Can you work, have kids and have a dog in a smaller home?

[Krida]

Husband and I have always wanted dogs. We did have dogs, grew up with dogs etc etc but not post-kids. Kids have now been desperate for a dog for 2 years. We will definitely be taking dog out etc. We've met all the milestones we said we had to, buy house, go on long holidays, etc.

So we have a 3bed terraced, 3 floors, little yard out front and a sort of little playable area out back. Own house. Everyone on our street has dogs but... Next door has 3 teenagers, 2 labs! They never get taken out for walks. :( Only the wife works. Other next door has a poodly thing. Does go out but he lives on his own or sometimes with his son. Next door but one had a mastiff!! Worked nights. Now husband and I work - MOSTLY from home but not always. Kids are 7 and 4.

But I have a few questions mostly about the dog's welfare. Growing up, I had a large garden and a rooftop terrace also large where our dogs always kinda ran around. We had GSDs, Great Dane, Doberman and dachshunds and one random spaniel cross! Is a dog gonna be happy in a 3 bed terraced with a medium yard? I'm bad at this but I would say it is 6-7 sq ft in the back. Smaller in the front. Should I be walking it 3-4 times a day? Our school runs are usually walks and we walk for other things too.

Also, how feasible is it to leave a dog alone for a working day once a week if it was necessary and husband's and my schedule clashed? This is after the puppy stage. During the puppy stage, we have temporary ideas.

Also, how much did you consider alllll of the stuff they tell you to consider? Cocker spaniel rage? Springer spaniel energy? Dachshund grumpiness with kids? Collie energy? (I'd love a collie or a cocker spaniel). Jack Russells and chihuahuas are other breeds we've considered. Everyone seems to think labs are a safe bet but it's unfair to them to be living in a terraced, right?

We have a tiny house! 1 dog, 1 child & a cat! All works out fine & our lovely dog is now 12.

1 day that you’ll be at work would mean a dog walker for that day (£10?) and as you’ll be taking your dog for walks, no garden even necessary (we have a garden but our dog won’t wee in it!) just a quick few mins outside from before bed.

we have a Shih Tzu & he’s extremely easy to look after. My mum has had a collie (v intelligent so needs lots of walks/stimulation) & a Chihuahua (hardly any health issues & lived to be 18). My friends had a working cocker & she needs hours of exercise or she paces round the house!

I love that you’re really putting a lot of thought into the welfare of the dog(many don’t😢) and kids & dogs in my opinion have the best relationship & bond. My DD (7) has grown up with ours & treats him with such love & respect.

Also, the walking will be entirely dependent on the choice of dog - greyhounds/Shih Tzu/Chihuahua happy with short walks then play/sofa & cockers/collies need a lot more!

We live in a similar terrace (without front/back yards but on a very quiet closed road), and have a young collie. She is a handful (and also lovely !) but not because of the smaller house / lack of garden. We are very active though and have direct access to the woods / fields from our road so we take her out regularly on small walks to stretch her legs & pee, but also two long off-lead walks a day with plenty of games, training, running & sniffing.
We manage fine with a dog walker taking her out 2x daily on the one day neither my partner or I WFH.

Just me, DD and 1 small dog in a 2.5bed terrace, I work mostly from home. Dog walker comes for when I’m in the office and apart from that it’s all in me - 2 walks per day, and 1 per day when walker comes. It’s fine! He’s as high energy as they come when out but happy to snooze, play with DD or have a licky mat in the evening.

Your house sounds big enough, providing your dog will have an enriching life out of the house. I love spaniels and collies but don't think they sound ideal for you. Collies are often sensitive and can find children too intense. I think cocker rage is either rare or not real, but cocker spaniels have a higher chance of resource guarding than most dogs, and that's a level of potential aggression I wouldn't have around a 4 year old. (I see a lot of families with spaniels and young children though, including spaniels that have viciously gone for my dog because they—wrongly—thought she wanted their ball). Both collies and cocker spaniels need more walking than the average dog, how would that fit around work, even if you're working from home? A lab sounds more suitable, I think they're a safer bet with young children. They still need decent walks, but seem to have more of an off-switch than collies and spaniels.

I would definitely consider that you might not be able to leave your dog alone once a week. It might howl or bark the whole time or develop separation anxiety. But there is doggy day care so that seems easily overcome.

I would also not rely on school runs as dog walks, though plenty of people do. A good dog walk is, to me, one that allows the dog to sniff and stop and set the pace. My school runs are very much getting from a to b. I always feel a bit guilty when the dog comes as she gets hurried along, and I don't personally feel she gets much out of it (though sometimes I leave half an hour earlier to give her sniffing time and then it feels ok).

So, I live in a two-bed semi (but it's big - over 120sqm). My garden is not huge but reasonably sized.

I work full time - one day a week in the office (where I have a relative who takes my dogs to their farm for the day...spoilt little beasts!). So, it is entirely doable.

But I don't believe people should ever leave their dog alone in a house for an entire day routinely (even once a week). Having a dog walker trot them out for an hour is not enough. If it's once a month, maybe okay? But you'll need to work n ensuring it doesn't have separation anxiety etc.

For reference: I have a Golden, a Cocker and a Dalmatian (and as flagged, 120sqm house).

Mine get 3 x 1hour walks a day. 14-15 miles (mixture of fast walks, running and then a slow 'sniff' walk). My Golden is just reaching adult hood, my Dalmatian is 5 and my Cocker is 10.

I think the key thing is being honest with yourself.

If it's pissing with rain, are you still going to walk the dog? If it rains for 4-5 days in a row or is horribly icy - are you still going to walk the dog? A walk to the school and back twice a day is not enough for most dogs. They need to be off the lead sniffing and living their best life - if you're not doing that, then your dog isn't living it's best life.

Personally, I'd say neither a collie or a cocker (both have some pretty big issues that IMO make them unsuitable for children) would be suitable for you.

Edit: and for those saying 'rage doesn't exist' in spaniels. It absolutely does - as someone who had three different vets diagnose their Spaniel with rage before she PTS I find comments like this to be really frustrating. It is RARE but it is a thing. And vet's don't go around putting dogs to sleep and do not all agree on a condition unless there is proof.

How much are dog walkers?

You need to ask this question locally, rather than taking answers on here - it will vary hugely.

Of course it’s possible. We have a very small house, a child and a very energetic working lab. Ok, we do have a big garden (ex council house so a big plot) but he never spends a lot of time out there, it’s more for loo breaks and general hanging out in summer.

We walk him at least twice a day, proper off lead walks in the country, and he runs with me several times a week, comes with us on bike rides in the woods and so on. Therefore he is calm in the house because he gets plenty of exercise and stimulation out of it.

That said, if his only walks were the school run, I think he’d be pretty bored and unhappy tbh. So I agree with a pp that you need to look at your lifestyle now and get a dog that will fit with that - not get a dog and expect your lifestyle to change. We’ve always been a very outdoorsy family so we knew a dog like ours would be happy with what we had to offer. We had a cocker spaniel before and he was also a happy, fit dog. You just need to find a dog that will be happy with what you have 😊

@Devilshands Possibly an assumption but I am not walking the dog just to school and back. 🙂Those 2.5 miles are an addition to a dog walk outdoors. And yes, as I live in a very wet place it mostly feels like it's raining pretty much every day except for like a month a year! This is why I am thinking through the breeds and writing this post - I am being honest but not closed to possibility.

The school walk is an example. We live uphill and walk to shops and everywhere. Also, the kids go outdoors to the park or somewhere outdoors pretty much every day. @Spudlet definitely not looking to adapt lifestyle to a dog. However, definitely NOT feasible if we need to do 3-4 EXTRA walks per day.

My childminder is happy to do dog sitting and walking as well so that's kind of a brilliant win. I know what she charges and what a couple of others charge but if I were to ask for a regular arrangement, I need to find out how much it will cost! @Sarvanga38 thank you.

@Unluckycat1 I was actually thinking about that. School runs when I do them with the 4 yo who doesn't always go to school as he is CSA and his school are accommodating are of the kind where he um sniffs and stops and sets the pace. So I can definitely see how the dog would need that too. @Spudlet do you do the woods and runs before and after work? Does that work for your dog? That would be my ideal I think for me not to worry about dog or boss. I do a lot IN typical working hours of house stuff, outdoors stuff (I just walked and collected my shopping, looked in a couple of shops) but I don't want to rely on those times in my head.

Love this, thanks. How old is dd? Does she come along on walks?

Sounds fine 🙂

@Krida DD is 10, she will come occasionally but these days she stays in bed when I do the morning walk. She’s just started to take him alone to the nearest park, which is 5 mins walk. We’re lucky in that provided he has a ball to chase he’s 100% reliable to come back - no interest whatsoever in other dogs, wildlife if he has a ball.

Also, thanks, all. So the once a week thing isn't going to work. It's either dog walker or no clashes. I was thinking more of the occasional clash and not every week - I think of my time in weeks when planning sorry. But I WILL need said dog walker to be available at that point so probs best to find a few asap anyway!

Years ago a vet recommended the best family dogs to be Vizlas or Pointers, we have a pointer and I would agree wholeheartedly. A good 50 minute walk off lead walk first thing and then she will lay next to the fire for hours and hours -yes happy to go again but equally happy as an adult to snooze the day away. Also, best puppy I’ve ever known! Very gentle with young children and wouldn’t dream of chewing them or their toys even when young.

The area of house-based outside access depends on your long term plans…do you have somewhere where off-lead is readily available? Do you have a route where you would nip the dog out for a quick pee on a walk round the block first and last thing?

@MrsShortbread Yes, backs on to long alley way type of road which goes around the block. Used by a lot of dog owners. Opens out on to a cul de sac. Husband isn't keen on viszlas and lurchers - must check re pointers. They do look beautiful.

@blackpanth thank you!

I think you got lucky 😂
DM had a pointer. She couldn't leave him as you describe.
We have a Weimaraner who shares similar characteristics to a vizsla and a pointer, no way are anything close to what the OP is looking for in terms of the walking and interaction.

Abroad people have them in flats- think it really depends on how much exercise you are giving the dog, the age of the dog, if it’s an older rescue I see nothing wrong.

Personally I would want an enclosed, easy access garden. I don’t know how people cope with canine tummy upsets in flats!

Ah good! I was a bit worried!

A golden would be a good choice tbh. They're big but with the right amount of exercise and training they can easily settle into a smaller house. Plus they're super easy to train. Mine was house trained within two weeks of coming home and knew to 'settle' (i.e. not bother people) very quickly which, if you've got younger children, is really useful!

They need a bit of grooming and their fur does get everywhere...but they are very gentle and have lovely personalities. They're usually v. good with children (better than collies or spaniels IMO) and unwaveringly loyal (if you want a shadow who will literally sleep on you at night - not next to you. On you).

Leaving them all day, even occasionally is a no.

Where I live the good dog walkers round me are full with waiting lists. And generally you have your slot, so as-and-when could be very hard to cater for. Something to bear in mind.

Regards breed, if you’re willing to really do some digging and find a good breeder who extensively health tests (including MRI scans) what about a cavalier? You get the big spaniel personality without the need for huge amounts of exercise or the proclivity to resource guard.

@Devilshands I have two of those already. Shadows that sleep on me. What's a third?

Do you both work full time?

House size is the least important issue imo.

We have two labs and work full time and it only really works in the winter as my work is incredibly flexible. So I can start at 10 or finish at 3 or take 2 hours for lunch so that the dogs can have a good off lead walk in daylight through the winter.

I wouldn't personally want to have to juggle school runs around that but it's not impossible.

And I'd steer clear of Viszlas or Pointers tbh, none of the ones I know are anything like what @MrsShortbread describes. Lovely dogs but not for the faint hearted!