. She is 14 yrs old and has never been into kennels before. But I have to consider the state my neighbour had got himself into (He is elderly and seemed close to tears explaining how Selkie's crying was keeping him up).

No idea what I am going to do about those times I just have to be out though... Looks like no cinema trips or meals out for me for the foreseeable future. But what do I do when I need to go shopping, or just need to get out of the house once in a while?

Sigh...

The things we do...

Anyone else have any experiences of day kennel doggies? What do I need to ask the kennels? It seems like a nice place. The kennels are new and heated and the man is lovely and said he or someone is there all the time.

I just remember that her grooming parlour refuses to have her back because their neighbours complained about her howling.. I hope she doesn't get expelled from day care.

Oh dear. I hope she settles OK. Take one of your jumpers with you for her to have? Older dogs snooze a lot - maybe she`ll just sleep?

Of course it's a worry for you, but chances are she'll take it in her stride

Can't help feeling some sympathy for your neighbour

Oh hon, that's a pants situation, eh?

Hope Selkie settles in the kennels, bless her

x0x

Dont suppose your neighbour would have liked to come in your house and snooze with Selkie during the day to keep her company ??

Not sure how stressful kennels may be for her tbh.... Is there no way of getting someone to come into yours to keep her company ??

How thoughtful of you.

I know it must have been a difficult balance to consider both the welfare of your dog and that of your neighbour. There are so often no easy answers in these situations.

Well Selkie survived her day in daycare. She slept all day and not a peep out of her according to the kennel owner! He said he poked her every two hours or so just to make sure she hadn't died!

I haven't seen the neighbour yet to see if that solved the problem... I don't know whether to go over or if then I will be more of a pest than the dog. But I want to know if Pharaoh was quiet... Mum said he was upstairs fast asleep in my bed when she got in (I only have one full day of work and Mums comes in at 1.30pm and stays till I get in at 5.30, on the other two days I work I am home by 1.30 myself), so it would seem likely that he was quiet all day.

Fingers crossed

However...

The neighbour conceded that taking her to kennels in the day 'might' be okay... BUT he then also complained that he does not think I should leave her at home when the other two are walked as she cries then (about an hour at 6pm but she can't go with them, they walk too far for her) and he thinks I am inconsiderate to go to the gym (2hrs 12 - 2pm on a Thursday and Friday), or to go out Friday evening 7.30pm - 11.30pm.

I have arranged to take Selkie with me on the friday night (I go to a book club, but she'll have to stay in the car) ... But do you think he is unreasonable to ask me to stay home all day every day? To never leave Selkie at all?

I can't take her all the way to the kennel just while I'm at the gym.. or shopping? I can't leave her in the car if it's a hot day... I don't know any friends who are not at work at the time... I cant think of a solution...

Any ideas?

Glad to hear you had success with day care

I do think he is being unreasonable about leaving her for a couple of hours during the daytime though. It would be different if it was times when he would be asleep as was happening before but if it is during the day it's not really going to cause him that much upset really. Admittedly it's not nice if he's being bothered by it all the time but you've been very considerate so far in putting your dog into daycare so that she doesn't disturb him while you're working so it's rather unfair, not to mention unrealistic, to not compromise with you a bit as far as walkies and the gym go.

The only other thing I can think of is to take her to a friend's house or to your family's house perhaps when you go to the gym?

Is he actually asking you to stay home all day every day? Or is that what you are inferring from what he says.

Old people often have trouble sleeping and generally nap a lot, therefore if they nap and they are disturbed they find it exhausting.

Perhaps you could take over (insert relevant treat) and have a chat about what is really bothering him?

It may or may not be your dog(s).

I think maybe saying you are meeting him halfway, you are doing everything you reasonably can to ensure your dogs are not a nuisance may help.

Also mention that it is not reasonable for your dogs NEVER to bark or make a noise just as it is not reasonable to expect children never to be silent etc.

Explain what actions you are taking and how that (insert relevant hours) are the KNOWN times that there is a possibility of noise; this may help him to make provision, eg sleep before or after, go out or tunr his hearing aid off/tv up.

What an awful situation for you and him. I can understand his point of view in that he needs to sleep, but you've also been more than fair trying to keep noise to a minimum. You've put her in kennels while at work, he can't expect you to be housebound all the time. I think SB's suggestions above are good, to inform him the times there's likely to be noise so he can schedule naps around it...it's not fair to expect silence all the time.