Moving into my condo with my 2 dogs, need some tips on exercising them daily...HELP!!?

Question

I will be moving into a condo soon with my 2 beloved canines, a jack russell and my little mini-rott, baby girl, not a regular size rott..anyway, i work 8 hours a day and don't have anyone to walk them, because I have 2 dogs, if I pay a dog walker, or day care I will go broke and poor, I can walk them a lot at night, or a little in the morning, and a little at night...weekends are covered, i'm a 9-5'er, worried about leaving them alone all day and if I crate them i feel I'm being inhumane thinking they will get cage fever, is that true? Leaving them alone could be disaster in the making...anyone else in this predicament, or has been, what did you do? what awesome toys out there could possibly kill the time (tried kongs), then there is 7+hours left to their own devices...any cheaper dog walkers in the GTA that anyone knows of? I would slice my wrists before giving my dogs up, so please don't suggest this as an option. There has to be some tips I may not know of
JRT - 1.5yr, rott- 1yr

Answer 1

instead of crating spend time training them and dog proof the condo, they have to learn not to destroy the place. I know my JRT would be miserable in a crate. Tire them out with long walks in the morning, and spend the evenings working on obedience and other training because toys won't be a good enough solution unfortunately

EDIT: 20 min would not be enough for my JRT, she'd be like "that was fun now whats next". You might have to get up an hour earlier and walk for an hour at least, see how much your dogs will need.

Answer 2

May take some sacrifice of sleep on your part, but its doable. Get your little self up an extra 45 minutes early- chug your coffee and take the dogs for a nice 30 minute walk. Personally, I have no objection to crating the dogs when you are at work, as long as they get plenty of attention and exercise. Then, when you get home, they get another long walk, cool down, then dinner and play time plus a potty break just before bed. If they can be trusted, you can leave them out of the crates at night. Once you get settled in and get to know your neighbors, perhaps you can hire a responsible teenager in the building to take them for a little break at mid day- the high school kids around me get home by 2:30- should be less costly than a "professional" dog walker. I would worry most about the JRT- they have so much energy, and can be quite devious when left to amuse themselves- so its up to you to help him burn it up, and give him jobs to do---basic obedience, hide his toys and make him find them, maybe do a little agility or rally on the weekends.

Answer 3

Best you can do is walk them Every chance you get and spend as much time with them as you can.

Does your condo have an extra bedroom you can turn into a dog play room so they don't have to be caged. Put in furniture they will enjoy and lots of activities for them. A TV with dog programs., etc.
Those food balls are great. Keeps them busy playing soccer while they tumble out treats.

See if you can make friends with one of the local children, teens, and hire them to walk the guys but be sure the teens are responsible; don't want your condo or the dogs abused.

Answer 4

Rather than crating them, is there a room in the house (kitchen or bathroom) that you can gate off? If so, then you can leave them with lots of toys, water, etc, and they'll be able to move around a bit more. When you get home take them on a LONG walk to get some of their energy out.

Get them some interactive toys. Ropes to play tug a war with, kongs, "search" toys, etc.

Answer 5

Take them for a long walk before and after work.
Instead of crate them for 8 hours, confine them in a dog proof room with lots of toys and water would be better.

Answer 6

If you love your dogs you will do what is best for them not you. If you only work 9 - 5 why can you not take them a long walk in the am and a long walk in the pm. Under your present circumstances you should not have dogs as pets as you are unable to look after them properly.

Answer 7

20 min walk am before work
crate til u get home nyla bones and kongs with frozen yogurt or peanutbutter in them work great.crates are not inhumane,your dogs are safer in there than roaming the house chewing on your stuff.what is cage fever?who fed u that bs?
walk 20 to 60 min when u get home
20 min before bed
the'll be fine

Answer 8

if you have an hour lunch break, it would be good to have lunch at home and check up on your dogs: make sure there is enough water/food and let them out for the bathroom, and if there is enough time, give them a walk.

if you don't have that time, i suggest finding a friend who is willing to watch/walk them daily

Answer 9

Is there a way that you could send them to doggie day care once or twice a week....mine go on Tuesday and Thursday and it really seems to help them burn a lot of excess anxiety.