Please can I have your advice - is it fair to get a dog when we both work full time?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I asked this in chat the other day - someone advised me to come here and ask.

Me and DP would love to get a dog, however I feel it would be unfair to have a dog because we both work full time. I would get a dog sitter to take the dog out for a walk at lunchtime, however I still would worry that it would be alone for long periods of the day.

We would all be out the house at 7.30 til 6 (sometimes dd will be home from school at 4.30, but usually she gets in at 6). I would say the dog walker would have the dog from 11 - 1. So that would still mean 3.5 hours in the morning and about 5 hours in the afternoon where the dog would be alone.

This is unfair isn't it?

I could look at having the og sitter have the dog for longer in the day, however lunchtime walking is £50 a week, and I wouldn't want to pay much more than that.

I am probably right in thinking this is unfair, aren't I?

Make your DD breakfast in bed - I make my DD breakfast in bed and it is very nice and cuddly being with her in her room for 5 minutes in the morning!

I do get in dd's bed and cuddle her in the morning - it's lovely

DP makes her toast (and she usually eats it in the car tbh).

I am nice, honest!

TBH no decent breeder or rescue would sell you a dog if you are out all day and the reason for that is the dog will be very very distressed and unhappy.

If you are not at home during the day when will you do the 2 walks a day etc.

Sound harsh I know but that is reality.
Its cruel to leave a dog on its own all day.

Not true that all dogs are 'pack animals', many prefer to be an only dog. Many would also be happy with a comfy sofa and warm house to themselves all day.

We work full time and until recently had 2 dogs. Both were older dogs, gentle, laid back types. The enjoyed times when we met up with family etc but bth enjoyed quiet time.

We got up to walk them for up to an hour before work, one of us came home for an hour at lunch or had a dogwalker come in, then we walked them for an hour after work. We rarely went out in the evenings as obviously it's not fait to leave them alone again. At weekends we took them somewhere different and they came on holidays with us in the caravan. They were both very happy.

Sadly we lost one 6 months ago and will lose the second any day now.

It takes effort and commitment - as much as looking after a toddler - costs money and will restrict your life. But obviously, dogs enrich your life enormously.

Don't get a pup, that would be madness. Go to a good, reputable rescue that fully assesses their dogs, and you may, after a while, find the right dog for you. I would recommend looking on Dogpages which is a great forum where rescues post dogs that are in need of homes, plus advice about caring for your dog.

HTH :)

It is unfair.

Although I grew up with dogs and would love to have one, I know it would not suit my lifestyle.

sorry I agree, we wanted a dog for ages and only now I have given up work we have one. However, even though he is house and crate trained, I still will not leave him alone for more than 3 hours, or 4 at the most. I prefer to be here as much as possible and he needs 3 walks a day.

TigerseyeMum dogs are pack animals but for those who prefer to be an only dog they are content with the pack made up of their humans and them!

Overthemill not all dogs need someone at home with them 24-7. Some dogs who do have people home with them all day every day get less attention than those who get 3-4 walks a day that fit in around a working household.

It is about finding the right dog for you. As someone who helps rescues with rehoming I can tell you that some dogs would jump at the chance of a peaceful, comfortable life with a set routine and plenty of exercise.

Besides, if dog ownership becomes the preserve of those who can afford to have someone at home all the time then dogs will be in desperate need, seriously rescues are overflowing, the recession has certainly hit, and pounds are still putting dogs to sleep after their 7 days. If rescues had a blanket ban on working 'parents' for their dogs then they would be in dire straits. As it is, they will look at a dog's needs and will be prepared to not have an idealised version of 'the perfect home' out there.

The notion of 'pack' is a slightly contentious one so I prefer not to use the term :)

TigerseyeMum yes I know they don't necessarily need someone at home all the time, I was just commenting on the fact that they are all technically pack animals but they include their humans in their pack! I also do rescue.

ooh just reread - you say that'pack' is contentious - really? with whom? I'm interested!

We have a German Shepherd and we both work full time. She gets a long walk in the morning before we go out, then we take it in turns to come home for an hour at lunch, where she gets another walk, and then after work she gets another long walk. We don't really go out in the evenings during the week. She is a happy, content dog and when coming in through the back patio doors sometimes she is curled up on the sofa. She is, however, a fairly quiet dog - she loves her walks and is plenty active, but was a rescue and isn't really that sociable unless she knows someone. We take her on long forest/beach/mountain walks at the weekends. I agree that it would depend on the dog, but i am positive that with the right dog you will all lead happy long lifes. I agree with TigerseyeMum that if no-one who lworked full time kept a dog, there would be a lot more dogs in dire need. It is a massive responsibility though, imo more so than having a child as you can't take a dog with you everywhere, and they need to go out in all weather conditions/no matter how tired/angry/upset etc you are. x

I prefer not to use 'pack' because it gets linked with pack theory which has been distorted over time, the guy who invented the theory from his observations of captive wolf groups said that he got it wrong, and that it had been used by people to mean something different to what he intended, and he regretted ever coining the term or the theory! Some of the observations were just wrong (such as older wolves eating before young ones, or senior wolves going through 'doorways' before junior members of the pack etc. The kind of things you see Cesar Milan using). It was also discovered that dogs are not really all that like wolves, any more than people are like chimps!

I can't remember his name, sorry, I am flu-ridden and not making a lot of sense today

Dogs are social animals, it is true, but that varies according to breed and temperament, some are loners, others need people around them all the time.

A lot of people say that when their dogs' routines are broken - like you come home early or have a day off, the dogs are more put out to have their beauty sleep routine broken

It's not just the dog walking you have to think about! We have a new'ish pup (nearly 1) who's lived with us for about 6 months now. We have quite forgotten how much work is involved in training a young dog, dealing with new problems, sorting things out as we go along. It's much much more than plonking food on the floor and sticking an animal on the end of a rope and going out for a bit.

Could you take a dog to work? Would you be prepared to get up that bit earlier to go out with your dog? And at the end of the day, in the dark? How would you cope with training issues?

Young dogs are in some ways like young people, and bring their own set of problems. I expect that a lot of young dogs end up in rescue simply because they are behaving as they do, and not as an older animal. If you did get a dog, would it really be forever, or might it get on top of you?

As a breeder I wouldn't let any household without someone at home full time have one of my puppies. They may well be fine in a household where one person only works part time, but I can pick and choose homes and so want what I consider the best ones. All decent breeders will be the same. There are 'breeders' (I use the term loosely) who would sell you a puppy, but the aren't the sort of person you should get one from.

I pesonally don't think it's possible or fair to have a dog and have to leave it for most fo the day. There are situations where this seems to work out, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Leaving a dog alone for long periods of time is likely to lead to problems with the dog, which in turn is likely to lead to owning the dog ceasing to be a pleasure.

dogs are such lovely animals that it does seem cruel not to give them what they need:exercise, love, companionship ans stimulation (like game playing). when we can't manage two good walks a day we do training indoors like rollover, hunt the bone etc!

there's a woman who lives near me who is what I could call a dog-minder. just like a child-minder but with dogs. people drop the dogs off on their way to work and pick them up on their way home. I have no idea what it costs - but I'd say unless you could access an arrangement like this then yes, it's unfair.