Advice on dogs working full time

WeirdoMagnet

beard0609 wrote: »

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

Well done for going for rescue dog - there are lots of advocates of rescue dogs on here!

I think you're being fair, because you have obviously put thought into your situation, and the dogs day will be broken up (and won't be desperate to pee) by the dog sitter.

All prospective dog owners need to think about the time they'll be spending with the dog. Not just being there with it, and walking, but training, playing, grooming too. And not just Mon-Fri, but the weekend too! Then there's holidays - we don't go away without Tilly, so we have to find dog-friendly accommodation!

Kimberley

beard0609 wrote: »

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

5 hours is ok, but when it gets to 6 or 7 hours then a pen/kennel is better for the dog. In a kennel the dog is walked regulary and can wee/poo when it likes, at home for 6 or 7 hours the dog has to hold it's wee/poo until you get home, that is not fair.

emmahip

What if there is a dog flap so dog can pee etc as desired?

smartsuit

we have ahuge dog flap for our GSD and its great. Only problem is she has had it from been a pup so if ever we didnt have one i dont think she would know to go and pee on demand. she is so used to going when she likes.

MrsTinks

Can I suggest maybe speaking to someone like the Oldies Club and seeing if they need fosters? Sometimes they need short term foster homes and it would give you a chance to have a dog on "trial" to see how it fits in with you.
Every dog is different and I have to say we're incredibly lucky with our pooch. She can be on her own for 7-8 hours and doesn't bother her. Infact she'd rather I DIDN'T come home to disturb her naps! However she gets LOTS of exercise both first thing in the morning and again in the evening come rain or snow (hah!). Although when it's raining she sulks as she hates rain but loves puddles! Daft animal!

Kimberley

emmahip wrote: »

What if there is a dog flap so dog can pee etc as desired?

Thats fine if the dogs are not a nuisance to your neighbours, if you are in the country and have no neighbours nearby and a secure garden, then yes that would be fine, but then your still leaving the dog/s alone all that time without human company and the dog will/could get bored and cause mayhem or damage for you.

catkins

It does sound like you have thought about it a lot which is good. An awful lot of people do not realise the time and effort involved in having a dog until they get one or of course are like my neighbours who have a rottie that never (and I mean never) gets walked and therefore only ever sees the inside of the house and the garden. That to me is cruelty. The thing that makes me even more angry with that is the owner only works part time and every morning drives to the newsagent to get her paper (it is in fact quicker to walk). Why the hell does she not walk the dog there and back?

Anyway rant over. I am not the perfect dog owner although I like to think I am almost there and give my dog a happy life. For the first 3 years of his life I did not work at all so he was used to me being them almost all the time. I didn't go out much during the day (hate shopping) and my and OH's social life is far from hectic. We always had (and still have) a dog sitter if we go out.
Now, unfortunately I have to work although only part time. In reality moneywise I should be working full time but both I and OH agree that this would not be fair on a dog that is not used to being left and we would rather tighten our belts.

People laugh when they ask why I work part time and I say "because I have a dog" but to be honest I find it hard enough to be ready to leave for work at 11.30am. As well as the 2 hour walks I have to groom him every day and if he is wet he has to be dried. If it is only his feet that are wet (from dewy) grass this only takes about 15 minutes but if his whole body is dripping wet it can take upto 2 hours with a hairdryer. I admit he is a long haired dog but no dog should really be left wet and almost all dogs need some kind of grooming.

As you can imagine I just love really wet days where we both get home looking like we have stepped out of the shower. I have to completely change my dripping clothes and then dry him and then repeat the process in the evening!!! Some of my friends have dogs who refuse to go out in the rain but mine loves it. He splashes in the puddles and actually looks like he is dancing round the park in it!

It sounds like you will get a dog or dogs and if you do good luck and I hope you get as much fun and enjoyment out of it/them as I do my dog. You seem to have thought it through pretty well and, yes, I do think that if you give them enough time, love and attention then they will be better off with you than in rescue home.

Do you know anyone who could pop in and let the dog(s) into the garden for you or even give it a quick walk? Maybe a neighbour or friend? My sister walks a dog a couple of times a week for her neighbour who works and she doesn't charge anything. I know I would be willing to do help someone out.

One more thing before I finish - don't know how houseproud you are but be warned about dog hair and dust (extra housework). My dog does not moult but because he is longhaired he gets a lot of dust and mud in his fur. I dust (and hoover) every day if possible and it still looks like I haven't dusted for months!!

catkins

Forgot to say in my post that I would be wary of dog flaps, particularly for a large dog. I know someone who had one and her house was burgled. The burglar poisoned her dog then crawled through the dog flap to get into her house.

emmahip

catkins wrote: »

Forgot to say in my post that I would be wary of dog flaps, particularly for a large dog. I know someone who had one and her house was burgled. The burglar poisoned her dog then crawled through the dog flap to get into her house.

OMG that is horrible. I wouldn't care about being burgled if anyone hurt one of my animals!

There are some real scum bags out there.:mad:

emmahip

catkins wrote: »

Do you know anyone who could pop in and let the dog(s) into the garden for you or even give it a quick walk? Maybe a neighbour or friend?

Unfortunately not. We have only moved to the area a couple of months ago and all the people we know also work full time. My parents live about half an hour away and I don't think it's fair to ask them to travel all that way.

Also my sister's totally untrained lab/boxer cross pulled my mother (67) over a few months ago and although I'm sure ours will be 100% better behaved they have a no dog rule in their house and couldn't be seen to show favouritism.

Whenever we go anywhere overnight, and usually just out for the evening (not very often) we always have a pet sitter to stay but again he lives over half an hour's drive away. It's so frustrating that getting the house we wanted - with a decent dog sized garden and away from neighbours - meant we had to move a little bit further away.....