Advice on getting a dog pls

Nocturnal

Nocturnal

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Hi all, I don’t often venture into the dog section as haven’t had a dog since I was a teenager. But after years of renting and moving around I’m finally buying a place! So naturally my first thought was now I can get a dog 😅. The only problem is that I work from the office 2 days a week, so the dog would have to stay home alone those days (or maybe with a cat). Is this unfair on a dog, or will it cope ok?
 
it will probably cope, but will need time to get used to that set up.
And a puppy or a rescue with issues probably won’t!
Lots of people manage though, it just takes work and planning.
 
I personally try very hard to not leave mine alone for more than 4 hours. Office days they go to (a small, home environment) daycare with a walk, or get the dog walker as a second choice if availability is limited. One of them is also able to come to the office with me most of the time.

Whether a dog would cope very much depends on what it’s used to, and personality - the dachshund would probably would manage if she had to, the spaniel absolutely wouldn’t. And as above most puppies and a lot of rescues likely wouldn’t very quickly - but other people do do it, so maybe I’m just an overzealous dog carer.
 
It will probably cope, most dogs are very adaptable but they have to be trained to the routine the owner needs/wants and obviously a pup can't be left for long.
We provide unofficial 'daycare' for a friend's dog, while she is working. If we need to go out the dog is crated alongside ours but it's only for a short time, as we are both retired. You might find a local daycare facility where you could leave your dogfor a couple of days per week
 
Nocturnal said:
Hi all, I don’t often venture into the dog section as haven’t had a dog since I was a teenager. But after years of renting and moving around I’m finally buying a place! So naturally my first thought was now I can get a dog 😅. The only problem is that I work from the office 2 days a week, so the dog would have to stay home alone those days (or maybe with a cat). Is this unfair on a dog, or will it cope ok?
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We had to get a cat flap for our previous beagle even though my partner worked on site and was attending to her every three or four hours.

He used to leave her toys and the radio on but she'd chew all the furniture and jump on the work surfaces.

In the end he put a large catflap in the back door leading to the fenced garden and she was as right as rain after.

Pets at Home sell dog flaps. They are worth their weight in gold.

There's been ocassions when we've had to leave the dog in the house for several hours in an emergency although we rarely leave her more than a couple of hours now. Partner is lucky that his brother lives equidistant from home and his two places of work so he leaves her there and goes and feeds her/let's her out at lunchtime and collects her after work. His brother is sometimes there for company with her and has been the last few months due to being off work folliwing a stroke.
 

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A well selected, well adjusted dog should cope fine. But it would have to be trained, and left alone in small increments building up to a longer period, not just dropped in at the deep end.
Also consider your set up...crate/pen/full run of the house or outdoor kennel run etc.
Better to be able to come home, or have someone pop in. Choose daycare carefully.
 
Mine cope all day on the one day a month that I go into the office.

They have someone nip in for a toilet break at lunch time and are given a mammoth walk before I leave in the morning.

They are all mature, well established dogs though. It would very unfair and unworkable for a puppy and IMO, not okay as a regular arrangement.

There are some nice day care set ups, but tread carefully. Less is more. I would look for someone who only takes a small number of dogs. Or perhaps a friend or family member instead.
 
Thanks all. Family aren’t close enough to pitch in, and as it’s a new area for me, friends aren’t either really, but hopefully that will change. Might be better to wait until I’ve made some more connections in the area.

rara007 said:
How long are you out for those days? Im sure there’ll be a solution.
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It’d be a full day, so 8 hours minus a quick check in at lunch.
 
When I worked long 12 hour shifts twice a week and OH was often out on site I paid a neighbours 16yo daughter to care for Tilly 2 days a week. She lived round the corner and kept a horse on the same yard as us so I knew she was sensible. She would come and get Tilly about 10am. She'd either walk her immediately or take her home and leave her at her house with her daxie. They got on fine. Her grandad lived with them. He didn't care for them but let them in the garden and was company for them. She went to her lectures and fitted a walk around them. She returned Tilly about 4pm and OH came in at 6. It worked really well for 3 years until I changed jobs and she left home.
Maybe see if there is a sensible teen, retired person, mum at home but kids in school who would do something like this. Tilly was 16 weeks when we started this and she was a well adjusted well behaved little dog.
 
Only out the house those hours no commute/yard to do before or after? My 4 (aged 1-10, Poms to spaniels) are fine with short days like that being left. It’s only full 11+ hour days with commute I have to start getting inventive for beyond a lunchtime or bedtime check in :)
 
Mine are ok on my office days and are home alone all day (since husband died) However they have been brought up to be. When I got a puppy to replace Nettle it was really tough on my own plus full time work. I would pay a friend to let them both out at lunch and play with them. It was tough but it was fine. Personally I'd rather mine be at home where I know what is what than at doggy daycare but each to their own. So my pup was on own a couple of days a week and was fine. I can now leave her all day if I have to. When office closes at end of year will be full time wfh.
 
Lots to think about, ty.
rara007 said:
Only out the house those hours no commute/yard to do before or after? My 4 (aged 1-10, Poms to spaniels) are fine with short days like that being left. It’s only full 11+ hour days with commute I have to start getting inventive for beyond a lunchtime or bedtime check in :)
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I do go to the yard, though dog can come with for that.
Spotherisk said:
Personally I wouldn’t leave a dog for that long.

Could you work four half days at the office instead?
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I might be able to work half days on site while the dog adjusts, but not long term, I imagine. Although i hadn’t thought of that, it’s worth a discussion certainly. Ty!
 
I think it depends on the dog. I’ve never left a dog alone on a regular basis but I know two we have could be left alone (completely not with each other)
Two I don’t think would be happy.
I’d look at daycare or at least dog walkers/visitors.
I go and visit some dogs in the village the days that the owners work away from home. You may find someone to do that.
 
I love dogs…I love my dog..but when I worked full time I refused to have a dog at home..the horses were enough to do. I said yes last year to my OH because it was his desire following his cancer diagnosis and I no longer work full time. But honestly I wish I hadn’t caved, they are so tying particularly if you have just one. No quick spontaneity of nights out or away, I’m not overly house proud but dogs create more mess/dirt/ untidiness than I like clearing up after so my advice would be…don’t get one… ( god I sound grumpy this morning even to myself..apologies everyone).
 
All this is true, if you get 2 it's twice as bad but I wouldn't be without either of mine. We do use kennels if one of our children can't move in if we go away. The dogs are fine but kennels (the good caring ones that don't exercise dogs together and partition walls between them etc) are very expensive. The genuine love and laughs and pleasure outweigh the downs for us usually.
 
We have five, but OH’s four are kennelled and my lurcher is mainly on the sofa. Or the bed. Or under the duvet! Short coat - still moults but it is sparse, more like little half inch long pins than tumbleweed!
 
misst said:
All this is true, if you get 2 it's twice as bad but I wouldn't be without either of mine. We do use kennels if one of our children can't move in if we go away. The dogs are fine but kennels (the good caring ones that don't exercise dogs together and partition walls between them etc) are very expensive. The genuine love and laughs and pleasure outweigh the downs for us usually.
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I'd agree. They are a huge tie and yes the mess can be unbelievable (we have 4, its a lot of hair) but honestly, I'd never ever be without them, pref not 4 but I get far more out of having them around than the work they cause.
 
Like others we wouldn't be without our boys. We currently have two, we have decided not to look for another after losing our old boy in February but have said if one "found" us we would be open to the idea of going back to three. We rarely take long holidays and tend to stay in Scotland and take the dogs with us but it is easier to find places that will take two dogs rather than three. When we do go to non dog friendly places our son and daughter - in -law will look after them and we reciprocate with their dog when they are away. Honestly, the dogs are a huge part of our family and we automatically plan what we do round them without thinking!
 
This is going to sound really obvious, but I would borrow someone's dog and make sure you actually enjoy it before committing. I have always wanted a dog, always loved dogs, so when I bought my own house I immediately signed up for Rover - a bit of extra cash and I get to have dogs in and out, ideal! Well I soon found out I don't like having dogs in my home/car at all and having to make so many considerations to when/how I am going to do things. I like my house to be very clean and tidy and the way they smell, the mess they make/bring in, it just wasn't for me - especially as I had little emotional connection to the dogs as they weren't mine, but I think it would apply to my own dog too if I'm being really honest with myself. It really shocked me as the family I grew up with had dogs and I loved it - I always thought it was the first thing I'd do as soon as I owned a house.
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
This is going to sound really obvious, but I would borrow someone's dog and make sure you actually enjoy it before committing. I have always wanted a dog, always loved dogs, so when I bought my own house I immediately signed up for Rover - a bit of extra cash and I get to have dogs in and out, ideal! Well I soon found out I don't like having dogs in my home/car at all and having to make so many considerations to when/how I am going to do things. I like my house to be very clean and tidy and the way they smell, the mess they make/bring in, it just wasn't for me - especially as I had little emotional connection to the dogs as they weren't mine, but I think it would apply to my own dog too if I'm being really honest with myself. It really shocked me as the family I grew up with had dogs and I loved it - I always thought it was the first thing I'd do as soon as I owned a house.
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Not a bad idea that. Just come flying off the ginger eejit onto the road, and am pretty glad I don’t have to walk the dog 🥹

I think I will at least wait until I have some established support options who can help to look after it if needed.
 
Leaving a dog for that length of time isn’t ideal. Some will tolerate and some won’t. I definitely wouldn’t leave a pup for that long, our friends did this and now have an 18 month old dog that is not house trained and pees and poo’s in the house every day because he couldn’t hold it in all day as a pup and now just thinks going in the house is normal. They really regret getting him.

We may be in a position of having to leave our dog for 2 days a week soon as my husband is having to change jobs. I am looking into dog day care or dog walkers but the trouble is finding someone reliable who you trust, it also isn’t cheap. Our dog is nearly 3 and very calm in the house, definitely couldn’t not have left him when he was younger.

If you do decide to get one do loads of research on breed. We love our whippet and he fits in great with our lifestyle, something like a border collie would need way more exercise and mental stimulation than we could give and I would probably be tearing my hair out.
 
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