[zeus2010]

It has been a long, long time since I have been on here. Zeus turned one in August!

Anyway, my husband and I split up a couple months ago. I moved into my sister's apartment temporarily and the apartment complex wouldn't allow Zeus to come. I am moving into my own apartment on the first and I am so excited to get Zeus back! Does anyone have any tips on making the move less stressful for him? He is going from a large house to a one bedroom apartment.

The last couple months he has been stuck alone in his kennel a lot because I am an hour away and my ex works a lot. He did bad at first. He wasn't eating well and chewed a gash in the skin above his hip. That has healed pretty well, but now my ex is complaining that he is pooping in his kennel despite having just spent 30-45 minutes outside. Please do not judge me for leaving him the last couple months. I had no choice. I went from being a stay at home mom and a student to having to hire a lawyer and find a job and a place to stay.

I am worried he has learned bad habits and I will have to retrain when I get him back. Grrrrr. Anyway, he is fixing to be as spoiled as I can afford. I work for Petsmart, so I get a discount on his supplies. My store also has a Petshotel, so he can come to work with me and go to "doggie day camp" on occasion. The moment I get him back he is going straight to the groomers and getting the works.

So, after all my rambling... does anyone have any tips on how to make this move as easy as possible for him?

Thanks!

 

[dax0402]

Welcome back! I have nothing to advise but I do wish you the best of luck. I am sure others with more experience will chime in.

 

[sam&macksmom]

I think getting him on a routine will help him adjust. Plenty of exercise each day, mental stimulation and also I would suggest enrolling in an OB class.

If you are at peace, this will help him as well

 

[OliviaB]

Hi! Sorry you are going through this....it's a very rough time for sure I imagine! It sounds like you are planning to make things as easy on him as possible, so good for you! Hopefully he hasn't picked up any bad habits from being crated so much, but if he has, it sounds like you are dedicated to getting him back on the right track. I'm sure this has been really difficult, but once he is back with you in a peaceful environment, I'm sure he'll be much happier. Best of luck to you both!

 

[Australdi]

Just being with you again and having the constant attention should help to reduce his stress considerably.
Living in an apartment with a dobe is do-able...you just have to find a nice safe fenced area where you can burn off the energy daily. I found tennis courts were quite a reasonable substitute if the park wasn't suitable for any reason. (although not too much running on them if they're a hard surface court until he's a bit older).

Lets face it....dobes only 'use' the rooms we're in anyway :lol:

 

[VZ-Doberman]

I live in an apartment and I take my guys to a field next door and let them run. This is done 3-4 times a day. That and walks when it's dark. They seem to be ok with that amount of activity. I think as long as the dog is with you doing something...anything that helps.

 

[Sherryh]

I praise you for picking yourself up and looking for the best that life sometimes throws us....you will be better for it.........just being with you and your instrutions will give security to your dobe...give them lots of attention and love. My prayer s are with you!!

 

[zeus2010]

Thanks for all the replies. I cannot wait to get him back and get him on the right track. My apartment is right next to a huge open field, so we will be playing there a lot. We are also not too far from a dog park, so he will be able to get his energy out and socialize not to mention the socialization he will get when he comes to work with me. I get a free OB class at work and I have already talked to my boss about enrolling.

Thanks for responding!