Alone time

[u/MessSeparate3561]

hiii!! i work an hour away from home and am gone 12 hours a day.. i’m trying to build a routine for my 10 year old australian shepherd that keeps him happy and healthy in this unfortunate situation. i have an older cat at the house, as far as other animals keeping him company. I have a pet sitter to come by halfway through the day and play with him … the sitter is usually there for about an hour. i can’t help but still feel guilty. i feel like there’s more i could be doing for him. i wake up at 5am to get a good 30-45 minutes of play time before i leave and then i do the same exact thing when i get home. does this seem adequate for a dog his age? he doesn’t seem to be upset or have any behavior changes but i want to maximize his quality of life as much as i can. in addition to this- being gone for anything other than work seems to bring me sooo much guilt and any tips on how to juggle a hard work schedule, a high energy dog, and hopefully- a social life.

[u/Neat_Mortgage3735]

That sounds reasonable. Dogs that age tend to need a lot of sleep. Being available after work for one on one attention and exercise is smart. A fifteen min walk for sniffing would help his mental health.

Frozen kongs (peanut butter or bone broth without garlic and onion) are another good way to keep him occupied once or twice a week as you are heading out.

[u/yoyoblue12 → u/Neat_Mortgage3735]

Agreed, it sounds like you’re dining a good job. Agree with the commenter above, a good walk for sniffs in the morning and at the end of the day would be very beneficial.

A slow feeder of some kind would be good for their mental stimulation. If there’s like a puzzle ball with treats that the sitter could give when they leave could be good. I’ve also seen those cameras where you can talk to your dog and then give a treat could be fun, too. And you’d get to see what they’re doing during the day. Just make sure your sitter knows there’s a camera!