[yorkie_mom]

After 7 years of working from my home office, I have accepted a position with a company. That means I will be working 8 to 5 from an office that does not allow pets. My 2 dogs (1 yorkie, and 1 silky) are used to eating around 11am and 7pm, and they go out to the bathroom 8am, 2pm, and 6pm, I also take them for an evening walk.

Now that I am starting to work at an office for 8 hours, how should I adjust their feeding and bathroom schedule??

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!!

 

[Dragonrain]

Is there any way you can get someone to come in and take them out once during the day? Or maybe come home on your lunch break to let them outside?

If not - I would let them out right before you leave from work, and then as soon as you get home again. From 8 to 5 is kind of a long time to make a dog go without going to the bathroom, but plenty of other people work full time and own dogs and make it work out.

I don't know how soon you start your new job, but maybe start slowly adjusting their schedules so they are use to the new hours when you have to start work . Decide now what their new feeding/bathroom schedule will be and start adjusting to it now.

Good luck, and congrats on the new job!

 

[Kendalle]

I work 8 -5 and take messi out before i go, once at lunch and once after n then later at night... He can make it all day if i can't make it home for lunch though.

 

[yorkie_mom]

Thank you for your advice. @Kendalle, do you feed messi in the morning before going to work?? What is your feeding schedule?? Thanks in advance!!

 

[Kendalle]

oh i have food out all the time. He isn't much of an eater

 

[Zylca]

My dogs recently had to adjust from my part time schedule to full time hours. A week out I limited their access to outside and was very careful to stick to a feeding schedule that would work with my new hours.

I feed them about 2 hours before they will be on house arrest. They have access to water all day and do fine the 9 hours before I get home. It is ideal? Not really, but it is what it is.

 

[My3Dogs]

We feed our dogs in the morning around 8am. I leave for work about 8:45 and I'm home at 3:00. Last week, we got the new puppy and he can't go that long so I have to come home at lunch. I give him a tiny meal then too. Eventually he will be able to hang long enough that I don't have to run home for lunch. I'm lucky in that I only work 10 minutes from home though. Good luck on your new job!!

 

[wishbone]

Just hope your dogs will adopt this huge adjustment, one best thing really is to have someone watch and let them out/feed until they used to your new schedule.

 

[Purple-Hops]

Like Dragon said, the slower the transition the better. To avoid terrible separation anxiety, feed them and relieve them then ignore them. Don't pay attention to them up to 15 minutes before you leave and don't make it a big deal when you come home. Sure, you will have missed your dogs and they will be thrilled to see you come home but wait until they're calm before rewarding them with play.

As for food, wake up and take them for a walk. I know this sucks for me and I wake up a half hour earlier than Matt (used to an hour earlier) to walk Coco so he's not bouncing off the walls like a monkey. Walking them in the morning then feeding them is a good routine to start. When you come home, flip through your mail go turn on the kettle and THEN say hello to them. They will realise that the new routine is your idea and that they get attention when its your idea.