How long do you leave your dog alone?

[Issueatwork]

DP and I thinking of getting a puppy. Both experienced dog owners and have owned some difficult breeds such as shar peis and German shepherds etc. No children and no plans to have any, and live on the edge of a nature reserve and enjoy spending weekends hiking in the Peak District, so would be ideal really.
The main negative point is that we both work full time. When we first get the dog DP is happy to make a week AL and I’ll be able to speak to work and arrange home working for about 2 weeks after. Usually though, I wfh 2 days a week but Mon, Tues, and Thurs we would both be out of the house from around 7am to 5:30pm latest. DP has said that’s fine as we will take the dog for a small walk in the morning, hire a dog walker for lunch time and take it out again once home.
Would you think this is reasonable? In real life I know countless people who work 9-5 and have dogs and also don’t even have a dog walker, but online it looks like it’s a huge Nono.

Our family dog (cocker) growing up was left from about 12 when my mum went to work, until we got home from school most days, although my dad did work shifts so some weeks he was at home more. He got a good walk in the morning, could go in and out of the garden until mum left, another after school good walk, and then just a round the block-er before bed (in summer that third walk might have been another big one). In bad weather he was happier snoozing on the couch than going for walks - but he did love his people and having company.

I’d love a dog now. I work four days, one of those from home, and DP can do three home days. I still feel like it’s too much/not fair though. We have a cat!

Going to snow DP this thread and suggest maybe it’s time I became a lady of leisure

Dogs are pack animals.
They need their pack around them.

Do not leave a dog more than 2-3 hours. It’s cruel.

Why bother if you can’t be home with it? No wonder there are so many dogs with issues out there.

@Issueatwork Definitely worth following/joining some reputable rescue/dog rehoming pages online as there will often be full write ups for dogs including how long they can be left for and the good ones will match you (and with no kids at home you will likely be higher up list than many!). Our dog loves a walk but also loves to sleep for hours on end so would be perfect for you bit sadly we love her too much to give her up 🙈😅 but she cant be the only one!

It’s perfectly possible for dogs to have a less than ideal life and still be happy. On the other hand, what are you OK with losing? My elderly dog can be left at home (very occasionally) for up to 8 hours no problem, but when he was younger, the price would always be destruction in one form or another (chewed furniture, scratched doors, etc.). At present, I would not leave my younger dog (10 months old, with us 3 months) for more than 30 mins without expecting destruction of some sort. Dogs will get used to the absence of their humans, but many objects may suffer in the meanwhile.

I struggle to see what dog would suit you. You want a low activity dog Monday to Friday, but an active dog at weekends.

I have two small dogs, who I do leave for upto 8 hours at a time, but they do have access to the garden and have each other for company. They are both older ladies, who only want to sleep and chill (even when I am here).

A puppy needs regular mental stimulation, otherwise they will get into trouble, short gentle walks - 2 or 3 times a day whilst their bones are developing. I really don’t think your lifestyle suits this atm. An older dog would possibly be ok, provided you can accept you can’t have a high energy dog

What will you do if your dog shows separation anxiety and spends their alone time howling? Can you cost doggy day care? I wouldn't plan on leaving dog 10 hours with one quick walk as a regular thing they are pack animals.

I work in the office 2 days a week then wfh the other day. My daughter is sometimes around though he goes out for a couple of hours with the dog walker during the day when I'm in the office.

When he first came home, I had a couple of weeks leave / wft then went straight back to work 5 days in the office. My parents came over every couple of hours to check on him.

Could you get a dog walker to do puppy visits in the early weeks before he's allowed out?

@BrightLightTonight I understand what you mean. Four days a week they’d have our full attention but three days a week it would be about 10 hours in total without us. They would be walked three times a day every day, once before work, once when the dog walker comes in, and then after work too, but I’m understanding that this doesn’t negate them becoming lonely during the day.

You don’t have the lifestyle to have a dog.

Dogs are pack animals & need company.

You both work PT away from home, could be cruel to get a dog.

Why bother getting a dog if you are going to leave it all day or palm it off to a dog walker.

I have a Hungarian Vizla. Me & my DH run our own business & work from home. She even comes to events with us. If we do need to leave her on her own (very rarely) - the absolute maximum is for 3 hours.

Don’t get a dog and leave it for hours on its own. It’s cruel.

A retired greyhound would be ideal for you. They are usually happy to be active for their walks & then sleep (ideally for them in your bed) for the rest of the day. They are also used to be alone for long periods having been kennelled alone.

Most dogs need company more than excercise opportunities & would be pretty miserable left for 10 hours regularly, even with breaks.

Have you considered fostering a dog for Guide dogs for the blind? I haven't done this but have considered it. I believe you have the dog from around a year old for 12-18 months while it trains. It lives with you but goes to 'school' during the day Mon-Fri

Regularly left 7/8hrs during working days.
Has done the occasional 9/10hrs with a dog walker in the middle.

But he’s 10years old, very independent dog, no separation anxiety. It was built up from when he was younger.

When we got our dog (as a 12 week old puppy) we got him just before Christmas - what with school holidays (I am a teacher) and DH's shifts / older child's college timetable, he was not left alone until March!

Now he is older (9 years old) he is left x 3 days a week 7- 5 - short walk in the morning (but sometimes he refuses to get out of bed!) and the dog walker comes late morning

I dont think your lifestyle is conducive to having a puppy. They'd be alone for far too long - you'd end up with a distressed pup (most important), a chewed home and inevitable accidents. It's all very well saying you'd have a dog walker, but puppies are limited to very little exercise too protect their joints. So a dog walker should only take them out for around 5 mins per month of age until they're one.

You say you like walking, what would you do with the pup at weekends until they can walk long distances?

Ten hours a day for 3 days a week (even with a dog walker) is too much for even an adult dog to be alone. For a puppy it would be immensely cruel.

I wfh 3 days a week. On one of my office days dh works nights so he's home in the day. Ddog is left alone one day a week from 8 - 3 with a dog walker for an hour in the middle. Even that I'm uncomfortable with tbh and we make sure she gets an extra long walk in the evening on that day.

Have not read all replies

you can’t leave them for more than 4 hrs and that’s for a dog that is settled and content

puppies need a lot of time and reassurance to become settled calm and well behaved

I leave ddog 8.5 hrs but only 3 days a week, I wfh 2 days.
She's 8 and has a dog flap and I've built a fence around the patio so she can't go down the garden and bark at fresh air 🙄
I leave the TV on but tbh she sleeps most of the day, she has the lounge, kitchen, food and water and I dump blankets on the sofa which she burrows into.
I used to get my dsis to check on her at lunchtime but she always found ddog asleep, so we stopped.
I don't leave her alone at night as the foxes take over the garden and drive her mad.
Personally, I wouldn't leave a puppy, it could cause havoc let alone the distress it could cause the pup.
Could you not look at rehoming an older ddog?

Some adult dogs don’t mind being left for a few hours. But a puppy won’t be properly toilet trained for weeks. (And you need to be home for that.) And a young dog may make its own amusement if left. Plus what happens if you get a dog that isn’t happy to be left. One of mine had separation anxiety and couldn’t be left for a couple of years!
Many rescues won’t consider you if you work full time and often decent breeders wont either.
Any doggy daycare near you?

I dog sit for dogs with separation anxiety and am never short of customers. They don't like to be left alone and howl the place down. All mine are cocker poos.

I have a dog flap for mine too but I don't think he uses it while we're not there (unless I'm in the front garden and he can hear me so come out).

I have a camera and he's always sleeping whenever I check on him. He oesn't seem to bark at anyone but he can't see out of the window so that helps.

We have a 3 year old flatcoat who we have had from a puppy. We can comfortably leave him for 4 hours without him getting bored.
My DP works from home and I work Tuesday to Friday. Depending on my contract I can be fully WFH, a mixture of WFH/Office or working away during the week.

Our boy has a walk in the morning for about 30mins, and an hours walk at tea time. On a Tuesday/Thursday/Friday his dog walker takes him to her farm where he runs round like a loon for at least an hour with her spaniel and Akita.
On a Wednesday he goes to doggy daycare from 7.30 to 5pm where he has another flatcoat and a couple of other big dogs to play with.

He is very settled in the house and apart from pinching the cat food if they don't clear their plate!

You cannot leave a dog that long! Get a dog walker.

My dad (he’s a vet) has always said 6 hours in an emergency at the absolute maximum but ideally no more than 4 hours.

We have two dogs and we only leave them for 2-3 hours maximum. If we are going to be longer we drop them off at my parents.

100%

Dogs aren't an accessory for people to have at the weekends and leave on their own for hours on end the rest of the time, they require constant input and if you can't do that, don't get a dog.

You can’t leave your puppy that long. it’s cruel.
Many will and do. It’s still cruel.

Mine was particularly needy and couldn’t be left in the house happily for an hour or so until he was around 16 months old.

Now he’s fine for 4 - 5 hours, but I had to go at his pace. It can’t be rushed.

Puppies are not babies, but they have the same need for a decision making, care giving figure, to help them feel secure and comforted when they’re small.