Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To search for a small dog that can be left alone during the day?

434 replies

PleasedToBeAFlower · 12/09/2023 21:49

I will accept it if I get flamed by dog lovers for this.
But is there such a thing as a small dog that can be left alone for 5 or 6 hours 3 days a week?
Or is it just completely unacceptable to plan to do this?
My DD aged 9 has a significant educational learning delay. This is affecting her self esteem and self confidence. She is otherwise highly intelligent.
So I need to chanel in to things she loves, so that she can feel good about things she loves and is good at, to compensate for spending all day at school feeling rubbish about herself for not being able to learn.
And boy oh boy does she LOVE dogs. She literally adores them. She cannot pass one without making friends with it. Dogs seem attracted to her. And she's amaaaaazing with them. All breeds, all ages, doesn't matter, she adores them and they do seem to adore her.
She has begged for a dog for 6 years so far. I've always said no.
But I actually think it would be incredible for her to have one.
I have no doubt she would be 100% committed to it, and it would be a lucky dog as she would love it and care for it so much.
BUT it would be alone in the house 3 days a week for about 6 hours a day.
No way round this.
Kids at school.
DH and I go to work, and we dont have jobs that we can take dogs to.
Is this ever, ever, ever do-able???
Or is there never a way to have a dog if it's left on its own?
I realise it has to be fair on the dog, not just what we want.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 12/09/2023 21:51

Nope.

RoseRows · 12/09/2023 21:51

You could get a dog walker

dotdotdotdash · 12/09/2023 21:51

You could use a dog walking service for days you are at work but you’d have to budget for that. Otherwise I don’t think it’s fair

bluejelly · 12/09/2023 21:52

From what I know about dogs this is unlikely. You may end up with a very anxious dog who barks and cries all day.

Breakawaytour · 12/09/2023 21:52

You get a dog walker or you send the dog into doggie day care. You can't be leaving a dog and (assuming it will be young to start off with), for that long that often.

MojoMoon · 12/09/2023 21:52

Pay a dog walker or look for doggy day care.

DustyLee123 · 12/09/2023 21:53

Get a dog walker, or it’s a no.
The dog you get might have separation anxiety, and that’s not fair on it. What are your plans on days out and holidays, it all needs planning.

Breakawaytour · 12/09/2023 21:53

Who will walk the dog daily btw?

Amyjones86 · 12/09/2023 21:53

That is too long for a dog to be left alone. Search for a good dog walker who offers long walks in the woods not just around the block. Or a dog day care centre.

Zanatdy · 12/09/2023 21:53

I pay a dog Walker £15 per day. I factored this in when weighing up if I could afford a dog. He could probably do 6hrs, but then I’d have to take him straight out for a long way and I normally need to log back into my laptop and continue working

ThereIbledit · 12/09/2023 21:54

Please don't. It's not fair on the dog.

Alternative: Two dogs to keep each other company.

hennaoj · 12/09/2023 21:55

It could work better with two dogs rather than one, then they'd be company for each other.

Bruisername · 12/09/2023 21:55

A dog walker or sitter would be best. We have an amazing dog sitter who also has him when we go away on holiday. Not the cheapest option but doggo loves her so much and she him.

3WildOnes · 12/09/2023 21:55

My bishon frise is happy to be left alone for that long now he is older but it wouldn't have been possible for the first year. When they are little they need taking out to toilet every half an hour and then they go through a destructive chewing phase. Can you afford doggy daycare? That's what we did when he was little.

Tygertiger · 12/09/2023 21:55

I’m in the office 3 days a week. One day DDog goes to family, one day he goes to daycare (£24 per day) and one day a walker comes and takes him out for 90 mins in the day (£15). So it’s doable but it costs you.

XenoBitch · 12/09/2023 21:56

It is possible if you get an older dog that is already used to be left. You will have to build up to 5/6 hours gradually if the dog is not used to it. And that only really applies to a chilled dog that does not have separation anxiety.

I leave my dog for around 5 hours 3 times a week. She just sleeps (but she is very old and a breed known for sleeping 18 hours a day anyway).

ThereIbledit · 12/09/2023 21:56

Even with a dog walker that's still 15 hours every week the dog will be left alone - they're just not wired for that, it's not fair on them.

DupontsYellowDressingGown · 12/09/2023 21:57

Yeah, this www.argos.co.uk/product/8732370?clickSR=slp:term:toy%20dog:2:76:1

ColonelRhubarbBikini · 12/09/2023 21:58

They say that 4 hours alone is the maximum and that’s accumulative so if you leave them for one 4 hour stint then they cannot be left again at all that day.

As PP have suggested if you paid a dog walker to come in the middle of the day for an hours walk that may be doable or doggy daycare is a good option. Both have the advantage of helping keep your dog socialised as well.

I’d look at ‘lazier’ breeds as well. Don’t get a border collie. If it were me I’d get a greyhound, they can sleep for England as long as they’ve had a good old off lead zoom.

Livelifelaughter · 12/09/2023 22:02

I would get an older dog that likes to sleep more ! Seriously now my dog is six he has slowed a lot. Then you can get a dog walker, Rover.com is really handy.

Beezknees · 12/09/2023 22:05

YABVU. Small dogs still need walks and company. Please don't do this.

You can't necessarily leave older dogs either, my mum's dog is 17 and while he doesn't need as much exercise now he doesn't like to be left alone for long periods as he gets distressed.

Broodywuz · 12/09/2023 22:06

I'll probably get shot down for this but relatively recently, before the lockdown dog craze, it was pretty normal for a lot of people to have dogs and go to work most days. Agree as a puppy and probably for the first year, 5/6 hours is too long for them not to get out to the toilet but after that, as long as they're getting good walks and exercise and plenty of attention the rest of the time I think leaving it this length of time would be no issue. I would be prepared though that it's likely to be high as a kite when you get in and you'll need to take it straight out for a long walk

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 12/09/2023 22:07

It’s called a cat.

Lavender14 · 12/09/2023 22:09

I'd say no unless you can break that up somehow. We use a dog daycare for our dog on the days we are both at work and he's at home when either of us is wfh. If we were going to leave him the absolute max would be 5-6 hours at a push (we aim for no more than 4) and we have him out that morning for around 2 hrs for off lead scent work and run the legs off him so he's knackered. But it would be a real exception for us to leave him that long.