What’s your dog routine if you work?

[Wupity]

would anyone mind sharing how they manage a working day out the house? I am currently a sahm but thinking about going back to work. Dog is quite energetic breed so need to consider her care

I am always amazed people manage to work while owning a dog but so many people do I think I need to try and just establish a routine

I actually don't know many people with dogs who work full time out of the house.

Most either WFH all or the majority of the week, work part time, have one partner who works shifts or have a job where the dogs can be with them.

Yes, this is my experience too.

I'm a dog walker and I'd say most of my clients work short days or shifts so that the dogs are only left for 4-5 hours and I come in halfway through to break the day up and take them for a walk.

I genuinely don't know anyone who works full-time 9-5 (or similar) and owns a dog unless they use daycare or family.

I do know a couple of people who work full time and have dogs and they really shouldn't have a dog.

At least someone has to come home at lunchtime, at the very least.

My dog gets a walk for 30 mins at 8am, dog Walker takes him out at lunchtime for 30 mins and he gets another 45 min walk in the evening. I only need to do it this way a couple of days a week as most days he goes to my mums house and gets very spoiled!

The days i was in office and dh working, partly offlead walk at 6am for 40 mins (10mins walk to fields, 20 min run around, 10 mins home).

dh leaves house about 8am.

Dog walkers picked up around at 10:30am until 1pm ish. I was home around 4:30pm to let him out in garden. dh did 40-50 mins offlead around 7-8pm, depending on weather and what other walkers he bumped into, might be longer (with a head torch in winter). Garden before bed.

In summer when it was too hot the dog walkers have a shorter walk and drive them to woodlands for the shade and we then walked as late as possible when cooler.

We lost him last year to cancer 💔, I have so much extra time (and money!) now, but miss him and the good feeling of those walks, gave me a reason to get up and out. Not ready for the huge commitment of another dog, I tried some other walks without him but it feels silly!

I WFH but friends who work with dogs walk them before they leave and get a dog walker in the day, then dog gets walked later too. Actually their dogs might get more walks than mine because mine can go out to the garden at any time!

I only know one person who works full time in an office with a dog, and she really shouldn’t have the dog. For a variety of reasons but that is one…

My dogs are only left while we are in the office one day a week.

Routine is basically I go to work very early on that day and DP goes in late, so leaves about 9, walker comes about 12, and they are with her till about 2 and I am back for about 4.

I know lots of people who work full time with dogs and their dogs are happy and well adjusted as ours used to be but they all either have a dog walker or stagger their hours and one comes home at lunch time to break up the day. We did that for many years with our last dog but yes it involved a lot of effort and organisation. If we wanted to go out in the evening one of us took the day off so she wasn’t left all day and all evening.

My neighbour has a 7 month old pup and he’s been left all day since 8 weeks. He’s still crying on and off all day. When she asked for advice I gently suggested she needs to find a sitter but apparently he needs to get used to it.