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

[PleasedToBeAFlower]

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.

Dogs are left for a hell of a lot longer than 6 hours in a rescue centre. 20hours+ a day in a kennel surrounded by constant barking of other dogs.

An older dog can be left for several hours occasionally and if it’s regularly 2 days a week they will get used to it, especially if you leave entertainment for them.

Also consider asking around locally for anyone who might be willing to help out a bit. We lost our beautiful boy last year and have decided not to replace him yet. However I saw a local lady was looking for help with her dog as she was in a tight spot and I now have her once or twice a week for the day ( a walk or home visit might be enough for you). It helps her out and ticks my craving for doggy company. Just be very careful about an arrangement like this before committing.

I agree that the issue is you don't know how a dog is going to be naturally. We also have a Dachshund and we can't leave him alone at home ever. He howls after 5 minutes. We have done everything recommended such as leaving him for short, increasing periods but nothing works.

Luckily I wfh most of the time which is part of how we factored in managing a dog. He goes to doggy day care if I need to go into the office. We are not massively sociable but he can go to kennels if absolutely necessary.

It has massively impacted us and although we knew this, a bit like having a baby, you never really fully appreciate it until you have one.

My family owned dogs my entire life and we would never leave a dog in the house alone regularly for 6 hours a time. Each to their own but I don’t see this fair.

How much company do you think dogs get in kennels?

People are arguing that six hours, twice a week without company is cruel - do you really think dogs in shelters get that?

6 hours twice a week with walks before and after? Of course that is fine, I would suggest it is probably what the majority of dog owners do. Ours isn't left as she doesn't need to be but I'd have no qualms about doing so if anything changes.

When I walk ours the local dog walkers have a different group every time so clearly many rely on dog walkers. You may not need to, many dogs will happily be left for 6hrs a couple of times a week as long they have plenty of exercise amd attention the rest of the time.

Exactly.

Or does everyone think rescue dogs have constant company, enrichment and exercise?

A dog will be much happier in a loving home with a wonderful family with two short days alone than stuck in kennels.

I'm terribly confused by your message. How would the dog be left on its own for 8 hours, as you say?
And how do you reach the conclusion that I would walk it 2 hours before I go to work? Where have I said that?

Dogs aren't children.

I do lot of things with my dogs that I wouldn't do with children - feed them from bowls on the floor, train them to shit in the garden and take them to the vets 🙄

OP you said that you would take it out in the morning, then it would be with the family for 2 hours at home before you leave it for 6 hours. That makes it 8 hours without a toilet break. Or did I misunderstand your previous post?

Surely someone would let it out before they left? That is generally how these things work.

5-6 hours is too long for any dog.

I have a Lhasa Apso and he is really very good at being left. But 3-4 hours is the maximum. He needs a wee by then! And he needs to know he hasn’t been abandoned.

I would certainly look into the options for dog walkers, day care, or even Borrow My Doggy schemes. That could make it work.

'On these 2 days, the dog would have a good walk in the morning and 2 hours of family company and interaction, then stay home without a family member for 6 hours'

'5-6 hours is too long for any dog.'

Oh it isnt. They manage overnight just fine. Quality of life is the important bit, love and exercise when the owners are around. If the op said she worked 12 hr shifts with no time for walks and no one at home obviously that obviously wouldn't work. 6 hrs is fine.

Some individual dogs will cope all day. Other individual dogs won't cope with 10 minutes alone.

Trouble is there's not much way of telling which dog will be which before you get it, especially if you're looking at puppies.

Oh i see, I read it as three stages: walk, interact at home for 2 hours, left alone for 6 hours. You mean that the morning walk is 2 hours long and then the dog is left at home?

😅

Dog walker/doggy daycare

I would have thought there is a chance that a rescue could be quite needy but with the above would be ok

So confused about the "need to wee"so 5-6 hours are too long. Maybe it's just because we own large breeds but they sleep in our room and I regularly have to kick them out after 9 -10 hours. " They are still snoring away happily. Maybe little dogs have to wee more often . Never had one.

My dog is small, a lovely dog and could be left for 6 hours twice a week if needed.

She doesn’t have any separation anxiety and is a dream.

if I had to leave her twice a week for 6 hours then I’d get a dog walker.

my dog can defo hold its bladder for more then 6 hours too! Some nights I try to make her go a wee before bed and she just looks at me and gets in her bed instead!

I think with some dogs it would be possible, but maybe something like an older rescue dog that sleeps a lot and has been used to being left - and even then, there would be an adjustment period of several months where the dog would be getting used to you, your home, the new family, the routine etc so it's not likely you could get a dog and just start leaving them for 6 hours a day from week 1. Plus you also have to think about whether your DD is going to be as enamoured with walking them in all weather year round, picking up dog poo, washing muddy paws...saying hi to dog when you see them about and about is nothing like the reality of daily dog ownership.

I know she loves dogs but could something lower maintenance like a cat or house rabbit also work for her?

You could get a dog that could be left for 5-6 hours happily if it is only 3 days a week BUT it would be impossible to know if your dog is the kind of dog to be happy with that or not until you have got it and if you end up with a dog with separation anxiety you are going to have a big problem. So unless you have money to pay a dog walker I would not get one.

It's 2 days.

Some dogs with severe separation anxiety won't last 5 minutes - and that isn't an exaggeration. You would do well to have a backup plain in place, such as a dog walker.

I would go down the rescue route - there's a lot of dogs in the rescues at the moment so they're slightly less picky with candidates than they once were, though as you're looking for a child friendly dog with no separation anxiety you'll have to be flexible with other criteria (e.g. breed / size).

I wouldn't get a puppy - no young pup can go 5-6 hours alone in the early months.

You’ll get loads of nutters on here tell you that you could not possibly leave a dog for that amount of time. In the real world, most people leave their dogs alone while they work. If you don’t work, how are you supposed to live or afford a dog, which means the only people who could have dogs are retired or unemployed. BS.

Loads of dogs aren’t candidates for day care or dog walkers. My dog isn’t dog friendly, therefore that has never been an option. She’s left alone while I work. She gets walked, fed, usually left with stuff to chew and the radio on. She literally sleeps all day, and does that regardless of whether I’m there or not.

People who say dogs can’t be left are living in cloud cuckoo land. I’m talking about an adult dog, not a puppy obviously.

The majority of issues with separation come from the owners; before everyone was working from home, people went to work AND had dogs. They are treated like children now and look at the issues people have. These are dogs. They need boundaries, and need to be treated with respect. Not babied. Not taught bad manner - they need positive training AND discipline.

Op, you will be fine. If I was you I’d visit somewhere like horse and hound forum where you’d get proper advice.