I want a dog

catkins

I probably would agree that a dog is better off with someone who is out all day than in a kennel in a rescue but not all dogs would be any happier.


There was a programme on a while ago where dogs were recorded when they were home alone and, to be honest, it made me cry. Most of the dogs were unhappy - is that really the life we should be giving our dogs?


Dogs are social animals - they love company. I am not saying that only people who are at home all day should have dogs BUT if you work full time and want a dog you have to make arrangements so that dog will lead a happy and fulfilled life. That may be getting a neighbour to pop in and have a play with the dog or walk it, having a dog walker, putting the dog in doggie day care. There are numerous things you can do but, apart from maybe a neighbour or friend calling in, they will all cost money.


As others have said, it is very unlikely any rescue will let the OP have a dog. I know people that work for rescues and do home checks and they will not let a dog go to a home where there is going to be no one there for most of the day.


If the OP gets a puppy how are they going to housetrain it or even train it in general if they work full time. Taking a week or so off work is not going to be enough. Puppies, even more than full grown dogs, need company, need to be taken outside every hour or so to toilet, need to be played with, need to be taught to sit, wait etc, need to be lead trained etc etc.


I know people that have got a puppy and taken 2 weeks off work then got annoyed when they go back to work that the puppy pees and poos indoors or that it chews something that the owners shouldn't have left around in the first place. Most of them ended up getting rid of the puppy so the dog suffers because the person couldn't be bothered to actually think about what getting a puppy involves.


Someone earlier mentioned a greyhound and, I agree, that they are one of the dogs that need the least exercise. However, I know a few people that are involved in greyhound rescue and often the dogs suffer from separation anxiety so cannot be left for any length of time. Also just because they were kennelled when racing doesn't mean that is right for them. Greyhounds really feel the cold and most I know have to wear pyjamas overnight indoors when the heating goes off. I have seen them outside even wearing coats shivering like crazy in the cold.


If the OP doesn't want the dog having free access indoors they could crate train them - I certainly don't think it is fair on a dog for it to live outside. Again though proper crate training takes time and if not done properly and the dog is just left in a crate for 8 hours they could well injure themselves badly

sheramber

You say you ae happy to walk a dog before and after work.

Have you considered it fully.

Walking late at night after your late shift. It will be dark, might be raining, windy frosty, or snowing.

Similarly, morning walks could be dark for part of the year , in all weathers. A wet muddy dog will need dried before you get dried off and get ready for work

Yes, many of us do it, but not everybody is prepared to.

When you come home your dog will have been cooped up all day and will be full of energy that needs a release.

There is more to having a dog than walking it twice a day.

emiliah

As Catkins has said, greyhounds have very little fat on them and really feel the cold. Even with heating in a garage, I think it would be far too cold for them.

ZsaZsa

If owning a dog isn't an option at the moment, have you considering offering some time a rescue centre? Our local centre is absolutely desperate for volunteer dog walkers. Lots of the fun without all the commitment :-)

codemonkey

I don't think owning a dog is necessarily out of your reach OP, but you need to put more thought into it. We both work full time and have a rescue dog. There were 2 or 3 rescues that weren't happy about us owning a dog and working but a few who felt it would be better to have a dog in a home albeit one where it might have to entertain itself for a few hours than being put to sleep. We got ours from the Dogs Trust in the end.

But, because you work, you aren't going to have as much choice as others who don't and you have to be realistic and make the decision with your head. We were very clear with the rescues what our situation was and our backup plan and they were happy with that. We were unwilling to adopt a dog that would be unhappy with being left which really only left us with dogs from known backgrounds, and it took a long time of visiting rescues every weekend to find our dog. We felt we didn't have time for a puppy and there were certain breeds who need more time than we have (eg huskies need a whole lot of exercise, border collies need to be stimulated etc). We adopted a middle aged crossbreed dog who came from a home where his previous family also worked so was used to being left and we hired a dog walker to come and take him out to break the day up.

So, what happens with us is that DH and I work slightly different hours, so DH gets up and the dog goes for a wee. Then he comes back to bed with me for cuddles. Then I get up and take him for a walk (at least an hour to tire him out) before I leave him downstairs with a frozen kong and his toys. He then takes a nap until his dog walker comes. Then he has a few hours until DH returns. It breaks the day up and keeps him socialised.

Aside from being left for a few hours each day , he has a better life than a lot of dogs - good food, bones, cuddles and belly rubs all the time when we're home, 3 hours of walks a day, a comfy bed by the radiator, trips to the beach, grooming, vet care and a home until he dies. I've checked him out on the webcam when we're out and he's not distressed at all - he mainly spends his day basking in rays of sunshine and eating his kong. Would he be better in a kennel in an animal shelter? Nope.

elsien

I used to word similar shifts to you and even with a fairly laid back dog it only worked because I had my mum to help out.
The 7/3 were doable - mutt slept most of the day with mum calling in at lunchtime to let her out for a wee. Then out for a long walk when I got home then company the rest of the evening.
The 2/10, even though the shift is the same length was more difficult - I fed her twice a day, but 2 was too early and 10 was way too late. I'd come home after the shift and mutt would be awake and wanting to play. But if I finished at 10 and was starting at 7 the next day, I wasn't wanting to go out for long walks that time of night. So on the 2/10 mutt would go to mum's and I'd pick her up after work. And even though mutt was fine when I returned from work, and didn't show any separation anxiety, on the days that mum called in to let her out for a wee, she'd run to the front door and practically beg to go with mum.
Dog walkers tend to want to do the same days and times every week. I think that without someone who could help out a bit, you might struggle. A 9/5 with a dog walker in the middle is a more straight forward routine than variable shifts.

krlyr

elsien wrote: »

I used to word similar shifts to you and even with a fairly laid back dog it only worked because I had my mum to help out.
The 7/3 were doable - mutt slept most of the day with mum calling in at lunchtime to let her out for a wee. Then out for a long walk when I got home then company the rest of the evening.
The 2/10, even though the shift is the same length was more difficult - I fed her twice a day, but 2 was too early and 10 was way too late. I'd come home after the shift and mutt would be awake and wanting to play. But if I finished at 10 and was starting at 7 the next day, I wasn't wanting to go out for long walks that time of night. So on the 2/10 mutt would go to mum's and I'd pick her up after work. And even though mutt was fine when I returned from work, and didn't show any separation anxiety, on the days that mum called in to let her out for a wee, she'd run to the front door and practically beg to go with mum.
Dog walkers tend to want to do the same days and times every week. I think that without someone who could help out a bit, you might struggle. A 9/5 with a dog walker in the middle is a more straight forward routine than variable shifts.

In that kind of situation, I'd be tempted to find a local dog walker who could pop in between the dog's walk and you getting home to pop some food down - you could leave a frozen Kong, for example, for them to grab out of the freezer and put down, to entertain the dog for a bit (and tire them out until you got home). I'd go at least an hour after walkies though, and they should finish this in time to let that digest and be ready for a walk once you got home.

Alternatively, a timed feeder bowl could be an option, set to open an hour or so after the walker got home. Kong did actually do a timed Kong dispenser but don't sell it any more - but the kind where the lid pops up at a set time could be an option. Or I've seen some creative DIY versions!

LydiaJ

Some of you have posted saying that some rescue organisations were willing to let you have a dog even though you worked, as long as you had care arrangements in place, but others wouldn't. If any of you can say anything about which rescue organisations have which policies, that would be really helpful to me,because I'm also hoping to get a rescue dog soon. I've already noted that Dogs Trust let codemonkey have one from them. We've had a dog before (a lab/greyhound cross) but that was before my husband died, and when we got the dog he was working from home, so the rescue centre was happy there would be somebody around.

Background info: I work part time - different times on different days of the week but all within school hours - and have two secondary-school age children. I'd be looking to get an adult dog, because I'm realistic about not having time to look after a puppy, and I'd like a dog that's OK to leave for a few hours but would arrange for day care for days when I was going to be out for longer than that. I'm a teacher and would aim to get the dog at the beginning of the school holidays to maximise the settling in time before having to go back to work.

Thanks.

ohreally

brokenheartedman wrote: »

I live on my own and work shifts, earliest 7-3 and latest 2-10, now I have no problem taking the dog for a walk before & after work, its just the inbetween bit

I'd suggest you are not a good candidate for having a dog (unless perhaps you arrange a daily walker, but still not ideal).

A goldfish may be a better fit for you.

krlyr

LydiaJ wrote: »

Some of you have posted saying that some rescue organisations were willing to let you have a dog even though you worked, as long as you had care arrangements in place, but others wouldn't.

I adopted whilst working fulltime - it was an independent/local German Shepherd rescue. The smaller rescues tend to be a bit more willing to judge on an individual basis than the nationwide/big names, who have strict company policies and may not have the time or inclination to be flexible.