AARGGG please help

[kerrie and stan]

im going into hospital at the end of the month to have teeth out, i have someone staying with me to keep an eye on me after the anasthetic but they cant walk stan. i have rang a few dog walkers and interviewed two of them,
1st one i wasnt to keen on but wanted to see how they would get on walking stan so they made appointment to take him out today, rang this morning saying somethings come up and cant do it and probly wouldnt be until end of next week before they could get over.
2nd one i liked, he got on ok with stan when we both went out but he asked to come and take stan out without me being there (thats fine) but he hasnt contacted me back.

im running out of time to find someone to walk him and if i cant find anyone then he will have to go into boarding (which i dont want to do as i feel it would stress him out to much) has anyone got any ideas

[kizkiznobite]

it isnt the end of the world if he misses some walks...if he the demanding i need to go walk type then start to do not today hun now...so he gets used to the idea...get your carer to play games to wear him out...hide the biccy, hunt the ball, etc etc....

[kerrie and stan]

he is happy to stay in, he had to stay in over weekend because i wasnt very well, im just woried about him getting time to go to the toilet as i live in a first floor flat and dont have a garden, well we have a comunial garden

[Justine&Rafe]

Defo agree with Bev on this - we had a LOOONG time when Rafe couldn't go out (try a month!!) because he had kennel cough.

And Rafe the sort to climb walls.

Lots and lots of brain work, tons of it.  Lots of kongs and chews and other things (for when you Just Need Fifteen Minutes).

Think of something in his training that you've been putting off for a while and do that instead.  Don't see it as a big thing if he can't get out, more an opportunity to spend some good quality inside time with him.

If you're not gonna be v mobile, then perhaps try teaching him to get stuff for you - you could even do a little bit each night in the run up to you going in...

1 - you'll have someone to fetch all your crap for you as you sit in watching reruns of charmed and Smallville!

and

2 - he'll be so chuffed that you need him to do stuff for you (read you want him to play games with you all day) that he'll hardly even notice he hasn't gone out (or at least that's the idea!)

And keep us posted with what you do teach him.  Bev sent me to the stickies to get ideas, but anything you think would be handy if he could do... give it a go!

[Justine&Rafe]

Oh, just missed that...

Loo breaks defo important!!

I assume he isn't allowed to "go" in the communal garden?  Altho presumably for wee wees that's ok?

So it's just a case of nipping out for 10 mins to do his business a couple of times a day then?

Will you be able to go out at all?  Is it holding him that you are going to have pblms with, or will you be restricted to indoors completely?

[Justine&Rafe]

Bit of the spanish inquisition here - if it's problems holding Stan, could you invest in something like a gentle leader? (I know not ideal, but if you're really really stuck then that could be a last resort - altho you'll want to get him used to it with you beforehand)

A lot of the boarding kennels have vounteers which come and help out walking the dogs for them.  They may be able to suggest someone in your area who would be able to pop round and just take him to the loo for 10 mins for you?

Or you may be able to discuss that sort of arrangement with them in as much as you'd be prepared to pay for them to walk him, but just that you'd prefer him to stay at yours... I don't know how up for that they'd be, but you never know without asking.

Good luck with it, I'm sure it will be ok.

[kerrie and stan]

1 - you'll have someone to fetch all your crap for you as you sit in watching reruns of charmed and Smallville!

  i like the sound of that

thing is stan isnt very mouthy, in the sence of having things in his mouth, the only time he does is if ive given him a bone or ive just got back home and he brings his toy to me but i have been working on 'take' and 'hold' cues which he is picking up well with his cat toy

wil definatly have loads of kongs and stuffed bones done up for him though


he can go to toilet in the garden but ive had some problems with neighours (ex boyfriend not picking up poo ect) so they have had a go a few times about poo being left in garden (not since hes left) but i dont want to risk it again but yes pee-pee is ok

the doctor that did they assesment before i go in said that i probly wont want to get out of bed for the first two days or so, that was why i was looking at a dog walker

[kizkiznobite]

have a word with neighbours...explain the situation...can your carer poo pick...what is the main problem with your carer walking him...do you have a grassy verge or area close to the main flat door?

do you have toileting on cue?

[kerrie and stan]

i have a grassy area just outside the front door but people have to walk past it to get to my neighours. my friend (the person staying here) would probly poo pick if i asked her. she cant walk stan though because the doctor has stipulated that i cant be left alone for at least 24hrs so she woulld have to stay in.

i dont have toilet on cue but im working on it

[kizkiznobite]

ok..but what i am thinking is a harness and a lunge...out of door...carer stays on step...toilet on cue..lunge gives him time to sniff the spot out...in out 5 minutes...

[kerrie and stan]

oh right i see. yeah i think that would work.

so i realy need to work on getting the toilet on cue

[Justine&Rafe]

This not a hijack (for a change!)... First, if Stan not v mouthy, then this IDEAL opportunity to work on that!!  So now you have your aim for the week!

Second - Rafe cued on wee wees, but Bev and Kerrie, as you're working on it, too!... how do you get no 2's on cue?  Is it just the same process as for wees i.e. just cue at as he does it?  I've never really managed it with R as he only goes in front of me about once per day when we out, as rest of day loose in garden for it.  And if he wants to he can hold it for HOURS.  Has been able to ever since he a pup, hence why I couldn't get it then. 

Kerrie, in the meantime, perhaps you could actively encourage Stan to go in the garden before you go out for a walk?  He goes, you clear it up then and there (hopefully with the neighbours watching!) then you go out... Might get him into a bit of a routine with it so he thinks - ooh, out in garden, this where I do that - rather than waiting to be taken for a walk before he goes.

[kerrie and stan]

that is an idea because he has the habit of holding both wee-wees and poops for ages until he goes out for his walk

[kerrie and stan]

i think stan hates me

ive been messing up stans walking routine so he wont pester when i cant take him out and we've been working on the toilet cue which is going well.
im a bit concerned though, about a month ago i suffered a massive migraine that lasted several hours and stan refused to leave my side and was a little agitated, is there anything i can do to prevent him getting distressed during the time i will be unwell?

[kizkiznobite]

reduce the re-enforcement