Can you have a dog if you work full time?

chelseablue

First post in the pet board so be gentle with me!


I love animals and have always wanted a dog, and now that I''ve moved from a flat to a house I'm re-visting the idea.


The only thing that stops me is that I work full time, is that a total no for having a dog?


I would of course employ a dog walker to come in every day so they are walked for at least an hour in the middle of the day, or is that still a no-no?

GwylimT

If you have a pet sitter its fine, when we both worked fulltime we had a pet sitter who visied for an hour each day, this meant the longest the animals were without human company was four hours.

McKneff

Even with a sitter coming in for an hour each day, the animal will be on its own for around 8 hours a day.

8 hours a day, every day, for years;

How would you like it, just sitting there maybe chewing a biscuit, (imagine you had nothing to do to pass the time, no telly, no reading, no knitting, no knitting, nothing except look out of the window waiting for you master to come home, day after day after day

I wouldnt do that the my worst enemy to be honest

spadoosh

Look forward to the answers on this. Heres mine.

Me and partner both work full time. We have a dog. We dont have a dog walker. Hes on his own from about 8.30 to about 5.30.

He has the run of the bulk of the house during the day and access to water at all times. Personally i think he loves his time off from us as he seems quite happy just chilling in my bed all day. On days off when i should be working (ie holidays) he takes himself off to my bed at about 9.30 and comes back down again just before tea.

I dont feel guilty , he has the cushty life. Although think hes getting a bit annoyed with the boss recently as shes just started maternity. She wont let him stay in bed and he just looks knackered when i get home.

If it makes you feel any easier, the average dog sleeps 12-18 hours a day.

spadoosh

McKneff wrote: »

Even with a sitter coming in for an hour each day, the animal will be on its own for around 8 hours a day.

8 hours a day, every day, for years;

How would you like it, just sitting there maybe chewing a biscuit, (imagine you had nothing to do to pass the time, no telly, no reading, no knitting, no knitting, nothing except look out of the window waiting for you master to come home, day after day after day

I wouldnt do that the my worst enemy to be honest

Mine seems perfectly content barking at the postman and sleeping for the rest of the day.


As a side, do you know why they do that? Quite cool when you think about it.

So the postman is a stranger. Coming to their house. Must bark and scare him off, o look hes gone. My barking works, if i bark at them they go away. The dog always wins, they just dont know that theyre supposed to go away.

HappyMJ

Many shelters will not re-house a dog to a person that works full time under any circumstances.

They will also not re-home a dog with someone who is unemployed.

http://www.rspca-southcotswolds.org.uk/adoption.aspx

So who do they re-home dogs to?

You could work part time and have a dog...you could work several part time jobs and have a dog as long as you go home in between shifts.

POPPYOSCAR

It would depend on the breed and age of the dog.


I do not think it is fair to leave a puppy/young dog all day, every day, on their own as they have so much energy that needs to be burnt off.


However, an older dog would be no problem as they usually do tend to sleep most of the time anyway.

Mojisola

chelseablue wrote: »

I love animals and have always wanted a dog, and now that I''ve moved from a flat to a house I'm re-visting the idea.

The only thing that stops me is that I work full time, is that a total no for having a dog?

I would of course employ a dog walker to come in every day so they are walked for at least an hour in the middle of the day, or is that still a no-no?

Have you thought about having two older dogs - they would be company for each other and won't mind lounging about for most of the day?

chelseablue

Thank you for the responses so far.


My next door neighbours are out during the day and they have 2 dogs.
If I've ever had a day off and been at home I never hear barking or whining from next door, but maybe that's because there's 2 dogs there so they're company for each other

chelseablue

Yes I don't have to have a puppy, although a puppy would be lovely too


If I ever did decide on a puppy I would wait until I have another baby so I could be at home with them for a year (although that may be a bonkers idea)


2 older dogs sounds like a good idea also

Soot2006

My dog was in and out of kennels for 8 months before I adopted her. She'd gone to "forever homes" and been sent back. In kennels, she had her little area and no walkies and not much interaction.

While we don't work full time every week (some days it happens), I still think she is better off in a loving home getting walkies and training and playtime and her very own humans who come back every single day. She is a happy dog. Now she's a bit older, she doesn't generally want to come with me when I go to work (I invite her sometimes), opting to lounge about on the bed instead after our morning jog.