The More Laidback Chazzer

[hey_jude]

Lately I've felt a bit out of place. I still love my dogs to death, feed them great food, do recreational agility when we have time to do it, send them to daycare once a week, take them to either the park or beach once or twice a week... but... I feel like with my second dog I've mellowed out a bit more.

Occasionally I forget to go to the good quality pet food store and we end up with Nutrish by Rachael Ray from the grocery store. Some days I don't have enough time to do something with my dogs (yep- sometimes not even a 10 minute walk- I just send them to the yard) and pass out bones for entertainment. Some months I barely do training at all.

Anyone else mellowed out a bit? I really hate to say it, but having a second dog I feel more laid back. They have a happy life- but I also have accepted I'm a busy young adult who can provide a great life for them without having to obsess over their every second. I'm less Jude focused every second of the day. My dogs have been a bit more of... well, dogs. They still come with me to work a few days a week and it's insane how far out of my way i go sometimes to 'include' them in my day, but I've kind of put them in a tiny bit more of a pet role since Jonah arrived.

Totally respect those more intense about their dog owning- just wondering if there are some people here a bit more laid back like me? My dogs seem to still have a really happy life, but sometimes when I come on here I start feeling guilty!

 

[Laurelin]

We haven't done anything lately. It's really a combination of things. 1. New job so I'm out a lot more and trying to get training, etc under my belt. It's just taking up a lot of time. But the big one 2. It's MISERABLY hot. I think my co-worker said we were on day 23/24 of straight 100+ weather or something like that. It's routinely 104-108. I think stillwater hit 111 the other day. Ugh! When I go to work at 6 am, it's still burning hot. At 8 pm it's still over 100 degrees out. Absolutely miserable.

We haven't gone to the park in over a month. Haven't taken them for a walk either. I've just been basically playing with them and training inside and then hanging out in the back yard and pool and letting them run around a few minutes. But they're done after just a little bit really. Lots of playing tennis ball lately.

They seem happy so I'm okay with it.

 

[Renee750il]

Oh, I'm extremely laid back

Except on the food. My mom was slipping them some of the stuff she was buying (I think maybe it was the Rachel Ray? ) and Bimmer and Tallulah started itching and getting scabby places on their skin, right above their tails.

But other than that, I'm pretty chilled out.

Although I can't sleep if Kharma's not on the bed, lol. Not like she's going to NOT be there.

 

[AliciaD]

Getting my second dog, a combination of resenting the fact that I got saddled with him when he was supposed to be my brothers, and a little bit of general laid-backness caused me to not do much socialization -> came right back and bit me in the @$$.

I'm weary of getting too laid back nowadays. At the same time though, living in a rural area there is no agility, flyball, or Shutzhund training available. Nearest ANYTHING is agility over an hour away (and the dogs don't really enjoy car rides).

I don't know, I'm afraid of relaxing. Maybe it's all the stress I'm under, but lately I feel like I'm climbing up a mud slide and if I stop to catch my breath I'll get buried under a mountain o' dirt.

 

[AllieMackie]

I'm pretty laid back - many days Finn just gets yard play, an evening walk, some training and a big ol' bully stick - nothing like a year ago. My new job is taking some time for both of us to get used to, and my overall effort with him is mellowed, at least for the time being.

Being a chill dog owner is fine. Even with Border Collies. Your dogs are happy and you are happy, and that's what matters in the end.

 

[skittledoo]

Meh... it's been ridiculously hot for one thing and two... with me being more overweight and going through so much stress right now, I'll be honest, I feel like I haven't been quite as active with my dogs as usual. I don't like it though. It's nice to have days where we just chill around the house and do nothing, but my dogs get bored and honestly.... I can get a bit bored with it too sometimes so I like being able to get out and do something. But.... it's so hot and humid that it's awful trying to step outside.

I've been just letting the dogs run around in the yard a bit until they want to come in, training indoors, playing indoors and as far as food, I don't have any desire to change their food unless it's to change it to something better for them than what I currently feed.

 

[Southpaw]

Nope, I'm laid back. I am busy now and have realized I don't need to devote all my time, energy, and money to my dogs. Yes they get good food, yes I do activities when I have time. But I also no longer feel guilty if I want to spend my entire Saturday out shopping. The last time I really DID something with Juno was on the 4th of July. Other than that she's just been hanging at home, entertaining herself (granted, the weather here sucks this summer so we haven't really had an opportunity to do much, anyway).

 

[noludoru]

I would characterize my dog ownership skills as "lazy."

He's barely trained, but behaved decently well, and since I got a job and got busy we don't do much of anything anymore. I started practically living with my boyfriend last fall and the poor dog was just ignored for a few months because of it. I saw him 1-2x a week.

Flame away.

 

[Laurelin]

I really honestly can't wait for the fall. I'm getting so bored not doing anything outside where we used to spend hours at the park. It's just to darn hot.

I do plan on eventually doing all saturday morning and sunday afternoon at the park. But the weekdays they're just going to have to deal with less. I can't be running them off leash as much as I did before. I was doing 2+ hours a day off leash walking with them so Mia could run, plus fetch, plus training at home, plus 3x agility a week. I am realizing it's just not happening like that anymore. My schedule just isn't as flexible.

If I can get agility to work with the schedule (not right now) then I'd like to add classes with Mia somewhere in there. I'd also like to do a class or two with the new dog in the future. But it won't be heavy duty training like I'd imagined, I don't think. But that's fine with me at this point.

 

[skittledoo]

I'm hoping to put Cricket in classes as well when the weather cools down. Definitely want to do agility, but I'd like to take an obedience class or something first just to get some experience working with each other as a team first in a group like setting.

 

[Saeleofu]

I'm fairly laid back with my dogs. The one thing I WON'T budge on though is food. They get thier TOTW, come hell or high water. I'm very selective about treats as well.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I am fairly laidback with Jackson, I think. Definitely moreso lately due to this hot weather. Sometimes I feel guilty, too. Like, I could be doing more with him and stuff. But then I remember how ridiculously spoiled he is compared to so many other dogs and don't feel so bad.

Lately, he's been going to my dads house 2 nights a week or so with me. That's where he gets all of his swimming in and LOTS of off leash running. He was getting 2-3 mile walks everyday but it's too hot. He doesn't want to and I don't want to. I have been playing with him indoors alot. We took one agility class last Fall. I still try to do clicker training every other night or so but to be honest, I'm running out of trick ideas, etc. I'm ready for Fall and I'm also wanting a second dog more and more *sigh*

 

[SizzleDog]

Honestly.... I think a lot of people "grow up" when they have more than just one dog. I don't mean that single dog owners are bad in ANY way - it's just that with two... routines often change.

Same thing happens when people get overdogged... routines change. I loved having one, but I loved having two even more. Three is my ideal, which is what we're back to now, thank goodness. Four was okay... five was rough.... six and seven was INSANE. But that's just my experience - other people have different thresholds.

 

[Specsy]

I think I became a lot more laid back when Leo arrived. I was so over the top with Bella, I babied her to an unreasonable level, and it shows in her personality. She is highly dependent and does not "think" for herself. Like if I put a clothes peg on Leo's ear he will get it off, Bella will just wait there begging for someone to take it off for her (no I don't abuse my dogs it was just to see the difference in reaction). I am not so over the top with food anymore. They eat what my pocket affords. Sometimes I really can't afford anything good, and they go on something not so good. I don't spoil myself or buy luxuries of any kind so my money mostly goes to them. So it isn't as if I am using the money on myself and neglecting their food. In the past I would beg for money to get good food for my dogs, now I just go ahead and but whatever I can afford at the time. Is it good? Probably not. But flame as anyone might, I love my dogs, and I do what I can afford.

 

[Shai]

Depends on how you look at it...I've always been pretty laid back except when I couldn't be...like when Kim was a pup with severe fear issues. But she's pretty much over it. That said they do get a lot of exercise, and frequently, but it's more because I'm that active and they just come along...I got dogs to fit my lifestyle, didn't change my lifestyle to fit my dogs if that makes sense.

A few months ago was probably the most "intentional" I've been, when we first moved to our temporary lodging and I had dogs in a new place while starting a new job and without a fenced yard in the dead of winter when everything was a sheet of ice (not to be confused with snow which is easy). Had to get creative there for a bit...

Food...well I don't feel raw right now but I do feel good kibble and have never wavered from that but the "good stuff" is just as readily available as the grocery store stuff so I would have to be pretty incredible lazy fail in that.

 

[~Jessie~]

I'm somewhat laid back.

The food, however, we've never gone to anything lower quality than Acana. There are times I'll forget to thaw out raw and they end up eating kibble, though... like this morning

They get 2-3 mile long walks at night at least 2-3 times a week (mostly because I need the exercise... LOL). Rory goes running with Ian at least 5 times a week in the mornings.

Lately I've been slacking on their training. I've wanted to do agility for a while and I need to start that, but it's been WAY too hot to be outside during the day. It's horrible. I can't wait until the fall, because unless it's before 8am or after 7pm, it's just too hot.

 

[Blue_Dog]

I wish I could be more intense with Sam. I just do not have the money for it. And university is coming up along with me getting a job soon. I know it will balance out, but right now I'm stressed beyond belief from being so nervous. He still gets his daily walks, I work on his training, I play with him outside. But I've never been able to do anything with him like a sport or extensive training, etc. I'd love to though. I am working on building some back yard agility stuff (just jumps). He usually has fun with jumping and it will give us something to do this summer.

 

[mrose_s]

I've been lazy the last few weeks because agility had a 7 week break before we started agility and the last 3 weeks I've missed my informal agility class due to other things.

But mostly, getting a second dog made me even more dog crazy, Quinn gave me the oppurtunity to get into all the dog things I've wanted to do for years and I love that, its also given me the inspiration to keep working with Buster, I'm hoping in the next couple of months I can get him onto the outskirts of my weekend classes and eventually get him into rally-o.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Yep, I know what you mean. It's been so hot out here that I really haven't exercised Violet AT.ALL in like...a long time. She's a little high strung, driving us a bit crazy, but she still spends half her day sleeping. They adjust. And she's relatively happy. We're getting our fence FINALLY pretty soon here, so that'll be remedied.

But yeah, when we don't have extra money, we've fed purina, or nutrish by rachel ray. I think it's like NEVER exposing your kids to germs until they go to school. Then they get sick. My dogs have experienced food with grains, so if in the future they're ever rehomed, or we don't have the money to feed them TOTW, they'll be okay, because they're not completely sheltered from all things "bad". We do 99% of the time feed them good food, though.

I've always been a laid back owner though - because when we were growing up, dogs were dogs. They got leftovers, bones, and Ol'Roy dog food. They lived outside for the most part, coming in at night. We didn't KNOW anything about being responsible pet owners. So I know how much worse they could have it - and my dogs have it pretty **** good. So I don't stress over little stuff, especially when it's short-term. They're happy, and well cared for.

 

[jenv101]

I'm loving having two dogs - it has mellowed Riley out a lot - he's much more well behaved now and it's nice that they can keep each other busy when we don't have time or energy to do stuff with them. Also with the new puppy its less stressful because I've been through it not too long ago. Totally get where you're coming from. Don't feel guilty!