People leaving dogs at home while they are at work

[Sparkles57]

AIBU to find it appalling when people go to work all day and leave their dogs home alone?

I have two and work full time and I spend a small fortune on daycare for them through the week. If I’m out at the weekend I’ll leave them for 5 hours max, any longer and I’ll pay someone to drop in and let them out etc.

I’ve noticed lately from people talking at work it seems to be the norm for people to just leave their dogs in the house when they’re at work! 10 hours alone seems really cruel to me, so I’m really surprised by the blasé attitude a lot of people seem to have to it.

On the other hand, mine are kept downstairs at night so they are on their own for a good 9 hours whilst I’m in bed, so maybe I’m just being a judgey bastard?

I leave my dog for up to 4hrs a few times a week. I really don't believe it stresses him out. He just switches off and goes to sleep. If I leave toys etc out for him, none of them are touched when we get back. He's not bothered at all when we are leaving the house. He's an energetic breed which is sometimes known to have separation anxiety but he happily learnt to be left for short, then increasing periods as a puppy and has always been fine with it. He would not like doggy daycare as he is very selective about which dogs he will play with!

Our daycare involves him pottering around beside his dog minder in a stable yard, with the dog minder’s own two dogs. He doesn’t like the field and barn with the other four dogs much. They go for a nice long off lead walk in the woods, they play ball, they have a paddling pool made from a dammed stream. Sometimes he sits in the front seats of the dog minders van. Sometimes he sleeps in the on-site caravan/office.

My husband regularly takes ours to his offices. He is very well received and is bought treats regularly throughout the day. Staff offer to walk him too.

I think this is a new/recent thing. Years ago no one commented/noticed.
Ds2 wants a dog. We all do actually, but we aren't going to because Dh and I work.

Our friends dog is left at home 8-5 every day. It's an agitated, barky dog as a result of lack of attention .

Ddog goes to dog walkers morning and afternoon a couple of days a week, on the other days we work from home and I have a non working day. We could probably cut down to mornings only - DS gets back from school about 4, but Ddog loves going with the walkers and playing with the other dogs so reluctant to try it.

I didn't really want a dog - it was DH who was the driver - but you can't get a pet and then give it a poor life, it's just not fair. For those who can't afford dog walkers then borrowmydoggy or local facebook sites are a good source of people who love dogs but understand the responsibility and don't own one.

Depends on the dog.
Mine gets left for 2 short (7hrs) days per week, the rest of the time (even over night) she is with me or another member of my household.
I've built up to the 7 hours and I think she prefers it to the dog-care I've used in the past as it was too hectic for her.
Part of the reason I like her to have some alone time (and why I haven't signed her up to dog care where she is the sole dog) is so she doesn't get separation anxiety on the fairly rare occasion she is left during (a different) evening etc.
If I thought it made her anxious or upset (I can tell because when I first rescued her she was like this even if I went to the loo without her) I would organise daycare on those 2 days again. It's not in my interest either to have an unhappy/bored dog, I'm an experienced dog owner, and a very kind one, so I trust my decision is the right one, at present.

DH works from home DDog sleeps all day!!!

When he's had to go away she's been in her crate 8.30-3.15, I let her out but she doesn't want wee just goes off to sun bathe!!

7 hours is probably the max we would leave her and it only happens occasionally.

Is it normal for 2 full time working people to be out of the house 10 hours? Surely that's not the standard. We are gone from 830/845 till 1715/1730. My son comes home for lunch and at 1530. He invariably finds her asleep. She shows no signs of distress. She doesn't chew things etc.

It's interesting so many posters are quick to point out we can't know they are not distressed but can unequivocally point out that they are 🤔

Another poster asked where the 4 hours comes from - well from the Dogs Trust for one https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/factsheets-downloads/factsheettimeforadog05.pdf]]

YABU to be so black and white about it, I think it really depends. My SiL is retired and has 2 dogs. She leaves them alone at home all day a couple of times a week. They have each other, a comfortable utility room, and access to an acre of garden via the dog flap. The other 5 days they have human company all/part of the day, long walks etc. I think they have an excellent life.

We got ours from dog’s trust, but they were happy to rehome knowing it would probably be 5 - 6 hours on various days so supposedly they made an informed decision based on the dog and it’s temperament, which is what a lot of posters have been saying on here. Similarly, for some anxious dogs 4 hours may be too long - obviously Dogs Trust would also have quite a few of those so would then advise against that length of time. It’s an average guideline (based on no real research it seems) and you need to apply a bit of common sense to it - not state it as some kind of dog-owning law and slate everyone who doesn’t abide by it (you also don’t need to employ a dog sitter just because you might be out for 4 hours and 15 mins one day )

Just a thought. One of the reasons we have a dog (one of them - there are of course other reasons) is for security. Having a dog in the house is a big deterent to burglars. Sending a dog to day care would completely eliminate this benefit.

I wouldn't. Wouldn't kill them but not the best in terms of quality of life.

What about leaving them in the garden?

well - i have a dog walker so....

I think this is extremely dog dependent, but also what owner does with them at home/rest of like is life. Generally think we shouldn’t judge others too much. Mine does go to daycare most days but has the occasional shorter day at home. I know he’s relaxed at home but don’t think he could do it everyday as his mind needs to do something. But we do masses in the evenings and on the weekends and if he’s home he’s left with puzzles etc to do.
I do think people now have dogs without researching or taking responsibility for their wellbeing and many dogs are left too long with too little stimulation.
But I think dogs get used to a routine and they know their life. I think if longer than 5 hours then really should have someone at least letting them out to toilet. But most dogs will learn what’s expected and adapt.
I’d much rather a dog that had a long walk in the morning and evening with a short toilet break, than someone at home all the time but never doing anything with it.

We have a dog and work full-time. My DP applied for work from home privileges to stay in the house with her 2 days (the max he's allowed) my DP's father takes her one day a week while we are at work (big garden and two other dogs, she practically tears the door down to go with him) but that does leave 2 days where she is at home 8 hours without us. Not ideal but she had spent over a year in our local rescue as no one wanted her, she went from spending 22 hours a day, 7 days a week without human contact to 16 hours maximum a week. The rescue practically threw her at us when they heard our proposed setup. She's very well adjusted and a much loved family member.

I spend a small fortune in the week, drop her at doggy day care at 7.30, pick her up at around 4...
By the way, this was not my original plan, as my abusive ex put paid to that when he left me a single parent...

Weekends, she doesn't seem fussed. So for example today, she was left alone for max 3 hours in total. Found her sleeping on my bed when I got home from taking the dc swimming.
Tomorrow, she will probably be left to her own devices again for a bit, but we have a big garden, she's a small dog, and she will get an off lead run in the evening with the toddling dc.

If I didn't have a mate who was a dog walker and therefore charges me the bare minimum per day, I would have to rehome her, as I had to go back to work full time (did I mention my ex is a bastard???). No way I could leave her alone from 7-5 each day...

Our dog is wide awake between 4pm when we all start returning home and then by 8pm is shattered and desperate to sleep!

In the mornings she manages an hour of being awake before she puts herself back to bed.

Thinking it through it seems like she has adjusted... weekends she is awake a lot as we are all milling around. On Monday mornings and especially at the end of school holidays she is practically shoving us out the door so she can catch up on her beauty sleep!

So yes definitely dog dependent... not to mention she won't leave the house for a walk if it's wet too cold or too windy

Would you prefer them to be PTS or rot in a cold kennel instead OP..?

It's not ideal to leave them home alone, of course not it it's not but I think you need to appreciate that the overwhelming majority of dog owners need to work.

It's all very good saying about daycare but cost aside daycare doesn't suit all dogs so that isn't an option for a lot of families.

There aren't enough homes to go around as it is without berating those who have to work

Agree, it's utterly cruel and shitty to leave a dog alone and inside for 9+ hours a day. There are so many dog walkers these days and it's affordable too, there's no excuse. It's part of the cost and the responsibility of owning a dog. If people can't pay or can't be arsed then they should just get a goldfish. But then again people quite often treat their pets badly and think it's normal so

There are so many dog walkers these days and it's affordable too, there's no excuse

My local daycare is £30 a day.
Only very slightly cheaper than private nursery!
Hardly affordable for a lot of people

Also, goldfish shouldn't be pets.

They grow 30cm long minimum not including tail, live for over 30 years, shit so much they need a double rated filter and are social fish that should be kept with other goldfish.
Only suitable for massive ponds.

Just saying.

My DD is left for two days a week,
On these days the dog walked takes him out for an hours walk but he’s usually with her for longer due to pick up and drop offs.

He was a stray so we can assume didn’t have good human contact beforehand. He literally lives for the sofa, hardly bats an eye at us (unless sausages are about) and is a
serial sleeper.

Is he stressed? Is this set up more stressful than being a stray or in kennels? I don’t think so!

Also how can we assume that cortisol levels are not high when humans are about?

There are so many dog walkers these days and it's affordable too, there's no excuse

How much is it where you are? My mum uses a dog walker and per hour it costs a lot more than my childminder hardly affordable for many. And there are still ‘excuses’ if you like - many anxious dogs aren’t going to happily go for a walk with someone they don’t know very well.