MY DH is away and I can't rest.

[Marmielin]

My DH is on a business trip for a couple of nights, and Tink won't sleep . She can't relax when he is away apparently. This happened one other time, but he was only gone one night. Last night she was up and down all night. Once during the night she came to bed with a sqeaky toy she found in the bathroom. All the other toys were safely put away in the toy basket in the den, but she found this one around 2 a.m. and decided to squeak it in my ear. She licked me, cuddled up against my head, barked, and pretty much made a nuisance of herself most of the night. I guess I could make her sleep in her crate, but she is already going through trauma with him being away! She hasn't slept in her crate in months, and I hate to put her in it. If she doesn't cooperate tonight she is going to get a chance to become reacquainted with it though! Then, she refused to go potty outside this morning. He takes her for walks every morning while I shower. I don't have time for that before work, so I went in the back yard with her on a leash. If she has freedom to run, she hunts squirrels and chipmunks. Well, she never did a thing the whole time I was out there with her. After 15 minutes I had to go in and shower so I left her out. I don't know if she ever went. She is now in the kitchen gated in and alone all day. Poor thing. She is truly having a hard day because I don't have time to go home during the day. My DH works at home, so she isn't used to being alone like this. So here I am at work worrying about her home alone .

LindaB

[Scully'sMom]

Poor little baby missing her dad! I'm sure that Tink is doing just fine. Probably sleeping away from being up all night. Be prepared for tons of kisses when you get home!

[Tracy A.]

Hi Linda:

When ever i'm not certain if someone has peed, I do the quick hand check for wetness.... Also, I've found that if you make the run with a full bladder they will go.

Tracy

[kayharley]

I've read that dogs have no sense of time....for them it's the same time frame whether you go out to get the mail or go for a weekend trip. Now whether or not it's true....???

My advice would be this......Get Tink a playmate (another Cairn ) Then even if hubby is off on business and you're working, she'll always have someone to comfort her.

[Kate]

I have always wondered about the theory that dogs have no sense of time. I know that they greet you with the same enthusiam whether it is 10 minutes or 10 hours. Does anyone have any type of "proof" that this is true. It would sure make a whole lot of us feel better about leaving them.

[toomanypaws]

My dh sometimes works out of his office, so my oldest Cairn Kiara thinks she can make her own schedule that meets her needs. On mornings that dh isn't home and I'm going to be gone over 5 hrs, I literally have to pick her up and carry her outside to tell her to "hurry up". When dh is on business overnight, I can't so much as say the word "daddy" w/o Kiara and my Lab going totally crazy barking like mad dogs. Kiara is definitely a "daddy's girl". When he walks through the door, she gets very vocal for his attention.

[tena]

I know dogs live in the moment, so the passage of time is different for them. Sophie has had to adjust, I worked freelance when I got her, home most the time. Then worked a project onsite from end of Nov, through this week, now am back to working from home. Of course she is delighted with it., but it does make her a bit more bratty.

Tena

[TheScotts]

Awwww....Our dh is away too (again! Australia!) so Daddy's Boy sucks up to me! He asks for extra lovins and sleeps right next to me.

He is so glad when the dh gets home, but lucky for me he doesnt get silly all night--condolences!

[CathyAnn]

My hubby is away again, too. He has taken a different position which requires LOTS more travel. Both Piper and I hate it, of course.

When the suitcase comes out Sunday night, he KNOWS his daddy is leaving. And, on Friday, it's almost as if he KNOWS his daddy is due home again. Smart little guy!!

Cathy

[purebella]

Here is some information I found regarding dogs and time

Dog's sense of time

It has been hypothesized that dog's notion of time (and its elapse) is not so much chronological as it is based on a biological rhythm that is linked to their terrific skills of memory association. We humans are often amazed at the ability our dogs have to anticipate the daily arrival of their masters from work or the kids from school. And how is it that they know what hour to wake up every morning summer or winter? How is it that dogs can tell the time?

Dogs have been known to show up at a train station everyday at the same hour to receive their returning masters and everyone who has a dog knows that when meal times role around their dog shows up no matter where it was or what it was doing. So how is it that our dogs are able to know when it is time for certain things to happen or take place?

One clue is that they live in a world predominately made up of humans and we humans are generally quite predictable, waking and sleeping at certain hours, eating at certain set times, leaving and returning home at certain set times, etc

[tlwtheq]

That piece of writing sounds right on target. Those guys learn how to "read" their environment really quickly and accurately, and they usually miss nothing!

[Marmielin]

My advice would be this......Get Tink a playmate (another Cairn  ) Then even if hubby is off on business and you're working, she'll always have someone to comfort her.

I like that idea and have thought about it. Right now I don't even want to THINK about housebreaking again, but when I quit work I'm going to get another Cairn. Who knows when that will be :!: I would love to see Tink with a playmate because she loves other dogs but doesn't have one to play with. I'll pass along the idea to my dh. By the way, we both slept better last night, but she still wouldn't go potty for me this morning.

When ever i'm not certain if someone has peed, I do the quick hand check for wetness....

I have tried this before as well - but didn't even think about it this week. It is so wet from the rain here that I'm not sure it would have been a good indication, but who knows.

Thanks for all the advice. Glad to hear I don't have the only "daddy crazy" baby. She just loves him. He is usually with her 24 hours a day. While he sits at his desk and works, she climbs up and wraps herself around his neck and sleeps. She hangs her head over his shoulder and looks at the computer monitor while he does his thing . I would love to get a picture of that, but when I get home she jumps down.

LindaB

[sanford]

When ever i'm not certain if someone has peed, I do the quick hand check for wetness....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I also do the quick hand check for wetness. I bet most of us do that! But because I have carpeting, I'm concerned that I might miss something... I might overlook a spot that's no longer wet.

I resorted to using a small ultra violet light to check areas that are suspect. (I think I developed a sixth sense about this, or maybe it's my suspicious nature). Sometimes I do a whole-room sweep. The light reveals dried or wet urine as white, fluorescent spots. Of course, these spots may be dry by the time I find them, but at least I can clean & treat them so the places won't lure my dog back for more!

One more victory for us Uprights in the ongoing battle of wits against the Furball Forces!

[Eliz222]

Scout is a "Daddy's Girl" all the way and misses my DH when he is out of town..in fact, he is leaving for a week this Thursday.

Maybe you could video tape your DH doing his normal activities during the day and play the tape when he is gone? You could even set up a tripod and tape him working at his desk....could be a nice "movie" to watch before bed!

[Marmielin]

My DH came back Friday night, and all is well at home now. Tink is sleeping and so am I. She definitely loves him more than me... I told her last night that I'm the one who searched her out and brought her into our family. I'm the one who buys her food and feeds and waters her. I'm the one who has bought every toy she owns. I'm the one who buys the soft cushy beds she never sleeps in. I'm the one who bought the car seat so she can see out. I'm the one who grooms her (that really didn't win her over). I'm the one who first let her sleep in our bed. I'm the one who makes sure she gets her vet checkups... But, he's the one she loves most just because he has time to take her for walks! I am very thankful he is able to work from home and she isn't alone all day every day. That may not be the case after awhile, but right now she has companionship. But, that doesn't negate the fact that he gets all the love!!! Where did I go wrong?

Lindab

[Eliz222]

Linda, my 3 year old Cairn, Scout, was always "my baby". She followed me around, loved to sit in my lap.....but ever since we adopted Finch, who is one years old, she has become "Daddy's Girl". She will only sit on his lap and prefers his company over mine. I don't think it's anything humans do, or do not do...it's just different personalities with different dogs.

I'm happy that Scout loves to sit on her Daddy's lap, and kiss him all over....do I get a little jealous? You betcha!