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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Any single people work outside the home and make it work

14 replies

Undermycoat · 17/10/2023 20:31

I live on my own and work full time, average 2-3 days not from home and couldn't take a dog with me. Have no local family who could sit the dog for days I'm at work.
Honestly it feels a bit like preparing to have a child in terms of cost, care, impact on your life so I guess without wanting to offend anyone that's a good way to think about it. I'm not having children so I guess it should be possible.
I earn well, not like some people on here but I do earn well. Doggy day care might be doable, but seems like such a lot.
Dog couldn't access garden without me so I don't think a dog walker will be enough.

Surely people do this. Any tips?

OP posts:
mishmased · 17/10/2023 20:34

One of my coworkers had to go back to the office full time. She walks her dog at 6am three times a week and drops him at doggy daycare 3 days a week while her sister looks after the dog 2 days a week.

mishmased · 17/10/2023 20:35

I think she pays around €75/week cost wise.

TheYear2000 · 17/10/2023 20:56

I didn't intend to be single with a dog and the expenses but ended up that way!

It's just gone up from £40 a day for daycare to more like £50 which is pretty tough. My parents mind my dog some weeks for me as I can't afford this every week.

I'd say puppy stage would be much harder financially and time/work wise, as you really can't leave them as much. My dog is now grown up and I'm considering switching to a twice daily dog Walker on my office days as he's now fine being left a few hours by himself.

I think it's hard to imagine the financial cost and lifestyle impact before you get a dog! Especially if you have sole responsibility. However- the love and companionship is wonderful and not to be underestimated!

I think if I was to have another dog solo, I'd rescue a grown up dog who was ok being left up to 4 hours- definitely not puppy stage as a single person, it can be relentless.

TheYear2000 · 17/10/2023 20:57

Ps I imagine daycare/Walker costs vary hugely by region. I'm london! So sadly 💵

Undermycoat · 17/10/2023 21:05

Yeah I wouldn't be planning on a puppy, more a rescue reasonably chilled breed. Always considered greyhound but I might be way off.
I think its doable. I feel like it's not because I never hear of people doing it but everyone I know is not in this position. Certainly not something I'm about to do without much more thought and planning.
Worries me even if you found a great day care that works and you can afford and more importantly make work with work, what if they close or change... which is why I liken it to having a small child. Although less likely hopefully that they call you to pick your dog up because its got the sniffles!

OP posts:
Lastqueenofscotland2 · 17/10/2023 21:07

The puppy stage will be a logistical nightmare as you can’t leave them for a full office day. I know someone who does and is single and in the office 5 days a week. Essentially she spends £25 a day on daycare.

Huge issues can crop up if like many dogs, your dog finds daycare overwhelming

Dumbles · 17/10/2023 21:23

Have you looked at borrow my doggy? Lots of people who would love to look after the dog for free on a casual basis. Theres also Rover which is similar but charges (less than formal day care/walks).

The truth is it is tough and it’s a major life sacrifice. It helps once you make doggy friends in the area especially other people in the same boat so you can do favours for each other.

TheYear2000 · 18/10/2023 07:16

Undermycoat · 17/10/2023 21:05

Yeah I wouldn't be planning on a puppy, more a rescue reasonably chilled breed. Always considered greyhound but I might be way off.
I think its doable. I feel like it's not because I never hear of people doing it but everyone I know is not in this position. Certainly not something I'm about to do without much more thought and planning.
Worries me even if you found a great day care that works and you can afford and more importantly make work with work, what if they close or change... which is why I liken it to having a small child. Although less likely hopefully that they call you to pick your dog up because its got the sniffles!

Yes, that's sort of what's happened to me with daycare fees increasing significantly. Also, I'm moving out of the " catchment " for his current care and have to start again, finding somewhere reliable/nice/safe for him.

The price of insurance and medical expenses can be significant too- even with insurance. And many things aren't covered by insurance eg vaccinations etc. Or your dog will have illnesses and the costs are lower than they have to be to make a claim, but still high! Eg conjunctivitis and tummy upsets.

Have you found a good local daycare etc?

ScattyHattie · 18/10/2023 10:38

I adopted my greyhounds while working full-time, I was local so could nip home in my lunch hour then and later had a dog walker. If you have a garden they could run about in you can reduce costs by having 2nd as shorter home visit and my dog walker also offered half hour walks for some dogs out of the prime midday slots. The hounds would sleep lot of the day when I WFH anyway. Some dogs can struggle with separation anxiety which is not always known while in kennel environment as they've other dogs & people about.

Unless small home boarder who can cater to their needs better I suspect they'd have found typical doggy daycare too much as after 5mins run about they need to recharge their batteries for most of the day, also quite reliant on them being supervised well as other breeds often don't enjoy their chase games and they've skin like paper so harmless roughhousing can leave them with an injury.

It can get hard as spontaneous plans are no longer possible and always on timer while out of when need to get back to the dog so this can be harder as a single person. If been out at work it's unfair to be out in evening too. Also fewer dog walkers offer weekend & evening cover so can impact on social life. If family aren't local may need to budget boarding costs for Christmas/ visits, although it's much easier to take dogs away with you now to hotels/self catering, but you usually can't leave them unsupervised.

Food isn't too difficult to find decent for reasonable budget I fed autarky salmon which is vat free and bag last a month but what you want to feed and what suits their digestion differs. There lot of little extras that tend to add up though non and vet bills, I'm in cheap area & consults are £40-60 and out of hours £250+ just to be seen, specialist vets are £150-400 for consult and you can easily go through £7k if need MRI diagnostics(£1.5-3k), surgery or longer inpatient care.
Greyhounds aren't cheap to insure but still relatively healthy for pedigree given bred for function over form, it's often running injuries or dental, arthritis is likely though don't tend to get hip/elbow dysplasia like many large breeds. Unlike most types insurance, pets have to buy with future in mind as can't easily switch insurers once have anything noted in vet records it become pre-existing and excluded in group so all lumps, bowel etc. The cover doesn't increase so what may seem plenty now may not be in 5-10yrs

i went with petplan with most recent dogs which is more expensive but worthwhile as covered full lifetime, never quibbled claims, pay fast so most vets accept direct claim so don't have to pay first & reclaim yourself. They also covered dentals which few do and don't penalise individual for claims so can put all through, they allow a year to claim so for ongoing condition the small costs soon add up over the excess. Many insurers start cheap and then rise faster annually, they also tend to hike premiums after claims or when the dog hits senior years as deemed higher risk but have you over a barrel by then, pay up loss pre-existing if switch & 8yr+ hard to get lifetime cover so many end up uninsured and self funding when they needed it most.

Anonanonanon1 · 18/10/2023 12:12

Dog door to access the garden and restricted area in the living room with choice of dog beds and access to the dog door.
Walk before work. Go home mid morning for extra walk 2 days a week and agility training one day a week.
After work 2 days a week they come with me to my agility paddock.
When my youngest was a puppy he went to my friend's house daytime until he was toilet trained.
I also added in extra trips home during the day after he was toilet trained to check all was well.
I found the extra times popping home disturbed them as they expected activities. They settle perfectly when I am working.

Maddy70 · 18/10/2023 12:13

Could you ask a neighbour to let it in the garden for a wee at lunchtime? For a small fee

It doesn't need walking. You can do that later or before work

yellowduckling1 · 18/10/2023 12:29

It is possible, my neighbour looks after one or two dogs most days and only charges £10 a day. She is retired, so more just a nice way to keep busy I think!

Maddy70 · 18/10/2023 12:59

In our old house we had a dog flap so they cpuldnket themselves in and out all day. That worked well

RunningFromInsanity · 18/10/2023 13:10

I’m out 7 hours a day. Got dog at 1years old. Always been single.
After a settling in period, I use to come back in my lunchtime but often he didn’t need the toilet or care too much so eventually that stopped.
He had a dog walker twice a week.

He’s now 9years old, happy to be left for 7hours whilst I’m at work. Still has the dog walker once a week just as a bit of socialisation for him.
Since covid I WFH 3 days a week now anyway but he usually ignores me anyway.

Once the dog is settled and you have a strong routine (walk am, give him a chew then leave, walk as soon as I get home) then it should be fine. It all depends on the individual dog. Some can’t be left for 5 minutes. Others can.

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