Day to day life with a dog

[dimsum123]

Hi, we are researching getting a (rescue) dog. Neither DH nor I have ever owned a dog before. I was wondering what the dog does on a day to day basis?

Eg today, DD and DS are at home, doing homework, on playstation, just lounging about, I popped out to the shops for about 2 hours, DH is at home but in his office in the loft.

What does the dog do while all the above is happening assuming it's been taken out for a walk in the morning?

This evening we'll have dinner at around 6.30, then watch a bit of TV, then I go up and read in bed at about 9pm, DH usually stays up until 12/1am watching TV downstairs. DCs go to bed around 9.30pm

When would the dog go to bed? How many hours sleep do they need?

Tomorrow I'll be up at 6am, have breakfast, drop DS to bus stop at 7.30, then go to work at 9am, back at 11.30am. DH will be working from home. DCs home from school around 5pm. What time does the dog get up?

What does the dog do while I'm at work and DH works in his office in the loft?

Sorry to ask such basic questions but I have been wondering about this for a while.

I remember getting dogs and thinking "is this it, is that all they do or have I bored them to death?". We've only ever had older dogs and they are completely different to having a puppy or young dog. Ours eat twice a day, get two walks a day and spend the rest of the day following us around the house and sleeping where ever we settle for a time and then huffing when we change rooms requiring them to move and sleep somewhere else. They choose to do this of course, we don't make them!

On days when we're at work a dog walker comes for them twice a day and we think they sleep a lot.

thanks dudsville, do you think that's quite typical? I was wondering whether they need stuff to do at home or whether they get bored. What type of dog did you have?

Our 18 month old Schnauzer needs two walks a day. In between she likes to be in the same room as the humans - preferably the adults. She follows us everywhere. She usually naps most of the time but also likes us to play with her and pay her lots of attention. I’ve got to say she is very time consuming!

Our whippet spends the day dozing in various places after having a good walk. He’ll go out in the garden for a sniff around and the rotate between his bed, the dining room and the living room. He generally just wants to be in the same room as us.

My dog sleeps a lot in the day but definitely wants to be with me when I work at home. If he knows I am doing housework etc he will take himself off to his bed but once I have done he will come and find me in the house.

Every dog is different and some may be happy to chill out downstairs whilst you are at work and your DH is in the loft working. Others will want to be with your DH in the loft, would that be possible?

You will need to think about what time you can devot to exercise and training (even adult rescue dogs will probably need some initial training) and how you will fit that in.

My dog is quite lazy he is a rescue and can only cope with 1 walk a day he has some issues but will happily plod about the garden he likes to play in the evenings likes a fuss then he will plod off to bed about 10ish .

I am in most days and he will wander about with me if im doing house work.

I have two labradors, both young. They have their breakfast, then long walk. Then it all depends on what the humans are doing.
Vaccuuming? Lab1 supervises, watches every move disapprovingly
Gardening? Brilliant, Lab2 oversees your efforts.
Cooking? Both sit to attention, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Anything else, they sleep. And sleep. Until it is time for next walk, and food. Then they sleep.

Your setup is fine 😊

When we are at work ours sleep in a pile altogether (we have three). When we're home they follow us about and interact with each other a lot more. Two of mine are retrievers but they still spend a lot of the day snoozing of their own accord. They're left three days a week (DH comes home at lunch), and they're definitely more active when we're home.

Tooldtobe, one of mine covers her ears when I vacuum!

As you can see from pp dogs can be as varied as humans and all like different things.

However, some trends I have noticed with all our dogs are...

• They tend to prefer early day to late night so every dog I've had has been much more active and raring to in the early morning but quiet as the evening draws on and nagging for bed from about 9pm.

• They sleep for around 15 hours a day - older and younger dogs even more. This tends to be one long sleep overnight for about 7-8 hours then dozing on and off throughout the day. Nothing happening? Might as well sleep until something good comes along.

• If they had to choose, they would choose multiple shorter walks rather than one long one. That said, they all have loved decent walks and need at least one a day - but that could be the breeds I and close family have chosen which are from the more active working groups (springer, JRTs, collie, german shepherd, cocker).

• Again, if they had to chose they would rather be involved than not. On the playstation? Then I'll lie on your legs. Going to the shops? I'd love to come with you. Working at a desk? I'll sleep under it. The most persistent have tried to encourage me to leave my boring activity and do something with them. As I type, the springer is bored. He has thrown a toy at me, dropped a chew on the laptop keyboard, hit me with a paw and huffed his way around the room. He is trying to get me to stop typing and pay attention to him. He is young and pesky.

• They will settle into whatever your routine is and so there is a great chance I have known dogs like the above because that tends to be my routine. I am active in the morning but boring in the evening. I am easily persuaded to leave my work and do something more interesting instead. I love a decent walk a day but also get fidgety and so often pop back out again later. I love a dog to be a companion so include them in as much as possible.

The chances are your future dog would do the same. Just make sure you have enough time in the day for them and they will fit into the rest.

Thanks everyone, that's so interesting and helpful. I'm sure DH would be happy to have the dog nearby (in a basket?) whilst he's working in the loft as long as he doesn't bark during conference calls.

I will soon be working 3 days a week, 10-4 but will work on the 3 days DH works from home so there should be someone at home every day, apart from the odd day here and there.

Weekends I am sure the DCs will play with the dog and weekdays after school and probably mornings before school too.

What time do your dogs go to bed and wake up?

dudsville mine thinks his name is 'Move', because I repeat it as nauseum whilst vaccuuming. His nose is usually 6 inches away from the machine as he inspects every square inch😁

Wake up at 7.30 (because I have a routine that enforces that) and starts nagging to go to bed at 9pm. We don't all settle down until about 10.30pm, though.

DS would LOVE the dog to be around while he's on the playstation!

What happens when you're cooking? Does the dog hang around wanting food or does he realise it's not for him and go off to lie down?

It looks like we'll need multiple dog beds all over the house.

I am much more active in the morning than the evening so that would suit me and multiple short walks sound good too rather than fewer long walks.

Do they need to go to different places for walks or are they fine with going to the same park every day?

missbattenburg, when you say nagging to go to bed what does that mean?! Could he not just go to his bed/basket and go to sleep?

Sorry, as you can probably tell I am clueless!

Mine wakes at 5am as that is our work get up time. On the days we don't be work I tend to take him for a quick pee at 5am then he sleeps until we get up around 6:30-7am.

Because we are early risers we settle down in front of the tv around 5:30-6pm so our dog will usually be asleep around 6:30-7pm and I have to wake him for his last pee of the night around 11pm.

I have beds around the house but he is also allowed on the sofas. I vary walks as much as possible so have a few we rotate. If we are doing road walks I make sure we reverse the direction so he gets to sniff the other side of the road.

Thanks Bitey, all very useful and helpful. Starting to feel a little bit more clued up about it all now.

Eric gets fed twice a day and two long walks and a stroll around the block before bed. Outside of that he snoozes a lot,he follows me round or he sits next to anyone seated long enough for him to get a belly rub. He likes the odd play session and he likes any attention going so that might be a chat or a tickle behind his ears. He's not much trouble at all tbh. We don't leave him alone regularly or ever for more than four hours but if we do he sleeps until we get home.

My dog is a young 9 and basically follows me around the house. I like it!

If I put my coat on, he jumps up
In excitement.

I’m trying to summon the energy to get him out for a quick walk now. He definitely makes me less lazy.

Dogs are real family animals so will be happy doing whatever you do, even pottering in the garden!

fleshmarket, thank you. I never knew that dogs slept so much!

When cooking? Depends on who is cooking. If it's someone who is clumsy and drops food regularly or someone who gives treats then the dogs hang around. I don't do those things so the dog is usually off somewhere else in the house. It's one of those things where giving the odd treat every now and again will create a really persistent begging habit (more than giving treats every time) so you either have to do it or not. You can always only treat the dog when in his bed and he will then stick to the bed like glue hoping for a treat.

I'd hold off on the dog bed plan. Not all dogs like them. Mine prefers a cold, tiled floor and I have wasted £££ on beds he never uses.

Dogs do tend to prefer a bit of variety in their walks as for them, the walk is not just about physical exercise. They also get mental stimulation from being out and about and getting new smells so that's an important factor. It doesn't have to be different every time but do throw in some variety.

Nagging involves sitting stock down in front of me and staring until I give in. I don't know why he can't just go off and sleep but there is something about everyone else being up that makes him thinks it's not really bed time. It's less "can I go to bed?" and more "isn't it time you lot went to bed?"

I do like the idea of the dog following me around the house, I can talk to him instead of myself!

Our dog goes to bed when I do (10-11) , he goes out for his last wee , has a biscuit then comes up and sleeps on our bed , I generally watch TV / game until about 12/ 12:30 and then I take him into ds room as he shares a double bed with him . He gets up when dh gets up at about 6:45 although at weekends he will stay in bed until the first person gets up which this morning was 9:30 . He has 2 walks a day (1-2 hours) mostly offlead , 2 meals a day and in between follows me about the house and sleeps when I’m sitting down or cooking . He is 7 now but this has pretty much been his routine since he was fully house trained .