I've just started a new job, which means our routine needs to shift a bit. Never easy with an anxious dog.
As George now needs to go to daycare for consecutive days, he is going to a special-needs daycare in the middle. It's smaller, and I'm hopeful that he might get more rest.
It's further away, but they offer pick-up, which is fantastic. Although nerve-wracking, of course. George doesn't do well with people coming to the door, and the area immediately outside the house is one of his most stressful places.
So I decided that I would walk him out to the road to meet them rather than have them come to the door.
On the first day, we got up extra early so his stressful-event meds had plenty of time to kick in.
He did OK. He was confused about why we continued walking past the car (we never walk around the neighbourhood anymore because he finds it so stressful), and he gave a few barks when he saw the staff member. But I lifted him into the car without any grumbling.
He did look very confused when she shut the door and I hadn't got in, though!
They said he did OK during the day. He has a best friend there, and he is more relaxed when he is around.
I decided I would pick him up at the end of the day rather than have their staff member run the neighbour gauntlet. It's a really nice, stress-free pick-up. It's very rare to see other people, and they always catch me up on how he's been doing.
For the next pick-up, he seemed a little more confident. He seemed to realise what was happening when we walked past the car to the road. It was a different staff member, though, so he was a little taken aback—but no barking. I lifted him into the car again so the staff member didn't have to lean over him.
Again, he seemed to do OK during the day.
While he still adores his friends and the staff at the regular daycare, I'm hoping that the smaller daycare will cause less stress on the consecutive days.
We’ll have to watch this space.