Winter dog ownership

Is anyone else finding this winter a tough one?

I guess because it's my first proper one with Woody but I'm finding it hard to get into a proper routine for him and still have time to myself these days and actually find it quite frustrating sometimes.

Neil gets up at 6am and does the morning walk which has to be 30-40 minutes on lead only. I get home at 2pm everyday and take him out for an hour/hour and a half off lead from about 3-5pm ish. By the time I get back and cleaned everything and everyone off its time to warm up in the bath and cook dinner.

If I skip Woody's afternoon walk occasionally and leave it for Neil to do when he gets back I feel guilty as it means he's only getting an on lead walk that day, BUT I don't have anytime to tidy up the house, make/bake things and even write my cards!!

Basically I'm whinging and need to suck it up but how do you lot manage it??????

The darker nights are defo a pain. Dan's behaviour off lead has deteriorated, simply because he's not off lead enough. I can't let him off in the dark, coz people sometimes walk antisocial dogs in the dark and because he goes off a long way. Road walks aren't as much fun. The muddy wet dog after EVERY walk is a nuisance too!

our routine stays the same all year round, get up at 5:45am, walk for an hour, along the canal and some road walking too. Then another walk at lunch time, then an evening walk (hubby does evening walk).
I do find it hard getting up when it's dark in a morning but as soon as I'm up and out I feel ok. I think I'm weird coz I've got waterproofs and so the rain doesn't bother me as long as I've got the right gear on.
Mark my hubby helps loads in the house etc so that helps take some pressure off house work, he's a good un

*Runs over and kisses Gill*

So glad I'm not alone. The mud is OK but it is annoying that we can't just go out and come back. I have to layer up, walk outside in my muddy boots before puting them on. He jumps about like crazy because he's so excited and pulls my scarf (I actually have to get dressed in a different room now - I don't mind but it's just more time to add to the whole event). Then when we get back I have to remove my muddy boots, towel him off, try and keep him form jumping on the furniture (we have no door I can shut) then wash the towels! This is becoming very repetitive.

Then, despite the fact that he's only been on his own for about 5 hours, 4 times a week, he's hyper in the evenings and wont settle. Neil is convinced it's because he needs to poo (he normally goes an hour or two after dinner and only ever on a walk) but I'm not sure. I think this weather charges him.

Please don't get me wrong, I love my springle sprangle and would not have it any other way but sometimes it is abit tiresome.

out side of work hours bruce is the only thing keeping me active.

How the heck do you walk along a canal at 6am at this time of year?

I don't mind the rain, I actually prefer walking in this weather it's the before and after hassle I'm becoming tired of.

Neil helps heaps too but he works 8-4.30pm an does a 50 minute commute each day so as I'm only part time I'd feel bad expecting him to do too much.

I guess I'm just a woman and having one of those swamped moments. Bloody Christmas doesn't help!! God help me when I have a child!! ;o)

I hate winter!!

Our two end up on lead-only walks all week and only get a proper off lead walk at the weekend. Obviously, they have the garden to bomb around in, but it's not the same.

Because of where we live, there is nowhere safe to go off lead once the daylight is gone. Nowhere is lit at night, except for some of the pavements, so we end up tramping round the streets Coupled with the fact that I'm physically not at home during daylight hours at the moment, it's pants.

The kitchen is filthy, I'm mopping the floor 2 or 3 times a day, there are muddy footprints all over, from where they've escaped into the house before drying off; and it's miserable.

i don't like it either. this is lily's first winter and although she has taken it in her stride not having lovely, long evening walks offlead, i'm sure she misses all her doggy friends we used to meet up with. her and dylan get an hour in the park at lunchtime and then i walk her round the streets for approx 30 to 40 minutes in the evening. i don't take dylan on the evening walk as he is an old man now and i don't think it would do him good to be on hard ground for that amount of time.

therefore he is missing out too.

speaking of mud, i know lily is only small but we were at the end of our park walk the other day and although it was hideously muddy, we had more or less got away with it. also we were the only ones there.

just arrived at the car when a lady pulled up and let her gorgeous leonberger pup out of her car. well, i just stood and watched while the leo rolled my little jack in the mud as they started a game of chase!!! lily was filthy when she came back to me but oh so happy to have had a game!!

Children are easier, simple- go to your room!
Yes its the never ending dog towel drying and smell of wet dog at ours (i do like the smell of wet dog though!)
Sis just got a dog and it refuses walks in the rain, how unfair is that? Mine dont care need thier walk whatever. I dont think my labs are as demanding as a springer though. Finding i nice walk with somewhere they can have a dip at the end to clean up was the best thing that happend in a long time. Remember it will be summer again soon and how smug we will be when we are out in the first rays of sunlight while the world misses out and sleeps on.

I love the winter when there is proper snow on the ground and clear crispy mornings, I hate this miserable, dark, damp cant make its mind up type of weather, where everthing is wet, cant leave patio doors open for dogs to wander in and out because the rain comes in and soaks the floor, everything feels cold and damp, and the dogs take ages to dry off,

Mo