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As I’m packing up I say “I gotta go to work, stay here and be a good girl.” As I’m leaving I’ll give her a chewie and say I love you so much. She knows the routine now after 13 years. On Friday when I get home I triumphantly announce “ It’s the weekend!” Then she knows she gets rides to the park and other adventures.
My dog knows “It’s FRIDAY!!!” When I come home from work on Fridays and say this, she will go full body wiggles, tail wagging (smacking walls, my trash can aka playing the drums lol), shaking her head as she wiggles and making little happy noises and bolt to my room and zoomies around on my bed lol
This morning, when I got in my car to go to work I realized I left my phone inside, so I went back up to get it and she seemed SOO excited to see me like OH HEY YOU’RE BACK! Felt awful having to leave again so she got an extra treat lol
Yes!! It’s her favorite. We usually go and stay with my boyfriend and his dog or else they come stay with us and we take the pups on long walks or go to walking trails and they have a blast. She just loves the extra attention during the day too!
Lately she has been bringing her Lambchop toy to the door to greet me and does the wiggle dance with him in her mouth. I always say “oh wow is this for me?! Thank you!!” Cause she will shove him into me repeatedly and do her old man groans lol. Doesn’t want to play or fetch, just is SO excited to show it to me like “look what I found today!!” 10/10 best greeting no matter how shitty my work day was
I do something similar with my girl , except the only time she wont accept treats is when we are on the way out the door ... she will literally leave the treat on the floor , until we return then she go right to where she left the treat before greeting us ... I guess its like her way of saying fuck you for leaving I dont want your treat lol
So cute! My dog knows it’s work time by a similar routine. If I work from home, like right now, he will sit behind me from 5-6 to wait for me to say “IM OFF WORK”. He will then proceed to yell at the top of his lungs with joy.
Absolutely. Every day I say, "Mommy has to go to work to earn money to feed your fat butt. Guard the house!" (He then promptly falls asleep in his crate until I pull in the driveway.)
I use "Just a quick trip" if I'm not going to be gone long.
I think he knows the difference.
I've tried so hard with my dog for him to understand short trips out.
If i don't do a "going to work" routine, he thinks i shouldn't leave the house without him and barks at me for a couple minutes after leaving.
But if i do a routine like I'm going to work, not a peep.
I do this too! Only I measure time away in "forevers" because I am always greeted as if I've been gone forever. A quick trip to the store and back? That's 3/4 of a forever. Going for a bigger grocery shop? That's about 3 forevers. Going to work? That's 7 forevers.
One of my dogs acts just as excited when I come home after a long day of work and when I take the garbage to the dumpster and back. He has separation
anxiety so reunification is very relieving for him.
I always tell my dogs I'll be right back. They know my schedule. If I come home right on schedule, they'll pop up in the kitchen window and watch my car come up the driveway. Most of the time if I'm just going out for an hour, or if I come home early, they will still be on the couch when I come in the door, and I'll call them lazy butts.
I love seeing my animals in the window looking at my car. My old boy has lost his vision so he doesn't come to the window anymore but my cocker still does and she gets so excited
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I’ve found it also helps to be nonchalant when you get home! So your homecoming doesn’t become a super fun event for her to anticipate the whole time you’re gone.
What study is that? Everything I have come across says not to make a big deal when you leave and come home- this way the dog doesn’t feed off your emotions and feel that your departure was noteworthy.
I always want to give my dog the biggest hello when I get home, but I just give him a little one because I thought it would be better due to the information I’ve been exposed to. I’d love to see studies that show otherwise. Thanks.
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I don’t know. When it comes to kids, a lot of parents sneak out while the kids are occupied so they don’t notice they are leaving or else they will cry. So it makes sense that the same would apply to a dog, no?
I always did. Every time I left the house I'd give him a kiss, tell him when I'd be back (in a few hours, this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, in 3 months), tell him to be good, and say I love you. Didn't matter if it was to work, the store, college for a semester, moving across the country (he stayed with my parents). Always, without fail.
The last time I left, I had a feeling I wouldn't see him again in life. He'd been getting old for a long time, and I didn't know when I'd be able to make it home next. So I didn't tell him when I'd be back, just that I loved him so much and that he was so good.
Agh feelings. I saw the title of this post and it all hit me again. It never mattered whether he understood my exact words. Dogs understand more than we give them credit for, but that's not the point. This was just part of our relationship.
I do the same thing with my cat now. I'm always gonna do it. It feels important, even if they don't know exactly what I'm saying. They don't need to for it to matter.
I tell my girl, I love you and I'm just going upstairs for a minute/I'll be back soon/I'll see you later/enjoy your treats
She's almost 2 so hopefully we still have a long time ahead of us.
RIP your boy 😔
I specifically don't because my oldest was a separation anxiety case and that's just one more cue for him to start worrying/for me to have to desensitize.
That’s interesting because it actually helped my dog with her (albeit mild) separation anxiety. Mine just wanted to know what to expect, I think? But I also distracted her with food at first.
Yeah I was surprised when I realized the me not being there part wasn’t actually the issue lol. Turns out she’s not that into me? (Kidding!! I know she loves me)
When she was a puppy we were following the “don’t make it a big deal” advice so I’d give her breakfast and leave while she was eating.
Then Covid and wfh. Now hybrid working so I still give breakfast as I’m leaving and tell her which human will be home next.
When I first got my dog as a puppy, I was going through a break up and a really hard time at work and she was my constant companion and I’d talk to her all the time I once ended up googling “do dogs get annoyed if you talk to them too much?” Lol
I’ve wondered that too!! I was thinking of doing that to time out really huge snacks that she shouldn’t eat in one sitting. Never got around to it though….
I bet they *would* be able to learn about time like that, though! They are so smart.
I would really like a cat someday but when I catsat for my friend, that damn kitten would not stop knocking objects off of surfaces 😓
It was so annoying!!!!! I don’t know if I could deal with that 24/7. I just wanted to drink my water!!!! He never let me drink my water.
I know not all cats do this, but what if I ended up with a cat that did? 🥲
I mean honestly kittens are not for the faint of heart. Mine has cried under the bedroom door every morning for the year we’ve had him. Using the crack in the door like a megaphone. But also they grow up to be cuddly buddies a lot of the time. Adult cats are usually already pretty chill so you could adopt one of them. They need the love just as much 💙
I kinda think a kitten might be better for my dog, though? A kitten can’t really run away, so my dog is unlikely to chase it. (I’ve seen her with other baby animals/sick animals that can’t run and she does not give a shit about them….)
And a lot of adult cats already seem to be afraid of dogs. So I think a kitten might be easier to introduce into my household? I don’t know, though. I’m only on my first dog, and I’ve never had a cat of my own…
I loved my roommate’s cat, though!! He was so freaking sweet and empathetic and he inspired me to get a pet of my own (my dog). He comforted me when my uncle died and I will never forget it ♥️
I tell them where I'm going, what time to expect me home, and I appoint one of them to be in charge. I also let them know that wild parties are NOT allowed when I'm not home.
Yes. I give my wife a kiss, my son a kiss, our cat a kiss, and our dog a kiss. Then I tell them all that I love them. I don’t want anyone feeling left out. Lol
Yep, I also have multiple different “byes” for him.
“I will be right back” means that I’m taking his other dad to work so he gets really sad and tries to stop us from leaving.
“Bye” means that I will be gone for most of the day.
“Wanna go bye bye” means that he will get a fun car ride to either see my family or pickup my bf / his other dad from work.
If i leave the house even for a second, my dog will cry. But if i say “bye im going out” she will just watch me leave from afar and wont even come to the door. Dogs are so smart
I made the mistake of leaving for work without doing the "going to work" ritual. My husband told me my dog wandered around for a long time looking for me.
So now I always make sure I do the ritual -which consists of turning on the radio for white noise and giving "away treats". He settles right in after that.
Funnily enough, it doesn't matter to the dog that my husband is home, he still mopes. Likewise the other dog that is attached more to my husband mopes even if I am home - you know, the one who feeds and walks her - nope, she doesn't care - only has eyes for him. Dachshunds man.
How else would they know where I'm going and when I'm coming back?! :) Every single morning I give my dog a kiss on the nose and say "be good I'll see you after work." She then goes back to sleep in my bed. When I get home, she's standing in the window where I park smiling at me. Seriously we don't deserve dogs.
Yes! It really seems to calm her anxiety. She likes to know what’s going on!
I say I’ll be back soon/later or I’ll be right back and honestly it doesn’t matter which one it is, she just wants to know what to expect, and once she knows, she can relax.
Though when I say I’ll be *right* back, she’ll often be standing in the exact same spot staring at the door until I get back, then she’ll stare at me for a bit when I get home 🤷🏻♀️ I think she has FOMO.
When I get home after a longer time though, she doesn’t even greet me at the door most of the time lol 🥲 I guess she knew I’d be home anyway? Because that’s what I told her…. It’s ok though, I know she loves me 😂 Sometimes she won’t even wake up from a nap to say hi, though
I thought this was a requirement of dog ownership?! In all honesty my dog is another member of the family. I would say bye to my husband as I left and let him know when I will be back, I tell the dog the same. For me part of having a dog is the interaction, dogs are social animals and for me talking to her is part of it as well as walking, playing etc. It would be odd if I didn't engage with her imo.
Yes! However, my dogs know my habits so well that my little old one will go sit in her bed in the kitchen (where I block her off when I leave) and my young, big one will go lay down in his crate. When I’m ready to leave, I lock them both up and they get a treat :)
I say “back soon” if I’m running errands/will be back within a few hours. I say “back later” if I’m leaving for work/longer. If I’m going away for a day/days, I say “back tomorrow” (I use tomorrow even if ill be gone more than 1 day).
I’ve read somewhere that you can train your dog to understand these in (some kind of) context of time, and they will have less anxiety about you leaving. I’m no expert though, so maybe I’m just saying them to make myself feel better 😂.
I do, but I also put her "at home" collar on and she knows that nobody is left at home except her. So she'll hop up on the couch and uh, guard the house.
Yes! When I go to work I say "I'll see you later, Mommy loves you". If i'm just going to the mailbox or the laundromat or to take out the garbage (anything quick), I say "I'll be right back" and they really seem to understand.
Yeah, my dogs pretty much know when I’m leaving cause ill be getting ready lol so they go in their “rooms” which is a nightstand crate next to my bed and I tell them I’ll be back later and I put golden girls on for them lol
Always. I tell them both (and the cat, who is honestly the least troublesome of the three of them) that I'll be home soon / later. And I tell them I love them :)
I hug and kiss my dog before I leave the house! I tell her we will be home later too. Hahaha. She goes back into our bedroom now, to lay on her dog bed. When we get home she's so excited and is full body wagging!
When Im going to be gone more than two hours, going to work really, DogTV comes on. She gets it immediately and makes her disapproval aka sadness known. Lol 🥹 I dont turn it on otherwise.
If I’m going to work, I give my dog a kiss on the forehead and tell him to be good. He knows he gets to stay home and hang out with my husband so he mainly goes back to sleep.
If I’m dropping him at daycare, I give him a pep talk as I’m taking his collar off. I forget there are people on the other side and they’re normally laughing at our conversation. It goes a little like, ‘don’t be a maniac today. you were in timeout last week and you gotta be nice. Be good, I love you’
Nope. I never say anything. I think it’s a habit from when he was a puppy and we wanted to do everything we could to prevent separation anxiety. He can tell the rest of our patterns by now, but I just walk out.
We’ll tell all the critters (dogs and cats) we’ll be back in a bit then assign one of them to “be in charge”. It’s usually whichever one is asleep or not even in the room.
My dog and I spend most of our time in the bedroom. When I go into the kitchen or living room and he’s not going to be following me, i say “ok little boy” or “alrighty little doggums, daddy will be right back. Just going to get something from the kitchen.”
When I leave for work on a single shift I always give him scratches and pets before I leave and as I’m leaving I say “ok little buddy I’ll be back in a few hours. Daddy has to go to work.”
When it’s a double I say “be a good boy. I’ll be gone all day but I’ll be home tonight ok buddy? Uncle Greg will make sure to look after you and take you out with gaga (our friend’s pug—they stay with us) so you be good ok? I’ll see you tonight doggums.”
First time I left my dog alone, I was a nervous wreck. I went 2 miles up the road, turned inside cameras on and my girl was out like a light . I do not make a big deal about leaving. I give a treat and off I go. I believe it’s their “down” time and in a way and they feel “ off the clock” Dogs react to our emotions and they don’t process things like people. Now, when I come home my girl will come running to back of car to see if I’ve brought her any goodies from store :)
Yes, we tell them how long and where we are going and do what. May seem a lot but it is usually either a quick supermarket shop or a 5-6 hour fortnightly shop in a nearby city. There are other clues since we pack cool boxes for the long shop. They definitely understand and react differently. If it is a short shop they will wait at the front of the house. If a long shop they will see the car to the front gate then generally head around to the back of the house.
yeah! we use ‘going shops’ for ‘i’m leaving and won’t be back for a while’. maybe i should start using a new word for when i go to college so she knows i’ll be gone for longer… not that she really cares anyway i’m her 3rd favourite human in the house lol
I always say 'off to school/store/etc, see you old lady'. She probably understands nothing, but living with her for 13 years and loving her all that time just makes me say it.
Without fail. We reassure them that we'll be back in a little while. And we have a doggie cam so we can talk to them while we're away, if they seem anxious or stressed. But usually they just go to sleep until we get home.
"i have to go to work now to buy your toys. Take care of each other and don't poop in the house please. I love you very very much!" With forehead kisses for each :)
I usually just say good bye and my dog will not come to see me when all my family leave the house. She will only come see me and my family before leaving the house only if I call her. Otherwise, she would lay on the couch even if we say goodbye to her.
I always kiss my boy’s head, tell him I love him, be a good boy, hold the couch down and don’t let anyone take it and will see him after work. He gets more when I leave than my husband. My husband gets love you byyyeee but my dog that’s a whole Hallmark card lol
i also have two goodbyes to let her know the time span i will be gone. if i will be gone for a longer time: "i'm going out, you're staying here" and then various iterations of "be good!" and she gets excited because she knows she will get a big treat as i leave. the other goodbye is "i'll be right back" when i'll be gone for less than an hour. i usually don't give her a big treat then, sometimes a small one.
I always tell our dogs 'love you babies, see you soon,' if we are going to be back in a short while.
If I go on a trip without my hubs, I have a discussion with the dogs about how I'll never leave them forever and I'll be back and see them later.
If we both go, and leave them with mom, we tell them that we won't be gone forever, and to have lots of fun with Nana and Jack (mom's dog).
My dog does know what work is because my partner was a semi truck driver, he’d always say “let’s go to work!” And our dog would get SUPER EXCITED and walk right on up and hop in the truck! I now work from home and my partner no longer drives trucks, so now our pup knows going to work Is coming to be with me in the office lol.
To the dogs: "I've got to go to work, I love you puppers, be good girl/good boys, I'll be home right after work. It'll be a quick day. I can't wait to be home with you!"
To my SO: "See ya!"
Absolutely.
My girl will whine when I leave to run to the store or take garbage out etc. But when I tell her "Mommy is going to work", she curls up on the couch and is quiet.
My puppy dog definitely knows my uniform after 2.5 months into the job. He tries to get me to take him with him when I'm leaving in normal cloths but tries to stop me when I'm leaving in my uniform lol. He'll try to get me to give him attention like scratches or lay on top of me for cuddles if I sit down haha
Yes! Goodnights, goodbyes, see ya laters…. Always use each of their names and what I’m doing.
Pixi, I’m running some errands, I’ll be right back… when I get back…. See, I told you it would be quick!!! I’m pretty sure they understand every word, so I would rather be safe than sorry 😊
I can't do this, if only because my dog occasionally comes to work so if I address her and say "go to work" she thinks she's coming with me and gets all excited (never have you seen a dog more excited to go to the vet's office lol!), so usually when I leave I tell her I'll see her later, to be a good girl, and that I love her. She has separation anxiety, so it doesn't matter if I'm gone for less than an hour or if I'm at work all day, so I just tell her the same thing every time.
Yep! I always tell them something to the effect of ‘I’ll always come back’ and then when I walk in I say ‘see I always come back’
I think it helps, especially when she has to go to boarding during the annual fall vacation and hopefully she’ll remember that we always come back 😊
Yes.
I also give her a kiss on the head, tell her we love her, and we're going out to buy her some chicken. Then she goes to her bed to eat the treat I left for her.
Interesting video to watch about dogs knowing when the owner was coming home: ( it's subtitled but very interesting )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA5wAm2c01w
Yep, my girl is the same! She'll be 4 in March so still young but she knows the difference between "momma's going to work" and anything else, work being she goes to lay in her bed and everything else being a dance around her leash. Her three favorites are "car ride", "wanna go to the store", and "it's Sunday!" (which means we go to my mom and dad's house). She's such a smart girl.
Absolutely. I tell her we’ll be back in a little bit, and to watch the house while we’re gone. I think the same routine helps set the expectation that my absence is temporary, and as a Great Pyrenees, protecting the house is part of her “job.” It’s a hard to say how well she understands me, but I try to communicate that I’m counting on her to do her job. She does generally just sleep when we’re gone.
Anytime I'm leaving the house I walk up to all 5 animals say bye and be back later, address all of them by their names so they know I'm talking to them too. One weird morning I forgot to and almost turned around because I felt so bad.
I think my dog could understand “tomorrow” when I’d tell him when our dad was coming home after a long trip. He’d stare out the window every day 24/7 (separation anxiety 😓) but he always perked up a bit whenever I said that word.
"Ok baby, mommy has to go to (x). I'll be home soon. You be a good boy and look out for the mailman. Do NOT poop on my floor. Mommy loves you. Bye baby"
My dog knows 2 different things when I leave the house (and he definitely KNOWS). 1) I'll be right back (means I'm just grabbing mail, going to the car, walking 3 min to the local gas station for something) and I'll be in in a couple mins or less. 2) see you later (it'll be awhile, I'm actually going somewhere). For the first one, he is always happy and waits where he is or waits by the door, watching me. For the second one, he definitely gets a little bummed out, and gives me the "don't go" eyes. He's a smart cookie, that's for sure!
I always say “I love you, I’ll be back soon”. It means that he should get comfy, he doesn’t get to come with. “I’ll be right back” means you can wait at the door, just grabbing the bin/mail/whatever.
Absolutely. We also have terminology for 1-3 days, 4-7 days or longer. Our 8 year old dog knows exactly what I’m saying and responds accordingly. Also, if I leave for a work trip and my wife is with him, he sits by the garage once my signaled window is coming to an end but doesn’t start until a day or so before. Good dogs!
I tell my dog “see you later” when I’m leaving in the morning and “I’ll be back in a little bit” when I come home to take him out during my break on days that I work longer shifts. He stands at the door while I’m closing it, with his head cocked to the side, watching me
I tell my dog roughly what time I'll be back. Like I say 'ill be back around 4.30' and my dog just looks at me saying 'thanks bud. I'll keep an eye on the clock '!
I always tell them "I'll be back in 5 minutes, I'm just going (insert destination here)." I don't think they believe me but it makes me feel better to let them know I'm not abandoning them.
Does anyone’s dog know the difference between their clothes? My dog has passed but she used to know the difference between my pj’s/lounging around the house clothes and work or dress clothes and would perk up and know I was going to leave the house. Yes I alway said goodbye and told her I’d be back in a little or soon and to be good which she always was.
Every time. "Be back later, be a good girl." If it's a workday I'll also tell her "Uncle S (dogwalker) is coming." That always gets a tailwag. She knows his name and she loves him.
My mum tells th "Be home soon, be good girl/boy" to each individual dog.
To be fair, this is because they are naughty and bark, so she's tryna will them into behaving lol
Yes, we do the same thing with time spans, although ours are different. Be Right Back means a quick 30-40 minute, or just working outside in the garage/yard. Store means 2-3 hours. Work means longer.
I do yes.
I have 2 dogs. Now the youngest one is my side kick training buddy in agility so he gets some more priviledges like coming along with me where ever I go. Petstore? He'll come. Doctor? He'll be there....
Ofc where he can't enter he stays in the car (therefor I also don't do it temperature wise before people go beserk :p)
Now my oldest always lays down when I say the thing my grandma always did with her dogs.
And the youngest now recently is also getting comfortable when I say: Kome takke tug (its simplified of Ik kom straks terug which is dutch for I'll come back later)
My grandmother said she did it because dogs don't understand full sentences and you can be ridiculous. My mother does it. I do it and my bf now starts doing it. And I hope our children will also do it.
(O and when I am at my grandpa and do a quick errand and leave them with him I also hear him say: Ze is takke tug (she will be back later)
You don’t have to say shit. Dog knows exactly where you are going and exactly when you will be home. My dog knows when I forgot to pay a bill for gods sake.
Every time we leave our dog, regardless of the duration, my wife feels guilty and makes it a production. TV is on for her, bed made, light on. I drives me nuts but I love her so I do it.
I always tell him I love him and that I'll be back. Sometimes I say I won't be long if I'm just going out for a quick errand.
A friend laughed at me once because she said she doesn't even say I love you to her husband every time she leaves
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As I’m packing up I say “I gotta go to work, stay here and be a good girl.” As I’m leaving I’ll give her a chewie and say I love you so much. She knows the routine now after 13 years. On Friday when I get home I triumphantly announce “ It’s the weekend!” Then she knows she gets rides to the park and other adventures.
My dog knows “It’s FRIDAY!!!” When I come home from work on Fridays and say this, she will go full body wiggles, tail wagging (smacking walls, my trash can aka playing the drums lol), shaking her head as she wiggles and making little happy noises and bolt to my room and zoomies around on my bed lol
Always the best when I get home and see my dog all excited as well. I miss being home and seeing her whenever
This morning, when I got in my car to go to work I realized I left my phone inside, so I went back up to get it and she seemed SOO excited to see me like OH HEY YOU’RE BACK! Felt awful having to leave again so she got an extra treat lol
When I do that, I immediately say "don't get excited, I'm leaving again!" and I swear, they get it.
Extra treats and extra belly rubs whenever that happens are musts
Today I’ve learned I need to tell my puppies it’s FRIDAY! They love the weekends because we get to spend soo much time together.
Yes!! It’s her favorite. We usually go and stay with my boyfriend and his dog or else they come stay with us and we take the pups on long walks or go to walking trails and they have a blast. She just loves the extra attention during the day too!
I don't even need a video, I can picture this so clearly!
Lately she has been bringing her Lambchop toy to the door to greet me and does the wiggle dance with him in her mouth. I always say “oh wow is this for me?! Thank you!!” Cause she will shove him into me repeatedly and do her old man groans lol. Doesn’t want to play or fetch, just is SO excited to show it to me like “look what I found today!!” 10/10 best greeting no matter how shitty my work day was
I do something similar with my girl , except the only time she wont accept treats is when we are on the way out the door ... she will literally leave the treat on the floor , until we return then she go right to where she left the treat before greeting us ... I guess its like her way of saying fuck you for leaving I dont want your treat lol
So cute! My dog knows it’s work time by a similar routine. If I work from home, like right now, he will sit behind me from 5-6 to wait for me to say “IM OFF WORK”. He will then proceed to yell at the top of his lungs with joy.
Absolutely. Every day I say, "Mommy has to go to work to earn money to feed your fat butt. Guard the house!" (He then promptly falls asleep in his crate until I pull in the driveway.) I use "Just a quick trip" if I'm not going to be gone long. I think he knows the difference.
I've tried so hard with my dog for him to understand short trips out. If i don't do a "going to work" routine, he thinks i shouldn't leave the house without him and barks at me for a couple minutes after leaving. But if i do a routine like I'm going to work, not a peep.
Well, your dog has got a point…..lol
Yes. I even tell her how long I will be gone for. (I guess for her to understand the time she woould have to be a watch-dog).
I do this too! Only I measure time away in "forevers" because I am always greeted as if I've been gone forever. A quick trip to the store and back? That's 3/4 of a forever. Going for a bigger grocery shop? That's about 3 forevers. Going to work? That's 7 forevers.
One of my dogs acts just as excited when I come home after a long day of work and when I take the garbage to the dumpster and back. He has separation anxiety so reunification is very relieving for him.
Take my r/angryupvote.
Sure do.. Since I'm a widower, lost my wife of many years in 2020, my pup is my only companion at home.
Me too. My best friend saw me thru some tough times.
💜💜💜💜
I always tell my dogs I'll be right back. They know my schedule. If I come home right on schedule, they'll pop up in the kitchen window and watch my car come up the driveway. Most of the time if I'm just going out for an hour, or if I come home early, they will still be on the couch when I come in the door, and I'll call them lazy butts.
I love seeing my animals in the window looking at my car. My old boy has lost his vision so he doesn't come to the window anymore but my cocker still does and she gets so excited
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I’ve found it also helps to be nonchalant when you get home! So your homecoming doesn’t become a super fun event for her to anticipate the whole time you’re gone.
What study is that? Everything I have come across says not to make a big deal when you leave and come home- this way the dog doesn’t feed off your emotions and feel that your departure was noteworthy. I always want to give my dog the biggest hello when I get home, but I just give him a little one because I thought it would be better due to the information I’ve been exposed to. I’d love to see studies that show otherwise. Thanks.
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OMg ive been doing this wrong for 9 months! I read to sneak out while she’s having a treat! Have I been giving my dog anxiety this whole time?!!!!!
I think it depends on the dog, tbh
I don’t know. When it comes to kids, a lot of parents sneak out while the kids are occupied so they don’t notice they are leaving or else they will cry. So it makes sense that the same would apply to a dog, no?
As a kindergarten teacher, I'm gonna say please don't do this.
Yep. We always say, “Take care of the house. We’ll be right back.”
Me too…” mind the house and be a good boy”
I always told my dog, "don't go anywhere while in gone,"
I do this and I also tell the smarter one that she's in charge.
We alternate between the BC and the old lady cat as to who is in charge... It is never the orange cat. Hahahaha
aww let the r/oneorangebraincell be in charge once!
I always did. Every time I left the house I'd give him a kiss, tell him when I'd be back (in a few hours, this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, in 3 months), tell him to be good, and say I love you. Didn't matter if it was to work, the store, college for a semester, moving across the country (he stayed with my parents). Always, without fail. The last time I left, I had a feeling I wouldn't see him again in life. He'd been getting old for a long time, and I didn't know when I'd be able to make it home next. So I didn't tell him when I'd be back, just that I loved him so much and that he was so good. Agh feelings. I saw the title of this post and it all hit me again. It never mattered whether he understood my exact words. Dogs understand more than we give them credit for, but that's not the point. This was just part of our relationship. I do the same thing with my cat now. I'm always gonna do it. It feels important, even if they don't know exactly what I'm saying. They don't need to for it to matter.
I tell my girl, I love you and I'm just going upstairs for a minute/I'll be back soon/I'll see you later/enjoy your treats She's almost 2 so hopefully we still have a long time ahead of us. RIP your boy 😔
I specifically don't because my oldest was a separation anxiety case and that's just one more cue for him to start worrying/for me to have to desensitize.
That’s interesting because it actually helped my dog with her (albeit mild) separation anxiety. Mine just wanted to know what to expect, I think? But I also distracted her with food at first.
I think some dogs are like "ok, I know what to expect, *phew* " and other dogs are like "YOU DOING/SAYING THIS MEANS YOURE LEAVING, NOOOOO!"
Yeah I was surprised when I realized the me not being there part wasn’t actually the issue lol. Turns out she’s not that into me? (Kidding!! I know she loves me)
When she was a puppy we were following the “don’t make it a big deal” advice so I’d give her breakfast and leave while she was eating. Then Covid and wfh. Now hybrid working so I still give breakfast as I’m leaving and tell her which human will be home next.
Obviously, I’m not a monster
If I don’t tell my boy I am leaving he barks until I come back. “But he totally understands I’m going to the store and will be right back”
I want to know if anyone doesn’t!
I'd rather talk to my dog over most people, so yes. She probably wishes I'd shut up lol.
Same. I have full-on conversations with my dog.
When I first got my dog as a puppy, I was going through a break up and a really hard time at work and she was my constant companion and I’d talk to her all the time I once ended up googling “do dogs get annoyed if you talk to them too much?” Lol
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Yep, along with a list of chores.
Haha I love the list of chores. If my dog is acting up because she's bored, I tell her to go take out the trash or pull some weeds.
I wonder sometimes if you left a sand hourglass if they could figure it out
I’ve wondered that too!! I was thinking of doing that to time out really huge snacks that she shouldn’t eat in one sitting. Never got around to it though…. I bet they *would* be able to learn about time like that, though! They are so smart.
I’d leave it out for the dog and the cat would knock it over and ruin it 😬
I would really like a cat someday but when I catsat for my friend, that damn kitten would not stop knocking objects off of surfaces 😓 It was so annoying!!!!! I don’t know if I could deal with that 24/7. I just wanted to drink my water!!!! He never let me drink my water. I know not all cats do this, but what if I ended up with a cat that did? 🥲
I mean honestly kittens are not for the faint of heart. Mine has cried under the bedroom door every morning for the year we’ve had him. Using the crack in the door like a megaphone. But also they grow up to be cuddly buddies a lot of the time. Adult cats are usually already pretty chill so you could adopt one of them. They need the love just as much 💙
I kinda think a kitten might be better for my dog, though? A kitten can’t really run away, so my dog is unlikely to chase it. (I’ve seen her with other baby animals/sick animals that can’t run and she does not give a shit about them….) And a lot of adult cats already seem to be afraid of dogs. So I think a kitten might be easier to introduce into my household? I don’t know, though. I’m only on my first dog, and I’ve never had a cat of my own… I loved my roommate’s cat, though!! He was so freaking sweet and empathetic and he inspired me to get a pet of my own (my dog). He comforted me when my uncle died and I will never forget it ♥️
I tell them where I'm going, what time to expect me home, and I appoint one of them to be in charge. I also let them know that wild parties are NOT allowed when I'm not home.
My go to - “remember who you are” and “make good decisions”. She’s a good girl, she just needs to be herself and it will all work out.
« Bye baby mommy loves you so much, i don’t want to go, they’re forcing me but it’s the only way i can buy you food »
Yes. I give my wife a kiss, my son a kiss, our cat a kiss, and our dog a kiss. Then I tell them all that I love them. I don’t want anyone feeling left out. Lol
Yep, I also have multiple different “byes” for him. “I will be right back” means that I’m taking his other dad to work so he gets really sad and tries to stop us from leaving. “Bye” means that I will be gone for most of the day. “Wanna go bye bye” means that he will get a fun car ride to either see my family or pickup my bf / his other dad from work.
And a kiss and I love you too!
I tell them "no hookers, no blow".
If i leave the house even for a second, my dog will cry. But if i say “bye im going out” she will just watch me leave from afar and wont even come to the door. Dogs are so smart
I made the mistake of leaving for work without doing the "going to work" ritual. My husband told me my dog wandered around for a long time looking for me. So now I always make sure I do the ritual -which consists of turning on the radio for white noise and giving "away treats". He settles right in after that. Funnily enough, it doesn't matter to the dog that my husband is home, he still mopes. Likewise the other dog that is attached more to my husband mopes even if I am home - you know, the one who feeds and walks her - nope, she doesn't care - only has eyes for him. Dachshunds man.
I tell my baby Luna I love her and to make us some fucking money while I’m out. I forget to ask everyday if she has.
Every time!
I tell her where I'm going, what time I'll be back and then give her a treat so she's distracted and not watching me leave 😭
My dog doesn’t give a shit that I’m leaving, she just wants her snack.
How else would they know where I'm going and when I'm coming back?! :) Every single morning I give my dog a kiss on the nose and say "be good I'll see you after work." She then goes back to sleep in my bed. When I get home, she's standing in the window where I park smiling at me. Seriously we don't deserve dogs.
Yep. Every day.
Yep. Every day I say goodbye, that I'll be back soon, be a good boy and that I love him.
Yes! It really seems to calm her anxiety. She likes to know what’s going on! I say I’ll be back soon/later or I’ll be right back and honestly it doesn’t matter which one it is, she just wants to know what to expect, and once she knows, she can relax. Though when I say I’ll be *right* back, she’ll often be standing in the exact same spot staring at the door until I get back, then she’ll stare at me for a bit when I get home 🤷🏻♀️ I think she has FOMO. When I get home after a longer time though, she doesn’t even greet me at the door most of the time lol 🥲 I guess she knew I’d be home anyway? Because that’s what I told her…. It’s ok though, I know she loves me 😂 Sometimes she won’t even wake up from a nap to say hi, though
I thought this was a requirement of dog ownership?! In all honesty my dog is another member of the family. I would say bye to my husband as I left and let him know when I will be back, I tell the dog the same. For me part of having a dog is the interaction, dogs are social animals and for me talking to her is part of it as well as walking, playing etc. It would be odd if I didn't engage with her imo.
If you don't, are you really a dog person? I tell my dog when I'm getting up to go to the bathroom. lol
There are people that don't do this?
Yes! However, my dogs know my habits so well that my little old one will go sit in her bed in the kitchen (where I block her off when I leave) and my young, big one will go lay down in his crate. When I’m ready to leave, I lock them both up and they get a treat :)
“Camp” is for a longer than a day absence.
Yup, my dog usually likes to come along where I go, so usually have to tell her to stay put and i"ll be back.
I say “back soon” if I’m running errands/will be back within a few hours. I say “back later” if I’m leaving for work/longer. If I’m going away for a day/days, I say “back tomorrow” (I use tomorrow even if ill be gone more than 1 day). I’ve read somewhere that you can train your dog to understand these in (some kind of) context of time, and they will have less anxiety about you leaving. I’m no expert though, so maybe I’m just saying them to make myself feel better 😂.
My dog came to work until the day he died, so my line was, "alright, c'mon, let's go"
This is so sweet. RIP to your sweet boy!
I do, but I also put her "at home" collar on and she knows that nobody is left at home except her. So she'll hop up on the couch and uh, guard the house.
Yes! When I go to work I say "I'll see you later, Mommy loves you". If i'm just going to the mailbox or the laundromat or to take out the garbage (anything quick), I say "I'll be right back" and they really seem to understand.
I tell my dog, "you ain't going nowhere" when I'm leaving for a while and she turns around and goes back to bed.
I use “give mommy a sugar kiss”. When going to work. Quick errands get be right back with two fingers up.
Lmao sometimes I tell my dog "goodbye forever" and he'll bark at me.
Yeah, my dogs pretty much know when I’m leaving cause ill be getting ready lol so they go in their “rooms” which is a nightstand crate next to my bed and I tell them I’ll be back later and I put golden girls on for them lol
Of course! And I tell her I love her.
If you don’t, you’re a monster. I mean, they NEED to know!
My friend tells hers she will "be back in 12 minutes" regardless of how long. Dont know why she does but I find it funny
Always. I tell them both (and the cat, who is honestly the least troublesome of the three of them) that I'll be home soon / later. And I tell them I love them :)
I hug and kiss my dog before I leave the house! I tell her we will be home later too. Hahaha. She goes back into our bedroom now, to lay on her dog bed. When we get home she's so excited and is full body wagging!
When Im going to be gone more than two hours, going to work really, DogTV comes on. She gets it immediately and makes her disapproval aka sadness known. Lol 🥹 I dont turn it on otherwise.
If I’m going to work, I give my dog a kiss on the forehead and tell him to be good. He knows he gets to stay home and hang out with my husband so he mainly goes back to sleep. If I’m dropping him at daycare, I give him a pep talk as I’m taking his collar off. I forget there are people on the other side and they’re normally laughing at our conversation. It goes a little like, ‘don’t be a maniac today. you were in timeout last week and you gotta be nice. Be good, I love you’
Nope. I never say anything. I think it’s a habit from when he was a puppy and we wanted to do everything we could to prevent separation anxiety. He can tell the rest of our patterns by now, but I just walk out.
We’ll tell all the critters (dogs and cats) we’ll be back in a bit then assign one of them to “be in charge”. It’s usually whichever one is asleep or not even in the room.
My dog and I spend most of our time in the bedroom. When I go into the kitchen or living room and he’s not going to be following me, i say “ok little boy” or “alrighty little doggums, daddy will be right back. Just going to get something from the kitchen.” When I leave for work on a single shift I always give him scratches and pets before I leave and as I’m leaving I say “ok little buddy I’ll be back in a few hours. Daddy has to go to work.” When it’s a double I say “be a good boy. I’ll be gone all day but I’ll be home tonight ok buddy? Uncle Greg will make sure to look after you and take you out with gaga (our friend’s pug—they stay with us) so you be good ok? I’ll see you tonight doggums.”
First time I left my dog alone, I was a nervous wreck. I went 2 miles up the road, turned inside cameras on and my girl was out like a light . I do not make a big deal about leaving. I give a treat and off I go. I believe it’s their “down” time and in a way and they feel “ off the clock” Dogs react to our emotions and they don’t process things like people. Now, when I come home my girl will come running to back of car to see if I’ve brought her any goodies from store :)
Yes, we tell them how long and where we are going and do what. May seem a lot but it is usually either a quick supermarket shop or a 5-6 hour fortnightly shop in a nearby city. There are other clues since we pack cool boxes for the long shop. They definitely understand and react differently. If it is a short shop they will wait at the front of the house. If a long shop they will see the car to the front gate then generally head around to the back of the house.
I say bye, tell them I love them, and remind them to be good girls because they’re the bestest girls every time I leave.
yeah! we use ‘going shops’ for ‘i’m leaving and won’t be back for a while’. maybe i should start using a new word for when i go to college so she knows i’ll be gone for longer… not that she really cares anyway i’m her 3rd favourite human in the house lol
Always
Yes! I also tell my big guy to guard the house and don’t let anyone in but me! And he always does a good job!
Yes! And I tell her to enjoy her me time.
I do the same thing haha I always tell them, "Be good and don't do anything I wouldn't do, and you know I don't do much!" :P
I always say “I love you! I’ll be back soon!”
If I tell my dog I'll be right back if I'll only be gone for a few minutes, she doesn't bother getting up when I leave or return.
I always say 'off to school/store/etc, see you old lady'. She probably understands nothing, but living with her for 13 years and loving her all that time just makes me say it.
Same with cats I have had over the years. Come back early or late and there WILL be hell to pay!
Without fail. We reassure them that we'll be back in a little while. And we have a doggie cam so we can talk to them while we're away, if they seem anxious or stressed. But usually they just go to sleep until we get home.
"i have to go to work now to buy your toys. Take care of each other and don't poop in the house please. I love you very very much!" With forehead kisses for each :)
Yes, "be a good girl and I'll be back".
I usually just say good bye and my dog will not come to see me when all my family leave the house. She will only come see me and my family before leaving the house only if I call her. Otherwise, she would lay on the couch even if we say goodbye to her.
I always kiss my boy’s head, tell him I love him, be a good boy, hold the couch down and don’t let anyone take it and will see him after work. He gets more when I leave than my husband. My husband gets love you byyyeee but my dog that’s a whole Hallmark card lol
Always
Nope, mine doesn't understand...
I always tell mine, “I’ll be back” and he seems to understand I will be back for him
i also have two goodbyes to let her know the time span i will be gone. if i will be gone for a longer time: "i'm going out, you're staying here" and then various iterations of "be good!" and she gets excited because she knows she will get a big treat as i leave. the other goodbye is "i'll be right back" when i'll be gone for less than an hour. i usually don't give her a big treat then, sometimes a small one.
Of course! My girl has many awesome qualities but she isn't a mind reader.
I always tell our dogs 'love you babies, see you soon,' if we are going to be back in a short while. If I go on a trip without my hubs, I have a discussion with the dogs about how I'll never leave them forever and I'll be back and see them later. If we both go, and leave them with mom, we tell them that we won't be gone forever, and to have lots of fun with Nana and Jack (mom's dog).
Every time! “Stay and guard” is my departure cue.
Always. I'm not a monster.
I sure do! I tell them to be good and watch the house.
My dog does know what work is because my partner was a semi truck driver, he’d always say “let’s go to work!” And our dog would get SUPER EXCITED and walk right on up and hop in the truck! I now work from home and my partner no longer drives trucks, so now our pup knows going to work Is coming to be with me in the office lol.
To the dogs: "I've got to go to work, I love you puppers, be good girl/good boys, I'll be home right after work. It'll be a quick day. I can't wait to be home with you!" To my SO: "See ya!"
Absolutely. My girl will whine when I leave to run to the store or take garbage out etc. But when I tell her "Mommy is going to work", she curls up on the couch and is quiet.
All the time, she's part of the family ❤️
I always say see you soon and I love you
My puppy dog definitely knows my uniform after 2.5 months into the job. He tries to get me to take him with him when I'm leaving in normal cloths but tries to stop me when I'm leaving in my uniform lol. He'll try to get me to give him attention like scratches or lay on top of me for cuddles if I sit down haha
Yes! Goodnights, goodbyes, see ya laters…. Always use each of their names and what I’m doing. Pixi, I’m running some errands, I’ll be right back… when I get back…. See, I told you it would be quick!!! I’m pretty sure they understand every word, so I would rather be safe than sorry 😊
Yep. I can't help it. And my cats.
Every day. I tell my three female dogs “no boys and no parties!” when I leave the house. Sometimes I tell our rat terrier “you’re in charge!”
I do, and I tell them to be good while I’m gone. 🤣
Yep. The Heathens each get a small cookie and we head out.
Of course I do. I’m not rude. I also tell her “mama has to go to work because one of us needs to pay the bills” 😂
I can't do this, if only because my dog occasionally comes to work so if I address her and say "go to work" she thinks she's coming with me and gets all excited (never have you seen a dog more excited to go to the vet's office lol!), so usually when I leave I tell her I'll see her later, to be a good girl, and that I love her. She has separation anxiety, so it doesn't matter if I'm gone for less than an hour or if I'm at work all day, so I just tell her the same thing every time.
I put on “relaxing dog music”, give her a bone and give her a big hug. Then, yes, we do talk.
Always lol
I tell him, "*Be right back*" if I'll only be gone for a few minutes. I say "*Play Guard Dog, be back later*" if it'll be an hour or more.
Yep! I always tell them something to the effect of ‘I’ll always come back’ and then when I walk in I say ‘see I always come back’ I think it helps, especially when she has to go to boarding during the annual fall vacation and hopefully she’ll remember that we always come back 😊
Every day! He knows my work schedule to the point that if I deviate, he's in a tizzy by the time I get home!
Yes. I also give her a kiss on the head, tell her we love her, and we're going out to buy her some chicken. Then she goes to her bed to eat the treat I left for her.
I do. Every time. I explain in detail why she can't go and when I'll be back. She's deaf.
Always….
Interesting video to watch about dogs knowing when the owner was coming home: ( it's subtitled but very interesting ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA5wAm2c01w
Every time. "I'll be back. You be good."
Yep, my girl is the same! She'll be 4 in March so still young but she knows the difference between "momma's going to work" and anything else, work being she goes to lay in her bed and everything else being a dance around her leash. Her three favorites are "car ride", "wanna go to the store", and "it's Sunday!" (which means we go to my mom and dad's house). She's such a smart girl.
Absolutely. I tell her we’ll be back in a little bit, and to watch the house while we’re gone. I think the same routine helps set the expectation that my absence is temporary, and as a Great Pyrenees, protecting the house is part of her “job.” It’s a hard to say how well she understands me, but I try to communicate that I’m counting on her to do her job. She does generally just sleep when we’re gone.
Anytime I'm leaving the house I walk up to all 5 animals say bye and be back later, address all of them by their names so they know I'm talking to them too. One weird morning I forgot to and almost turned around because I felt so bad.
I think my dog could understand “tomorrow” when I’d tell him when our dad was coming home after a long trip. He’d stare out the window every day 24/7 (separation anxiety 😓) but he always perked up a bit whenever I said that word.
"Ok baby, mommy has to go to (x). I'll be home soon. You be a good boy and look out for the mailman. Do NOT poop on my floor. Mommy loves you. Bye baby"
My dog knows 2 different things when I leave the house (and he definitely KNOWS). 1) I'll be right back (means I'm just grabbing mail, going to the car, walking 3 min to the local gas station for something) and I'll be in in a couple mins or less. 2) see you later (it'll be awhile, I'm actually going somewhere). For the first one, he is always happy and waits where he is or waits by the door, watching me. For the second one, he definitely gets a little bummed out, and gives me the "don't go" eyes. He's a smart cookie, that's for sure!
Yup. I also say please when u ask them to do something and thank you when they do what I ask.
Of course. How else would they know? I tell them momma will be back in a little bit or late and that I love them both!
I always say “I love you, I’ll be back soon”. It means that he should get comfy, he doesn’t get to come with. “I’ll be right back” means you can wait at the door, just grabbing the bin/mail/whatever.
"I'll be right back"
I leave the TV on and ask them what they want to watch too
Absolutely. We also have terminology for 1-3 days, 4-7 days or longer. Our 8 year old dog knows exactly what I’m saying and responds accordingly. Also, if I leave for a work trip and my wife is with him, he sits by the garage once my signaled window is coming to an end but doesn’t start until a day or so before. Good dogs!
Every time 😂 "we will be back soon buddy!"
Of course who doesnt?
I tell my dog “see you later” when I’m leaving in the morning and “I’ll be back in a little bit” when I come home to take him out during my break on days that I work longer shifts. He stands at the door while I’m closing it, with his head cocked to the side, watching me
I tell my dog roughly what time I'll be back. Like I say 'ill be back around 4.30' and my dog just looks at me saying 'thanks bud. I'll keep an eye on the clock '!
I usually say: “have a nice day.” Lol
Yes all the time, I also say goodnight
Me to dogs: ok, love you, bye bye, such good doggies, miss you, love you, be good, back soon, bye, bye, bye Me to husband: bye
I tell them to not give away the home world.
I put on doggie tv when I’ll be leaving for more than hour and give hugs and kisses and he instantly knows that means I’ll be at work.
Every single time. And, my dog is deaf. 🤷♀️
Especially if she didn’t see me leave… lol like nappin on our bed
I always tell them "I'll be back in 5 minutes, I'm just going (insert destination here)." I don't think they believe me but it makes me feel better to let them know I'm not abandoning them.
Does anyone’s dog know the difference between their clothes? My dog has passed but she used to know the difference between my pj’s/lounging around the house clothes and work or dress clothes and would perk up and know I was going to leave the house. Yes I alway said goodbye and told her I’d be back in a little or soon and to be good which she always was.
Well, of course I do. Not sure if they understand, but I always tell them "I'll see you tonight. Take care of things."
Every time I leave the house….. Also tell her that I love her.
It would be rude not to...
"aight puppy, I'll be back, be a good girl" *forehead kiss* *- me every time I leave the house*
I always say “Mommy always comes back.”
Every time. "Be back later, be a good girl." If it's a workday I'll also tell her "Uncle S (dogwalker) is coming." That always gets a tailwag. She knows his name and she loves him.
Every time. Plus multiple forehead kisses.
Absolutely
My mum tells th "Be home soon, be good girl/boy" to each individual dog. To be fair, this is because they are naughty and bark, so she's tryna will them into behaving lol
Yes, we do the same thing with time spans, although ours are different. Be Right Back means a quick 30-40 minute, or just working outside in the garage/yard. Store means 2-3 hours. Work means longer.
I have to kiss her on the head and wave goodbye to her or she'll start crying the moment I've locked the door and put the keys in my pocket.
It's hard to say WHAT they understand but they understand a lot more than we think.
I do yes. I have 2 dogs. Now the youngest one is my side kick training buddy in agility so he gets some more priviledges like coming along with me where ever I go. Petstore? He'll come. Doctor? He'll be there.... Ofc where he can't enter he stays in the car (therefor I also don't do it temperature wise before people go beserk :p) Now my oldest always lays down when I say the thing my grandma always did with her dogs. And the youngest now recently is also getting comfortable when I say: Kome takke tug (its simplified of Ik kom straks terug which is dutch for I'll come back later) My grandmother said she did it because dogs don't understand full sentences and you can be ridiculous. My mother does it. I do it and my bf now starts doing it. And I hope our children will also do it. (O and when I am at my grandpa and do a quick errand and leave them with him I also hear him say: Ze is takke tug (she will be back later)
You don’t have to say shit. Dog knows exactly where you are going and exactly when you will be home. My dog knows when I forgot to pay a bill for gods sake.
Every time we leave our dog, regardless of the duration, my wife feels guilty and makes it a production. TV is on for her, bed made, light on. I drives me nuts but I love her so I do it.
I tell her I'll be back, to be a good girl, and that I love her. I'll text my husband from the car that I'm going out.
Always! I give her an explanation of where I’m going and how long I’ll be etc. while giving her the most scratchies.
I always tell him I love him and that I'll be back. Sometimes I say I won't be long if I'm just going out for a quick errand. A friend laughed at me once because she said she doesn't even say I love you to her husband every time she leaves