Changing cairn's schedule to accomodate your needs

[toomanypaws]

I should have asked this sooner being I'm planning to be away from my cairns tomorrow. My husband really wants to take my daughter and I to the Pensacola fair tomorrow which means me having to change my cairn girls schedule. We're a good 100 miles from Pensacola so I have to figure that into the time frame of leaving my girls. We went last year, but that was before we had Abbey and Hannah. I'm not worried about my oldest Kiara. She'll be baby gated in a large room w/ her bed and do fine and has never had an accident in the house. My other 2 do great the mornings I have to crate them while I teach at a local Jr. Museum. They are crated for 5 hrs 3 mornings and do fine. They also are crated at night and go 8 hrs without having an accident.

If I go to the fair w/ my dh and dd, they will be crated from 3 p.m. until about 9 or 10 p.m. I'm having trouble w/ that but I don't have anyone available to come over and let them out. I was thinking of keeping them awake during the day by having my dd run them outside so that they are really worn out and ready for some rest. When we get home, I plan to stay up w/ them and play w/ them for a few hrs instead of going to bed at my usual time which is around 11 p.m. I'm also aware of their normal feeding schedule and when they have to "do their business", so I plan to feed them earlier so they have time to go outside and are then ready for their nap. I will also leave them something to chew on.

I haven't totally made up my mind about leaving them but know my dh would really like me to join him on this trip to the fair w/ our dd. My question is, have any of you ever changed your cairn's sleeping schedule to accomodate your schedule like I'm planning to do?

TIA,

Beth

[bradl]

Toomanypaws - go, have fun. Your gang will be fine.

[abe's dad]

We do that with Abe,but he is pad trained he will go outside but uses the pad as well which is a real advantage for us . Most days he is left alone for short times 2-3 hours at most. But on Fridays Durring Football season (our Son plays) he gets left alone from around 6 until 10. He usually will nap and be full of energy when the family shows up and is ready for bed. Sometimes on the weekends we will leave for the day and he does good then too but is always ready to play when we come through the door. I agree with Bradl go and enjoy yourself but be ready to to get a lickin' when you get back.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! I am constantly on the run - - leaving the house several times a week at all hours of the day. I have never had a problem with Riley - - he adapts to my schedule very well. If I am gone a long while - - I have the little girl next door come and take him for a walk but usually he is there waiting by the door for me when I get home. He has had an accident now and then but lately he has held it - - even when I am gone long periods of time! I just make sure I give him extra love and attention when I come back - - he is a little trooper!!!

[Guest Guest]

I'm in the same situation as you are, toomanypaws. Tomorrow we venture up to N.H. ,which will be about a 4 hour ride to get our pup. I'm leaving at 6:30 am or so and expect to be home by 4-ish. My son will be here until noon so he can let the girls out but it will still be 4 hours with them alone. Winnie will be fine but I have concerns over Madison. I don't want to crate her so I figure I'll just hope for the best. I'd hate to come home from a long ride with a new puppy to find a disaster although they have been fine in the past.

Being a "mommy" is sure hard work.

[Guest posting as: Milopup]

I am envious of y'all - wish my pup could be home alone and not be crated. Even when I am here, he roams and chews things up if I am not watching him intently. He is only 1 years old now - any chance he will outgrow the chewing syndrome?

[Eliz222]

Go and have fun! My two are left alone when we are working and I think they do great! I have the same worries when we are gone during the evening. We usually end up staying up with them, for a few hours, so they have time to run around before they go to bed.

[toomanypaws]

Thanks for all of your feedback! I'm going to go to the fair and hope my girls sleep for the most part. My dd has been home today and has done an excellent job of playing w/ them and not letting them have their usual morning nap. We're taking them back out in the yard when I get off this computer to run them before we leave. I figure both Abbey and Hannah sleep 8 hrs in their crate that hopefully if we're gone 7 hrs, they'll be ok. My dd and I will definitely stay up w/ them tonight.

Off to the fair I go . . . . . .