Those of you home all day with your dogs...

Well, Ann, the way I got to be home all day with my dogs is by popping up with a nasty, progressive disease.   I wouldn't recommend the disease method, but finding a rich old fart may be an option, there's gotta be some of them up there in Ipswich.  And, once you got their money you could send them to walk over one of the bridges that are closed in town.  

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

Anyone have any ideas on how I can stay home with my dogs all day?  I haven't been able to figure out how to clone myself and send the clone to work...shoulda married a farmer or an investment banker - something. [sm=rolleyes.gif]

Move to a country where you're not allowed to work.   It worked for me

Sorry, Anne, according to the latest ag stats most farmers work off farm - and so do their wives and older kids, too!

We are lucky in that we are able to make the farm bring in a small additional income - but most of that's from dog training and events - and niche marketing my lamb.  That allows me to stay home, homeschool the boys rather than put them in private school, fix dinner rather than eat out, etc.  Actually, I "make" an awful lot of money just doing stuff instead of "x, y, z."

I do chores and work the trainees for about three hours in the morning.  After that, the BCs just want a quiet place to curl up and think for a while. []  Zhi scampers hither and thither but if I sit down at the computer for a while mid-day she's all about napping - as are Maggie and Ben.  Then there are chores mid-afternoon, more training late afternoon, and evening chores.

What I always tell people who adopt BCs, they will adapt to your schedule as much as their genetics allow.  Most dogs are like this - if you want to ramp up the activity level, increase it gradually and there are very few dogs who will be really unable to keep up with the average human in whatever they undertake.  I'm not talking about taking your Tzhu out for Iron Man training, but your average large to terrier-sized dog is up for the challenge - or up for some serious mid-day napping, if that's what your schedule requires. []

I work from home about 1/3rd of the time, I keep a couple of toys and a rawhide in my home office, my dog pretends to be working on his rawhides when he's keeping me company, it's pretty hilarious because he behaves differently than when we're just hanging out I dare to say more "business like".

I agree with RWBeagle, et al.  Since you will be away from the house again in at the school start, it would be difficult for your dog to have to readjust to the lesser activities.  Occasionally, some special walks, games and anything else of interest, but don't make the summer too special.  My husband and I are home with our Spiffy most of the time, but I know she is not a particularly happy camper when we go out together and leave her. Luckily, a kong helps , and we aren't gone for long.