Will my life be suitable enough for a dog?

[missbunnyrabbit]

In a couple of years, I'm going part time to three days a week. I live alone, and a 2 minute walk from work so can easily come home to walk and toilet a dog for half an hour during lunch. I would walk him before work and after work too, and also in the evening.

I have a very homey lifestyle, spending time in my house or small garden. I go on short walks every day to town or to the local park, or just around the streets. I don't have friends so don't go out really, only with my boyfriend on Saturday night for a couple of hours.

I have always wanted a dog, would love to make one happy with lots of cuddles and walkies.

I think it's definitely that he will be left alone for 2 sets of 3/4 hours for 3 days a week that will stop me getting a dog. Is it too much? Even if he's walked before, during and after those times? I know it's not ideal, but when I'm not working, he'd have sooo much attention and love.

I'd want a toy breed with low energy, like a Shih tzu or a Maltese.

I know a dog is a huge commitment etc etc but I am often lonely and I have loads of love to give.

What do you think? Could it work with my work hours?

I’d have said so!

I wouldn’t leave a dog for 8 hours a day. Even if it’s not every day. Could you look into a dog Walker or even better daycare?
Plus if you’d be getting a puppy it may not be happy to be left at all to start with.

Lots of people will say no but I actually think it’s better for dogs to be left alone for short periods to get a decent nap in peace! Our puppy was “alone” for 2 lots of 2 hours today for the first time and slept through both times. I say alone as DH was actually in the house but shut away in his office working and our puppy didn’t make a peep. He’d had a little walk before hand and a play and he got a decent walk tonight and has been super happy and chilled today. At the weekend, his behaviour is worse as he gets disturbed when we’re in and out of the kitchen so we’ve started to go out for around 2 hours without him in the morning to let him get a decent nap, then we take him to the beach or something for him in the afternoon.

I’d try to get home for an hour though at lunch if you can, is there anyway of negotiating an hour for lunch and then working half an hour later?

Also, I don't have a car but there's vets and a groomers in walking distance. I don't go on holiday much, but if we couldn't take the dog, I think my boyfriends parents would take him.

@Wolfiefan

I wouldn’t leave a dog for 8 hours a day. Even if it’s not every day. Could you look into a dog Walker or even better daycare? Plus if you’d be getting a puppy it may not be happy to be left at all to start with.

It wouldn't be a full 8 hours alone, I'd give him a good walk and attention for half an hour at lunch. I know it's not ideal but I'd never think of leaving a dog for longer than that.

@LadyCatStark

Lots of people will say no but I actually think it’s better for dogs to be left alone for short periods to get a decent nap in peace! Our puppy was “alone” for 2 lots of 2 hours today for the first time and slept through both times. I say alone as DH was actually in the house but shut away in his office working and our puppy didn’t make a peep. He’d had a little walk before hand and a play and he got a decent walk tonight and has been super happy and chilled today. At the weekend, his behaviour is worse as he gets disturbed when we’re in and out of the kitchen so we’ve started to go out for around 2 hours without him in the morning to let him get a decent nap, then we take him to the beach or something for him in the afternoon.

I’d try to get home for an hour though at lunch if you can, is there anyway of negotiating an hour for lunch and then working half an hour later?

That's good to know. People I've known in the past with dogs say their dogs just sleep when alone (they had cameras to check).

I don't have any flexibility with times because I'm a teacher, I could probably stretch it to 45 mins max but I do have to prepare for my afternoon lessons

I have a puppy that is a mix of shih tzu, Maltese and Yorkshire terrier and even though I didn’t plan or need to leave him alone, he does seem to need time alone to be calm and sleep. He chooses to stay downstairs alone when I’m working upstairs. I restrict him to one large kitchen and hallway when I’m out and think he enjoys just having a peaceful snooze. Have left him a couple of times for 2-3 hours (mid terrace so can alert my neighbour to let me know if he’s barking/sounds distressed) and he honestly seems to enjoy it and is chilled and rested when we get back. I’m not sure if you can bank on this being the case, and he’s still quite young so it could change, but just thought I’d share my experience.

I have a Yorkie girl that I got by chance when I wasnt actively looking for a dog, bit of a long story but basically it was either take her or she was going to be put down by previous owners

I 100% was going to take her to my local rescue centre to have her rehomed as I didnt feel i could give her the attention she needed but the little scamp made me fall in love hard very quickly and so I decided to keep her

We leave her for four days in the week with popping home at lunchtime and she is very content. I would swear if she could talk she would be telling us to hurry up and get to work in the mornings so she can begin her busy day of napping!

I appreciate that not everydog will be the same but based on my experience I would say to you to go for it. Maybe not a puppy but a dog from a rescue that would love nothing more than their own loving home and a comfy bed

I also think with the breed of dog you’re thinking of, you would have time to give them a decent-ish walk in your lunch break and a bit of a play. (You might have to eat while you’re walking!). Maybe you could plan to get puppy/dog at start of a summer holiday (maybe 2022?) so you can have time to tackle the toilet training etc then?

I have 2 border collies and that's our life (except I have a car and don't live alone).

6am - an hours exercise, round the field, chasing the ball etc.
1pm - I'm home for just under the hour, don't walk them as this is when they get half their daily feed. They go out for a pee, mooch around then back in and go back to sleep.
5pm - home, more pees, remaining half of food, playtime, cuddles.
10pm - brisk walk round the block, maybe a little run around. home and bed.

Dogs do sleep all day if they're properly exercised in the morning and I don't mean running to exhaustion. I don't crate my dogs, they have the run of the house and haven't damaged anything.

We've had collies all our life (including when we stayed in a flat - shock horror), not a problem if they're properly stimulated. People will say collies can run for hours and hours and still not be tired out - that's correct but just because I can eat chocolate for hours and hours doesn't mean it's good for me................

Go for it!!

These replies are very encouraging, thank you. I don't know whether I could get a puppy, because of the toilet training etc - even if I got him at the start of Summer, I read it can take up to a year before they are reliable?
But then I don't think the type of dogs I like turn up in rescues much ... at least, not without problems like separation anxiety. An adult dog would be much better, though.

How do people do the puppy stage when working??

If you’re looking for a small dog, I probably wouldn’t do a walk at lunch but instead do some brain games with them then you can still grab some lunch quite easily. They would probably enjoy something like a snuggle mat, a quick play with a ball and a cuddle rather than another walk.

Not having a car, I would work out what weight you’re happy carrying (possibly running) to the vets in the event that you have to take them in an emergency as the dog might not be able to walk. Also think about the lifespan of the dog and that you can carry that weight to the vets, if you should ever need to. Hopefully you won’t but definitely better to be aware of your limits.

Toilet training when working - we took about 6 weeks off between us but we did work quite a distance from home. You’ll definitely want to take a little time off anyway to get them settled, even if it’s an adult dog. Then we introduced frequent dog walker visits during the day. Fortunately both of ours toilet trained quickly. If your work is flexible, you can pop home frequently throughout the day. Limit access to the house, so use a pen or stair gate and keep the puppy in an easy to clean up area in case it’s too long for them. If your work can’t be flexible, temporarily look at getting a dog walker to do toilet visits a couple of times a day and include that cost in the initial costs of a dog. Some dog walkers will do a cheap rate for a toilet visit rather than a full walk.

Get daycare especially when they are young. That’s a long time to be left 3 days a week. I know people do it but it doesn’t mean it’s going to let your dog live it’s best life.

I work 2.5days. I have 2.5 days a week daycare. Now pup is just 2 I could drop the 1/2 day , and I wouldn’t have a total crisis if the dog minder got Covid ! ( but only as I know how much he sleeps after a really good walk etc and I can at least do the admin part of my role from home.

My dog is a slightly bigger breed than you are planning but still a person centred lap dog. He sleeps quite a bit but does that near you if not on you 😂

You sound perfect to me!

@missbunnyrabbit

These replies are very encouraging, thank you. I don't know whether I could get a puppy, because of the toilet training etc - even if I got him at the start of Summer, I read it can take up to a year before they are reliable? But then I don't think the type of dogs I like turn up in rescues much ... at least, not without problems like separation anxiety. An adult dog would be much better, though.

How do people do the puppy stage when working??

Our puppy has been toilet trained very quickly. He had one poo in the house the first morning we got him up and that was my fault for letting him out of his crate and then faffing about with my shoes and unlocking the back door. Now I know to get everything ready and then let him out. He only has a wee accident in the house bed occasionally when I’ve missed his cues due to being bust for example cooking tea. He’s 15 weeks tomorrow so we’ve had him nearly 7 weeks and it’s been surprisingly easy. I’d definitely get him/ her in the summer holidays so you have a clear 6 weeks but do build up the time that they’re alone from the beginning so it doesn’t come as a shock in September. I’d advise to crate train but people have very strong opinions on that so it’s up to you how you feel about that.

I know you mentioned a small dog but I think a greyhound would be an ideal dog for you and fit your work/life pattern. They are happy to be couch potatoes for most of the day as long as they get two 20 minutes walks a day. They're tall but love to curl up small to sleep (on your couch, bed, your knee )

I wouldn’t go for a puppy. The likelihood of you finding a puppy ready to come home on a particular week (that isn’t from a dodgy breeder) is virtually nil.
Smaller dogs do come into rescue but there are also breed specific rescues.

I think this is one of those things that could work, but equally it could be a disaster.

If your dog is settled and doesn't have separation anxiety then it could be fine, but alternatively - what will you do if your dog screams the place down and toilets in fear the minute you leave the house?

I think you need to go into this with a back-up plan of daycare just in case. Some dogs are fine all day but many aren't and will need more than you popping in at lunchtime - I think it's best to just prepare for the worst - just in case. Many people on here (myself included) have had dogs with severe separation anxiety and it's not as simple as just going to work and leaving them to it.

I also think your plan is far far too much for a puppy - you'll come home to pee/poo on your floor and possibly a very distressed little one. But an adult dog who is used to being left may not be an issue

will your work let you leave every lunch?
will you have evening commitments?
will you get all holidays off?

I think you might struggle with a puppy, up to the age of about 6-12 months, but you could work around that by having someone pop in for fifteen minutes a couple of times a day.

We leave ours alone regularly for 2-3 hours at a stretch, and the youngest is just over a year.

You sound as though you are really thinking this through, and will make a great owner.

Sounds like a puppy wouldn't work out - I didn't think it would, unless I can persuade my mum/bf to look after the pup on those three days each week, which is probably too big an ask....

When I started properly thinking about a dog, I did assume I'd get one from a rescue, but I'm pretty picky about what breeds I'm open to. I like fluffy lap dogs. I could never have a greyhound because they give me the shivers! Too big and way too skinny.

Also, I can definitely leave at lunch everyday, holidays are my own, and I don't do anything on evenings apart from Saturdays sometimes.

I agree cupsofcoffee that it could be a disaster, if the dog gets/has separation anxiety. That would be awful. I would have to take it to daycare then.

I agree cupsofcoffee that it could be a disaster, if the dog gets/has separation anxiety. That would be awful. I would have to take it to daycare then.

TBH that would be my only concern with your set-up, otherwise it sounds fine for an older, settled adult :) I'm a dog walker and take plenty of dogs who are left for that amount of time - none of them appear unhappy, nor are they destructive. If you have the right dog (with the right personality) it could be perfect.

However you say you like fluffy lap dogs - many of those breeds are prone to separation anxiety - as their name suggests, they've been bred to love being around people so I'm not sure if you'd struggle in that regard tbh.

What kind of breeds have you thought about? Maybe posters could give you their experience? :)

Get an older rescue. I think the times you propose to leave it alone are fine as long as the dog is happy with it.

If you feel your working hours won't increase over the longer term I think you could just about get away with this.