To be thinking about getting a dog?

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I desperately want a dog, as do the dc (they have been begging for ages, but I have been outwardly reluctant )

However, I am hesitant as the dog would be on its own for 5 hours a day, 3 days a week, would this be acceptable?

At the moment, we leave for school / work between 8:30 - 9 am, and our (very dog friendly) nanny arrives at 2. Currently she prepares lunchboxes, sorts out activities for the children when they get home etc. However, she has said that she is happy to walk the dog for an hour instead (I'll do lunches and baking etc in the evenings). The dog would have company from 2pm onwards as nanny and are children at home.

Our Nanny (who is very keen on the dog idea) has very kindly offered to spend mornings with the dog in the early puppy stage to keep it company, how long would this need to to continue, and would this sort of routine be ok for the dog?

We got a dog last year. The first few weeks are hard ... they jump up and bite and you can't take them out. It is chaos. Now, ours is happy for 4 hours (he is in a crate (big cage)) assuming he has had a good walk in the morning. If I'm away for longer then I get someone to pop in and play with him for half an hour. He;d probably be ok for longer - my friend has a springer spaniel who is happy in the house for up to 10 hours (but has a walk first thing). You might want to get a dog walker if he won't get walked until 2pm.

My tips are:

Start puppy training early - we started at 12 weeks (just when the scheduled course started) but got the trainer to do a home visit to help with the jumping, biting etc. They train you, not the dog!

You all need to be consistent on the biting ... we said "ow" in high sharp voice and turned away giving no attention. Really worked. Jumping - turn away and ignore. Pet when they've 4 paws on the floor only.

Get a crate, put it in a part of the house that is busy as they'll want to be around you (ours is in the kitchen) and they'll use it as their place to sleep so not a hassle to get them in it when you want to go out or go to bed. We have a labrador who still loves to chew things so this stops us coming home to a disaster zone.

Now - he is lovely. A fantastic addition to the family. So gentle with the kids and gets us all out walking a lot more. We love him!

You might be better off getting a slightly older dog - I am 7 months in with my labrador and she still cannot be left alone for as long as 5 hours. They get very bored, especially as pups, so you might end up with a neurotic mess unless you can give it a bit more time. Having said that it is only 3 days a week, so it wouldn't be the end of the world - especially if the Nanny could entertain it for the first few months.
What sort of dog were you thinking of? What would you do with it if the nanny was unable to work for whatever reason?

Very . I would love a dog, but can't imagine it happening in the next five years or so.
I would be concerned about leaving a puppy for that lenght of time, they are sociable animals and would really miss you.
Because of our situation, DD and I plan to get a couple of kittens instead.
Apart from the days, what about when you go on holiday. Kennels are cripplingly expensive.

we have a lovely lady who takes the dog for the day for £10 (she has a key) so that covers days when you cant be there for them

Think about an older dog-perhaps a rescue?

We have a 5yr old "mix" & he is fantastic-the most loveable placid thing.

Has learnt sit, down & stay.

He doesn´t jump up anyone unless you pat your legs & encourage him, doesn´t get on the furniture & doesn´t hump anyone!

He walks fantastically well on a lead & rarely barks!

I think he could be left for 5hrs-after a good enough walk but wouldn´t want to tbh.

Could no one pop in mid morning?

Five hours three days a week should be fine for an older dog, but it may take months for a puppy to get to that stage - are you happy paying the nanny or someone else to come in for at least an hour or so a day during that time?

It would definitely be worth thinking about an older dog from a rescue (see pretty much every thread Valhalla has ever been on for good reasons why you should do that rather than get a puppy), who would already be house-trained, checked for sociability etc, though they may also take a while to feel settled and secure enough to be left at home for several hours at a time.

Checking out dog-walkers and dog-sitters (for when you have to go out for long days/weekends/holidays) and dog trainers in your area in advance is also a good idea.

Getting a dog was one of the best things we've ever done, but I'm at home most of the time, so it has been relatively easy.

That's the thing with dogs - you never know what temperament your dog is going to have. So here's me and Asteria -both with labs of similar ages. She can't leave hers, I can.

I do agree though, that in the early weeks/months, someone will need to be there to keep it company. But given the long term plan is for him to be left, then he should be left for increasing amounts of time after the first few days. He needs to learn that he will be left and someone will come back. So do 15 mins, then half an hour, then an hour etc.

I have neighbours who are at work all day, and have a dog walker. Their dogs are happy, chilled out things. There's a lab, a labradoodle, a whippet. All happy.

I have various friends with dogs and to save kennel fees we take it in turns to look after eachother's dogs. A large bottle of Gin or some duty free fags is usually enough! I have an extra labrador and a terrier with me at the moment - my pup loves having friends to stay and I know that if I want to go away i have plenty of people who are happy to look after her. It beats the pants of stuffing the poor things into grotty kennels too.
If you have a friend who is happy to have the pup - once it is a little older and has some manners/is housetrained properly - for the odd morning then that would be ideal.
My pooch comes everywhere with me - she hates being at home alone and is still a bit young anyway - being well socialised is really good for them, being adaptable is a good quality.

I would also recommend an older dog, 5 hours is too much for a young puppy. An older dog will be fine as long as he gets his walks and playtime otherwise, ours actually just sleep most of the say. Or if you relaly want a puppy, can you get a dog-walker?

Wishing chair - I really do wish that I could leave the Poo at home for long periods of time. I did for a while but ny neighbours complained because she yapped the entire time I was away. I made a bit of a rod for my own back there - she won't sleep alone either. The first few nights we had her she screamed and shat everywhere (in her crate) and I was exhausted by night 4 as she hadn't let up at all. Everyone told me to persevere, but I was having to clean her hysterical dirty protests (runny crap up the walls and all over her) two or three times a night. Eventually, at about 4am on the 4th day I put her in my bed and we both slept like babies! She now sleeps with me and comes everywhere - but the plus side is that at 7 months old she walks to heel, doesn't pull on the lead, sits and stays - even if I shout it across a field, she will sit where she is, understands the meaning of "Fuck Off" (and goes straight to her bed), sits and waits for me to say "good girl" before she touches her food, retrieves to my hand (rather than to the floor) and dribbles a football brilliantly!
There are huge pluses to having dogs - but some of the down sides are worth noting. I have become very close friends with my dyson of late....

A puppy won't really care who is keeping it company, so the Nanny taking care of it in the mornings will keep it very happy but I would say the arrangement will need to continue for some time tbh.

I have 3 labs, and after her first fortnight with us, our puppy has been crated 4 mornings a week for an hour and then a break and a game and a walk, and then crated again for an hour and a half and she's been fine with that. She's now 9 months old and has continued in the same routine but uncrated for about 3 months.

Because she has the other 2 girls to keep her company, she is happy at home alone (and it's down to 3 mornings a week now), BUT she does get bored and creates mischief. She's a bit of a climber and climbs to windowsills to look outside, she has chewed up a draught excluder cushion, a calculator, 2 tv remote controls, the wires to the phone charger (twice), 3 plants, the insoles in 2 boots, a telephone handset .... there's more, I just can't remember them.

She doesn't mean to do it - she loves carrying stuff about and then accidentally bites down too hard and off we go. She isn't a chewy dog by nature at all - it's just playing because she's bored.

If we didn't have the other 2, I couldn't leave her on such a regular basis. It wouldn't be fair. She's too full of fun.

Your situation is definitley doable but I'd say the puppy would need company for about a year during the mornings - the amount of time she'd have to be there could decrease as it gets older so the puppy will learn the routine.

The only teeny problem with the Nanny being involved is that you'll have to agree a set of principles with her about dog care and training. Lots of people still think a bop on the nose of a dog is acceptable for example but I absolutely couldn't have anyone bop my dogs - in fact, I think I'd bop them back . And which commands you'll ALL use for sit, stay and come for example. Consistency is everything for puppies!

Thank you for the replies!

Would definitely consider an older dog (though dh is adamant that he wants a pup), and would absolutely have a rescue, if the centre were happy with the circumstances.

My dh wants a lab, as he had them when he was a child and adores the breed, but I am concerned that they may be a little high energy. I would love a greyhound and (after persuading dh) would have an ex-racer, and have heard that they are a fairly chilled breed?

If the nanny wasnt able to come to work, in one off circumstances I or dh could leave work early (would need to anyway for the dc). I've seen dog walkers around, and will definitely look into prices etc to see if they could pop in for a quick walk mid morning. Also forgot to add that the dog would be walked before school and work (by dh apparently).

I had an ex-racer Greyhound before the Lab puppy - sadly didn't work as she was too institutionalised, but my mother has very sucessfully rehomed ex-racers. Where do you live? I have a friend with a yard near me who is always looking for homes to retire her dogs to - she is very gently with them so they are in turn very placid dogs. You will need a bit of well fenced space to let them off the lead once in a while though - they will go mad otherwise.
My lab puppy is very placid though - bounces for walks and then sleeps by my feet the rest of the day!

Daisy, I hadnt even thought of agreeing a set of principles re dog care and training with the nanny! We have a list of rules for the children that everyone sticks to, so I will sit down and do the same with the dog (when and if we get one )

I think me and dh need to have a conversation and draw up a list and work out exactly what needs to happen when / if the dog arrives, and all of the things we need to research further before we make the decision. Will definitely print out this thread to show him, as there are so many things popping up that i hadnt even considered!

Asteria, Im in South West London, we have a lovely fenced playing field near here where it could run around and go a bit mad.....sadly the garden is too small for much madness!!

With a puppy you would need to think about having the time for training and socialisation, as well as just company and taking for walks, especially if you go out to work and have things to do in the evenings. I wouldn't have a puppy myself at the moment (adorable as they are) because I know I wouldn't be able to put in the work they need.

It sounds like a good situation though for an adult dog that's already had the basic training.

oh of you are in SW london then there will be plenty of dog walkers about too. I think that a greyhound would actually be a really good choice if you are needing to go off to work a few mornings a week - they are used to being let out for a big run and then sitting in kennels for the rest of the day. They are stunning dogs too. I am yet to meet one that wasn't lovely.

if you have the choice bitches seem easier to house train too (as most of them aren't housetrained)

Asteria, I have always loved them. Am going to highlight your post when i show this to dh

happy to help!

Greyhounds are lovely dogs, I'm very fond of them too. Very laid-back and chilled most of the time IME (though true they do like to have a crazy run-around sometimes :))

I would love a dog too but work 3 days a week so no good for me

Crating is an excellent way to train puppies. My darling Sophie, a Weimaraner, was hardly left alone as a puppy but I was a student then so was home most of the time. Now she is 8 and a wonderful member of our family. She is well behaved, sweet tempered and just darling.

I am going through a lot of personal problems at the moment and Sophie has been a source of great comfort to me.

I hope you get the dog you want.

My lab loves being off lead and running around but then just slobs around all day. He's 8 months now. I wouldn't describe his as high energy ... he is on a walk which is great fun, and especially if we're with other dogs who also want to play ... but other than that he sleeps a lot of the day and is flaked out by 7.30pm!

We have a small garden and that's not a problem either.

And they're so trainable. Like you Asteria - he sits, stays, waits till I tell him to eat, lies down, comes to the whistle no matter WHAT he's doing or where he is, walks to heel, goes to his bed when asked. Brilliant.

And he was pretty much house trained when we got him (was bred in a home). Had less than 5 accidents in the house and never a poo. My friends with bitches had different experiences so again, don't think there's a right or wrong.