Managing a full time day job & training - Page 2

Love you guys! I thought I was the only one! Yep it's tough, & I swing shifts, too, so sometimes my body clock is so screwed up I don't know what time it is!! But like you guys, my dogs are my sanity. Sometimes I feel like I just can't drag myself abother step, & my dogs always make it so worthwhile! In fact, I gotta get ready for work now, & those big brown eyes are making me feel guilty, all 8 of them! jackie harris

We are the MAJORITY not the minority. Just yesterday I was talking to someone about this. I'm an Explosive Detection Dog Handler and the service dog trains and works continuosly. I have three others with the two females I'm training for explosives. I HONESTLY thought the two females would be certified by now. I'm working at times two full time jobs and doing sidework, (carpentry/remodeling) and have a 10 month old boy. There's days I don't even sleep. Come home shoer, shave and put on a uniform and out the door to do it all over again. I try to at least train two times a week but that doesn't seem enough. I spend dog time with them every day.

When I was in EDD school my day was a 14 hr-18 hr 6-7 days a week for 6-7 weeks. We trained, lived, breathed,ste, slept and went to the bathroom (it seemed) with our K9. That was reality.

I just put in 138 hrs. my two weeks prior and took on another 40 hr contract. Two days into that got sick. I rarely get sick. So backed out of the new contract. Guess my body was telling me something.

I hear people always telling me that my boss and I work more hours than anyone they know. He and I just think that's the norm. 

It certainly can be exhausting can't it.  I get up early to walk dogs before work 5:30-6:00 we go for a 20-25 min walk.  They are out in out door runs while I am at work.  Come home potty them.  I train 3 nights a week sometimes four and trial on most weekends.  I do agility not schutz.  I am working 2 dogs right now with a 3rd that I have to keep mentally stimulated since she has alot of health issues she can't do too much physical exercise.  My husband works long hours and I have no young children so I am lucky my schedule works but I do get very tired sometimes.  But it is my choice to have dogs therefore my responsibility to be sure they are happy and healthy just as I did my son when he was little.  I can't stand rammy dogs in the house drives me nuts so a tired dog is a good dog:)

It is so good to hear others are going through a juggling act like me. OMG you can't believe all of the comments from family and friends that I have had to endure because I have four dogs first of all and I schedule time to work and be with them! I have three two-year olds and their mother. I work full time and I go to school.

My mornings start at 4am because I have to be at work early. I walk them in twos for at least 15 minutes each. If the weather is good & since I have a fenced in yard, I will leave two in the yard  and they play while I am walking the other two. Then I switch up. I train as I walk too. When I am overwhelmed, a structured training environment works best for me. It forces me to plan my time and stick to a schedule. When things get too tough I schedule a day where we just lie around and be. We take our leisurely walks and I just watch them play and spoil them. On the weekends they get an extra long walk and lots of mommy time with me. I just do what I can. I think they understand when you are overwhelmed because my dogs slow down to accommodate me and when I am recharged I make sure to reward them with a great time!

Leave for work at 6AM, get home at 4PM.  I have two dogs. 

Dogs come out immediately before I even go in the house (especially with it getting dark).  The first thing they see is the tug.. then I get 'em bathroomed and a bit more tug. 

Go in and change, and come back out and train/exercise dogs (I combine the two).  In daylight savings time when there is light I will put dogs up and go lay a track (two miles away is where I can do this) and then come home.  Work on obedience then take the dog to the field and track her.  Finish up with a walk and end it with more toys/tug if I can engage them. 

Go to training 1-2X a week in the evening and track 1X a week on the weekend (plus what I can do after work).  Fit in other stuff as needed and every time I interact with the dog I can train something so I do.  Even when I let them out of the house for bathroom, I go out with them and do something.. one thing (like a sit or a front or something). 

The rest of life is fit in around the dogs and training after work.  It was the same when I trained horses. 

I do have more lee way as I do live alone so I don't have kids and SO pestering me for attention or to do stuff.  It works well for me and I am very happy.  <shrug>

The fact that this is even a thread is a testament to your dedication and drive for your dog. I am in a pretty similar boat, in my industry things have been VERY, VERY, VERY crazy so when I get home I am drained beyond belief. You do what you can, there have definitely been days I knew I should work the dog and decided you know what, I am going to take a break. It is really hard to when you just want to pass out, you are on your couch and here comes your dog with some rag or toy in their mouth and puts it in your lap to play tug. Of course you have to, cause they are so adorable with those puppy eyes and it is only a matter of time before that joy and love of having a dog takes over and you forget you were tired in the first place.

I am in the same boat. But, anyone else home with a preschooler and able to fit training in!!  Yikes!!  I suppose it will get easier when he starts full day school....

It seems the people whose dogs are the best trained don't have kids home under age 5 or else are men who let the wife take care of the kiddies!!

Right now, I train tuesday nights and saturdays (except during t-ball and soccer season ).

Sara

I compete at Obedience. I am on call for 108 hours for my job Mon-Fri and am usually either competing/training others or training my own over a weekend. Due to being on call, I cannot schedule training during the week so fit it in when I can. My thoughts are that it's not the quantity of the training that you do but the quality of that training. If what you train is correctly taught and correctly understood by your dog then you don't have to spend hours and hours training. If taught correctly, you are pretty much afterwards fine tuning when in training you ask the dog "can you remember how to do this?" and you see something that needs tidying up.

I am getting ready to start my 13 wk old pup into training... I was just sending out emails looking for the right place to start him. I too have a tough work schedule with 12 hour days several days a week.  Thankfully my husband is home during the day and the dogs are all well exercised.  If you guys can fit it in.. I guess I can too!