Is there a dog which is good with children, OK with being left alone 3 days a week for around 9 hrs each time - and small

[Paolosgirl]

Or am I being completely ridiculous?

We've been talking about getting a dog (our first one) for a long time, but understand it's a huge commitment. We have 3 children, but I work p/t, 3 days a week and so it would be on it's own for that time - which is what's stopped us up til now. We also don't have a mahoosive garden or house, so would like a small breed - or am I being unrealistic? Any suggestions or ideas gratefully received!

please don't get a dog if it will be alone that length of time 3 days a week

Get a cat, they like alone time more.

Sorry, but a cat-hating family here - it really would not be kind!

Neither would be leaving a dog alone all the time

Sorry, but you are completely selfish if you go ahead with this.

Dog sitter=childminder for dogs. You take the dog to their house in the morning, collect in the evening.

Costs around £17 per day round here.

Your views are noted - thanks.

I'm not just being an arse,

Im sat here with an 8 week old pup who cries if I go in the kitchen!

It would break my heart to leave her alone, uncuddled, unstimulated, unexercised and unappreciated for 8 hours 3 days a week.

I already have arrangements in place for her to be minded when I take DD for her 8 month check next week as I feel she is too young to be along just yet.

Owning a dog is a HUGE responsibility, they are not just dumb animals, they are very intelligent, emotional creatures.

Its almost as big a responsibility as another baby, it really is.

Please, please think long and hard about a poor dog trapped inside alone all day

Having more than one dog is not the key, OP.

I'm a lifelong dog owner, ex vet nurse and I used to be a homechecker for a dog charity.

I'm now studying to be a professional behaviourist.

Please do not even consider doing this to a dog, and certainly not to two of them.

No

I know you're not being an arse, but do wonder if you read my OP? I honestly don't want to get into a tit for tat thing here, but all my posts on this subject have shown that we are not about to leave a "poor dog trapped inside alone all day". I'm considering all avenues, and want to listen to people who do leave their dogs during the day and those who don't, people who use dog sitters, and others who use walkers.

I never leave my dogs more than 4 hours.

That means we never go anywhere without them which is more than 1 hour's drive away.

If I want to go further, I go alone and dh stays home.

If you have a large garden could you build a kennel and run for the dog? That way it wouldn't spend 7 hours locked in a house desperate for a pee? It could have the freedom of a run, there are places online where you can buy them, kind of like a garden shed idea but with proper shelter for when its cold.

Otherwise it wouldn't be fair on the dog leaving it alone for all that time. They are social creatures after all.

Longest we leave our dog is 5 hours. That's plenty normally, even for shopping and lunch out somewhere. On the rare occasion we want to spend more than 5 hours out of the house and all go, we have a dog walker we'd get to come and take him out middle of the day. But I can't think of the last time we had to do that tbh.

Can I just say that being stuck in a run isn't really a lot better than being stuck in a kitchen? And that dogs left like that often end up howling and barking?

Yup. My dh works too. At a squeeze, I can fit in a trip to the nearest big town (1 hour away) , quick lunch, school shoes or whatever, and home. Swimming is very rushed.

Anything more than that has to be done at the weekend when dh is home.

I think probably the majority of people don't live such a long way away from everywhere maybe HopeForTheBest. We have all those things you listed within a maximum of 30 minutes drive away, and I guess most people are the same. We leave our dog for up to 5 hours, so if we go somewhere that's half an hour away, we still have up to 4 hours there which is more than plenty.

um - a young dog will not tolerate a full day alone and is likely to be destructive - an older dog may tolerate it , but i stil don't think its a good idea - my dog was on her own three days a week before my mat leave - not good - very stressed (general health decline/ incontinence/ weight loss) even with vigorous morning walk to wear her out, radio left on for company and chew toys as de-stressors.

now all better as we're at home, magic recovery. i agree with previous poster that said good breeder does not sell to someone who is out for this long.

4 hours is a guide - though for a small pup that would be an age.

Hmmm. My dog is left alone 3 days a week for 7.5 hrs. he is fine. absolutely fine.

Very few people would be able to keep dogs if they couldn't be left for more than a few hours.

Who can get a dog if they can't be left more than 4 hrs? A SAHM? but what about when she wants to get a job three years down the line? Rehome the dog? So unemployed and retired people only as dog owners, then. Oh, or work from home - but I was working from home when we got our pup - I lost my job, and had to get an office based job. Circumstances change. Your hours sound fine. The dog will have you four days a week. Go ahead.

It was just an idea Bella, I don't think dogs should be left alone for such a long time regardless. But I do know some people who have those runs.

Pity the op doesn't like cats. Are there any other (non pack) animals you would want op?

Two - we already have a hamster and a guinea pig. When one of them shuffles off to hammie/pig heaven (in the distant future, hopefully) we had thought of looking into the possibility of getting a dog, and if it wasn't OK to leave it, was there anything we could do eg run, sitter etc etc. I posted looking for suggestions and advice, and it's all been great - thanks

PG, at least you are looking in to it before getting a dog. Are there any trustworthy neighbourhood kids who would go and walk your dog during the day? Or a neighbour who could pop in for an hour or so for a walk?

I think the kids will all be at school, and only home when ours get in at around 4pm also. Most of the neighbours work, and those that are home are retired with busy social lives or with young kids and I wouldn't impose a dog on them - it's a huge commitment. It's looking like a sitter or not at all - def. have to think some more about the issue.

My mum has a Yorkie that has always been fab with my ds, is happy to be left for 7 hours and doesn't need long walks (needs to be carried part of the way when we do that!). She has a dog walker that comes in the middle of the day but is still out of the house for 12 hours in total two days a week.