Advice on dogs working full time

emmahip

Hi all - thinking of expanding our pet family with 2 dogs in the New Year.

We've got 2 cats (mostly lazy house moggies) and 2 rabbits (they have their own enclosed outside area of about 160 sq foot with bunny customised 6x6 shed).

We have never had dogs as we didn't have a decent sized garden before but now we have 3/4 of an acre and are quite isolated (one of the reasons I'd like at least one of the dogs to be a comfortingly large breed such as a GSD).

OH and I both work full time, between us we'd have to leave doggies for about 6-7 hours at a time. We do plan to take a few weeks off to settle them in.

I know getting 2 is going to be hard work but it's the only way I can see for them to have company during the day - it's too far for either of us to go home at lunch time. May main concern is "accidents" as they will be left for quite a long time - I have considered a secure outside area, with access to a shed, for them during the day - if this isn't suitable maybe we could put in a dog flap to a run but where it would then have to be is not ideal.

We are hoping for rescue mutts but they will need to be pups or very used to cats. I hear that a lot of rescues won't entertain the idea of letting dogs go to full time work homes but surely there are a lot of people who manage it - it will be a shame to get them from a breeder as there seem to be so many abandoned/unwanted dogs.

Thanks for any comments

katiep_2

Hi there!

First of all, well done for thinking about getting a rescue dog. A lot of rescues do have blanket policies that they won't rehome to full time homes unless provision is made such as a relative coming in, or employing a dog walker. I tend to find that a lot of the breed specific rescues are more flexible and will asses each case on it's merits. My personal opinion is that leaving most dogs alone for 6-7 hours on a regular basis is too long, however there will be dogs that would be absolutely fine with this. Our dog is left for 5 hours max, and there's the very odd occasion that he's been left longer. He has been fine on these occasions, but I wouldn't want to do it regularly. The outdoor arrangement might be OK. The rescue I got Murphy from wouldn't rehome dogs if they were going to be kept outdoors. You really need to ring around the rescues you're interested in and find out their policies.

Best of luck!

emmahip

Thanks KatieP - doesn't it make a difference if there are 2 dogs?

I hope that they won't feel alone with a doggie companion.

They wouldn't be kept outside at night and if it is the shed/run we go for it will be a pretty good one with nice warm beds in it!

Going to get in touch with Many Tears Rescue which is quite close to us for some advice.

Raksha

My gut instinct says 6-7 hours on a regular basis is too long, especially if you want the dog to respond to you, and this is going to be made doubly difficult if you have two dogs, as they will be getting almost everything they need from each other - the humans will just be food providers...... GSD's are very human orientated and don't do well alone.

Perhaps you need to think about *why* you want a dog, and are these sorts of conditions really an improvement for a dog in rescue at the moment?

katiep_2

emmahip wrote: »

Thanks KatieP - doesn't it make a difference if there are 2 dogs?

Sometimes it will, but it shouldn't be relied upon. Many dogs will still get seperation anxiety if left, even with doggy company, and often that will then rub off on the 2nd dog. Rather than ending up with 2 dogs that are quiet when left, you may end up with 2 that are noisy/destructive when left.

emmahip

Raksha wrote: »

My gut instinct says 6-7 hours on a regular basis is too long

Does this mean that everyone who works full time and leaves their dog(s) at home is in the wrong?

I wish I didn't have to work full time but the sad reality is I have £146K mortgage to pay on my dream home in the country.

Raksha wrote: »

Perhaps you need to think about *why* you want a dog, and are these sorts of conditions really an improvement for a dog in rescue at the moment?

Why do most people have dogs??? I love dogs and I think I could give them a great home - I guess the rescue would then be able to take in more less fortunate dogs.

catkins

emmahip wrote: »

Does this mean that everyone who works full time and leaves their dog(s) at home is in the wrong?

I wish I didn't have to work full time but the sad reality is I have £146K mortgage to pay on my dream home in the country..

Well to a certain extent it is wrong to have a dog if you work full time. Dogs like company and, on the whole, get very bored if left for hours on end. 6-7 hours every day 5 days a week is a lot of time. I feel guilty leaving mine for 3 hours (and that's not every day).

I think it would really depend on what breed of dog you got and how old it was. An older dog usually needs more sleep so as long as it got enough exercise before you left for work, it may well sleep a lot of the day. How much exercise could you give a dog(s) in the morning. My dog needs a lot and he is now 7. I try and give him 2 hours to include some running offlead and some street walking. In the summer this is fine as I get up about 6am and take him out about 6.30. In the winter I struggle to get up early and cannot take him to the park until it is light.

Also what about exercise in the evening. Will you feel like it after a day at work, especially on cold, dark, wet evenings. I am not trying to be negative but just point out the realities of having a dog.

Greyhounds do not need a great deal of exercise and there are always loads looking for homes - depending on the criteria of the rehoming organisation, this breed may well be your best bet.

My dog gets his morning walk, an evening walk and if he is going to be left for more than 3 hours during the day or evening has a dog sitter and I still feel guilty. Most Sundays we take him out for the day - to the woods, the beach etc and walk for hours but I guess me and OH are just big softies.

Raksha

emmahip wrote: »

Does this mean that everyone who works full time and leaves their dog(s) at home is in the wrong?

I wish I didn't have to work full time but the sad reality is I have £146K mortgage to pay on my dream home in the country.



Why do most people have dogs??? I love dogs and I think I could give them a great home - I guess the rescue would then be able to take in more less fortunate dogs.

No, not everyone who works full time is wrong to get a dog - indeed there are many dogs in rescue who don't ask for a lot more than a warm bed to chill out on, but not many of them will be German Shepherds, and even fewer will be adults who are good with cats, and even fewer than that will be puppies young enough to be reliably socialised with cats.

It's not just about working full time, it's about making sure the time you do have available to your dog is 'quality time' (to coin a phrase). On top of work, there's travel time, meal times, getting ready for work in the morning, chilling out with family in the evenings, shopping, housework, family commitments at weekends and evenings and sleeping - that doesn't leave a lot of time for the dog (unless, like me, you're a virtual hermit <G>)

So often a dog is something that is 'wanted' rather than 'needed' - and we can't (or shouldn't) always have what we want.........

emmahip

Dog(s) would have at least an hour walk in the mornings - probably longer in the summer and the same in the evenings. We really would not be getting a dog/dogs if we were not committed to this much and more.

Weekends - would be with the dog/dogs 99% of the time and have about 3 hours of walks at least per day.

I know people who walk their dogs a lot less than this and I think it's really unfair.

I am sad that it doesn't look like a GSD is going to fit into the grand plan but I'm sure we'll be able to find the right breed/dogs.

beard0609

Hi... have read this thread with great interest ...

First we are thinking about homing a resue dog at the mo who will be left alone for a max of 5 hours a day with a dog sitter popping in at lunch time to let it out... are we being fair... better to stay in a cage at a resue centre for 23 hours a day or be left at home on its own for a while ( and before i am shouted out i know that the centres do a great job but a lot of dogs spend a lot of times in a pen.) we would only go for a resue dog this time

Second we had a dog that had been abuse very badly that my husband "took" from its previous home, due to circumstances the dog was on her own for a good part of the day but that was loads and loads better to what she had suffered from before....

Confused are we being fair?????

emmahip

Raksha wrote: »

It's not just about working full time, it's about making sure the time you do have available to your dog is 'quality time' (to coin a phrase). On top of work, there's travel time, meal times, getting ready for work in the morning, chilling out with family in the evenings, shopping, housework, family commitments at weekends and evenings and sleeping - that doesn't leave a lot of time for the dog (unless, like me, you're a virtual hermit <G>)

Total time out of the house would be 6 -7 hours max, as OH and I don't work the same hours. No kids, not much socialising, not very many family commitments.....in fact we are more or less virtual hermits!

Have taken on board comments about GSDs, it's just one of those things I guess. It would be nice in an ideal world but if all advice is against them it'll have to be something else. If I was a thoughless moron like so many owners who end up putting their dogs into rescue centres I'd be at a breeder's now getting a couple of GSDs and not asking for help from you lot!

Keep it coming by the way, it is appreciated!