Please Lock (Leaving Dog Alone For 9 Hours 4 Days A Week)

[batmanforever]

Thanks for the responses guys, really helps with the decision making.

[Papillon Kisses]

If you are allergic to dogs, you might be a candidate for immunotherapy to change the way your body reacts to dog allergens. It is a big commitment both in money and time, but one that is totally worth it if you love dogs. Just FYI. :)

[Agility Dogs]

I totally agree with the posters who have said it can work out fine. You just need to be committed to giving the puppy plenty of stimulation when you are there. No pup is ever perfect, but 1/2 an hour or so before and the same after school, plus 'family' time just chilling with you is heaps.

Although we have 4 dogs my young working border (NOT suggesting he is for everyone) lived in isolation during the day for his first few months with us at the breeder's recommendation and he's fine with the 9 or 10 hours a day on his own. He does LOVE the sound of his own voice and can be a bit noisy - but our presence probably makes that worse not better. At 20 months he's finally starting to calm a little.

If you can commit to training before and after school the GO FOR IT!! There are a lot worse ways for a puppy to be brought up.

[Dogsfevr]

In my opinion you are better with a puppy - don't take time off start it as you intend to continue. I often see people who get a puppy at the start of school holidays, everybody is home with it and the dog gets used to the constant company - problems happen when its time to change the routine and leave the dog alone.

Totally agree with this & we tell our puppy owners the same advice.

You don't need a dog walker,babysitter or anything else .Just working around the meals if often the hardest but its managable,if anything i would consider if possible the best weather to have a pup at home .

If people who worked never owned a dog then no one would have dogs ,just because someone is home all day doesn't mean they are a better owner or give the dog the time it needs.

The main difference is assessing your work time & alot of teachers own dogs & thrive .

Willem you seriously have no clue what your talking about you seem to be on a role

[batmanforever]

I totally agree with the posters who have said it can work out fine. You just need to be committed to giving the puppy plenty of stimulation when you are there. No pup is ever perfect, but 1/2 an hour or so before and the same after school, plus 'family' time just chilling with you is heaps.

Although we have 4 dogs my young working border (NOT suggesting he is for everyone) lived in isolation during the day for his first few months with us at the breeder's recommendation and he's fine with the 9 or 10 hours a day on his own. He does LOVE the sound of his own voice and can be a bit noisy - but our presence probably makes that worse not better. At 20 months he's finally starting to calm a little.

If you can commit to training before and after school the GO FOR IT!! There are a lot worse ways for a puppy to be brought up.

I am fully committed to give the pup whatever he/she needs to be happy. Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. So, I should opt for a puppy rather than an older dog?

[Willem]

...Willem you seriously have no clue what your talking about you seem to be on a role

well,...I think I slowly understand where the problems that cause the overfilled pounds are coming from....

[Papillon Kisses]

I think you can make either work if you, well, put in the work.

PS: make sure you are ready for the lifetime commitment and cost of dog ownership.

[batmanforever]

I think you can make either work if you, well, put in the work.

PS: make sure you are ready for the lifetime commitment and cost of dog ownership.

Thanks. And haha, I know what the commitment and cost is, my cousin used to have a dog.

[Steph M]

There's an interesting thread going about yearly costs at the moment, might be worth popping in! Always account for worst case scenario.

Also be very very mindful of approaching breeders, little dogs are big in puppy farms & puppy farmers are very very good at marketing their wares well. Lots of people here have been fooled before! If you want any reccommendations or need a second opinion on anything feel free to ask, most everyone here is fab.

[batmanforever]

There's an interesting thread going about yearly costs at the moment, might be worth popping in! Always account for worst case scenario.

Also be very very mindful of approaching breeders, little dogs are big in puppy farms & puppy farmers are very very good at marketing their wares well. Lots of people here have been fooled before! If you want any reccommendations or need a second opinion on anything feel free to ask, most everyone here is fab.

I genuinely really appreciate all the help I have received from anyone. And if I have any questions about breeders, I will be sure to ask you or someone knowledgable.

[Willem]

I totally agree with the posters who have said it can work out fine. You just need to be committed to giving the puppy plenty of stimulation when you are there. No pup is ever perfect, but 1/2 an hour or so before and the same after school, plus 'family' time just chilling with you is heaps.

Although we have 4 dogs my young working border (NOT suggesting he is for everyone) lived in isolation during the day for his first few months with us at the breeder's recommendation and he's fine with the 9 or 10 hours a day on his own. He does LOVE the sound of his own voice and can be a bit noisy - but our presence probably makes that worse not better. At 20 months he's finally starting to calm a little.

If you can commit to training before and after school the GO FOR IT!! There are a lot worse ways for a puppy to be brought up.

I am fully committed to give the pup whatever he/she needs to be happy. Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. So, I should opt for a puppy rather than an older dog?

I just had a read of your older thread a year ago...obviously things changed ...and when you are younger things are changing even faster - to be fully committed is one thing, to maintain this commitment for a longer period another. Hence, what would you lose if you wait another 6 months and spend some voluntary hours in a pound (might be also helpful wrt picking the breed that is right for you) before you make a final decision?

[denali]

I think the only dog that would suit would be an older dog that is already used to those conditions - you can't do that with a puppy if you have no one as a backup.

If I get a puppy, I would get one when I have holidays for 2-3 weeks, so I can train the puppy. Even if I decide to go for an elder dog, what breed would you suggest? I was thinking of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

I am currently living with 4 cavaliers, 3 of my own, and one belonging to my sister. These guys aren't left home alone often as my sister and i have opposing schedules.

Though on occasion I leave my 3 for 12 hours- i have uni days from 6am- 6pm. They do have each other, and i dont think they love it but they certainly survive.

I make sure i walk them in the morning, leave some enrichment things for them and then do a quick training session when i come back. Then we all watch tv together :laugh:

and when i am home they are always there with you. Always. No matter what you are doing :laugh:

However, my cavalier prior to these 3 was left alone from 8am - 4pm- so 8 hours whilst i went to school. I would walk him quickly around the block before i left, then a longer walk in the evening. And he came pretty much everywhere that he could with me. And weekends we did a lot too- hikes etc.

They aren't recommended as a breed to chuck out into the backyard all the time, but he spent most of his day outside- sleeping- and he was the happiest dog ever. Kokoda was an only dog for a period of time too and had the same- we got him a dog door so he enjoyed the couch during the day, as well as the occasional bark at the postman. But from 2 years old onwards he had a companion.

I got my first dog (rather than family dog) during highschool- Kokoda. He was a big commitment in terms of money and time- but i wouldn't have changed a thing. He got me into dog agility and it has been so much fun :) however, the suggestions about checking out the vet costs thread is worth thinking about. There was also a chance for a while there that he may require knee surgery- at $3000. So make sure you are prepared for big costs in case they do pop up.

Thankfully he didnt need it, and my parents would have lent me the money had he- but certainly food for thought.

Edited May 20, 2016 by denali

[sas]

I am really wanting to get a dog by the end of the year, but the problem is I leave for school at 7 am and get back at 5pm. Even though I want to get a dog, I don't want to be selfish and make it feel like it has nothing to do while I'm away. So, I'm wondering if getting a dog and leaving it for almost 10 hours would be a viable option. And if so, what breed should I consider? Once I get back, majority of the time would be spent with it.

This is simply the reality of most dogs. People need to work in order to feed and house a dog. Dogs aren't active 10 hours a day to start with. Look into enrichment activities, choose a breed wisely that isn't overly sensitive or overly active, walk it twice a day, train it, condition it - there are lot's of things you can do to make it work.

Sure, we'd all love to work from home and be with our dogs all through the day but that simply is not the reality for probably 90% of people.

[Scottsmum]

I think you can make either work if you, well, put in the work.

PS: make sure you are ready for the lifetime commitment and cost of dog ownership.

Good advice. It's also not for me to say don't get a dog - but is it really the right time for a dog?

I've seen mention of the word parents in the thread & just wondered. My Mum bought me a dog as a 15th birthday present (many many years ago now LOL) and while I wouldn't change the time I had with her it did shape my life. I moved into a house with a yard, didn't share until many years later, had to consider what to do with her when I traveled (have never been on a holiday longer than a month - but still a consideration).

I you're at uni you need to think about the life a young graduate leads.

So, regardless of if you're at high school or university think about the commitment and how your life will change over the next 15 years and if putting dog ownership off for a few years might be a good idea.

Edit: Teebs makes a good point below- you never know what the next 15 will hold - but have a good hard think about what the next 3-5 might hold.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Scottsmum

[persephone]

Yes - if you move /get a job / get a partner / decide to be a party animal ... make sure the pup/dog still has those hours of ACTIVITY and communication with you - esp if it is a backyard dog , and not surrounded by its family of humans ....

[silentchild]

I work full time and I own an active working breed. :) It can certainly be done, but I train and run the heck out of her during outside work hours, you should see my activity schedule for the dog for every day throughout the week lol! We also do a lot of dog sports so sometimes we have night classes to attend after work (though I've cut back a lot on that now) and we do lots of things together on the weekends, she is with me pretty much 24hours on weekends doing all our activities. When I get ready to go to work in the morning she runs to her bed and expectantly waits for me to leave presumably so she can rest LOL!!!

I've now cut down my work days to 4 days a week and I have my partner home an extra day as well so she is only on her own 3 days a week now. (Technically not completely alone, she has a cat :) ). However previously she was on her own whilst I worked all week and she was fine. I also always leave her with enrichment puzzles/food toys when I leave her. I've spied on her using a camera throughout the day and she just sleeps.

Tldr and all jokes aside it can be done as long as you dedicate enough time and commitment to fulfilling the dogs' physical and mental needs. Also prepared to be a tired human. I miss sleep (what is sleep?? LOL) but I wouldn't trade it for the world. :)

[Teebs]

You are never going to know what will happen in the future. And it's silly to think you will.

I never in a million years thought I would be married with kids at my age. When I was looking for a dog all those years ago there is no way I could guess what life had in store for me .

[Scottsmum]

You are never going to know what will happen in the future. And it's silly to think you will.

I never in a million years thought I would be married with kids at my age. When I was looking for a dog all those years ago there is no way I could guess what life had in store for me .

No. I agree. I'm not saying you can predict life - I had no idea an international move was on the cards when we adopted Scottie BUT if I had I might have postponed adopting a dog and gotten one when I got here.

What I am trying to say is that in my own experience - I was given a responsibility (a gift, a dog) which was not entirely well thought through and really changed my young adulthood. I was responsible for her through until I was 30 and it made a huge impact on my life. Where I lived, when I traveled, disposable income, who went on holidays when (either I or my parents had to be at home - and this was the case up til recently) so we could pet sit for each other & so on. In some respects it was a blessing as she was 4ish by the time I was done with school and OK to stay with family for extended periods of time - I wasn't dumping a puppy on them - but it's something to keep in mind.

I do tend to get stuck over thinking things, I would not swap a second with her for anything, My life is not what it was, or what I was expecting it to be 6 years ago now (when I was just married and thought I had it all figured out) but it's worth taking some time to think and consider if now is the right time (or the right enough time). If it is - more power to you - if you want to do your HSC and move to an inner city flat or graduate uni and do a 12 month gap year in Europe you either need full family support or to wait a bit.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Scottsmum

[Rayhay]

Sorry, I have not read every single response to this, but I know exactly where you are coming from, but to be honest, I would say 90% of dogs live in households where the people that own them are either working full time or a family where kids are at school and parents are working, so there are a lot of lonely dogs out there.

Myself and my husband work full time, we have 3 dogs currently, we have an older cairn terrier cross, who is around 16, we have a Rotty that is 3 and a puppy Rotty that has just turned 5 months old, puppy is kept in a fair size puppy pen while we are at work, as I don't want to risk injury or our 3 year old accidentally hurting her during play times, so unfortunately for the next few months, they will be segregated, however puppy can still see the other two and is near the other two from her pen, so she is not totally alone.

I cannot just have one dog sitting in the back yard all day, however that is my preference, there are so many dogs in "bad" homes, that to be honest, even if you did want a solitary dog, then yes, this dog is still in a good and loving home. I cannot see a reason why the dog would not be ok while you are at work/school for that time you are away, I am pretty sure he/she will probably sleep the days away until you come home. (hopefully)

Have you considered two dogs? They are pack animals, and thrive in the company of each other, therefore the pressure is somewhat relieved when they have a friend for company.

Whatever you choose to do, I am sure you will find that as long as you are a responsible person, responsible with your dog, and provide plenty of love, care and happiness, then that is the best start for any puppy or adult dog.

Ray

[Agility Dogs]

I totally agree with the posters who have said it can work out fine. You just need to be committed to giving the puppy plenty of stimulation when you are there. No pup is ever perfect, but 1/2 an hour or so before and the same after school, plus 'family' time just chilling with you is heaps.

Although we have 4 dogs my young working border (NOT suggesting he is for everyone) lived in isolation during the day for his first few months with us at the breeder's recommendation and he's fine with the 9 or 10 hours a day on his own. He does LOVE the sound of his own voice and can be a bit noisy - but our presence probably makes that worse not better. At 20 months he's finally starting to calm a little.

If you can commit to training before and after school the GO FOR IT!! There are a lot worse ways for a puppy to be brought up.

I am fully committed to give the pup whatever he/she needs to be happy. Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. So, I should opt for a puppy rather than an older dog?

That's a hard one for me - I've only ever started with puppies between 6 and 12 weeks old.

Older dogs used to being alone might be easier, but may also come with other issues, or may not. Puppies are a bit of a blank canvas, but can also be quite hard work.

I think you'd have to decide if you want the puppy phase and the good and bad that comes with it. (I hate the puppy phase FTR). Personally I like having the pups from 8 weeks, but I also want to train them from the word go.

It really depends on what you want to do with your dog and whether you want the puppy 'fun'.