Am feeling guilty and just need some rational neutral party reassurance (or not, if it really is terrible). Lancer is my two-weeks-shy-of 6 month old golden retriever. He’s amazing and awesome and I love life with him. But man, he’s a lot sometimes. The 6am wake ups. The alerts to go out just to walk around and sniff and definitely not use the bathroom. Lol he’s a trip. But I’m also single and doing it all myself. The last dog I had from the pup stage was with a partner. We took turns on the late night potty trips. Or the early morning wake ups.

I send him to daycare three days a week to make sure he’s socializing and I have a great place here in rural Kentucky that’s structured and so awesome. He loves it there and they love him. I board him there once a month for two days when I have to go out of town for a standing medical appointment. In truth, when I first got him at two months he had such terrible separation anxiety that I felt like it was important for him to get exposure with other people and other environments. They are staffed with caring people that absolutely love him. One of the people that work there today got him a valentines card and a doggie cookie. So sweet.

I’m pondering boarding him one night this week just to give myself a break. To be able to watch a ballgame start to finish. Take a vacation day and sleep in the next day. I feel like that makes me an unworthy owner and that I shouldn’t even be thinking this. Is there something wrong with me that that’s even a consideration? Thoughts from the collective?

I know I have it good. He has never had a #2 accident in the house and only a few #1s when I either waited too long or he had a UTI. He does great with commands and is a great pal. I rationally know that the good is at least partially because of how I train him and love him. I’m just feeling awful guilty for boarding him on a random night.