To get dog or not to get dog? That is the question.

[maskingtape]

I'd love a dog. I'd love the company, it would give me more fresh air and exercise and I think it would lift my mood. I love animals.

The problem is my working hours. I'm a teacher and I'm out of the house by 6.30am and not back until 5.30 ish. Obviously I'd get a dog walker for an hour at lunchtime but couldn't afford more than that on a regular basis. Occasionally I can work from home for 1 morning to do my planning time (but I'd have to be working). My parents could occasionally take them for the day too.

I could walk the dog for half an hour before work and nearly an hour after. Weekends and holidays I'd be there.

Would this work for a dog? I would trial it with a relative's dog first to see how it goes.

[bertielab]

You could get a slighter older dog.

Get someone in during the day - ask around -plenty of people want a dog -during the day! for a walk or company.

See if you could get a mutually benefits going. i.e they come and get dog mid morning. Local church might be able to help or ask on FB or borrow my doggie type thing.

My dogs are left all day except I pop home when I can -I have someone in morning and afternoon -they have TV and radio and each other.

It might be two dogs need to be rehomed together -and this would be potentially a good situation.

My dogs are on camera all day and they spend ALL day when alone playing briefly with each other and sleeping.

Don't rule it out.

I recently helped rehome two dogs (two brothers) aged about 4 to a teacher and family. Don't forget you have the holidays too! They paid for someone to do morning and afternoon and they have an amazing forever home (actually their previous owners are going to help walk them too -so it's all worked out fabulously!)

[Parsley1234]

My dog goes to doggie daycare collected at 9 home at 3.30/4 £16 per day it’s a great option. Maybe look into that

[anniehm]

Not if you live alone. Depending on breeds, leaving for up to 6 hours is ok but it's not fair on the dog to have a 30 minute walk then back in the house for another 5 hours. On an occasional basis we all leave dogs longer than ideal, but you are talking about every day

[tinstar]

As I said before people neglect dogs and can be at home all day. It doesn't make them a better owner.

Biteyshark - it's not really a defence though is it to say that something is right because others do worse?

[BiteyShark]

tinstar I am saying working full time does not equal neglect just as much as being at home does not equal star owner.

Lots of people work full time and use a mixture of dogs walkers or daycare to give the dog a good life. Saying it's wrong to get a dog because you work is just as simplistic as saying if you are at home your dog has a perfect life.

[tinstar]

Biteyshark - so you think the op should get a dog?

[BiteyShark]

I think for her working hours she would need to pick her dog carefully and use day care or dogs walkers and her parents. I use daycare but if that wasn't available I would pay one dog walker twice a day or two once a day.

I would not simply say no just because she works. I always advise there is a financial cost as well as time cost before and after work. However, if you want a dog and care for it you can make it work even if you are employed full time. It comes down to how much they are prepared to change their life style and empty their bank balance.

[squee123]

I think it is perfectly possible to own a dog and work full time if e.g. you are only out of the house for 8 or 9 hours and use daycare, friends or family to make sure the dog is not alone for long periods. But being out the house for 11 hours five days a week with just one half hour walk to break up that time is too much.

I know you aren't a cat person but dog-like cat breeds like Bengals are a totally different proposition. They will run to the door when you get home, try to 'help' you around the house, chat to you and generally want lots of attention.

Or how about a house rabbit?

[Adorelabradors]

Totally agree with you starcrossed

[Aurea]

How about alternating days with doggy day care/dog walking. The day after the day care the dog would be tired and could be happy to sleep most of the day with an hour's walk at lunchtime?

www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/doggy-daycare-what-is-it-and-is-it-a-good-idea-for-your-own-dog.html

[Tinselpup]

It is too long to leave a dog even with an hour walk in the middle of the day.

Dogs are very adaptable and many people may leave a dog for this length of time but it is in no way an ideal life for a dog.

It would be very hard to know what dog could tolerate this living arrangement and what would the OP do if the dog they got was not happy being left for hours on end.

On a side note how many times a day do you wee in a 11 hour period? You are asking the dog to wee once in this time scale that alone is asking a lot.

Do you really want to be up at 5.00 every morning walking your dog - an hour to walk the dog an hour to get ready to leave at 6.30.

The minute you get home do you want to be out again in the dark walking the dog every night - what about parents evening, concerts open evenings meeting etc?

Not sure how BiteySharks idea of a camera would work - you are in a class with 30 children trying to watch the camera would be impossible even if you did see your dog was distressed what could you do? You are at work!

[BiteyShark]

Tinselpup cameras can be used to spy on the dog when you are not there. If they are showing signs of distress or barking then you know you need to rethink dog walkers or day care setup. You don't just blindly set up a camera and watch and listen to them bark all day. The OP will have breaks I assume and or travel to and from work.

[Tinselpup]

Biteyshark I know what a camera is! That is my whole point she is in a class full of students and her dog is barking there is no way she can leave and settle the dog.

All teachers I know have a 10 min break and less than 1/2 at lunch so she could not pop home so the dog would carry on being in distress.

[BiteyShark]

I will ignore your sarcasm and simply explain further why and how people use cameras when they leave their dogs alone.

It's not about settling the dog there and then. You use them to check how the dog is in stages on a build up to leaving them for further lengths of time. You then check how they are on a day to day basis which the OP can do in her breaks. Some cameras let you continuous record to a SD card so she could check after work by uploading the SD card to her computer and scanning the whole period. If the dog is not tolerating being left alone then you look to employ more dog walking or drop them at daycare.

[Tinselpup]

Whatever Biteyshark Get a dog leave it for 11 hours and put a camera up - all is good with the world.

The OP has already said there is no day care due to the long hours she works and she has no more money for more than 1 hour a day dog walk

[BiteyShark]

Tinselpup and the OP was asked if the daycare does pickup which she hasn't answered as most do but sometimes it isn't obvious.

No one is saying 11 hours on their own is fine. I am simply answering the posts which state that owning a dog when you work full time is cruel full stop irrespective of whether you use dog walkers or daycare.

No wonder this board has a reputation. No reflection of the real world.

[Branleuse]

i think with your working hours it would be nuts to get a puppy. Borderline cruel really. You need someone to be at home a lot more than that. Its not that they prefer company, but that they need it, and they need stimulation. It will rip your house up and shit and piss everywhere, and you wont be able to do hardly any of the basic training. Plus if youre expecting it to sleep all day while youre out. Do you also expect it to sleep at night too?

Of course people want dogs to meet their needs, but you do actually have to be able to meet the dogs needs to some extent too.

[Tinselpup]

No one is saying 11 hours on their own is fine. I am glad you have clarified that.


I am simply answering the posts which state that owning a dog when you work full time is cruel full stop irrespective of whether you use dog walkers or daycare. I have not read any of the posts that say no full time workers can not have a dog, maybe just in your sub conscious.this thread hits a sore spot. Posters are offering suggestions and saying leaving a dog alone for 11 hours is cruel as you yourself agree

Personally the real world is far from ideal in many ways and that does not make anything right just because it happens in the real world.......

[HildegardCrowe]

Obviously a puppy is out of the question but I could see your set-up working perfectly well for an older rescue dog. I've had my rescue JRT for 6 years now and he's left alone all day 4 days a week. I walk him before work and after and he snoozes happily on the sofa when I'm not there. I know because I set up a webcam! Go for it and give a home to one of those deserving dogs from your l8cal rescue centre.

[BiteyShark]

Actually there have been questions on how anyone would know their dog was not lonely when left alone even if they showed no distress. We have also had someone say they don't know why anyone would get a dog when they work full time.

[maskingtape]

I've emailed some dog day care places to see if they do pick up, costs etc. Not looking hopeful though.

[adaline]

Unfortunately daycare isn't cheap and with the new licensing regulations coming in, I think it's only going to get less and less affordable.

Ours is only £10 a day but I appreciate we're extremely lucky in that regard. My pup has a fab time and comes home exhausted - he gets two walks a day included and it's a home set-up so he spends the rest of the day snoring on a sofa or a lap!

[WardrobeInCrisis]

When I am away during the days, I tend to get doggy day care every other day, or two days a week as my little (and lazy!) dog is just wiped out after it and will spend the next day asleep with a check and a walk at lunchtime.

I would say it very much depends on the dog, but don't even attempt a puppy 🙈

Ditto suggestion of a rescue greyhound if they have one suitable.

[mydogisthebest]

OP did you read my post? You can look after dogs from borrowmydoggy. One of my nieces works long hours and often looks after a dog on her days off, over a weekend etc. It is not just for walking dogs.

[OliviaBenson]

You could get an older dog if you are upfront with a rescue place.

Puppy, absolutely no way. Sorry op.