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.

I've owned three dogs and looked after another one - all of them were left alone during the day while we were at work. However, they did have access to outdoors (with a kennel for shelter for the first one, then a dog door) but it was a flat, so a small back yard. I don't understand this UK idea that dogs cannot be left alone - it's perfectly normal here. They all got a decent walk in the evenings and at the weekends.

Same actually, 2 years ago I'd have said it would never be possible, but she's calmed down a lot. As you say, it's not a regular thing though. We use doggy daycare.

Is OP coming back? @PleasedToBeAFlower would it actually be 6 hours though? Be really honest with yourself. Is it a 9-3 school/work day, plus maybe half an hour each way, plus maybe an after school activity/popping to Asda on the way home? I know people who have done this, but honestly IMO it's not fair on the dog. Also are you factoring in time before work for a good run for the dog, or do you think 15 mins on lead round the street would do? (Clue - it would not)

It depends on the dog - and that's the problem . By the time you know whether your dog will be OK, it's too late . We have a Jack Russell - and he is OK being left alone . Variable amounts of time between peoples shift patterns - sometimes he will be at home with me and DH all day - but equally he is fine being left for 6 hours, he just sleeps .

I think that's horrible .

Mine manages that length of time, he’s quite lazy and just sleeps when we are out but I only do it on an odd occasion. I don’t know if he’d manage it for 3 days each week.

We use a dog walker for our office days and they have him out for about 3 hours during the middle of the day so he’s only really on his own maybe 2 hours morning & 2 afternoon by the time someone gets in from school or work.

As others have said, yes possible with a dog, not so with a puppy-you’ll need help from a dog walker/sitter whilst a puppy.

My dogs were used to being alone during the working day (pre-covid). They slept pretty much all day (we had/have webcams). They sleep now when left or when we wfh. Dogs do actually sleep a lot! Needs to avoid separation anxiety so you need to build up time being left alone, positively.

I am surprised at some of these responses!

My cousins dog could be left all day so it really depends the dog but you won't know what they're like until you get one. Apparently greyhounds are great as they just sleep all day and are very lazy. My dog has bad separation anxiety and cannot be left for more than 2 hrs. I would suggest sending the dog to doggy day care on those three days and or get a dog walker. These services are not cheap . It seems having a dog would be great for your daughter so if you can afford daycare/dog walker I would go for it.

OP, whatever you do, don’t listen to this terrible piece of advice.

Depends on the dog - we've had various over the years and some would sleep contentedly for that time while we're out, and others wouldn't. Five hours a couple of times a week is fine, (assuming lots of walks and interaction the rest of the time). Six hours is stretching it, they'll need the loo. Again, depends on the dog what they cope with.

It’s not fair, really it isn’t.

Yes we leave ours when at work but our dog has a dog door to get out to the back garden and a dog walker every lunchtime- so yes we leave her alone between 8-4 but not alone as in completely alone all day. But she has 3 walks a day - early am with my husband then lunchtime with dog walker then evening walk with one of us so she sleeps a lot of the day when by herself - you just have to be willing to pay for a dog walker

How would everyone that is saying it is fine to leave them for 5 or 6 hours like to be denied access to a toilet for that same length of time? (I saw one poster had a dog flap with access to garden so not referring to that situation)
Just because they seem OK doesn't mean they are OK. They are just shutting down to deal with the situation because they have to, they are not given a choice.

@Broodywuz i agree with you . My Shih Tzu is old now and literally would sleep all day after a good walk in the morning.

Please, please don't do this, OP.

How about:

Look for "dogsitting" setups, where you can stay in someone's house for a cheap holiday by looking after their home, plants and dog?
The Cinnamon Trust?
Borrow a friend's dog for weekends?

There has been a big increase in "unwise/poorly thought out" dog ownership since COVID, and I seem to be constantly reading/hearing about people who got dogs, regret it, and are now stuck with either foisting their dogs on other people (dragging them into shops, workplaces, public loos, restaurants) or the nightmare of a dog that barks inconsolably and tears the place up when they are left alone all day. It needs to stop. A dog is a big commitment, not a toy.

What's horrible about it?

I think this never leaving a dog by itself is a UK thing.
I'm Australian, and while my own dog is rarely by itself as my son is homeschooled that's unusual.
Everyone else I know with dogs leaves them during the day while they work, at least for 6 or 7 hours. They sleep while the family is out as dogs sleep more than humans. A dog flap lets them out to toilet.

Yeah, you're probs right. I wasn't actually suggesting getting one although I know my post reads that way. It was more just a reflection that working dogs like sled dogs/guard dogs etc that aren't raised as pets and don't sleep in the house seem to be less reliant on human affection.

Aside from leaving it for hours in end, getting a dog dow the purposes of pleasing your daughter is wrong.

A dog isn't a toy or plaything.

You get a dog to meet the dogs needs not the other way round.

Surely you’ve heard of dog walkers? If you don’t want the expense of a dog walker, then don’t get a dog. There’s your problem solved.

This

How about getting her a rabbit or a hamster? They would be fine alone during the day but a puppy shouldn’t be left home all day.

Don't do it. My neighour has a cockapoo. They leave it at home with access to the garden via dog flap. They think it sleeps and enjoys having access to outdoor. The poor thing spends its time running in and out barking howling and crying. They've been told but they still do it. Stressful for the dog and bloody annoying for everyone else.

Can you leave it in the garden? We leave our dog out in the garden all day.

It must be that British dogs are different from American dogs. Ours can be - and are - left alone while we work or go to school. We never had a dog walker and I do not know of anyone who did. If you could find a chilled, young adult dog (over 1 year) you could manage fine. My Shih Tzu were left alone during the day as adults and they were not destructive or neurotic. They were glad to see us and wanted attention and dinner when we came home.
Suggest no terriers, poodles or spaniels. A Shih Tzu, Maltese, Bichon or Pug would do well. Make sure they are neutered or spayed. That will calm them and help with housekeeping.

We can leave our little guy (corgi, so only around 13kg) for around 4/5 hours alone without an issue, but I wouldn't go longer than that. He doesn't have any issues holding his bladder, but I just don't think it's fair on him to be alone daily more than that. On days we both have to work long days or will be out for the day, he goes to daycare.