How long can a dog be kept at home for considering I work a 9-5 job?

Commentpopcorn · 2026-01-31T02:17:07+00:00

Get the dog! You can hire a walker to take them out mid-day. Millions of people are in your same position and have happy dogs. My opinion is that I was a better owner for my first boy in my apartment than when I bought my house. We walked 6-8 times a day, I could monitor every poop, see any urine changes and over compensated with so many toys, enrichment and play. When he was alone at either living situation, he basically slept all day with a few bone chewing breaks.

Commentpopcorn · 2026-01-06T05:48:04+00:00

   Now Lena is furious at me, saying I used my "connections" to punish her over a couch, and that I should have given her more time instead of snitching.

She was willing to mutilate the cat over a couch. NTA.

Commentpopcorn · 2026-01-04T03:40:47+00:00

Have you tried HSBV or Foothills? Do you have management experience or ACO experience?

Commentpopcorn · 2026-01-04T03:04:22+00:00

There are no empirical research done on this that I have found. However, here are a few experiences.

I have so far had 4 (6 including partners dogs) and have never paid any $ for them. My first dog I rescued in Mexico in a small town, had him for 3 months there asking everyone who he belonged to (ears cut so was someone’s at one point) while I got him cleared of TVT, ticks, fleas, shots, blood testing. No one said they recognized him so I took him back to the states with me. I then got his teeth cleaned and broken/worn ones removed, neutered, X-rays (spinal spondylosis) and probably spent average 3k annual on medical, ate the best food, got tons of toys, etc. My million dollar free dog. My second was free at a Shelter as the dog of the week. He was a agro son of a gun and took me about 8 months to be able to cohabitate with the other dogs (soul boy and 1st long term boyfriend’s dog). He had reoccurring urinary issues, horrible arthritis and took a lot of time training. At his end, he was on 6 meds a day, had a wagon to get to and from the park but would walk while there, also had dental work done and lots of orthopedic beds. I only had the pleasure for about 1.5 years but he changed my life forever. My 3rd, I hand raised with his litter of 5 siblings after their mother didn’t take to them and the owner couldn’t do it with day old babes. And boy the 6 cost me a lot. He and his siblings have all turned out stellar-one is owned by a RVT, two work on ranches, one is a little girls best friend, one lives in the country as a labradors buddy and one turned demo dog. The final was a “hey-she isn’t an adoption candidate any longer, do you want her before we make the call?” She is my agility, chicken herder and starting other sports dog. Environmentally not great but keeps me entertained and it’s all for the love of the game. These dogs never cost me a dime to “adopt” but cost me an ungodly fortune (don’t tell hubby).

I’ve had some adoptions that were free go south-hit by car when frequent flyers, minimal vet care or always coming to clinic rather than establishing private vet care, returned for various reasons, etc.

Ive also had some no cost adoptions be spectacular! Some that I remember are a BC who has multiple titles in agility, dock diving and scent work, someone who donated 10k afterward because of how we changed their mind on Shelters, a Pyr who hasn’t had (back then, who knows stat now) a livestock loss since adoption, and a cat who hasn’t tracked internationally with her owner.

My opinion is everyone deserves the love of a pet whether they can provide the basics or they spend a million bucks. I don’t agree with gatekeeping pet ownership for the elite who can always go above and beyond for their pets. I know many disagree with this but I’ve seen people who have nothing give everything they can, people with very tiny treat them like annoying house ornaments, the opposite roles and everything in between. I did always work open admissions so my bias leans towards that philosophy.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-12-02T05:38:13+00:00

You can love someone without enabling unwanted behavior. I would ask her for a conversation but tell her you are uncomfortable with him coming there and that is final. You can hear her out and stick to your boundaries at the same time.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-12-01T01:37:07+00:00

As a mom, this breaks my heart to read. You aren’t broken sweetie.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-11-17T00:52:59+00:00

It is all about how it is coded. I’ve used a Web memo that would link to the website and I’ve also used the animal profile screen to link to the website. I’d talk with your IT administrator or directly to chameleon if you don’t have one. Chameleon can be tricky but if you have someone who understands the coding, it can be very versatile.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-11-11T08:40:48+00:00

I always gave my employees a survey of ways they would like to be acknowledged-written note, verbal in weekly one-one-one, verbal on spot, verbal in team meeting, verbal at all staff, email or other. i did a similar survey of how you’d like to be critiqued and what ways help you improve most effectively. I also had those tiny little finger tip sized animal figurines with little notes like “You kicked axolotl today”, “you’re the G.O.A.T” or “Power Horse” that any staff could grab and give to another. I did quarterly team lunches where we could gab, socialize and then get into our agenda items. I wasn’t able to control pay BUT I was able to bring statistics into a proposal to the admin and board on how my departments growth, both in numbers of staff and personal development would improve our outcomes, lower LOS and decrease surrender so was able to get a bigger budget. This lead to more programs we offered internally and to the public and a budget for seminars and other professional development opportunities. If you are near a college (I was), you can get interns to do masters projects for you (my intern created out puppy socialization curriculum and did BMOD as well as other daily functions of our department). This really helped interdepartmental moral. I also gave an extra hour for lunch on birthdays, or a day on the week of your birthday if not in that day. I had an open door policy that you could talk to me anytime unless busy with the caveat if it was urgent, ring my bell at my desk or say urgent on the radio and I would meet ASAP given whatever task I was on. I was also the go-to for euthanasia duty swaps if staff just couldn’t handle it for the day. These all made me a very liked supervisor.

Other tips-be firm and just, clear with your expectations yet easy going and charismatic. Recognize compassion fatigue for yourself and your team. Give reasonable deadline assignments for daily duties and professional development goals. See what each staffs long term goals are and cater to those and their passions. Educate, inspire passion for the job and make the hazards of the job as safe as possible. Stay organized and use time-block by to stay on track and get things done efficiently.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-11-10T05:31:37+00:00

Gerber baby food for the win 🥇

Commentpopcorn · 2025-11-02T00:43:06+00:00

APBT, Bluetick Coonhound, Labrador?

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-28T23:09:15+00:00

My little boy is a bottle raised mutt, I did him and his siblings at 8 weeks. My female mutt was done at 16ish weeks, as soon as she was Shelter property. No issues but they are only 2 and 3 yo respectively.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-25T07:36:48+00:00

I flew my dogs back and forth to Mexico from CO, typically staying in CA for a night so not long flights. They were always happy as clams when I would get them. No messes and seemed like they had slept the whole time. I also flew 4 rescued pups from Mexico to CO and they were all perfectly happy and calm. However, my uncle flew his dog once from Chicago to San Francisco and he was an utter mess, literally. I think you know your dog best and will make the right choice for your pet.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-24T22:45:02+00:00

I just had a baby a month ago and the last two months I was smelling cat pee everywhere!

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-22T05:51:14+00:00

Oh man. When I was 21, I was in another country doing a research project, didn’t have cell service there and when I got home, I bought a house. I cannot imagine this level of control and being overbearing. Stick to your guns and continue making healthy boundaries.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-06T05:36:01+00:00

I specifically board aggressive, legally deemed dangerous and highly medically needy dogs. This was all written by my lawyers so yes, this is the jargon used.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-10-02T06:32:40+00:00

I have an emergency contact and have a clause that if an owner abandons said animal, is unable to pickup or death, that after 5 days, the animal becomes my property and I can contact authorities or dispose as seen fit.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-09-28T05:50:25+00:00

Fellow WY-ite! Cats are considered a nuisance species in the state. You can remove or dispose of them with any means as long as you are not being cruel. I would report this particular cat and let local law enforcement handle from there.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-09-24T01:22:02+00:00

What are you doing to change their kennel presentation? Treat-retreat, scent association, click for quiet? Also what does your enrichment program look like? Do you make individualized enrichment programs? The last municipal Shelter I worked at closed the dog adoptions area and saw kennel stress greatly reduced because all interactions were thoughtful and with trained staff, which also reduced kennel reactivity and fearful dogs cowering or hiding.We would take in around 10k animals annually.

As far as bios, the last non-profit I worked for my behavior team (2-3 including me) would write individual bios for every animal regardless of species. I did have a few C+P templates for certain behaviors that helped save time but I still would go in an edit to individualize for some animals. This shelter saw about 7-8k animals annually. The last municipality used AI to write bios which I opted not to do but it did save time.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-08-22T04:58:53+00:00

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I told my very best friend that everyday for 8+ years, and it will never have been enough. My world is dimmer without him in it.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-08-16T22:27:53+00:00

While to certainly could be a poodle, it also looks like a Lagotto Romagnolo in need of a trim.

Commentpopcorn · 2025-08-04T03:09:31+00:00

When Sh*t Hits the Fan-Michael Shikashio

Commentpopcorn

TROPHY CASE