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.

We do this, it's been a fantastic compromise. We've met a couple of dogs and we've had them to stay for holidays, overnight, and it's great to get the kids out for an afternoon walk when we've got a few hours spare.

They didn't say they didn't have the time for it. I work full time and my dog gets left alone during the day but we spend mornings and evenings with him and I do lots of activities including various dog sports. You can work FT and have time for a dog ...

That's really not fair on the dog, however much you want to believe otherwise.

Clearly enough time, but not at the right time.

Leaving your dog alone all day is just plain cruel and it is irresponsible to suggest that what you are doing is ok and that others should consider it...

That's rubbish, it's a completely ill-conceived concept of dog ownership. My dog is a working breed and sleeps better left alone. He gets cranky if we're home all day because he doesn't get enough rest. We only leave him a few days a week for no more than 6.5 hrs and he's for sure happier than if he was following us around all day but not getting his brain exercised or if I took him to the office where he finds it a lot harder to relax with all the stimuli. When we get home he says hi then takes himself back to sleep until it's time for a walk. I used a petcam for a while but all he did was roll from side to back and vice versa on the couch so I soon stopped. I know tons of dogs like that. It's ridiculous to suggest that only PT or WFH should have dogs.

Of course you can. Do all these people with dogs never leave the house? Bonkers. The right kind of dog can be perfectly content left alone for a stretch of that length.

We have a camera and it shows that our dogs sleep while we're gone. (Hound types.)

You have an enclosed garden and a dog flap? Even less to worry about. Enjoy.

Exactly, it's ridiculous. I have a border collie, from working breeding. I walk her first thing in the morning 45mins to an 1 hour. Rural, off lead, running through fields etc. When we get home she goes to bed and voloutarily stays there for hours. As long's the dog gets plenty exercise and stimulation there's no harm at all them being home alone through the day. It's because of a lot of the attitudes of people nowadays that dog's are turning into nervous, unhappy wrecks.

As above loads of people who have had have dogs do leave them for 6 hrs really dog dependant and definitely not a puppy .
Wrong place to ask this question I'm afraid

Yes, and the overstimulation they get from not being able to sleep in often badly run doggy daycares adds to this, they go mental. Dogs need appropriate exercise and activities to be happy, but they also need a lot of sleep and peace and quiet. I actually stopped using a dog walker because my dog was so knackered from it, I couldn't do anything in the evening with him when I wanted to train and walk him and spend time with him.

A Siamese cat is extremely devoted, loyal and playful. Very dog-like, they bond strongly with their people and they and incredibly loving and big personalities. They are also low maintenance and easy to care for - cos they're cats! Might be worth looking into with her. The modern type are very over bred and have more health issues. But the old fashioned and classic types have very long lives 15+ years and are generally healthy.

I’m going to buck the trend here and say it’s absolutely doable. Maybe not just any dog, but a dog that you’ve worked with and trained to be ok with being left for long periods a couple of days a week.
I have a 18 month old collie who does 7 hours with a dog walker visit one day and 7 hours without a walker (because all the walkers are booked up on a Wednesday where I live) and she’s fine with it.
Obviously as a puppy she wasn’t able to be alone so long as their bladders are tiny, so we had two dog care visits a day and I finished work early till she was about 5.5 months. Then we switched to the walker and slowly stretched the work day out. She goes for a 2 mile run every morning before work with my husband and then obviously play and walks in the evening. She’s still settling into who she is as a dog but I’ve never had problems leaving her alone because I’ve worked on it.
If your question is; ‘can I just get a dog and leave it alone for 3 days a week from the start?’ The answer is definitely not. You can however make a sensible choice of companion for your daughter and then work hard on the training for a couple of months (yes you’re going to have to be flexible with work) to make sure your new dog is comfortable with the arrangement.
You shouldn’t get a puppy, they require way too much input when young for your work schedule.

Absolutely this is doable. However not at first you do need to put some work into making this work. However you do have choices, the breed of dog is very important. We have a long haired standard dachshund who loves to sleep and sunbathe she is more than happy to be left, although 5 hours is our max. We couldn’t do this when she was a puppy though we had to leave for 10mins at first and build up. It was probably about 6months before we could leave for a long time. Our Labrador would be less impressed with being left as long but as he is young as he is aging he is more settled. Not a small dog but I’ve also heard that greyhounds/lurcher type dogs are also happy being left a walk beforehand and then they love to snooze.
However, I think your best bet is to find a dog Walker. When we had our previous dog we used to have a dog Walker she was fab and would take him out in the middle of the day and leave him with a filled kong or the like. A friend of my sends her dog to doggy daycare, they pick the dog up and drop it off for her too she says her dog loves it so even sends her when she’s working from home.

When it’s a puppy/new then it’s difficult but you can get a dog Walker etc. Once they are older/more settled then yes. We have a miniature schnauzer who is left 3 days a week for 8 hours as hubby leaves at 9, I get back at 5 and he’s fine at home alone for that time. Hubby walks him before he leaves, I let him out into the garden as soon as I get home. When we got him I was able to come home and walk him at lunchtime but then moved house/changed job when he was 3 and we were further away so we gradually got him used to being left for longer. He’s also fab with our young kids who came along after him.

Just because things are "doable" doesn't mean it is good for the dog's welfare or is the right thing to do.

Dogs are social animals, and to leave them at home for extended periods of time isn't advisable.

The differing responses even about the same breeds really underline the fact that while breeds have their characteristics, dogs are still individuals. We have a lab and I wouldn’t describe her as lazy at all. However she is secure, quite confident and will settle for good periods and could go for 6 hrs occasionally. Owner input is vital. My experience is that you can heavily influence a dog towards certain behaviour and habits. Plenty of calm and confident interaction and fair but firm boundaries would be my advice. Not unlike children I suppose. If you haven’t got experience in dog ownership then do read books on how to promote the behaviours you need in a dog.
My advice, similar to others, is don’t get a puppy. They can be unbelievably hard work. Poo, pee, chewing, bonkers behaviour and often very bitey for a while which can be upsetting for some children. Gorgeous but very hard work.
Do really consider the Borrow a Dog option, even as a learning step towards dog ownership . And going against the grain here be cautious about getting 2. They don’t always form companionable bonds, sometimes wind each other up to worse behaviour and twice the expense is a serious consideration. Eg. Kennels are expensive. Then double that for two (or at least half as much again allowing for reduced rates for sharers). Good quality dog food isn’t cheap. Pet insurance doesn’t protect against all bills. Etc etc.
Having said all that our dogs have been the most amazing support to our son, in particular, dogs and children can be a brilliant combination.

Yeh go for it. I'd get two so they have company. They say dogs shouldn't be left longer than four hours because they miss you and because they need a toilet break. Is there a way you could have a secure outside pen with a dog flap so they can come and go to use the loo while you're out? You'd have to get a big walk in before they are left so I would suggest an early start the days you are working and really tire them out before they are left alone. Go for a calm and non vocal breed.

I'd say get an old dog. You can also foster to see if it works out

We have been fostering an old dog (poor thing was abandoned in the jungle in Thailand) and he's the easiest dog in the world. He doesn't even really need walking, he just likes a slow stroll around the neighbourhood and a good sniff around. After about 10 minutes he refuses to go further and wants to go home! Most of the day he just like to snooze. He does need to be let out to pee but other than he can easily be left all day, he doesn't mind.
Old dogs are the best! And there are many who are looking for their retirement homes

My mini jack russell is left for about 3/4 hours usually 2/3 times a week while me and dps shifts overlap but she gets a big walk in the morning and usually sleeps most of the day anyway and then a walk and play soon as kids are in from school. I'd say any longer than that and you would need someone to at least let them out for the toilet and play for half an hour or your house would get wrecked

@Sawadeekakaka Old dogs are the best! Our Springador is 14 now and more adorable now than ever. But she also costs an awful lot to keep supplied with drugs for her arthritis. Older dogs tend to come with less good health and so tend to cost more to keep.

@Willmafrockfit then you just don’t get a dog then surely? 🤷‍♀️

this is the exact dog owner I’ve been talking about in other threads, clearly not able to provide time and training required but still get a dog. Should be made prohibitively expensive then only responsible people with the time and patience and working dogs would be around

@Thriftnugget
Agree. Golden oldies are the best dogs!
And agree about medical costs (plus insurance will be super expensive and probably have loads of exclusions)
However, if you foster from a rescue i think they'll often cover or help with medical costs. We live in Thailand and even here with far more limited resources the rescue would have covered our old dog's quite substantial medical costs ( partly because he arrived in very bad shape and close to death from having been abandoned, not just old age, poor boy 😰). I'd imagine in the UK that this might be the case too?

@AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii
i agree
barmy to suggest otherwise.

@Willmafrockfit just seems many people think having a dog or pet of any kind is a right even when they impact on other people. I don’t have a dog because I don’t have the Time, patience or money for one and I well don’t want to have to pick up faeces, which judging by the amount about now, neither do actual dog owners

@Sawadeekakaka I actually don’t know if that kind of thing is available in the UK - worth investigating for anyone minded to adopt an older doggie.