Help having to get another job which is not home based

[longcoffeebreak]

Hi for reasons I won't go into I am going to be moving job to a 100% wfh to a 100% working outside the home. 9-5.

New place of work a 15 minute drive. I don't earn enough for doggy day care or dog walking. Am a single parent so need to keep working. Sons (teenagers) get home mid afternoon.

Will my dogs be ok and what is the best way to manage this situation. Dogs are miniature poodles.

[chipsandpeas]

can you nip home at lunchtime to feed and let them out - if you could id do this
i used to do this until my officed moved 15 miles away

[holdthepineappleextracheese]

Well how old are they?
can they be left now?

Ultimately it’s not fair on the dogs but if you can’t afford a dog walker I’m not sure what advice you are looking for tbh

[Wolfiefan]

You can’t leave dogs alone that long. If you truly can’t manage a dog Walker or similar then I can’t see an alternative to you having to give them up. Your first point of contact should be the breeder if you need to do that.

[SummerSazz]

Do you have a secure back garden you could put a small dog flap into?

[Twinstudy]

I used to pop home at lunchtime on the days I was in the office and DH wasn't at home. Probably not ideal every day. Could you try borrow my doggy maybe? Or a neighbor or relative might be willing to take them out. It's a long time to leave them five days a week.

[ATadConfused]

Can you nip back at lunchtime?

will the kids walk them before & after school?

from the last person leaving to the first person getting home, how long will it be?

do you have any neighbours that would let them out for a wee?

Any friends that would like to borrow them to take for a walk?

You can advertise on Borrow My Doggy.

[Whinge]

Sorry OP, it's not the answer you want to hear but if I were in your situation I would rehome the dogs. If you can't afford a dog walker / daycare then it's not fair for them to be left alone all day, especially if they've been used to company with you being at home.

[Ilikewinter]

How old are the doggos and are they used to be left?.
Are you able to pop home at lunch time?, if you start at 9am, say you leave home 8.30, home for 12 for 30 mins, kids home at 3.30?, you home at 5.30 ...... that would mean doggos are alone for 3.5 hours, I dont see why thats unreasonable and plenty of people do that??

[coffeecupsandfairylights]

How old are the dogs?
Can they left at all now, and if so, for how long? Are they crated or allowed the run of the house?
Will they be okay being left together or will they need to be separated?
How long will they be left alone when you change jobs? Can you guarantee your teens will be home every single day to sort the dogs?

Although it's frowned upon on MN, in real life, many people leave their dogs all day with just someone popping by at lunchtime.

If your dogs are generally happy on their own then you may be able to get away with hiring a dog walker for 30 minutes a day to take them on a short walk - I know you say you can't afford a dog walker, but you can't really leave them from 8/9am until mid-afternoon with no chance to use the toilet - it's not fair.

Do you have a family member who could come and let them out, for example? Or could you afford to pay a walker £10 or so for a short 30 minute break - I'm a walker and do 30 minute "comfort breaks" for a few people who can't afford the full hour and the dogs seem perfectly fine.

[coffeecupsandfairylights]

@Ilikewinter

How old are the doggos and are they used to be left?.
Are you able to pop home at lunch time?, if you start at 9am, say you leave home 8.30, home for 12 for 30 mins, kids home at 3.30?, you home at 5.30 ...... that would mean doggos are alone for 3.5 hours, I dont see why thats unreasonable and plenty of people do that??

But it's not 3.5 hours, it's closer to seven hours in total - and while I agree many people do leave their dogs that long, many dogs (especially younger dogs) wouldn't cope with that amount of alone time on a daily basis.

[NotMyCircusNotMyCircus]

Will my dogs be ok

We can't answer this for you - some dogs can go all day, others can't go 15 minutes.

Start with leaving your dogs for short periods of time and work up so it's not a shock to the system.

Due to a confluence of factors there was a time when mine was being left 8am-6pm, 5 days a week. I didn't like it, but thankfully DDog coped. He did get some long long walks in the evenings though (2-3 hours) but it was really tough in the winter when it was dark before I got home. If he didn't cope, I would have had to rehome him.

[Threetulips]

Dog flap - get them trained and they ar quite happy to nip out for a wee and a lie in the sun.

Dogs used to be left outside to roam - there’s no harm leaving them unless they are anxious or needy dogs.

[coffeecupsandfairylights]

Dog flap - get them trained and they ar quite happy to nip out for a wee and a lie in the sun.

I would really, really not encourage the use of dog flaps if you're not home at the time. Dogs get stolen from gardens regularly, and all it would take is for the postman or a delivery driver to come in and leave the gate open for your dogs to do a runner.

[Goawayangryman]

If someone could come home at lunch for 45 minutes and your teens were reliably interactive with them when they got home at 330.... It could be ok..my dog would be ok with this. A walker will be a lot cheaper than doggy daycare.

[hellcatspanglelalala]

Really depends how old they are and what they're used to. If they're fairly mature, have been left before and been fine, they may well cope fine if you walk them before work and go home for lunch.

If they're only young and have been used to being with you all the time, it could be more tricky. Have you heard of "borrow my doggy"? Might be worth looking into.

[Frenchfancy]

I'm going to go against the MN grain and say that as long as they are not puppies (so over one) and are used to being left alone sometimes then they will be fine. You will need to give them a decent walk before going to work and make sure they go out again as soon as someone is home.

Plenty of households have dogs like this. It isn't perfect, but then life isn't.

[longcoffeebreak]

Hi thanks for the responses. Yes I can pop home at lunchtime. I have a secure backyard and a dog door out into it. I go out now for four hours no problem.

I'm not sure what I was looking for really just to feel better about it I suppose I know it really isn't ideal.

I will continue to walk them at least three miles a day will do it before work.

[RandomMess]

What do your dogs usually do all day?

Our just sleeps, she only appears if she hears the cat doing his "can I have some chicken" meow 🙄

She basically starts her day about 4pm! She's not that bothered about having a morning pee or her breakfast tbh.

[longcoffeebreak]

Yeah a fair bit of sleeping and a bit of mooching during the day

[RunningFromInsanity]

If they can be left for 4 hours now then I would say they will be fine.
Dogs can’t tell the time, they know the difference between 5minutes and 4 hours, but not 4hours and 6hours.

Against the MN ethos, I leave my dog for 7/8hours when I’m at work and he’s not suffered in the slightest. Walks before and after, chews and kongs for when I’m gone.
He’s a pretty chilled and lazy dog in the house, once he’s on the sofa he will stay there for ever!

[RunningFromInsanity]

Oh I will say that my dog doesn’t get fed breakfast, and therefore doesn’t need to go to the toilet during the day. If you are coming home during your lunch break it won’t be an issue, but something to think about.

[longcoffeebreak]

@RunningFromInsanity

If they can be left for 4 hours now then I would say they will be fine.
Dogs can’t tell the time, they know the difference between 5minutes and 4 hours, but not 4hours and 6hours.

Against the MN ethos, I leave my dog for 7/8hours when I’m at work and he’s not suffered in the slightest. Walks before and after, chews and kongs for when I’m gone.
He’s a pretty chilled and lazy dog in the house, once he’s on the sofa he will stay there for ever!

Thank-you yes they are fine for 4 hours no problem. I'm pleased although it isn't MN approved there are some success stories - I live my dogs there is NO WAY O want to have to regime them it's unthinkable.

[longcoffeebreak]

'No one way I want to rehome them' i mean dratted auto correct !

[coffeecupsandfairylights]

If you walk them before walk, can come home at lunchtime and your kids will be home mid-afternoon, I think they'll be absolutely fine.

MN has a weird idea about dogs being left alone - IRL loads of people leave their dogs all day with a dog walker/family member coming home at lunch and they manage just fine :)

[RunningFromInsanity]

I think it’s more about routine. Dogs love a routine. It may take a little time for them to get use to this new day time routine, but they should settle into it.