dog but work full time

moomin5

CFC wrote: »

Of course - but a small dog and a pram can be a challenge, I should think a large dog and a pram would be a nightmare.

I'd expect its all in the training & dogs behaviour not its size. We went on an organised walk and a lady with a pushchair had 2 greyhounds, just plodding alongside.

mac.d

Good luck with your baby, but I'd just echo the thoughts of those who have advised you to wait until after the baby is born, as that will alter everything about your life.

If you still want a dog in future, the bottom line is that you both work full-time and therefore, immaterial of a day off/early finish, the dog will be left on it's own for much of the day. You already know it yourself "part of me thinks its not good enough", you'd clearly give a dog a great home, but not by leaving it on it's own for full days on a regular basis.

If you really must get a dog, the best solution (and really the only reasonable one) is to employ a dog walker (probably cost you £40-80 per week). Even that's not perfect, but it will help to break up a long, lonely day for your dog and give it some much-needed exercise & company. Yes, plenty of people have pets and work full-time, doesn't make it a good idea though...

Welshwoofs

I'm in a very similar situation. I'm single, work full time and have a dog. I work from home 80% of the time, but when I'm away I do the following:

1. If away for 8 hours or less I get a dog walker in half-way through the day for an hour's walk (£8-£10 an hour here in Gloucestershire)
2. If away for 8+ hours my dog will go to a sitter overnight rather than be on his own for long periods. I have a sitter who takes my dog to his house and charges £15 a day for that service.
3. When he's at home alone he's in the house.

I'm afraid I would never shut my dog in a garage. The times he is at home alone he's in the house and he's never more than 4 hours without seeing anyone because of the set-up I have with dog-walking. Mine's a Mastiff and they sleep a lot so he's generally snoring away on this bed when the walker arrives (so I'm told) and he's also generally snoring away when I get home.