Is it feasible or fair to get a puppy if you arent at home for part of the day?

[ResidentTroll]

I work part time so am out from 8.45am (to drop children off at school) until 2.30pm ish 4 or 5 days a week.

It would get plenty of attention at all other times.

eek - just realised 've posted this under my silly name change

Hmm. probably better to get an older dog, something like a whippet, they're ok left alone for a bit.

I really do think a puppy would be miserable and trash your house.

TBH I think it would be totally unfeasible to get a puppy - you could never house train it and it would be unfair (to put it mildly) on the pup to leave it alone for that length of time. Just under 6 hours is also, in my opinion and that of most of the rescue organisations I know, too long for an adult dog, especially on a regular basis.
You would almost certainly end up with a trashed house and a dog or pup with behavioural problems.

Unfeasible and unfair.

Puppies are a FULL TIME JOB. They require an exhausting amount of input to grow into the lovely family pet you have in mind.

Hmm. I thought as much. DS has been begging for us to get a puppy. It'll have to be a "no" then I guess.

Another reason to hate not being able to afford not to work I suppose.

For what it's worth, ResTroll, you do need to put the time in. For this reason, at echt Towers, we only got a puppy when I was on school holidays, to settle the beast in. I tell, you, I was knackered at the end of it, and happy to get back to work. And this is in Oz, where dogs are raised outside, and we can now put the puppy in his run in the yard when we go out to work.
DC wanted a puppy, and I didn't, and she was gobsmacked at the amount of work involved in, as Brocspears puts it " growing it into the lovely family pet you have in mind".

Resist until you have the time.

can you get someone to puppysit for a few hours a day, or a neighbour to pop in each day when they are young

we have a puppy at work, and there are times when i am out from 8.30 to 1.30 and he copes - is now 4mths old

he has breakie, goes out for wee/poo and then goes in his crate (massive cage thing) with his blanket, soft cushion and a few toys

he seems quite happy

as sooon as i am back, i let him out for wee/poo and give him a big cuddle

Can you time this for when you are on holiday for a few weeks or more? To settle him, with crate training i don't really see a problem with it. We all have to leave our dogs for extended periods, but they cope - because they are dogs and whilst they are pack animals are used to spending periods of time alone in the wild! Certain breeds cope better than others. There are ways of avoiding separation anxiety and being there 24/7 for a puppy isn't one of them.

If you could get someone to look in on him and let him out for a tiddle at mid day then thats great too.

Alternate toys too as they get bored with the same toy and are stupid enough to think that the bone from last week is a brand spanking new one.

Managed properly i don't have a problem with dogs being left - take him for a nice walk before work should tire him out plenty to relax - after all, when you are home all day with your dog, what does it do? SLEEP

I'd call in at your vets and ask them which breed and age they would suggest based on your family and home and the time you can spend with it. Some breeds are better at being left alone than others which howl and chew things and generally try to follow you when you leave

No dog, doesn't matter what bredd, like being left alone. Dogs are pack animals and it is neither normal or natural for them to be alone.

So yes, it is both unfeasile AND unfair to get a puppy OR an adult dog.

4 hours maximum at any one time, should a dog be left for.

Why not get 2 cats? I have dogs and cats and can honestly say that the cats are brilliant companions. Your ds would love them!!