Working and having dogs.

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I don't work much just now, but I hope to get a 9-5 m-f job in the future. I have alwayd wanted a dog, but because I work away some weekends it didn't seem a possibility.

I am cutting back on those now and doing a bit of voluntary work to get experience. I know with puppy you can't be out working all day but what about when they are older. I am sure all people that have dogs don't all stay at home all day.

I do have some one who would come in through the day to walk it, so if I took on a pup now would I be able to work full time when it was older and trained?

Thanks, you never know I might do it I might not, BF is very keen but as I say he doesn't live with me ....yet.

We have 3 dogs and work full time. It's not easy and it's far from ideal. When we got them dh was workign nights so always someone in during the day, then he took a career break for a year so no problems there. Now he is workign days it's hard and we do wonder about our own sanity and whether it's fair on teh dogs. However I am lucky that I am able to come home every lunch time and dh is usually home by 3.30.

I think you need to be around for the first year at least and then use a dog sitter or come home at lunch time.

Both my neighbours have dogs (3 one side, 2 the other). They all work fulltime plus - loooong hours. These dogs cry when they are left shut in - loudly enough for me to hear although we are not attached - and bark all the sodding day when they are left out. Speaking as a neighbour, I think it is inconsiderate not to mention unkind to the animals. And my small children are terrified because 5 dogs bark at them evey time they play in the garden

Have you told your neighbours?

Sort of. The woman with three dogs is always harping on about how she hates noisy dogs (and she wrote a letter to the woman the other side of me when her dogs were keeping her awake at night...are you following this) and never fails to say luckily mine are well trained and don't bark. To which I usually say well they do frighten my children because they bark at them, but she never takes it very seriously. They were round at ours once and her old dog was whining and crying and she kept saying what is that noise, to which I replied it is your dog and she does it all the time when you are out - but she didn't believe me. ???
The woman the other side is always very apologetic (she has heard me say SHUT UP to her dogs through the fence on many occasions) - but, frankly, what can she do? I wouldn't buy a house with doggy neighbours again though.

If I were you I'd report them to environmental health if it is that bad. They will just send them a warning letter to do something about it.

I don't want to fall out with my neighbours! Apart from their very annoying dogs, they are great in lots of ways. I was only really adding it as an example of why not to have dogs and work fulltime; these are not happy animals.

I see your point.