06/09/2022
🐶🐾🍂🥂 DAYS OFF 🥂🍂🐾🐶
As many of your know, Ollie and I haven’t had weekly days off together for the last few years.
There’s been 2 reasons for this.
💕🐶 NESS NESS & SAM 🐶💕
Sam has always struggled with people leaving the house. He gets very anxious, distressed and can (and has) bitten to try and stop us leaving. When we’re all at home together he will sometimes bark at people walking past the house, strange noises and delivery vans but if we’re not here, he will bark at EVERY person who walks past, EVERY noise, EVERY delivery van. A clear sign that he has some separation related difficulties.
Ness Ness, who has always been ‘ok’ (she’s never loved it) being left, barked and howled her head off for 2 hours straight the first time she was left in our new house. Luckily our fab neighbours were honest with us when we asked how the dogs had been and said they sounded really distressed. She was so worried that for almost 2 years, even if walked out the front door to pop the bins out she’d howl.
I vowed to them both that I’d never leave them in that position again.
And as logistically difficult as that was - we made it happen.
And slowly, slowly slowly, we started to re build their confidence in being left. At first for seconds, then for a minute, then a little longer.... and now for the past couple of months we’ve been able to leave them for a couple of hours; settled, sleeping and content.
So... we’re now at the stage where we’re comfortable knowing that on occasions our work hours may over lap by an hour or 2, because they’ll be fine.
Which means that for the first time in years we’re having planned days off TOGETHER!!!
My days off are now Tuesday & Wednesday for the foreseeable future (other than tomorrow... last Wednesday eve Hoopers Class!).
And if it doesn’t suit Ness Ness & Sam? We’ll rethink it. Because my promise to never let them feel that way again. It still stands and comes before everything. 🐶💕🐶
