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Original poster

Dog - when at work

59 replies

purpleme12 · 15/04/2021 22:05

If You've got a dog
Are they ok while you're at work in the house? I mean, can you leave them at home?
Or would you have to get a dog walker to come in every day? And every day you go out for the day?

OP posts:
steppemum · 15/04/2021 23:02

we do go on days out.
But my kids are teens, and we have never done theme parks etc,
We either take the dog, or my friend round the corner comes over for an hour midday.

Hardest is at Christmas if going to a relative and can't take dog, as other people don't want an extra dog over Christmas.
For other weekends etc we have 2 friends who like to borrow him for a weekend, and we have one friend who also has a dog, and we look after theirs and they look after ours a couple of times a year.

We started with a dog by dog sitting.
Let your friends know that you will happily have their dog for a few days if they are away. We quickly had 3 people who used us for this, and it was fab to have a dog for a long weekend etc. Because it was the same people, we got to know the dogs and they got to know us.

Dobbyafreeelf · 15/04/2021 23:03

I'd do some research into doggy daycare and walkers in the area. Day care for 2/3 days a week might be doable. What type of thing do you like to do for days out? Could you adapt them to make them dog friendly?

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 15/04/2021 23:06

The longest I've left my dog is 5 hours and I felt very guilty about that (he was fine though!)

Have you got a relative that would be willing to help you out with dog sitting? When I got my dog it was in conjunction with my mum who said she would be willing to help out if I have to work longer than usual or want to go out for the day.

For us that's worked out perfectly as my mum now loves the dog and for her she has the benefits of dog ownership with none of the responsibilities!!

Tbh though most of our days out centre around the dog and where we like to walk him.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dogs
MegBusset · 15/04/2021 23:11

Tbh one of the main reasons a dog fits in with our family is that even without a dog our preferred days out are outdoors - long walks in the woods etc.

Our DC are too old for theme parks / family attractions etc and we are not keen on eg shopping days, stately homes etc!

noblegreenk · 15/04/2021 23:12

We had a dog walker come in to walk my old dog as she was very high energy. My current dog is lazy and antisocial in the daytime. Even on days when I'm at home she stays on her own upstairs all day and only comes downstairs at about 7pm. I walk her twice a day (before work and in the evening) but she's fine on her own all day. She never barks, doesn't chew anything and rarely toilets in the house. I leave her for 8.5hrs, 4 days a week. I wouldn't recommend this for the majority of dogs, my dog is just weirdly independent but she's definitely a happy soul.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 15/04/2021 23:18

To be honest I wouldn't mind an old dog
Not because they don't want as much walks! But they love to snuggle up on the settee with you more

OP posts:
PennyArcade · 15/04/2021 23:25

I wouldn’t leave a dog at home on it’s own for more than an hour (maybe two at a push) tbh

Me and DH work opposite shifts to make sure our dog has company (and at least 2 good walks a day).

I will never understand people who get a dog and go to work, leaving the dog alone all day. That doesn’t make sense to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Gooseysgirl · 16/04/2021 07:51

Our awful next door neighbours often leave their dog for 3-4 hours (sometimes longer) and he barks and cries the whole time, it is utterly heartbreaking. He is rarely walked, and they rely on letting him run around the garden a couple of times per day for exercise. The breed they have is known for separation anxiety.
Thank you for posting and listening to what experienced dog owners have to say! Too many people take on dogs without thinking it through 😔 We would love a dog but we both work full time so it's not happening for us for now.

crackersncheeeeese · 16/04/2021 08:00

We go on days out WITH the dog. We book most holidays to be dog friendly.

Anyone thinking of getting a dog should be thinking about what they can offer the dog, rather than the other way round. Can you offer a dog a life full of fun, company, good walks etc? Or can you offer it a life where it spends most of the day alone?

rookiemere · 16/04/2021 08:04

Before lockdown we were out of the house two days a week - wfh on the others between DH and I.
Dog walker would take rookiedog out at lunchtime and I supplemented that with people from borrowmydoggy who would take him out for a walk in the afternoon. Because they do it as they want to, wasn't guaranteed to happen every week, but at least meant only one day on his own for two longish periods.

Post lockdown though I don't think it will happen as both DH and I will work more from home.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 16/04/2021 08:11

Oh that's interesting so the walks from borrow my doggy were more on an informal basis then? Rather than regular?

OP posts:
IAmTheDuke · 16/04/2021 08:12

The longest mine are left is 8.30-1.15 ish twice a week and they are always walked early and then again when I get back.
When they were younger I would freeze Kongs filled with Greek yogurt, among other things, overnight and give them to them when I left in the morning to keep them busy.
5hrs is my absolute maximum and while I’ve been off work over Easter holidays they have come out with me nearly everywhere I’ve been.
Couldn’t take them to the swimming pool the other day but if I could have I would!

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 16/04/2021 08:15

Pre- lockdown:

One of us WFH one day a week
One of us off one day a week
Two days - my mam coming over at around 12, so dog only alone for three hours
One day - daycare.

In terms of days out, we go to dog friendly places, or one of us stays at home/goes somewhere with the dog. If we are all going out in the evening - say to the pictures - we do it on a daycare day so he is knackered and just sleeps, or we take him on a long walk beforehand.

Our daycare also does overnights, so once a year we might have a two night city break and he goes to stay with her.

Juanbablo · 16/04/2021 08:17

Our dog is fine. If I'm working all day and dh is out/away for work I will come home at lunch time and walk him for half an hour. I also walk him before work. Usually dh is working from home though.

lynsey91 · 16/04/2021 08:18

Have a look at "borrowmydoggy". One of my nieces uses this. She would love a dog but works long hours and does shift work. She sometimes just walks a dog for them but also when she has a day or couple of days off she often looks after a dog in her own flat.

If you are only out of the house 2 days a week doggy day care could work for you. I am not sure how much it costs but think it is around £20/£25 a day.

We have 2 dogs and never leave them for more than 4 hours. That is quite rare too. I don't work so am usually at home with them.

You do have to plan days out when you have a dog. If we want to go out for a whole day our dogs either go to a dog sitter or one of our neighbours comes in and out of our house to sit with them, walk them, play with them etc.

Do you have any friends or relatives close by that would like to spend time with a dog if you got one? Maybe even a neighbour. When one of our neighbours got a puppy I used to spend time with him, walk him etc until he was old enough to go to day care. I never expected to get paid for it as I loved doing it

rookiemere · 16/04/2021 08:20

@purpleme12 borrowmydoggy is really what you and the borrower want it to be.

I wouldn't use it instead of a dog walker as the walkers may cancel at short notice - one is a student so sometimes has last minute essay crises - but are good for supplemental walks and company.

It depends also on the type of dog you have. Rookiedog is chilled and loves everybody and I think enjoys the walk variety,but many dogs not like that.

We've also got a lovely borrowmydoggy lady who stays here when we go on holidays and can't take rookiedog. It works brilliantly- she's a young adult so enjoys having the space of a house - and rookiedog gets to stay in familiar surroundings. By the time I've bought her a meal out vouchers and presents, it's not hugely different from the cost of him staying at the dog walkers - also up the walks so she doesn't have to do too much - but it means we know he's happy and well looked after and she loves breaks with her furball as she calls him.

rookiemere · 16/04/2021 08:21

Oh and a single person I know has got a puppy. Apparently a few of the neighbours have already volunteered to look after him if needed. There may be a retired person who doesn't want the responsibility of owning a dog but would like company.

Stompythedinosaur · 16/04/2021 08:25

I don't think it is fair to leave a dog alone all day. I think doggie daycare can be good though, but it is expensive. Dp takes our dog to work with him, they have a dog friendly office.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 16/04/2021 08:40

Maybe I should look at the borrow my doggy
Did you reach out to people on there or did they reach out to you?

OP posts:
sueelleker · 16/04/2021 08:43

We're both retired now, but when we worked we had a daily dog-walker. We also have a dog flap in the back door, and a reasonable sized garden; so they can come and go as they like. (Garden has a 5 foot wall all round, so quite secure.

Mirrorxx · 16/04/2021 08:49

We recently got a puppy and when we go Back to the office there will be one day a week when neither of us will be working at home and he will go to day care. We did consider a dog walker but 9 hours alone with only one walk in the middle sounded horrible for him

Wolfiefan · 16/04/2021 12:41

@purpleme12 I volunteered for the cinnamon
Trust. Loved it. They don’t put all cases on the website. Definitely worth contacting them. Also volunteer at a local shelter. Lots of dogs in kennels there who need a walk and a fuss.

Ylvamoon · 16/04/2021 12:50

We leave ours, they are fine, work is 9-5.

We give them a 20 min walk in the morning...
I have 1 hour lunch so come home to let them out and a little play in the garden.

and again a longer walk in the evening- up to 1 hour.

Honestly, when we got the dogs we always had someone at home. But life changed,
as it does The youngest is 3 years.

I wouldn't leave a puppy/ dog under 18 months for that amount of time.

idontlikealdi · 16/04/2021 12:56

Pre covid I left at 9 and DH was home at 4, 3 days a week, mil used to come over at midday to walk him or have a cup of tea in the garden with him. The other 2 days I was WFH.

Holidays we usually drive to France and he comes too, and short UK breaks where he also comes too. Odd nights away for weddings or parties he would go to my mum.

When we did a couple of USA holidays he went to a brilliant local home boarder, we just factored in the cost on top of the holiday. I think it was £30 per night.

Days out we do something dog friendly, if on the odd occasion we go to a them park or somewhere similar my mum has him.

spiderlight · 16/04/2021 13:07

We do loads of dog-friendly days out and holidays, and if we're going somewhere for a full day/weekend and we can't take him, he goes to stay with a friend he knows really well (she fostered him for the rescue before we adopted him). He's fine to be left for 4 hours or so - we leve him with lots of kongs and puzzle treat toys and Classic FM playing. I work from home full time though so there's almost always someone here with him.