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General => General discussion => Topic started by: bobbarley on 23 December 2012, 21:51
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Curious, is there anyone on here who has a dog, but both you and our other half have full time jobs? If so, how does your doggy deal with being trapped inside all day until someone gets home?
The Mrs and I are thinking of getting a dog in the new year, but on Monday's and Friday's we'll both be at work, so it'll be about 10 hours before anyone comes home.
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We've had a Husky for the last 12 years and we both work full time...However although we love our dog, if something happen, we don't think we would have another one...Our Husky stays outside during the day, in her kennel and has the freedom of the garden..I think its a same to leave the dog inside all day and she does need to do the toilet and you could end up with a mess in your house.
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My dog stays at home while my mum and I are at work. At first when it was a puppy we kept it just between the living room and kitchen, to minimize the risk of her injuring herself down the stairs, or creating havoc. Once we were confident she wasn't into chewing shoes and going down the stairs and jumping onto beds, we allowed her to roam the house free. We always leave the TV and a light on and obviously water (duh!).
She does get extremely excited when either of us come home after work, but then again she gets just as excited when I pop out of the house for literally a minute, so I think it's just her being a playful and loving dog.
Loads of people do it mate, and so long as you let the dog have 24/7 access to water and a comfy place then it'll be happy to sleep most of the time or go on adventures around the house. Leaving a TV or radio on helps to keep them reassured :smiley:
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Can they hold it in all day though? Poor thing would be crossing it's legs dying to get out surely?
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We've always had dogs (I live with my folks still)
Pretty lucky that they do staggered shifts - my dads home by 4.30 most days and on Mondays and Tuesday's the step mum doesn't leave till 11. Every other day she's gone by 7.30 though so they're left about 9 hours.
They're pretty good and rarely pee in the house - it was only the younger one anyway, so put it down to general house training anyway.
They get a semi decent walk in the morning, fed their breakfast and then left. They just crash out all day as they're lurchers.
In the old house they used to get let out at lunch time which is an option if you work close enough?
We also used to have a dog flap in the old house which was pretty handy. People always asked about security issues with it, but the reply of "would you crawl into a house with a dog flap that big" normally sufficed.
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Curious, is there anyone on here who has a dog, but both you and our other half have full time jobs? If so, how does your doggy deal with being trapped inside all day until someone gets home?
The Mrs and I are thinking of getting a dog in the new year, but on Monday's and Friday's we'll both be at work, so it'll be about 10 hours before anyone comes home.
I had a pharaoh hound for a little while and the dog needed about 4 hours a day of running. He was fine in the house but had to go back at lunch everyday. And we just thought it wasn't fair on the dog in the end as you can tell he didnt like it. so we gave him to a dog home that the owner also had pharaoh hounds of their own and they had fields to run around in all day.
I honestly think it comes down to the size of the dog. Any bread that is big then it's not fair on the animal.
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Depends how big the dog is and what sized house you have. Small dogs don't required daily walking, although all dogs love it. A big dog though needs to be taken out every day, preferably twice a day. If you have a big house you can get away with leaving a few days without taking a small dog out (mine gets walked sometimes once or twice a week, I know I'm bad). But my dog is a chihuahua so for her my house is big enough to do exercise and run around in.
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Not really the size of the dog but more the breed.
Lurchers, greyhounds, wolfhounds etc are big but due to their nature of Sprinting, they are inherently lazy.
Collies, spaniels, even terriers etc need a lot of attention and entertaining due to being clever. These are the ones that tend to wreck furniture if left too long as they get bored.
Is there a particular breed you are looking at?
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It's not fair on the dog... and no doubt you'll punish it if its bad.... Not fair again as they crave attention & no dog likes being left on its own for 10 hours....
Then you sleep 8 hours so the poor thing gets 4-6 hours with you...
I'm lucky that I can take mine to work with me and if I can't then the Mother in law comes round and lets her out, but the most she gets left is 4 hours at anyone time....
An old saying and it's still true " A Dog Is For Life & Not Just Christmas"...
They are very Tie-ing and VERY EXPENSIVE.... Add another couple of hundred quid if you want a holiday, Vets bills every year Etc Etc....
IMO.... Of Course...
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They are very Tie-ing and VERY EXPENSIVE.... Add another couple of hundred quid if you want a holiday, Vets bills every year Etc Etc....
IMO.... Of Course...
Amen. Food, vaccines, vaccine booster, passport if you want to travel with it, microchip and then if she gets ill it's going to cost you from a full service upwards! Mine ate a box of chocolate bonbons overnight and had to spend a night at the vet clinic on a drip. £180 vet bill :shocked:
Thankfully insurance paid I think £100 of that.
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To make it clear, someone is at home 5 days a week, it's only Monday and Friday that no one is there for the entire day. Walking won't be a problem, I'm just more concerned at it being inside all day without being able to go the toilet and stuff (we work too far from our house to pop back at lunch).
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That to be fair it is breed and not size. A pharaoh hound is crazy :laugh: wrecked our garden, holes everywhere. And needed a lot of attention and we just couldn't give him enough. Very clever dogs!
My missis old house mate had a tiny dog. That didn't need any walking. You walked and it was sprinting to just stay at your side :grin: cheap on food.
But the little sh!t chewed up the carpets and guess who had to sort that out when they moved out :angry:
Cats are what you want if your not home a lot.
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Her tiny dog had a dirt tray :grin:
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To make it clear, someone is at home 5 days a week, it's only Monday and Friday that no one is there for the entire day. Walking won't be a problem, I'm just more concerned at it being inside all day without being able to go the toilet and stuff (we work too far from our house to pop back at lunch).
Thats not as bad as I first read it... Any chance a neighbour could let it out on those 2 days or look at employing a dog walker...
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My dog was a nightmare for the first 2 years. He hated being alone and would bark nonstop and chew any thing and everything in sight :lipsrsealed:
Now he's older he doesn't mind being alone for most the day as long as you give him a good walk before and after.
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No problems with holding it for 8-10hrs but that means doing the whole training bit to begin with and expect some destruction of furniture. Ideal is a utility room as a pup and use a extra-large breed travel cage to keep it in for an hour or so when you first leave it in the house on its own. They tend to learn quite quickly not to mess where they sleep.
The question of breed is the hardest as a lot of people want a dog that looks a certain way...that means you take whatever traits they have. Working dogs are more difficult if you are out a lot as already said. I work shifts so there is an ever changing overlap of how long the dog is on its own, and being a border collie its hard to miss any days walking even when your ill or you have the kids off ill with you.
Do a bit of research on temperament and if possible check the b!tch and dog that has been bred...gives an idea of the genetics.
And good luck... :grin:
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I grew up always having a dog around so am pretty used to them, exercise, costs, playing with them etc. My girlfriend has also always grown up around dogs, and even used to train them. So both pretty experienced.
Some googling seems to suggest that up to 10 hours is ok and the dog can be trained and become accustomed to it, which is good. I guess having the two days a week split up help as well.
Definitely something to think about. Lots of research needed to investigate different breeds and decide what type we would like to get :smiley:
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I personaly dont have a dog! but the mrs mum has 2! miniture (sausage dog) and a flat coat retreiver! the flat coat needed hours of walking every day! but hes now 12, arthritus has kicked in, so he only needs 20 min in the morning and a run of the eve!
sausage is ok he can do a lap around the block and hes f**ked!! :grin:
luckilly for them, her old man does shift work, and her mum starts late, and then chloe is allways up the horse yard, so she takes the boys with her! so it works fine!
if it was us getting another dog! it wouldnt be a good idea, possibilty of me working offshore, and the mrs has just landed her self a job as a air hostes! so were not going to be home much!!
but willi is sooo cute! :p
(http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/tobe1990/DSC_0132.jpg)
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some dogs are ok left alll day other arn't massivly depends on age breed and the personality of that particular dog.
i can leave mine all day no bother as long as there is a massive walk beforehand but only ever do it on a needs must basis. but usally comes to work with me and just chills out in the back of the pickup
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some dogs are ok left alll day other arn't massivly depends on age breed and the personality of that particular dog.
i can leave mine all day no bother as long as there is a massive walk beforehand but only ever do it on a needs must basis. but usally comes to work with me and just chills out in the back of the pickup
I have a Colie Cross and a Yorkshire Terrier at the moment, always had dogs though.
If you have a big house, we found Great Danes were a good dog, not much excersise needed, doesn't eat too much (given the size!), but they don't live too long though, and will easily take up a 3 seater sofa!
Also had a Chihuahua crossed with a Pug (Ugly little fcker!) which was ok to keep, easy to walk and feed etc, liked attention...
Had another collie cross, most loyal dog i've ever known!
Overall it depends what you want, and how you train it. All the dogs i've had have been fine with being left on there own for hours on end on the odd day, and our current 2 regularly have 1 day a week where we are out for 8-12 hours and can't take them. The Collie is about 11 (Rescue dog) and the Yorkie's around 18months (Again, rescued!).
If you do get one, and it is left and does something in the house though, don't tell it off when you get home, dogs won't put 2 and 2 together and realise that what it did hours earlier was wrong...
Train it right, and it'll be your best friend! Also, don't read into the personallities and perseptions of different beeds too far! I have a friends with a Rottweiller, built like a brick sh!thouse but soft as you like! Same with a mate with a Staffie. Although certain breeds are bred for a purpose, bringing them up right can easily change them into an ideal pet. Leave it constantly, give it no attention and don't feed it properly and it'll be pretty angry...
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Apparently Bulldogs are good. Low energy and really nice around children :smiley:
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This is true, but suffer really badly with medical issues, especially breathing difficulty due to overbreeding making them have super stumpy faces.
And they're pretty popular so puppies = big money
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We got a Jack Russell :smiley:
Its about how you train them thats the key to a happy home life :smiley: toilet training them from the moment you take the dog home is also key
Most dogs can hold everything thing in for a long time. Dash once went 18 hours!! :shocked: :shocked:
Also pick a pick suited to your lifestyle and the size of your house. Having a dog which requires lots of attention and walking when you dont have the time is not fair on the dog :sad:
Do plenty of research before deciding :smiley: i never had a dog prior to Dash but now i cant imagine life without one. Since the birth of Laylah he has had a little less attention but we always try and make time for him :smiley:
A dog for Myla would be great as they will tire each other out :grin: :grin:
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We had two bullmastiffs and they went 8-10 hours no problem, but I worked shifts so it didn't happen that often. We've since lost both and now I'm back on office hours we've agreed that leaving a dog 5 out of 7 days for this length of time perhaps isn't that fair.
Each to their own I guess, dog walkers are a great idea, especially if you can get one recommended by a friend etc.
Best alarm system too!
(http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i477/Ginge35Edition/cars/Woofas/a9015fda91126cdf033fb6f37379a32f.jpg)
(http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i477/Ginge35Edition/cars/Woofas/2916fe74f7c7465ed32aae1a40441000.jpg)
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Apparently Bulldogs are good. Low energy and really nice around children :smiley:
Gets my vote, Ronnie is awesome, lazy as f**k and amazing with our toddler!
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It is possible provided you pick the right type and age of dog.
Obviously a young puppy will not be possible - they need someone around nearly all the time to train them and of course they need to toilet very frequently. You'd be best off with an older dog, perhaps one that's already used to being left at home. Even so, you will need to be prepared to take several weeks off work to settle the dog in and get it used to being left in your home by building up the length of time very gradually. The other problem is finding a suitable dog - you'll probably have to go down the private rehoming route as sadly many rescues seem to think that all dog owners should stay at home with the dog all day every day and somehow make a living as well!
A high energy or very intelligent breed that needs a lot of stimulation would also be a bad idea. It has NOTHING to do with size of dog. Some very small dogs needs huge amounts of exercise and some large dogs need very little.
We have a medium sized lurcher who is great, doesn't mind being left at home or in the car at all. If we have to leave her we always ensure she's had a good walk before and after, and we leave her with a Kong toy (this is like a semi solid hollow rubber shape) stuffed with frozen goodies to keep her busy - she has to lick/chew/chuck it about to get the food out slowly. There's lots of similar toys available. She is a typical lurcher, very lazy and so long as she's in a familiar environment, is warm and comfortable, she'll sleep nearly all day.
My OH is currently looking for a new job, he's usually home at the moment but when he gets ones we'll have someone walk ours at lunch time as personally I think 10 hours is too long without a comfort break!
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i think he bought a cat :whistle:
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i think he bought a cat :whistle:
Battyman
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I've got a dog, had him since he was 6 weeks old and he'll soon be 12. After a few weeks of getting him settled in he's pretty much always been left all day, and he's used to it.
Now he's older I've made sure he'd got a dog-flap, so he can let himself out during the day. But dogs can cross their legs a long time. My sister owns my dog's sister, and I've looked after her before. She's a bit of a pest and won't go out if she doesn't really want to. One time she wouldn't go out last thing at night, and neither would she go out the next morning. I went to work assuming she'd have an accident during the day, but no, she held on. Wasn't keen to go out when I got home that day from work either!
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Bought a kitten for Myla for her birthday.
I still want a dog, just not rushing into it :smiley:
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We bought our bulldog late October. I'm not a dog person, but fell in love instantly! She's good as gold. I wouldn't say lazy, just chilled out! Excellent with kids, very easy to train, obedient and so adorable!
Just don't try to sleep next to each other...she snores very loudly!!!
Here's Daisy;
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/volkswagengolf/th_F44A5EEE-468A-4EE4-802F-53976A34A4BD-10937-00000554AF5C2C0C.jpg) (http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/volkswagengolf/?action=view¤t=F44A5EEE-468A-4EE4-802F-53976A34A4BD-10937-00000554AF5C2C0C.jpg)
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We bought our bulldog ... very easy to train
Sweet, but that's not something I've heard before...I'd always heard Bulldogs were difficult to train, but I guess as long as you get them started young, you can train anything really.
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we have 2 jack russells, both rescues and both around 8 now.
I dont like leaving them for long periods but the truth is they just sleep all day anyway.
I leave toys and bones laying around for them and they are generally in the same place when i come home.
as stated above they go mad when i come home, but they do that if i am out for half an hour.
we have a local dog walker that will come and see to them for £7 an hour
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We bought our bulldog ... very easy to train
Sweet, but that's not something I've heard before...I'd always heard Bulldogs were difficult to train, but I guess as long as you get them started young, you can train anything really.
You're right, they're dumb as sh!t!
But easily trained on the basics as they're extremely loving dogs in a 'pack' and want to be near even when off the lead. And they'll do anything for food. Pull a chicken bite out and they go tits!
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Got two dobermanns looking after all my sh*t. :wink:
(http://s8.postimage.org/l6cqpzkt1/HOUNDS.jpg)
The missus got them 11 years ago now and they're still going strong. We find that they get used to whatever environment you train them to be in.
However, I don;t think it's nice for a dog to be trapped in the house all day but then some breeds are quite alright with it so long as you reward them with lots of good exercise.
Our two have a dog flap on a door to the side of the house, first thing we did when they were puppies was train them to use it, they're in and out of the garden all day (we have a large garden for them to p155 and sh*t all over) :grin:
Because of this they never feel trapped or cause trouble in the house, not sure how good an idea it is having a dog flap for a less scary looking dog though security wise.
Despite this they still go mental when we come home from work but that's because they know it's time to go out to a big field and run around like hooligans until they are knackered.
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what where the dobermans like as puppies?
are they alot of work??
i know all puppies are work but compared to others?
ive wanted one for years
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The dobes are beautiful, if I could have any breed regardless of practicality it would be one of them! As it stands I wouldn't have the time for one sadly at the moment, maybe one day!
You can train anything? Fancy coming and training my lurcher :laugh: She's way too keen on chasing above all else. She's not too bad and fairly obedient generally but when she gets into the hunt zone wild horses couldn't get her back!
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Get a dog sitter. Not fair to keep them in all day. It's a lot of responsibility, but the love they give is worth it.
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I think two days a week on it's own during the day is perfectly reasonable. Just waiting until our finances are more settled before we make any decisions.
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I think two days a week on it's own during the day is perfectly reasonable. Just waiting until our finances are more settled before we make any decisions.
Depends on breed, age and length of time buddy. Speaking from experience, used to work as a trainer.
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pict of our daft mutt :smiley:
(http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc419/barrym381/Photo00-2_zps99d9fdad.jpg)
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I think two days a week on it's own during the day is perfectly reasonable. Just waiting until our finances are more settled before we make any decisions.
And that's what your going to tell a hyperactive 13 week old pup..
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I think two days a week on it's own during the day is perfectly reasonable. Just waiting until our finances are more settled before we make any decisions.
And that's what your going to tell a hyperactive 13 week old pup..
our boxer is 4 an still acts like a 13week old :grin: :grin: :grin:
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My Collie-Whippt cross is 12 soon and still acts like a puppy sometimes! I was out rolling up large snowballs yesterday and he was dashing about, biting them, yapping, scratching them!
Here he is a few years ago...he's still just as active, but slowing down a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGY3CsCcsxw
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I think two days a week on it's own during the day is perfectly reasonable. Just waiting until our finances are more settled before we make any decisions.
To be honest I think 10 hours at a time is too long on any day.... dog would get bored and lonely and would probably need to go to the toilet! It would be ok with a dog walker for an hour half way through though :smiley: