Single working parent considering a dog - looking for a reality check

[bigfacthunter]

I’m a single parent, I work full time and have an income of 38k which is plenty for me to have a nice life with but I’m not exactly rolling in it. My child is 8.

Having grown up with lots of pets I’m desperate to get a dog but I need a bit of a reality check from other working single parent dog owners as my glasses are very very rose tinted.

Would you recommend it?
What are the big issues?
Realistically how much do you spend on your dog per year?
Anything else?

Thanks! 😊

Its also worth thinking about how long they will be left in reality

Whilst I work 9-5, if I was solo my dog would be left longer than that. Im out 8-6 commute wise, but realistically sometimes I stop for a chat with a colleague, work late etc. You'll also be adding every time you stop for fuel, something from a shop

When its just me and the dog what I struggle with is the lack of doing things on the way home like being able to do a shop etc, hair cut, things like going out for a drink on a Friday with work colleagues.

I also then cant leave them again in the evening if they've been left for most of the day so things like meals out with friends, food shops, clubs, cinema etc all have to happen on a weekend

I wouldn't be able to do it working full time and solo. With two of us, one can make sure that they are home while the other one goes out if the dogs been alone too long.

With a child, you might find that you arent coming home between clubs or are going out in the evening.

The other thing is whole day activities. We have to have dog care for things like whole days at the beach, zoos, city trips, theme park type days

In the winter you end up stuck because kids want to do indoor stuff which dogs arent allowed to and in the summer its too hot for them to come with you all day. This is especially true with something like camping. We are going camping in August and arent taking the dog because last time we struggled to find airconned spaces and it was too hot to be outside

We are lucky that my parents are happy to have them for a day otherwise that cost adds up

An older dog tends to be more chill but have more toileting needs. We have two. once we were able to do more when the younger one was finally older enough to be left more significantly or walk long enough to come out for the day, the older one suddenly could no longer come out for the whole day but equally didn't have the bladder to be left.

In terms of cost
Base wise our dog food per dog is about 40 a month
Insurance is 40
Something like kennels is about 250 a week
Check how much a daily dog walker would be, and dog care for however often youd need it

Not to scare you but our older dog isnt insurable anymore and is on about £300 of meds a month and very expensive food

I have had a dog for the last ten years as a single working mum. I have a whippet and he comes to work with me. I walk him in my lunch hour and/or before work. When he was very young he went to a dog sitter for a half day as he’d struggle to be still and quiet for a whole day. Costs are around £110 a month for vet pet plan and pet insurance - food I buy in bulk from forthglade when it’s on offer.

Retired race greyhounds are perfect although better for older children as prefer calm to chaos but are very gentle. They can have separation anxiety though so might not do well being alone all day with just a dog walker. It’s really not an ideal situation for any dog as they’re pack animals and prefer being in company. I’ve only left my dog for a max of 2 hours and that’s only in the last few years. He wasn’t left alone for longer than 30 minutes when he was younger.

I was fortunate as had my mum who helped out with dog sitting if there was a parents evening or a sports competition or something I needed to attend but dogs weren’t allowed.

Tbh a greyhound is actually perfect they barely need exercise, had them all my life, however I chose not to have rescue ones because the ones I've known with friends and family whine when alone, dirty often in the house etc because they've already been brought up in kennels for the first years of there life so bad habits are very ingrained in them. Some can be re-trained some just won't..But from experience from puppy and I've had a lot there so easy going, don't care about huge walks, very loyal etc they are actually perfect pets. I do technically rescue them because I get the puppies trainers would put down as they have lots they won't race because of certain joint positions or behaviours etc but before the bad traits of being in kennels start to ingrain in them. For one it costs me around £60 month in food (specific grey food) and £9.99 monthly payment to vets on pet plan which includes all jabs, inoculations,micro chip, health check each year but no dog walker as I do that myself

What about this @bigfacthunter https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/?utm_feeditemid=&utm_device=c&utm_term=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=UK+-+PMAX+-+BO+-+Search+Signals+[Sign+Up+and+Purchase]+-+CT1-8&campaignid=22121380763&devicetype=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qLDybKZlQMVDZGDBx3YrRYhEAAYASAAEgIkZPD_BwE&creativeid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22125380563&gbraid=0AAAAADr7yOw2wj0gGlsKDMiyIosUe8wOq

Another greyhound owner here. Definitely think hard about the costs. Pre-covid, we did use a dog walker for DDog1 (RIP) five days a week and it was a serious expense. We're now down to twice a week, but it still adds up because DDog2 doesn't understand dogs that aren't sighthound-shaped (racing greyhounds miss out on typical puppy socialisation experiences), so he can be reactive and so needs solo walks.

Greyhounds are big dogs - our current lad is 40kg - so they eat a lot. We probably spend £50/month on food. They can also have sensitive stomachs, which pushes the food costs even higher if you're unlucky. Their size means they also need higher doses of medicines than smaller dogs, which adds to the vet bills and so to the insurance costs. DDog2 is 8yo so we're paying £80/month for insurance. You wouldn't want to skip insurance - surgery to fix a fractured toe was £2k, while we ran up £9k in vet bills for DDog1's last month.

Racing greyhounds do make fabulous pets for the right family, but they can come with some very specific behavioural issues, and they're definitely not cheap!

@bigfacthunter dogs in shelters have other dogs and people around pretty much 24/7 . I think it would be difficult for the dog if you are at work and its home alone.

I disagree with others. A much older dog (10+) of a non-energetic breed, might thrive in such an environment.

The problem is no rescue will let you take a dog if you work full time and plan to leave it at home. Rescues need about 3 months minimum to settle - and i'd expect anyone who works and is taking on a rescue to be at home for min. the first two months to help it settle in.

Rescue dogs are often prone to some quite unpleasant behavioural issues (including guarding) that I wouldn't necessarily want to expose a young child to.

But you do need to seriously think about costs. An hour, once a day, five days a week with a dog walker near me would cost about £80 over the week. Then you have insurance costs, vet bills (that aren't worth claiming for/annual vaccinations), food, necessities (dog bed, toys, water bowl, food bowl [the second two should really be replaced often and not enough people do this]).

Not a breed I'd suggest you get, but my youngest Golden girl is a year and costs me about £400 a month. That's without dog day-care or a dog walker.

Sorry, OP. I know that's probably not what you want to hear.

don't do it. We are a family of 4 . me, OH and 2 kids 12. worst decision was to get another dog. It needs walking every day and sometimes we are all exhausted from work. i work full time, hybrid in London so travel and MY oh is self employed so can have long days. the burden of finding someone to look after it when you go away. we both say we shouldn't have got her. we wont give her up and do love her but i wouldn't recommend it unless you have time and energy to give it.

Would you have another child? I'm guessing at the moment you wouldn't. Having a dog is like having another child.

Can you afford £100 + a month for food, insurance, worming tablets, dog walker (£15 per walk) , toys, treats, training etc?

My dog is only 4, every year his insurance goes up despite not having claimed on it. He also developed an allergy and the medication he is on costs in excess of £100 pcm. Where I live, 30 mins walk is £20 so even if we are out of the house 3 days a week, it quickly adds up. I get you because I’m in my 40’s, grew up with dogs and wanted to have one for at least 2 decades but the costs quickly add up to hundreds pcm.

Don’t do it. It’s a sad life being left most of the day five days a week with a one hour visit from a dog walker. Dogs are also very very expensive to keep now. We just lost an elderly dog. They cost a fortune the last few years of their life. And food and general dog bills have rocketed.

I can’t think of any type of dog that would be happy alone all day, and then only getting walks that an 8 year old can also manage as that’s what they’ll be getting on weekends and holidays (unless you’ll also hire a dog walker then?)

We have a whippet cross, we both work full time. Dog walker is £60 per week, insurance £50 per month and food ( not sure how much). I love him but won’t be getting another once he’s gone. Now kids have left home we have to fork out £50 per night for kennels if we want to go away.

You cannot leave a dog all day every day even with a dog walker- unfair and cruel

Do you have a garden with the possibility for a cat flap? If left alone all day cats lack stimulation but this is helped greatly if they can go outside. Also, some cats are very sociable. Mine, now sadly deceased, used to sometimes meow loudly at my door if I just went to the corner shop, despite a cat flap, and me working from home.

It's cruel for most dogs. I'd like a dog so I've had to be unselfish and put my wishes aside as I know I can't 100% give the life a dog deserves.

I'm a single working parent and I have two small dogs. I only work out of the home 3 days a week though. Both are rescues and both are extremely happy.
On the days I work outside the home they have a dog walker who does 2 hours in the middle of the day. This means they're only 'alone' 3 hours at a time.
I love having them for company!
20k is ridiculous cost per year!
They are expensive though!
Dog walker - £240 a month
Insurance - £60 a month
Vet health plans (includes vaccinations, flea, worming and routine consultations) - £40 a month
Food - £40 a month
Then I usually spend around £30 a month on treats / toys / other bits and bobs
They cost me the same as my new car! But of course two of them means double cost for everything so one is more realistic but atleast mine have me for company when I'm not around.
It's a big responsibility and means being up, organised and ready for school including having walked dogs even in the cold / rain etc, getting up early in this heat to walk them etc. sometimes the kids absolutely love being out walking with them and other times they are moaning!

However they bring us all lots and lots of joy and I wouldn't be without them.

They're my hobby really. I don't drink, or smoke, or play sport etc - basically they are what I spend my money on! Thats perfect for me.

If you really want to have a dog you can definitely make it work. A dog walker or day care full time is a big expense though and might not be realistic on your salary. I guess that all depends where you live though. We live 40 mins from. London and I'm earning double that and whilst we're okay I wouldn't describe us as 'comfortable' but our housing costs are enormous compared to lots of other parts of the UK so it's all relative.

I have found on here people have very strong opinions on all things dogs! Maybe chat to friends / locals out walking dogs etc to see what they think rather than here.

Oh & we have a dog flap with a large ISH garden so they can come and go as they please when left.