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Advice on leaving a dog home alone please!
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If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him. Would you leave a human baby in an empty house? I do despair with dog owners in 2014. It is cruel and there is no justification for it.
Could you manage in an empty house with nothing going on and no idea if and when it was ever going to end?
No amount of training will make it OK for a dog, even though some might try to justify it.
Don't be ridiculous, if every dog owner who worked full time 'rehomed' their dog how many do you think would actually get rehomed and how many do you think would end up destroyed or languishing in kennels?
People have to work, that's how they afford thing like dog food and vet care! Most dogs can be trained and helped to manage perfectly well on their own while their owner works, and would rather stay in the home where they are loved than be uprooted and sent back to a rescue kennel0 -
If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him. Would you leave a human baby in an empty house? I do despair with dog owners in 2014. It is cruel and there is no justification for it.
Could you manage in an empty house with nothing going on and no idea if and when it was ever going to end?
No amount of training will make it OK for a dog, even though some might try to justify it.
I think that is very harsh. When they got the puppy the husband did not work and, even now when he is going to be working, the OH says the work is probably going to be temporary. So say the work is going to last a month, should they really get rid of the dog permanently?
If the job does turn out to be permanent then they may have to look at options but I don't see that getting rid of the dog is the only option.
Of course in an ideal world no dog would be left hours every day but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world. There is every chance the dog would not find another home but just end up in rescue so how would that be any better a life for them?
If the OP now has another wage coming in presumably they will be better off and will be able to think about affording a dog walker or doggy day care. Also they may have a local friend or neighbour who would be willing to walk the dog or at least visit and keep it company for a whileThe world is over 4 billion years old and yet you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie0 -
Sniffles, your comment was extremely hard and knee jerk. How often are we told off for humanising dogs yet you've referred to leaving a dog as liken to a baby, which is just patently ridiculous.
No, it's not ideal unfortunately and we only got a dog because I am home full time, but even then, dogs HAVE to be left alone - food shopping, a family meal out etc and I think you would be doing a pup no favours as to teaching them to settle on their own for a few hours as you never know what the future holds and that your dog may have to be home alone some day.
I can't understand how you dispair for dog owners in 2014, in my childhood, dogs were readily turfed out on to the street to fend for themselves every morning. I lost count of the amount of times I had to dodge either a fighting or a mating pair on our front lawn as I made way for the school bus. Dogs were rarely neutered and 'free to good homes' was the norm, god alone knows where millions of unwanted pups ended up. Training was harsh in many instances and road traffic accidents involving dogs happened all the time, I witnessed a dog run out on to a busy four lane main road and get hit and the noise of that dog screaming will live with me forever.
To suggest that a happy, much loved (if memory serves, I remember OP posting about how much actual love she felt for her dog) and wanted pet is rehomed because a change in circumstances has arisen is nonsense.
Skintandscared, it really isn't an ideal situation to find yourself in, my only advise is to set the alarm clock an hour earlier and have a good walk with pup to tire him out, have a tasty, frozen kong at the ready for when you have to leave and with your partners new earnings, employ a dog walker or find out about doggy day care in your area. I hope it all works out ok for you!
These forums are invaluable for people, (like myself) to garner advice and sometimes it takes a lot for people to pluck up the courage to be honest and ask for help and unpleasant, snappy retorts do not help anyone and I'm sure can lead to people not posting for advice and possibly running head long into a mess.Total debt £20,000 Northern Rock loan:eek:
Debt free date April 2016!!!!:eek:0 -
If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him. Would you leave a human baby in an empty house? I do despair with dog owners in 2014. It is cruel and there is no justification for it.
Could you manage in an empty house with nothing going on and no idea if and when it was ever going to end?
No amount of training will make it OK for a dog, even though some might try to justify it.
I'm fortunate enough to be at home all day with my dogs but thousands of people in the UK leave their dogs alone for long periods due to work commitments.
My son's dog is alone all day from 830 till 4 2 days a week and that's just the way it has to be.
The dog's happy and well enough socialised. It's a way of life for him.0 -
Skintandscared, whereabouts are you? It may be that someone could help you with a dog walker/day boarder/day care etc at a reasonable priceThe world is over 4 billion years old and yet you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie0
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Skintandscared, whereabouts are you? It may be that someone could help you with a dog walker/day boarder/day care etc at a reasonable price
Good idea catkins xRIP TJ. You my be gone, but never forgotten. Always in our hearts xxxHe is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.You are his life, his love, his leader.He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.0 -
If you both have to be out at work then find a new home for him. Would you leave a human baby in an empty house? I do despair with dog owners in 2014. It is cruel and there is no justification for it.
Could you manage in an empty house with nothing going on and no idea if and when it was ever going to end?
No amount of training will make it OK for a dog, even though some might try to justify it.
I wouldn't put a child in a dog crate, let it travel in the boot of a car, feed it dog food or play fetch with it either. Dog does not equal child.
I work full-time - if I didn't, I couldn't afford my dogs. Their day gets broken up either by OH being around for some of the day (he's an engineer so his work hours vary daily), my nan pops in (she lives over the road), or I pop home from work at lunchtime.
They know the routine, they're happy with it (even the dog that developed separation anxiety as a side effect of developing hypothyroidism is now happy being left in the day), and they get plenty of attention and exercise when I am home. I've recorded them during the day, and they pretty much just sleep when left. Casper barely even moves from the same spot!
They have the opportunity to play with each other if they're that bored, but they don't. They could destroy things out of boredom - plenty of furniture around they could chew on, beds they could rip up, but they don't. They don't howl or bark or whine out of loneliness, they don't pace or spin or tail bite in distress. They eat their breakfast, they head to bed, and they happily snooze the hours away.
The alternatives..well, Kiki was a Freead dog so who knows who she could have ended up with. Maybe someone home all day to keep her company, but maybe not. Casper could still be lingering in his rescue, like many of the other GSDs I've seen. Considering they both have their issues - Casper was an escape artist (possibly why I was his 4th home in 2.5 years?), reactive to dogs, not fluent in 'doggy speak' at all (thankfully Kiki was very patient with him!). Kiki developed several behaviour issues when her thyroid went kaput - separation anxiety, reactivity, anxieties. She has a shoulder condition she's getting physio for, she's on daily meds with frequent blood test checkups for her thyroid (for some reason, her thyroid is degrading more than normal so she's had a few dose changes already - each require a blood test to establish if the current dose is too low, a checkup blood test after a month to see if the new dose is correct, and a followup blood test after 3 months to make sure she's stable). She's insured, but I have to pay for that insurance, and then the excess for each condition each year.
They wouldn't be easy dogs to rehome, if I did feel there were better homes out there. But as far as I'm concerned, I meet their needs - they're on a good diet, they get the exercise they need, mental stimulation in the form of games and training, the veterinary attention they require. So they have to be alone for a few more hours - whenever I've taken time off work, they just tend to snooze anyway, so what difference does it really make?0 -
Thank you everyone for your input and sorry I haven't had time to come back to the thread before now. We have today sorted it - a lovely friend round the corner will have Teddy with him throughout the day while hubby is at work 3 days next week. Hubby has mental health problems and hasn't worked for 18 months. He may, perhaps, work for 2 or three days every 2 months and it is INVALUABLE for his emotional wellbeing to do it, although we are both totally aware of our responsibilities as fur-baby parents to make sure our pup is happy too.
So our pup will still be with someone all day. I'm already making a long list of all the things we will take round there to make sure our pup can still have our smell and familiar items around him.
We are, of course, giving our lovely friend some money to take care of our fur baby but our emotional and financial wellbeing counts too! But if it came down to the wire, hubby wouldn't work if it meant pupster would be home alone all day. He's too important to both of us.DMP Mutual Support Thread member 244
Quit smoking 13/05/2013
Joined Slimming World 02/12/13. Loss so far = 60lb in 28 weeks :j 18lb to go0 -
I'm really glad you've found a solution, however, its still worthing taking the time and making the effort to get your pup used to being on his own.
I was really really glad I had when I had to rush a relative to hospital once, its always good to expect the unexpected, and there's absolutely no reason why your husband should have to turn down work because of the dog.0 -
Thanks Person_One. I have now discovered that hubby regularly would go upstairs for the morning and leave Teddy downstairs to sleep after his morning walk, so he IS used to being alone for about 2 hours. But I'm hugely relieved that someone who adores him will have him with them during the day. If it doesn't work out, hubby will probably not work again but I am keeping everything crossed that it is all okay. I may look into doggy day care otherwise!!DMP Mutual Support Thread member 244
Quit smoking 13/05/2013
Joined Slimming World 02/12/13. Loss so far = 60lb in 28 weeks :j 18lb to go0
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