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Original poster

Suitable dog

110 replies

Ronnie1234 · 06/05/2024 07:53

We're planning to get a puppy / dog for our youngest is 7 & is desperate for a pet, we've debated & promised her for a while & now decided the time is right as recently her nan lost her dog & we had said it's not fair to introduce another dog around Nannie's dog as he was old.

Please could I have some advice on suitable dog breeds, daughter wants a lap dog type that she can pet, baby, look after, take for walks but doesn't need huge amounts of walking, can be left alone at home for few hours in days - up to 7/8 hours maximum but I work from home some days so won't be every day

OP posts:

DustyLee123 · 06/05/2024 07:57

The fact that you’ve said you’re getting it for your child, and that it will be left for 7/8 hours at times, makes me think that a dog is not the best pet for you. And I know that’s not what you want to hear. But I’d consider a cat instead.

Whinge · 06/05/2024 07:59

Honestly, I don't think you should get a dog.

Everything in your post is about your daughter, and you absolutely should not get a dog for a child. It's a 15 year commitment and the child will lose interest after a few months. You should get your daughter a cuddly toy, rather than a real animal who has needs you can't meet.

You can't leave a dog for 7 / 8 hours a day

Your daughter wants to baby it? - It's a dog not a baby

ZipZapZoom · 06/05/2024 08:01

she can pet, baby, look after, take for walks but doesn't need huge amounts of walking, can be left alone at home for few hours in days - up to 7/8 hours maximum

Get her a toy dog if she wants an animal so she can baby it. Your reasons for getting a dog are all wrong and the fact you would consider leaving it for 7/8 is a huge red flag that you're not the right home for any dog.

tonyhawks23 · 06/05/2024 08:04

Yes you can't leave a dog for 7/8 hours.you can look in to getting a dog walker within that time but include that in your budget.

longdistanceclaraclara · 06/05/2024 08:07

I don't think you should get a dog.

AwkwardPaws27 · 06/05/2024 08:09

Sorry OP - 7 hours really is too long, unless you can use doggy daycare on those days.

AwkwardPup can manage 4 hours, but we built that up very gradually starting with literally 10 minutes and building up slowly. I think he was comfortably doing about 2 hours by 9 months?

Have you considered guinea pigs? They are lovely little creatures - they do need quite a bit of space & you will need a good piggy-savvy vet in case of emergencies, but they are lovely pets (with appropriate adult supervision) which can happily be left at home all day!

DrJoanAllenby · 06/05/2024 08:11

You have basically described getting a toy.

A dog isn't a toy.

SparrowFeet · 06/05/2024 08:13

Yeah dogs can only do 7-8 hours when they're old. A puppy will be less than 5 minutes , maybe a couple of hours one they are a year old. Don't get a dog OP it will be too hard .

HonorGold · 06/05/2024 08:15

You can’t get a dog to then leave it alone for 7 hours. Don’t get a dog. Poor thing

BigBundleOfFluff · 06/05/2024 08:16

When I was in your situation (except it was mainly me that wanted the dog) I held off until my youngest was 10. Puppies are such hard work I am glad I did.
I got mine Guinea pigs in the meantime. They are great pets! One of ours was very happy to sit of an evening on a lap and be stroked (the other wasn't keen so we didn't). They are super soft to cuddle, make contented snuffling noises and are easy to look after. Plus you can leave them for 7-8 hours whereas you can't leave a dog.

mitogoshi · 06/05/2024 08:22

Some breeds are better than others at being left but it also depends on their personality, which you can't predict. Like others, I think there's more suitable pets than a dog or at least I would look at an adult dog which is proven to be ok being left (you still may need a plan if you are due to be out 8 hours though, many dogs struggle with that though I admit mine is fine, just not as a puppy). Dogs aren't babies and live to around 15, do you want to be caring for a dog?

Riverlee · 06/05/2024 08:30

The seven hours concerns me as well. I don’t leave my 20 month old for more than three hours. Any longer, we get a dog sitter in.

Puppies are also hard work and need someone with them/on call 24 hours for at least two weeks. My dog and young adult dc thought they could wfh with the pup but struggled.

Dogs Are Not Babies, but living creatures, with their own personalities. It’s like having a baby and toddler and a Duracell bunny all in one enter your household.

Young pups are messy, bitey creatures. Cute, but messy bitey.

Your nan’s dog was probably old and docile, and easy to be with. Puppies aren’t like that.

Get a hamster or a rabbit or a Guinea pig.

hattylou · 06/05/2024 08:36

Get a cat.
They like sitting on laps, many will happily be babied and can be left all day if needed.
Obviously all cats are different but my boy is regularly seen in a dolls pram and very happy to be smothered with attention.

From your description a dog is not the right pet for you.

Devilshands · 06/05/2024 08:49

A dog left alone for seven to eight hours a day a few days a week?! No. That’s negligent. And it’s asking for all sort of (incredibly) unpleasant behaviours to manifest which, given you have a small child, is a recipe for disaster.

And you do not get a dog based off the fact your child wants one.

Hoppinggreen · 06/05/2024 08:51

The fact that you are asking what kind of dog suits the criteria you have listed here means that you have no idea at all about dogs and shouldn't get one
But you probably will, it will be some sort of Poo called Lola or Trixie or some shit

user09876543 · 06/05/2024 09:09

You just can’t leave a dog for those sorts of periods. Get a cat.

DPup is five months old. We are lucky because she will be ok on her own for about an hour. She is manic, bouncy, destructive, incredibly bitey, she has scratchy claws, she jumps up whenever she sees people, she pees with excitement when meeting new people or when we come downstairs in the morning, she eats toys, shoes etc - you can’t leave anything out, she needs two long walks a day and lots of attention, games and training in between. She is without doubt ten times harder than any child. Plus I wouldn’t trust her to be alone with a child yet.

just don’t do it OP, you’ll be making your life a million times more difficult and it’s animal cruelty to leave them alone for that long.

redboxer321 · 06/05/2024 09:16

Getting a dog in your situation is a terrible idea sorry @Ronnie1234 .
A toy dog would be a better idea. Also, I don't know how they'd hold up as toys - mainly aimed more at adults - but have a look on Etsy for some realistic toy dogs.

@Riverlee suggested a hamster, rabbit or guinea pig.
Please don't get a rabbit. They are really not suitable for children. GP would be the best out of the three but you should get two for company. You need to do lots of research too and accept that the care of the GPs would be down to you - especially cleaning out the cage.

Littlebitpsycho · 06/05/2024 09:25

Don't get a puppy unless you have serious time to devote to training. They are bitey, jumpy and scratchy, and it's YOUR job to train them out of that, and it takes months of commitment and consistency - I can't imagine a 7 year old coping with being nipped constantly.

You also really really can't leave them for 7/8 hours, that's completely unfair. You would need to factor in a dog walker or doggy daycare, especially for a puppy who initially you wont be able to leave at ALL.

If you really must get a dog, consider an older rescue who has lived with young children in the past - the training will have been done and they will likely already be used to being left for a few hours (but definitely not 7/8 hours!)

I agree a cat or a couple of guinea pigs would be better, a cat in particular will be far less labour intensive!

bigboots4 · 06/05/2024 09:27

7-8 hours is too long. A cat is a safer bet. I have three kids, two cats and a dog and the kids get loads of cuddles from the cats, even sleeping on their beds. The dog is fine with the kids, but really only wants big hugs from me as I'm his no1 human as I did the early days, I'm home with him most and do all the walking & training which is a constant and daily process.

rkahic · 06/05/2024 09:36

Agree with the majority of the posts on here, a dog shouldn’t be left for 7 hours, they need company and just basics like a wee, the guinea pig idea is much better, they fine to be left but will be happy to be held

Original poster

Ronnie1234 · 06/05/2024 09:37

Up to 7/8 hours maximum I said in day. In the two days I work in office it normally wouldn't be more than 5 hours I was quoting worse case scenario.
We have had mother in laws dog quite often as she lives opposite us on farm so was part of the family. Hence the loss has affected my daughter but we are giving it 6 months to consider which breed to purchase & which is suitable
I am not irresponsible & know we may need to factor in doggy day care / walker or similar to pop head in
I was merely asking for suitable breeds that suited our circumstances.

OP posts:

DrJoanAllenby · 06/05/2024 09:40

This sickens me -

'daughter wants a lap dog type that she can pet, baby, look after, take for walks '

The seven year old is going to pick up dog poo!?

She's going to pull it around and not like it when the dog wants to sleep because she wants to poke and prod it and make it wear a bonnet and take photos of it.

It's a nightmare scenario for a small dog.

Whinge · 06/05/2024 09:41

Up to 7/8 hours maximum I said in day. In the two days I work in office it normally wouldn't be more than 5 hours

Even 5 hours alone is pushing it. 7/8 hours alone is animal cruelty.

I was merely asking for suitable breeds that suited our circumstances.

A toy dog suits your circumstances. Nothing else should have to live in a home where they're babied by a 7 year old and deprived of human contact for 7/8 hours twice a week. Just because your daughter is sad doesn't mean you have to make a living creature suffer.

ZipZapZoom · 06/05/2024 09:41

Up to 7/8 hours maximum I said in day. In the two days I work in office it normally wouldn't be more than 5 hours I was quoting worse case scenario.

Even 5 hours two days a week is unreasonable but the fact you think it would possibly be 7 or 8 in a worst case scenario and see nothing wrong with that is worrying.

No dog is suitable to being left alone that much and given you've written that you may need to factor in doggy day care and not already thought it would be an essential cost on those days doesn't suggest you'd put the dog first and instead would just leave them.

Riverlee · 06/05/2024 09:52

Five hours is still too long.

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