Is it cruel...?

[FrizzBombDelight]

... to get a dog if it will be alone in the house 9-5 weekdays?

Of course it's cruel!

Even with dog walkers or visitors it's cruel.

Dogs need company not flying visits throughout the day.

Get a cat.

Definitely unfair. Plus you'll no doubt need to go out at the weekend/days off for various reasons, so it will be left even more.

The reason many rescues won't home to people who are out all day is because many rescue dogs come in with separation anxiety already, usually because the previous owner has left them all day and/or has not bothered to train the dog that it might need to be alone sometimes. Separation anxiety can be resolved but it takes many weeks of gradual and dedicated acclimatising.

Being alone causes most dogs at least low-level stress and in some the stress can be extreme. There have been a number of recent studies where the behaviour of dogs home alone has been observed by remote camera and before-and-after medical tests have shown marked changes in cortisol levels and other indicators of stress. These were pets, not lab animals. Some, of course, didn't give a damn but you (and/or the rescue) have to find the one dog in maybe twenty or thirty who genuinely does 'sleep all day' and doesn't worry.

To the less aware dog owner or the casual observer the dog that barks and howls all day, destroys things or toilets indoors is just a nuisance but these are outward signs of a stressed, unhappy dog.

A decent rescue organisation would not be 'rescuing' a dog by sending it out to a home where it would be alone all day; that's just moving the problem sideways while waiting for the dog to be brought back in, possibly more unsettled. A dog without separation anxiety may well develop it and it's the job of the rescue organisation to protect it from that.

'I have to work and he just sleeps all day anyway' is a mantra used by dog owners to justify their actions (or lack of them), like the infamous 'he only wants to play!'.

There's a good tv programme on 'home alone' dogs here which is well worth a watch even if you already have a dog, especially if you think it's okay while you're out: www.channel4.com/programmes/dogs-their-secret-lives/on-demand/

Not trying to be controversial here but offering a slightly different perspective - as my user name suggests, I am from Australia and this concept that dogs cannot be left alone for more than a few hours doesn't exist there (and we are a big nation of dog owners!). Rescues and reputable breeders will happily place a dog in a home where both adults work full time - they will focus more on the amount of exercise and family time the dog will receive. This may partly reflect the fact that Aussie dogs spend a lot of time outside. We own a very independent breed and he is generally happier outside than in (he has open access to the house at all times - when we are out, the access is limited to one room). In Australia, he was perfectly happy to be left alone 8-3 every day. We are curently using a dog walker but this is because our yard here is much smaller so we want him to be able to go out more (we also walk him at night). I agree that an inside dog should not be left locked up all day as that is unfair. But I do think that there are some breeds out there that can cope happily on their own for longer periods if they have access to an outdoor area (and yes, I know this is not possible for many people) and get plenty of exercise and stimulation.

Lostaussie I agree in that I work and have a dog but he goes to daycare so he is only left alone for about 3 hours at a time and he does have access to a secure outside area for toileting.

In the U.K. it isn't common for dogs to be left outside, either in a kennel or with access to both the yard and the house hence why people say don't do it as most people assume you can shut them in a room for hours (and then wonder why their home is wrecked)