Dog owners - please answer this quick question...

[fluffles]

If you have a dog, how long does it spend (if any time) alone during the day a)normally and b) occassionally.

If the answer is that it is never alone then what do you do for a job? If you are a SAHM will you still be a SAHM throughout the dogs whole life and have you always been at home since you got the dog?

I really want a dog one day but right now it's looking like i'll have to wait till retirement (i'm only 32 now!) as i can't work out a lifestyle to fit.

Thanks.

we have a 13 weeks old border terrier puppy, he has been excellent with the children (ds1 ages 10 and ds2 age 2) he is left from 8.30 in the morning till i get home from work at 1.30, or if dp is on an afternoon shift he is left from 11 till 1.30. i dont consider this to be too bad considering how long some people leave their dogs alone for. he has the run of the kitchen with water, his toys and his chew bone.

the only trouble were having is litter training him, he is quite happy to use the paper/pads when locked in kitchen but will not go back to the kitchen to use them if he is in the living room with us

but otherwise, im planning to go full time in a few years (currenlty do every onring and some weekends) but then we will manage to work it, due to dps and my shifts etc and ds1 coming home from school.

Do you leave your dogs inside or outside when you are away? If outside, presume is some sort of weather-protected space needed? Do you have a dog-flap in the door?

I am considering a dog too, but have never had one before. The various practical issues of how to take care of them/what they need are certainly worth thinking about in advance...

agree with loler

our dog gets left every day when doing school runs etc, which can take 30mins+ and can be 3 times a day

there are times when left alone for 4 or so hours, if i am out doing things with children but he goes into his crate, and gen falls asleep, he has food and water, and cuddly toys there, and a huge fur lined duvet/mat thing

cleaner is there on my busiest day that im out most of

his crate is in kitchen, where we are most of the time, he often takes himself there even if i am there, told children if he is in crate/bed then thy leave him alone, thats his place of peace

to the op, think it depends how long you are out of house for, and if you can have a neighbours/dog walker etc to pop in

blondes i was told pet cates are like the 'dogs bedroom' and its their space,my neighbour chucks her dog out t 7.30 and hes out all day with nowhere to go only tiny ennel on a square of shit filled patio at night he goes in and theyve 'made' him a wooden crate so i think all in all that dog howls and brs all day cos of the crap life he has.

You cant let a dog rule the family but you have to treat him as family and be considerate to his needs.

to me jolly thats animal creulty,and should be reported to the rspca!!

the dog is left outside all day

been there done that its ridiculous

the rspca did nothing

thats about it blondes i even took the fone outside so they could hear the howling.

OP - I have a dog walker. I'm a SAHM so mostly i'm at home with our dog anyway, but if I need to go out for the day, or I don't have the time to walk her, our lovely dog walker looks after her. If it's just a walk, she's out for a couple of hours. If I'm out for the day, we day creche her. Dog walker picks her up and has her all day or until I'm back - that's up to 3 walks, or just back at the walker's house with the other dogs. Our dog has been looked after by our walker since she was a pup so it's a home from home for her (actually, I sometimes think our dog loves the walker more than she loves us!)

Dog also stays with the walker rather than use kennels when we're away or on holls.

When I was preg with spd, dog went out every day with walker as I wasn't able.

My friend went back to work and day creches her dog every day.

Must add though that our walker is utterly fabulous and has become a friend as well as our walker. I trust her absolutely with my dog, and I know she loves my dog. There are a few unscrupulous walkers out there who are more interested in making money than looking after your dog (walk too many dogs at once, all on lead, leave them in the car while they walk other dogs.)

It's not a cheap option though.

My dog gets left from 13:00 - 18:30 once or twice a week. Very occassionally (only happened once in the last 2 months) I have to leave her from 7:00 - 15:00.

I work part-time, shifts and DH works from home 2 days a week. I self rosta my shifts so try to work on the days he's at home or if I work when he's at the office I make sure I work a late not an early.

I got a greyhound and they really do sleep 23 hours a day. They're happy with 2x 20min walks a day. Though I do take her for longer walks on the days I'm off. She does feel the cold a bit but has a lovely fleecy coat which keeps her warm. She will walk for hours when we have long walks. I don't think they're any more prone to Seperation Anxiety than a lot of other breeds. I made sure she got used to beig left by building up the period she was left. 5 mins then 10 mins, then 20mins, etc.

my dog that i have now is 8 years old and is fine being left whenever but the dog we had before sufered extreme seperation anxiety and i was given the advice to ease it in slowly for example : leaving the house as you would if you were going out for the day and just going out for five mins even if you just stand outside thedoor at first then gradually make the times longer but make sure you put on coat etc as you would so the dog eventully learns that when you go yo u will defenatly be coming back it works

maybe greyhounds have a reputation for being prone to separation anxiety because so many of them are rescued/rehomed and get a bit traumatised along the way?

ours was a greyhound he was 8 months old at the time and was given to us at that age

try this link it might be useful

www.petgreyhounds.info/homealone.htm