night shift and dogs

Nurses General Nursing

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First, I guess I should change my login name because I'm not a student anymore. I recently graduated and have been offered and accepted a night position at a local hospital (assuming I pass the NCLEX of course). I don't really want to do nights but I'm hoping to move to days as soon as a position becomes available.

I've been reading some of the threads about night shift working, but I didn't see one addressing how to train dogs to allow for that. I'll be working 7pm until 7 am. Then I'm going to want to go home and sleep. My guys are used to going in and out pretty frequently, esp in the evening. I'm the only adult in my house and don't have anyone to come and let them out.

Has anyone else had to deal with this. I'm a single parent and I think I've come up with a way to care for my daughter on these nights, but I can't figure out what to do with my dogs.

Thanks for any advise! I love this board.

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Specializes in ER.

could you get a doggie door? maybe hire a dog walker/trusted neighborhood kid to come over and let them in and out once or twice?

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Specializes in ICU.

I once came home after a series of nights, while my husband was away at a conference, only to find that my babaies had dug a hole (4x4) in the wall about 6in up on the wall. after that, i left them in their cage all night while I was gone. They delt with it. I just learned to feed them earlier, and not give them much water after 5pm, and they slept most of the time. It worked pretty well.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I do doggie day care once a week so that I can sleep when I work consecutive shifts. My husband lets the dog out on the weekends.

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Specializes in ED.

I don't know how big your dogs are, or if you have a kennel they use in the home, but that is what we do with our dog whenever we are gone. She gets too nervous alone in the house to be left out. She rarely goes the bathroom in her kennel, (most dogs won't go in close quarters) and the dogs should be able to go overnight without going out I would think??? I know my dog goes out for the last time around 7-8 pm and then doesn't get let out until about 9am the next morning.

Thanks for any advise! I love this board.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

My little dogs use a litter box.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Well trained dogs can spend most of the night in a kennel, crate that is. I have been raising and breeding dogs for 30 years and my dogs are trained at a very young age, as young as 3 months, to sleep in a crate. I bring my dogs in at night, around 9pm and they will sleep until i put them out at 7am. At first you will have accidents but will have to deal with them. The dogs will grow out of it as they get older. The problem I can see with yours is that they were never raised like this. Crating them will be harder on you and them. Patience is very important. Older dogs are set in their ways and it is very hard to convince them that this isn't punishment. Good luck though.

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"Well trained dogs can spend most of the night in a kennel, crate that is. I have been raising and breeding dogs for 30 years and my dogs are trained at a very young age, as young as 3 months, to sleep in a crate. I bring my dogs in at night, around 9pm and they will sleep until i put them out at 7am. At first you will have accidents but will have to deal with them. The dogs will grow out of it as they get older. The problem I can see with yours is that they were never raised like this. Crating them will be harder on you and them. Patience is very important. Older dogs are set in their ways and it is very hard to convince them that this isn't punishment. Good luck though."

My dogs do sleep in a crate at night, but its only from about 11-7 right now. I guess I feel guilty about locking them up for 13 or 14 strait hours. When I do get home, they'll be excited and want to play and I'll want to sleep!

Vixen007: How did you train your dogs to use a litter box. One of my dogs is very small, the other is medium sized.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Neuro/Trauma stepdown.

I have a fenced in back yard, but my girl's a baby and she wont want to stay out there all day while I'm sleeping between shifts. I end up getting up and down all day letting her out/in. She'll come in and nap with me in the bed and then wake me up when she wants to go out. At night and when nobody is home, she sleeps in her bed (crate, kennel). She gets upset if we're just leaving for a few minutes and we leave her out of her bed She thinks she ought to be either going, or in the bed.

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I have two dogs that are both >55 lbs. They use a doggy door and always have. They used to sleep with me, but now I work night shift. I try not to have ANY interruptions during "sleep time".

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Specializes in nicu.

Right now my hubby is here but he will deploy soon (military). The last time we had to deal with it I would kennel my dogs while I was gone. They can be left out for long periods without an accident but I feel it is better for them. They will also sleep with me for a little while while I am sleeping. They will get up and look out the window at the world until I am up. Ususally they will hold it until I get up or will wake me if they really have to go. Good luck.

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

How about doggie day care? or someone who's home all time and can use company?

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