To think my daughter is being cruel to her dog?

[WaaaaaaaaayBetter]

Hello, my daughter has recently moved into a ground floor flat (3 months ago), they have allowed pets such as dogs and cats, which I thought was very unusual.

She did get a dog from a Facebook site that was about 2 years old I believe. He is a lovely little thing and I would definitely look after it but I'm too busy myself.

She leaves it in there all day while she is at work she does then get home and take it on a lovely walk and she is a fab owner, has to have the best of the best, etc.

I've approached her about how concerned I am that he's just left in the flat all day on his own and she says she knows it's not ideal but she isn't passing him on to get another home and she loves him too much.

She's out Monday-Friday (9-5 type job).

AIBU to think this is cruel?

Is the dog loved? Is it fed and watered?
Unless it is being destructive during the day, chewing or barking the place down or showing other signs of stress I think it's fine.

My dogs are home from 7.30am - after 5pm and we don't walk them at lunch either. And when there was only 1 dog, he was home by himself too. We used to walk him at lunch but then he flat out refused to go outside because it was too hot, so we left him in.

They sleep from 8am - 4.30pm and they go out and have a good romp and sniff about in the evenings.

When I was on maternity leave, they did nothing but sleep, waking occasionally to bark at iguanas outside.

Yes dogs are pack animals, but that doesn't necessarily mean you absolutely cannot leave them for longer than 4 hours if you don't want to be banished to the depths of hell. A dog in a loving home that sleeps all day and isn't showing signs of stress, is in a far better position than a dog in a kennel waiting to be rehomed.

Lets have some perspective people.

It isn't fair on the dog- at a bare minimum she should arrange a dog walker in the middle of the day so that the dog can get some fresh air and go to the toilet.

Dogs have chosen to be around humans for thousands of years with quite rudimentary care for most of the time, and definitely no flippin’ doggy daycare Makingmammaries But the point is that the dog is being left with out any humans (or other dogs) around! Plus it will need the loo at some point!

Sorry, your dds decision.
Not up to you to make that choice.
The dog is likely to be ok, many breeds sleep most of the day.
Do you want to walk it during the day?
Sorry, if you were my dm, you'd really piss me off big time!!

how old is she? doesnt sound right at all!

How do you think people with jobs keep dogs?

My dog comes to work with me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have one, or I would use daycare or a dog walker. But honestly probably just wouldn’t have one, which would be sad for me but I couldn’t meet the dog’s needs working full time out of the house.

Depends entirely on the type of dog IMHO. Some breeds will be okay with this. It's not ideal, but I don't think it's cruel if it is a breed that would be 'okay' with it. That said - if this is a full time job, I don't understand why she wouldn't want someone to take it for a walk.

Depends a lot on the breed. Something like a lurcher will pretty happily sleep for 10 hours, so long as it's getting good long runs before and after. A collie or a spaniel or something like that, however, will be going slowly crazy.

@Threadastaire

Anyone doubting its cruel to leave a dog at home all day - set up a Webcam and see how the dog behaves when you're not there.

I've done that...he acts exactly the same as when we're there. He plays with some toys and then sleeps

@RandomMess if i forget something in the house and go back within 5mins he's already asleep on our bed, he stands at the top of the stairs looking at me as if to say 'you woke me uo, why are you back?!' 😂

Actually my dd has a dog and she takes it to work with her, but that's not the point of the OPs post.

No way is it cruel ! My dog gets a 45 min walk and toilet before I leave at 830 and is home with run of house and tv on for noise/ comfort . I get home around 5 and immediately take dog out . She never messes in house and my cctv shows her sleeping contented all day on sofa . Cctv is awesome and if for a second my dog displayed signs of distress or loneliness then I would have to have considered alternative arrangements but watching her all day it seems she is very happy and not at all distressed or lonely !

I think it’s cruel. If you work full time don’t get a dog, unless you can afford doggy daycare. My beloved dog died last week after 14 years but I virtually never left him alone, and if I did it was for a very short time. They just want to be with their person. I’ve just started looking after my neighbour’s dog for her because she works full time. Despite coming back to walk him at lunch time, after several months of this he started weeing and pooing in the house, both when he was alone and at night. She’s sure it was because he was so miserable at being lonely. Only started having him yesterday but last night for the first time in ages he didn’t mess on the floor. They like to be busy, and they like company.

Dogs only live a short time compared to people. How sad for a dog to spend such a huge amount of its life on its own, waiting for its person to come home.

If nothing else OP your daughter needs to be aware that, just like people, bladder control can weaken for dogs as they get older. There might come a time when her dog simply can't go all day without needing to go to the toilet. Then what will she do?

My dog is at home all day with the cat. Seems fine. Sleeps on my bed most of the day, it seems.

I bought my dog when I was a sahm. Ten years later, I'm a single mother that needs to work full time and can't afford a sitter/walker.

I leave him with toys and a stuffed kong, a little play before I go, a proper walk when I get home, but he's still alone 8-5:30. I think rehoming him would be worse tbh. It's not ideal but it's not cruel. He seems happy and doesn't display any stressed behaviour.

All you lot saying dogs need a walker etc in middle of the day is rubbish as my dog looks so contended and happy sleeping . I watch her all day via cctv and she just sleeps , occasionally (not everyday ) she will slide off the sofa to get a drink or have a bite to eat ( she has access to dog food 24/7) but then gets herself back into her comfy sofa cocoon and sleeps till I get home ? She is so happy and first thing I do when I get home is hug and pet her then we go for a nice walk

When we got ours from dogs trust they said longest period for a dog to be alone is 6 hours. Def get a dog walker and plenty of toys to keep it entertained

Seriously it does depend on the individual dog if your DD can afford a dog walker that would be great, few dogs turn down a walk mine excepted

what bobbins.

IRL hundreds of thousands, millions of dogs are home while their owners are at work. Have done it in the past with my own dog - and yes, CCTV 4 days a week showed a very contented, sleeping dog, who had two hour long walks a day, morning and night, and three days a week, doggo had me 24/7.

I really really wouldn't say this is cruelty - not ideal, but not cruelty.

people sleep a lot when in solitary confinement or depressed too, doesnt make it an enjoyable life

All those people saying it’s fine could you go without the toilet for the whole day? Would you be comfortable and happy?

It’s neglectful definitely but sadly there are loads of selfish owners who work full time and leave their dogs alone all day.

People saying "oh they sleep all day, they're fine" are massively deluded. That is not a life for a dog to live, its your animals coping mechanism for dealing with bordem. It's such a shame people don't value their dogs happiness.

'They're ok, they just sleep all day!'

Because they've got fuck all else to do!

Yes OP, it's cruel and selfish.

It's better than being in a shelter waiting for a home...perhaps she could try to geta friend to pop in and walk it

That poor dog. It makes me so sad thinking of dogs left all day. I love dogs, but didn’t get on until I was at home all day as anything else is cruel.