how long can you leave a pup?

[sparklesnpearls]

My daughter has talked me into letting her have a puppy but I work 2 days a week 9-5, is this too long to leave it?

Yes way too long

Of course it is, it's too long for an older dog, but ridiculous for a puppy

A couple of hours max when they are small. A reputable breeder or rescue won't let you have a pup if it will be left all day, even only two days a week. You could get a puppy walker in but they cost about £12 an hour and you would need two visits each day. Gets expensive. You may have more luck with an older dog.

You can't have a dog if you work 9-5, not if you have no plan for those 2 days (i.e. dog walker, friend/family member to walk and check on them.)

Older dogs can be left for 4 hours MAX. Puppies you really need with you most if not all the time, especially when they're really little. They are as much work as babies.

Please don't agree to a puppy you cannot give the time to. They'll end up either a very badly behaved young dog you don't know what to do with, or in an animal shelter when you can't cope. Kids are too young for these decisions, you need to put your foot down unless your situation is suitable, hard as it is.

Agree that you might be able to have an older dog if you put a plan in place for your working days and choose the dog carefully.

A young puppy needs to be put outside in the garden every twenty minutes or so in order to house train successfully. Who is going to do that when you're at work?

Dogs are social animals and even an adult dog can become extremely distressed if left for long periods, a puppy even more so.

Please rethink this. It really wouldn't be fair on the dog and you'd be setting yourself and the dog up for a miserable time.

We got our second dog, a 9 week old rescue puppy, yesterday. Today, I haven't left the house except for a very quick school run. It's like having a baby that you can't take round the supermarket. Tomorrow I'm going to skip put for half an hour,come home and then go out again for an hour. We are constantly having trips to the garden, little meals, play time, sleep time and if he can't see a human or our other dog for a second, he cries. It's a lot of work....

We brought our 9 week old puppy home at the weekend. We researched a lot, read a lot. Nothing has prepared us for how tricky it's been. It is like having a newborn, but without the freedom to take them for a walk. Actually it's a bit worse

Days have been like this. He's fed four times a day, out in the garden after each meal for however long it takes (which wasn't fun in the weather at the weekend), in for a play, out every half hour when he's awake. Out in car for short trips to get used to it. Out in garden on return. Then he sleeps, either on us or on his bed then on waking, out again. Repeat until bedtime.

Housework has kind of been forgotten about, today I really must food shop (DH is about today). It really is all consuming. I had to do the school run yesterday, taking 45 minutes. He was as good as gold when I was out but I couldn't contemplate leaving him any longer at the minute. He's just too little.

Maybe an older dog would be better if you have people nearby who could help out?

Oh god what have I agreed to? I knew this was a bad idea from start as I have a 2 year old too just reading these posts confirms my fears !

Get a cat instead. Too long for a puppy.

Have you agreed to it? Oh dear. How old is your daughter? I think you're going to have to say sorry but you've looked into it and it isn't possible at the moment. Because it really isn't.

Oh dear sparkles. I'm sorry, but I think you need to disappoint your DD. How old is she? Can you both read up on puppies together and then you can explain with all the facts.

I think with a 2 year old and having never had a dog before (I presume?) that you would find it almost impossible - do you have a supportive partner around or is it just you and the DC?

Look into older rescue dogs, perhaps?

You can't leave a puppy anything like that long. I think you have to say no.
I'm not sure any rescues will let you have a dog with a 2 year old.

No it's just me and the DC. She is nearly 16 and the reason I foolishly agreed was because she been feeling down n thinks everyone against her (typical teen I know) just wanted to make her happy for a change but I really didn't think of the big picture when I said yes

I also struggle on my own with little one as his dad don't have him much. God I feel so depressed now...what have I done?

OK, well a 16 year old is different to a 6 year old, which is what I was envisaging. Don't beat yourself up - the important thing is to do the right thing by everyone now, and that means no puppy at the moment. It doesn't have to mean never, though.

At 16 she should be able to understand the realities and practicalities, and either come up with a plan for them (impossible if she is still at school) or accept them and come up with a different plan e.g. older dog.

Do you have a dog's home/animal shelter nearby? Could she volunteer there, perhaps?

Volunteer for the cinnamon trust. She could have a dog to borrow?
Dog walk for another charity?
If she's 16 and you get a dog "for her" what happens when she moves out?

For a start I'm going to let her read this thread! Hope this will help her understand. Her dad gonna be fuming with me too as he put £100 deposit down for it

Wolfe, I've told her it goes with her!

How is that going to work if she goes off to university?

Just unbelievable

This was such a daft idea. What if she travels for work? What if she moves somewhere with a landlord that doesn't allow pets? What about university halls? Where does it go if she books a last minute holiday? What if she moves away from you, and has noone to pick up her slack when she's away?

You can't commit a dog's lifetime to a 16 year old. Absolute madness. If you buy a pet, it stays with you.

She can get one in her 20s when she is established and provide suitable arrangements for it.

Honestly, I would LOVE a dog. My DC would LOVE a dog. It is a constant topic of conversation in our house at the moment, as circumstances have changed to allow it to be a possibility now.

But it is such a huge, life-long commitment to another living thing, and will change/limit where and what you can do and go as a family. You can't just give them up easily if it doesn't work out. You will pay a fortune for them, so you need to be able to afford it, and if your DD left home at 18, say, she wouldn't be able to afford that herself.

So at the moment, even though on paper I could have a puppy, I am still saying no. Because it is the responsible thing to do, until I am sure we can commit to an animal (and all it's unpredictable needs) as a family.

I'm really sorry about the deposit and for your DD's feelings. I was that kid who wanted a dog so badly too, I understand. Hopefully if you back out now and the breeder is responsible/has a waiting list/is sympathetic they might be able to give your DD's dad part of his deposit back.

You put a deposit down )or your ex did) before thinking it through & checking with the breeder what her/his advice was?!

What if she rents a room, goes to college or wants to travel?
This is nuts. Sorry.

I'm going to ring the breeder, explain my situation n hopefully we'll get the money back

Ooops.
A disastrous idea.
Get a hamster. Very cute and appealing, can get marvellous cages, can become beautifully hand tame and interactive but equally are self-reliant, can be left over the weekend, and lifespan 2 years.