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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

how long can you leave a pup?

49 replies

sparklesnpearls · 09/11/2015 21:29

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?

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SmileAndNod · 10/11/2015 11:23

Or a rat, much better than a hamster. Can teach it to do puzzles, will cosy up and sleep on your lap, will come when it's called. Do need a bath occasionally though.

We're on day 4 of owning a pup, and despite him settling in quite well we think, it's hard going. And I say that as someone who has had dogs pretty much alll her life and been through the newborn baby stage three times.

As it happens my previous dog I had for a year before I went to uni. He stayed with my family but I missed him so much I travelled home every weekend and eventually moved back. I missed LOTS of the uni social life as a result. I don't begrudge it but I wouldn't advise my children to be tied in any way in the years they should be enjoying life.

Hopefully your breeder will be understanding and offer you your deposit back - better that than finding out later that it's not working out and then having to re home.

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 10/11/2015 15:03

Yes very true...she due home from school soon. Gotta tell her the news

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Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 10/11/2015 15:16

The thing is though i know the novelty will wear off as it did with hamster

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Costacoffeeplease · 10/11/2015 15:18

Even more reason not to go ahead, by the sounds of it. What did the breeder say?

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 10/11/2015 18:20

The breeder said she would re-advertise n then let us know if she managed to find another buyer n then would give us deposit back.

Madam has thrown an absolute fit called me and her dad all names under sun and stormed out of the house

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Cheerfulmarybrown · 10/11/2015 18:42

Oh sparklesnpearls you poor thing. You have done the right thing in not getting the puppy and in time your DD will see that. I guess her upset now will actually be less than the problems you would have had if you had got the puppy. I hope things calm down soon.

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 10/11/2015 18:48

I tried to get her to read the thread about how hard it is to look after a young puppy but she wasn't interested. Just thinks I'm doing it to spite her

She just can't see the big picture at the moment but hope she'll see sense eventually

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NoSquirrels · 10/11/2015 18:57

It was the right thing to do. When your DD calms down, perhaps you can have another discussion about what else you can do that's practical that can make up for it. Do see if she can pursue the volunteering for a dog charity, perhaps.

MyFriendsCallMeOh · 10/11/2015 19:15

Tell her I was up 7 times during the night with a puppy who has arrived from the shelter with a lovely dose of diarrhoea and had to scoop up some to take to the vet's where I spent an hour today.....

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 10/11/2015 23:54

Oh I'm so sorry sparkles. You've done the right thing though. Ask her what she thinks a baby dog is going to do all by itself all day without it's mummy or siblings or owners. It would be so cruel and you'd never get it toilet trained.

WeeMadArthur · 11/11/2015 21:14

How much do you know about the breeder anyway? Most reputable breeders grill potential owners to make sure they are suitable so should have asked if there was someone there to look after the puppy.if the breeder didn't seem bothered then you might have had a lucky escape, because if they aren't careful about who buys their puppies, they might not have been careful about which dogs they mated, or if they screened the parents for breed genetic disorders. You might have ended up with a sickly puppy. What type of puppy were you looking to get?

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 12/11/2015 07:29

It was a jug n was costing £500 and no they weren't bothered, it's just making money for them

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SmileAndNod · 12/11/2015 09:56

A jug? A pug crossed with? Sounds a lot of money!

Either way it sounds as though you've had a lucky escape. A breeder (imo) shouldn't just be in it for the money. They may not have done the relevant health checks either.

WeeMadArthur · 12/11/2015 10:59

Jack russell? Pugs have breathing problems, badly bred ones even more so. You could have ended up with a massive vets bill. I think the fashion of cross breeding without any consideration of what the dog might end up like is a nightmare. I saw a program a few months ago where someone eanted to breed their bulldog because puppies were going for 2 grand. The vet told him his dog had a skin condition and ectropion (sp?) of the eyes and shouldn't consider breeding under any circumstances and he ignored her and said ' he's a great dog, he'll be a great dad' and carried on regardless. I doubt he would have bothered if the puppies didnt sell for so much.

MyFriendsCallMeOh · 12/11/2015 12:12

Sorry but "he'll be a great dad" when she's selling the puppies

scatterthenuns · 12/11/2015 15:16

I think jug was just a typo. Sounds like it was a pug to me.

Noitsnotteatimeyet · 12/11/2015 17:18

A 'jug' is a Jack Russell crossed with a pug ....

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 12/11/2015 20:31

Yes it is...we've also in the past had a jackawawa and a pug-tzuh

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Wombat87 · 12/11/2015 20:52

I will say, I know plenty of people who have dogs and work full time. Myself included. I have 2, they are a lazy breed (pugs) by nature and are content with a quick evening stroll in the week and a longer one on weekends. In the evening I do 20mins with each of them of training (sit, lay etc). They're older now but it still stimulates their brain. This is how it's always been for us. When they were pups i popped home from work at lunch... Only to find eventually they were getting annoyed at me for waking them up and not really wanting to eat/ pee when I was there.

I find people are very judgemental and base their views on what they believe is the ideal for dog ownership. A dog is exactly that. A dog. They don't have the needs of babies. And they adapt to their life accordingly. Mine have always been like this. I wouldn't take a dog that isn't used to this and expect it to live with me. I certainly don't plan only going out for a limited time. And does that mean that all people who own dogs don't work or are in the house for 20hours+ every day of every week?

And whilst I await the onslaught of judgement from those who may feel I'm unfair on my 2.... I have a dog cam. Which is on every day and I can check via an app on my phone. I promise you, all they do is sleep. All day. Maybe get up to drink once or twice. They are lazier than teenagers.

What's good is you recognised it doesn't suit your life before you got the dog. Rather than after.

KinkyAfro · 12/11/2015 20:54

Why do you even have a dog, Wombat?

Wombat87 · 12/11/2015 21:22

Kinky why do you even care enough to comment? It was sharing my experience. A bit like me saying to someone who sends their kids to boarding school "why have children". Not really up to me to judge what others do is it (not that I have any views on that to be fair).

BUT. As you asked. My life was different when I got them and it changed in a way after they arrived I couldn't foresee (because if we could use those magic balls to see into the future wouldn't that be handy). My point was that you most certainly do not have to only be out of the house for an hour at a time to responsibly own a dog.

Mine are loved, walked, trained, cuddled on the sofa..... Definitely fed. Have each other as well as the family around them... When they've had operations I've taken time off to care for them. When they've 'not been right' I've come back at lunch to check on them. I have no idea what else you think anyone would need to do aside from never leaving them. Which would mean every dog owner no longer goes out for dinner, dates, holidays.....rubbish.

Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 12/11/2015 22:38

Thanks for your comments wombat, I did find them very useful to be honest as my daughter is heartbroken n her dad is talking about sharing the 'parrying' (we separated)...,

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Original poster

sparklesnpearls · 12/11/2015 22:39

'Parenting'

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Wombat87 · 12/11/2015 23:10

Sparkles what might be bad now may not be bad timing later on down the line. Your circumstances may change and it be more fees able. You've done the responsible thing by saying no. I wailed for a puppy since I could remember. I was young when I got my 2 (20) and it's life changing. I work and live in central London. But I don't really go out after work if OH can't sort the dogs out or be there to keep them company after work. If I do go out, I won't go out two nights in a row. When MIL visited we went out on Thursday night, she wanted to go out on the Friday. I stayed home as I didn't feel it fair. There's all sorts of things to sacrifice. If I want to go on holiday and need parents to look after them, I have to work my holiday around them (rightly so). What she wants now won't be what she wants in 2/3 years if she's 16. And it'll fall to you...

I do remember my strops as a kid and a teenager over this subject. Kudos for you for having the balls to go back and say no

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