Managing a full time day job & training - Page 1

I wanted to know how do those with regular fullt ime day jobs juggle their schedule with work, family and dog or dogs.

I am gone everyday to work for about 9+ hours a day and only have 1 dog to train but of course after a full day or work that can be tough.  I have noticed that I would love to train mid morning if I could as I have the energy level but of course that is impossible since I work.  By the time I get home and Im beat it is hard to muster up the positive attitude to work a dog.  I do it but I know it isn't quite the same when I have a day off and can do it midday. Right now we work on stuff after I get home and take a breather. Luckily I have one so it isn't that bad. 

What is your schedule like and how many dogs do you have to train?

I work 60 hours a week from 6 pm to 6am Monday-Friday.  I train with my group on Tuesdays and Fridays and Sunday afternoons.  I also train thru out the week on my own. I currently have 5 dogs under nine months and one that is three years old.  The advantage to my schedule is I do get to sleep at my job since I am a paramedic working for a county service that is fairly slow so most nights I get 6-8 hours of sleep. I can only think of maybe 6-7 nights where I was up all night.  That being said with the young dogs I have it doesn't take a lot of time to train them I do try and work them twice a day tho.  At this point in my life my schedule and job is just about perfect for what I am doing.

Ace, I'm in the same boat. You can only do what you can.

It is hard. I am tired after work like the OP.

I track twice a week, Saturday and Sunday. I do Ob twice a week, one day after work and Sunday. And I am only able to do protection on Sundays.

It is just a fact of life. My dogs are not ever going to be the ones with SchH 1 by two years old. But I do have two SchH 3's under my
belt and am starting my third now.

It is suppose to be fun. Do it at your own pace.

I am a full-time doctoral candidate and am doing clinicals.  My week between the two is 60+ hours (longer if I have clients that are in crisis), then add in all the homework, studying, report and paper writing, research, and study group meetings.  I have 2 dogs that spent the majority of their lives working and training multiple times a week until a year ago when my schedule became ridiculous.  Now I make sure to get one if not two days a month in on training and try to walk them a mile or two as many times a week as I can (although a few times it has only been a few blocks).  I take them to the store (now that it is cooler) or other trips for necessities just to get them out of the house, I hide treats and toys around the house to find, take them over to the park every so often and just let them wander and sniff (on lead).  Anyone has any suggestions for fun stuff that will challenge them and help their boredom, I am all ears.  They do not play well with other dogs, long story and it is rooted on their background before I got them.

Hi Ace! Yeah, it's tough to fit in enough time to exercise the dog, not to mention training him. I take my dog out about 20-30 minutes before I got to work (before my daughter wakes up), and another 20-30 minutes before I go to sleep (after my doughter goes to sleep). I try to have the dog do some obedience on one of the two. Usually on wednesday I extend the night walk a bit longer and work the obedience a bit longer. On saturdays I go to schutzhund (8-11 am) and that's usually when the dog gets longer training sessions, as well as socialize with other people and other dogs. If you think it's tough now, wait till you add a wife and kids to the equation!!!!

work from 6:0am-2:30pm...M-F...train T,W,Thur and Sun....track Sat and Sun every week...sometimes after work...weather permitted...am club helper...working 2 dogs.

I am a clinical shift manager for two critical care units working 3 to 4, 12hr (often more like 14hr), night shifts mainly over the weekends. Throughout the week I am dealing often with meetings or educational stuff. Currently I have 5 dogs, 3 training in SCHH. Going to the club 3x a week. I dont train too much at home besides going tracking. Dogs are getting ball time daily, or I romp with them through the woods.
I can be outright excausted, but the dogs help me keep my sanity, so I always look forward to training or doing stuff with them.

Thanks for the responses.  I guess misery enjoys company...lol  just kidding

Yeah I work from about 8 - 6/6:30.  I know many people say get up early to work your dog but I'm honest with myself and know that I am not a morning person.  I stay in bed as long as possible before I get up for the day.  My dogs get worked at night when I get home to basically work on OB.  I envy the people who have the time to train during the day.  I try to give at least 20 minutes of work in a day.  I am thinking about 2 sessions at night.  One when I get home and another before I hit the bed.  I train for Sch once a week on saturday and then Im up at 6am.  Sunday is the only day I can sleep in and man i try to take advantage of it.

Wish I had easier schedule to work with but I enjoy the time I do get to train as it is a stress releiver. I agree Chaz, you do what you can do.  I use to do it everyday when I got home and sometimes 2x a day and I quickly burned myself out.  I was tired all the time and didn't look forward to it.  I now do it at least x a week (not including weekends) so I can stay positive.

Seeing what some of you all have going on, it isn't easy.  Do many of you have far to drive for training?  Especially those who train 2-3x a week.  'm always up for suggestions to help make things easier or more fun.

What Chaz said.  Gotta make it work, do what you can.  I'm at work 9 hours a day and I do some other work on the side.  I also suffer from migraines that have gotten worse over the past year so sometimes there are 3-4 day stretches when I can't do anything let alone train.  I have three dogs right now, actively training two of them.  I'm not a morning person either, plus it's pitch black until and friggid cold.  I hate dark, early, AND cold, lol.  Living in west Michigan does put seasonal limitations on training regardless of when I work.

I find I'm often surprised anyway.  Like if I feel like shit but drag myself outside, my dog will be on fire and we'll end up training for an hour.  But then when I feel energized, my dog is flat and gets put up early.