Taking dog to work and leaving him in the car

[HildegardCrowe]

I have a 12 year old JRT cross who's left at home alone 4 days a week whilst I go out to work. Until a few months ago everything was fine but since then he's started peeing in the house. He never does it when I'm with him. Apart from this he's a happy active little dog with no other behavioural issues. I know it could be down to any number of things but would like to find a solution. I know it's not ideal leaving him on his own for this long and I have tried popping home at lunchtime but he still pees when I'm not there.

One idea is to bring him to work (I work 9-5) and leave him in the car (obviously only when temperatures aren't too high/low). This is a private work car-park and I can see it from my window (it would take less than a minute to reach my car). I'd go out and check on him on an hourly basis, make a fuss of him and take him for a walk at lunchtime. He sleeps a lot now anyway so instead of snoozing on the sofa, he'd be in his bed on the back seat of the car. Is this as a really bad idea?

I do wish people wouldn't use emotive language such as "cruel".

I suppose I should have expected I'd be flamed

I don't think its fair to say you have been flamed. You have had some very practical advice on this thread. Look at it from your dogs point of view. The 2 option you suggested are leaving him at home alone knowing he will have to pee in the house as he has no access to a toilet or locking him in a car each day again alone knowing he still has no access to the toilet so will have to pee in the car. How would you feel if someone was doing either of the above to an older relative??

What is the point in having a dog?

Seriously, your life doesn't seem to lend itself to caring for a dog.

@HildegardCrowe that’s four days too long. Having puppy pads is teaching him it’s ok to pee indoors.

Emotive language - cruel.... well, I do think it is a bit cruel to be honest. I appreciate you're stuck what to do but to stick a dog in a car for 9 hours a day is not good.

Do you have a garden, or know anyone who does and he could perhaps be left outside if it's not too cold?

Why did you get a rescue you were not prepared to care for? Cruel may be an emotive word but it’s accurate.

Just a thought - worth a vet check in case it's diabetes or Cushing's or something else?

I know it’s too late as you’ve already bought this dog, but I wish people would remember that dogs are pack animals with social needs.
It is unnatural (and I think many people would say cruel) to leave them locked up alone for 8 hours anywhere, either home or car.
The animal has no idea whether or when you are coming back, and can suffer horribly with stress and separation anxiety.
If you want a pet, get a cat and install a cat flap. Cats are much more comfortable with solitude, sleep for most of the day anyway, and can choose when to go out via the flap.
A dog isn’t a toy that you can shut in a box except when you want to play with it.
In your circumstances, OP, I’d rehome the dog and wait until I was either retired or working from home before replacing it.

Apart from all the other reasons and points people have made, the car temperature is way too hard to guess.

I have a thermometre hanging in the boot of my car so I can see the inside temps (not that battendog is ever left in the car really, apart from maybe a nip into the local shop on the way back from a walk etc).

I am constantly amazed at how much wamrer inside the car is compared to outside. Only the other day it was about 10 degrees outside and when I went to my car after it being parked up on the drive, it was 30 degrees in the boot. (The dog wasn't in the car!).

There have been plenty of times I've gone to the car and it's been high 30s, 40s or even 50 degrees inside the boot. It's been quite amazing to me.

I do wish people wouldn't use emotive language such as "cruel".

Emotive or true?

It's utterly unfair on your dog to leave him alone for upwards of 8 hours a day. It doesn't matter if it's one day a week, four days or seven days - it's far too long. Dogs are pack animals and thrive on company - you can't expect it to be happy locked up in a car alone!

What rescue allowed you to take on a dog you wouldn't be around to care for? I've never found one that would think it acceptable to leave a dog alone for eight hours a day. If you can't afford the appropriate care for your dog (walker or daycare) then maybe you shouldn't have gotten him!

I came across someone who tried this in a new job. The employers weren't having any of it - it was a complete no no to them. She refused to make alternative arrangements, and so (long story short) she was out of a job a few days after starting.

I think it's cruel, and I don't care if that's too emotive. If your manager isn't agreeable for you to take him in, perhaps in a crate for certain periods of time, (and certainly I can see why they wouldn't, especially if you're an ICU nurse or you're on the shop floor in Sainsburys or something) you'll have to get someone to look after him during the day, either doggy day care of a willing friend or family member.

I don't know the answer for your poor dog. Maybe try borrow my doggy?

But to people who think they can ignore the well known advice not to get a dog if you have to leave them at home while you work, this is why.

It is cruel though. Dogs are social animals, it is unfair to leave them alone for a long time.

You do need to find a solution that isn't leaving him in a car. A friend or family member perhaps? A dog walker twice per day?

I only pay £5 per day for a 30 minute walk. It took a few goes to find someone for madmutt but she now adores her walker. I work from home so she's with me most of the time and she loves nothing more than snuggling with me. She still has her walker every day I'm working, even though she can have the garden whenever she wants. If I'm going out and I'm going to be more than 3 hours she goes to my friend's house or her dog walkers.