tlc

Well got home today after my shift and found no accidents and all was well with my little doggy family, they ran outside and weren't even busting, none of them went to the loo till about 5 minutes later while I was hanging the washing ont he line. Im so pleased I won't have to worry now I know they can do it. Thanks for all the input, Im off to the doggy park now to let me sleeping beauties have a good run. :D

No I was too scared to go outside, Sean came home and they settled down, he said there was movement next Door so probly them? But they were carrying on out of the ordinary.

They are such a cute couple! I wouldn't be able to get shots like this if it wasn't for food :p

Done!

Yea I headed up to AP about 12 ish, it was sooo windy!! But nice and dry, not that that would have been a problem as all my lot have had a bath this arvo! I am currently trying to convince the four of them (and myself) that there is nothing outside, they are barking like as if there is something out there and I'm to scared to go and see. :p My OH is at cricket he had a late game tonight, but should be home soon.

I know what you mean. The days I do work they are really good as soon as I put that red shirt on, it's like thier faces go ok she is off to work so they all go to thier respective spots and wait for thier treat and I walk out the door no drama! On the day I don't work its like ok what are we doing today and If I dare think about heading out the door without them for some reason or other (doesn't happen very often) what a carry on!

I love your pups they are so cute! Great shot. I can't wait to do mine this year, was it expensive to have them done through Vista print?

Well tomorow is the day, I think they will be fine but It will be me that feels like a bad doggy owner! I blame my boss I do agree it does make sense to excersise a dog before you leave for a long stint but in my case I will have trouble even getting them out of bed. I think when you have more than one they do keep each other company and mine play a lot when I am home. I will stop feeling so guilty now that I know there are others that leave thier dogs even longer than I am doing. Who knows it will probly et to lunch time tomrow and I Will have to supress the urge to come home I have the plan to get them outside as soon as I get up (and that will not be easy!) to do thier business and then again before I leave they can go out for another go!

I have decided I am not going to go to the beach, to much to do here and only one day off this week so have to fit it all in. But I am going to the park instead, but JJ if you still wanna join me please do. I am going on my own.

No thats fine would love it if you could come along!! The more the merrier!!

Ok great, I am going with another friend and her two dogs are friendly and I am sure she would love to meet Tarni! I will let you know what time if we go. Think I will wait to see what the weather is going to do before I decide.

I have visions of your cat and the Aussies running amuck in your house while you are away! Party anyone?!! :D

My guys are totally trust worthy indoors and have been for a long time. I'm not sure if the bolded part of your post is having a dig at me, but when I work if I work early, they get walked afterwards and If I work late they get walked before and sometimes again when I knock off. I personally don't think it matters when they get for thier walk as long as they do! I am also lucky that apart from this day each week, I am only gone for around 5 hours and the rest of my day is usually devoted to my dogs. To me that is quite acceptable and I don't think it is mean at all. What do others think am I mean not walking my dogs before I go to work??

Sounds like he is getting on fabulously! I feed my lot Nutro they love it. Look forward to more pics.

Wow that's great, I guess because I only work part time and been lucky enough to have short shifts I have never had to put it to the test and I am just guided by them letting me know when they want to go out when I'm home, they don't always want to go out to toilet sometimes they will just want to go outside to sit in the sun. Thanks for all the posts here, after reading I am definatley going to see how they go, now I better scoot to get them for a walk before I have to go to work today!

The thing is they will all go and all will go on comand so I am lucky but I have to make sure one of my girls doesn't stooge me I just go out with them and make sure they go, if I am watching she will go, I just have to be a bit firmer in my comand for her to go. I haven't put it to the test yet this friday will be the first time. As I have always made it a rule to only leave them for no longer than 6 hours. Ah I only wish we had a doggy day care here but the only way I would send mine to doggy day care is if I was running it! :D call me paranoid but I don't trust anyone else with my dogs, stupid I know but thats just me. Our town is only a relative small type city and there is not many doggy facilities here. I used to do family day care and so many people said I should open up a doggy day care facility, not sure if it would be a winner here. But you would need to have a good location and lots of room. I only live on a regular size town block. I would much prefer to look after dogs all day than go to work to mix paint then this whole thing wouldn't be a dilemma.

Wow thats amazing!! See this is exactly what I am trying to come to terms with, I know they will be able to hold but is it right to expect them to, its feeling guilty and thinking of them maybe busting and needing to go and I am not there to let them go. I do think they will be fine and it is just me being pedantic about it. Good to hear about other long inside stayers though!

We have never wanted to use a dog door as we have neighbours extremely close, I would pefer them to be inside and at least then if they have a bark they are not disturbing the neighbours. My neighbours are great and have all said the dogs don't bother them at all. They do bark a bit nothing over the top but I am not game to let them all be out when I am not here. Also last year we had a spate of dogs being poisoned in back yards and I am not willing to risk this happening. Paranoid I know but I just don't want to risk it. Also my cats stay in the back yard during the day, my old girl who is 19 next month, she would come and go as she pleases but she needs cat litter when she is inside, which is in a different part of the house, so if she came in the dog door she wouldn't have her litter and if I did leave the litter where she could use it where the dogs are I have one Dog who loves Cat poo I always make sure the litter is clean but couldn't be certain she wouldn't use it while I wasn't there. I also prefer the dogs and cats to be apart while I am not there to supervise. Ah so many variables I am probly worrying about nothing and I am sure they would be fine. I have thought of every possible scenario and of course like I said if I am worried about it, I can pop home to let the out. I guess I was just curious to see how long others left thier inside for with no one home.

The only think is the toileting, they are all fine inside, I used to separate them 2 in one part of the house and two in another part but I stopped doing that a while ago now they just have the run of the dining room and lounge. They have toys and stuff to play with which they do when I am home but when I am out and get home there is no eveidence that they pay with anything it is all still in the toy box and the couple of times I videoed them they slept. So nothing apart from the toileting is worrying me. I guess I feel bad if I come home and they have had an accident as I know they will hold it as long as they could. The other thing is they are big sleeping in dogs so to get them out and to do all thier business early in the morning is a big thing it is so out of thier routine, they look at me as if to say "Ah Hello dont think we are oging outside now" I usually go out with them to make sure they have been as one of my girls is a shocker she will just come right back in without going and go out when she is good and ready, well she can't do that if I am not there!! I think if I am vigilant and make sure they have been before I go they might be ok!

Thanks Guys, I am glad I posted now and I think I will leave them and see how they go. I don't leave them with food all together when I am not home to supervise, they are fine and all eat together but I always supervise. We have had a couple of incidents re food so best not to temp fate! Bub does your phter puppy stay outside while your not there? Sunnyflower, I feel for you what a rotten situation to be in. How long do they think till you can safely put your boy back in the back yard?? Silentchild, the live streaming sounds great but I reckon it woul dbe like watching paint dry with my lot, sleep slepp and more sleep FHRP, glad im not the only one who is not a morning person My lot are only young so I am hoping they wil be fine, If I have to clean up a bit when I get home no big deal and I haven't lost anything by giving it a go!

WHat a cute puppy, love the story so far. with regards to his food, can you still feed him what the breeder was feeding him? HE might need to be gradually changed over or he could get a tummy upset if his food is different. I kept my guys on the same food as the breeder for a while then changed them over gradually.

HI Guys, just after a couple of opinions on a bit of a dilemma. I only work part time and only ever leave the dogs alone (inside) for 5 hours 6 at the absolute most. So far all of my shifts have been 5 hours. Also if we go out socially the dogs are inside no more than 5 - 6 hours at a time. So my boss wants me to work Fridays now and 7 till 2.30 so this means from the time I leave hom 6.45am till the time I get home 2.45pm give or take a few minutes the dogs will be inside for 8 hours. I can come home at lunch time to let them out for a wee and what not but I would prefer not to. I think they will be fine for 8 hours but OH thinks it will be to long for them to hang on for the loo. There is no way I would do this every day but will it be ok to do for one day a week? They sleep at night from about 10 till about 9 in the morning on the days I work late so most nights go between 9 - 11 hours without a pit stop, but obviously I am there if they need to go and they do ocassionally. I have video taped them and they sleep while I'm not there. I think it wouldn't bother me so much if I could have them walked before I go but this is not an option at this stage as I am so not a morning person and would have to get up at a ridiculous hour to get them out to give them a good run and it would be dark so thats a deal breaker for me! So what would you do and do any of you leave your dogs inside for that long during the day.

Sounds like fun although the show scene is not really me although I do like looking at al the beautiful doggies!! RJ may definatley be interested, she has a show prospect in the wind in the future! Maybe we could talk he into having another shot with the boofy boy!! I have always wanted to go to a dog show with my camera but not sure what the etiquite is as far as taking photos of dogs being shown?? We havent been out and about much this week due to work and weather, it's been really ordinary. Planning a trip to Kilarney on Thursday if the weather is good. I went to point ritchie last thursday and it was great down there, the dogs have a ball. The walk way to the dog beach is closed so you have to climb down the side of the embankment, getting down was ok getting back up was a bit of an issue but got there in the end!!

If you dog socializes a lot with other dogs then I would say get the Kc done. 2 of mine piked it up from a friends dog but the vet said it was only a mild case due to them being vaccinated against it. I also understand that there are a few different strains of KC and the dog can't be vaccinated against all of them.

Oh they are so cute, what sort of doggies are they Maltese??