Dogs (especially puppies) left alone?

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Popdog

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I've got two dogs, a 12 year old boxer x (she is going to be PTS soon due to DM) and a 14 month old Staffie. When my old dog is PTS I really think I should get another dog to keep my young SBT company while we're not around.

At the moment me and the OH work full time, we are out of the house from 10:30am until 5:00pm. This makes puppy training almost impossible, although we have a dog run that we can use during the day.

We always walk the dogs for an hour before work and then I take the dogs to the yard at night for at least 2 hours - sometimes I take the dogs out on a hack. I could probably arrange for someone to walk them mid-afternoon.

Do you think that a puppy could cope with this lifestyle or should I be looking for an older, house trained dog? Thanks x
 
I agree with Cala.
If you were to get a puppy you would need to keep the pup and your staffy apart when you are not there as otherwise the pup would bond with your old dog instead of you. I've been told that for every minute a puppy spends with another dog, you need to put in twice that time yourself. And if you're keeping them apart it defeats the object of your old dog having company. I also think toilet training would be near impossible if the pup is left alone most of the day. It sounds like your staffy has a nice lifestyle though and I'm sure an older housetrained dog would fit in nicely
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What is MD?

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Degenerative Myelopathy I presume. Also known as CDRM. It is a horrible condition, very common in GSDs, which is best described as a form of MS in dogs. The dog loses all feeling and therefore control in its hindquarters, eventually having no use at all in its hind legs, they are also incontinent. It is particularly cruel as they are usually alert and bright as buttons in every other way. My heart goes out to you Popdog, have had to make this awful decision too many times with my Shepherds. Regardign a new dog, I think you would definitely have to have an older one. I currently have a 10 week old pup, she is coming on well with house training etc but as it is school hols there is nearly always someone at home. I would hate to think of the mess if she was left for any length of time, plus imo it is not fair to leave a young pup that long, even with the company of another dog.
 
Going against the grain, I think you would be okay to get a puppy, as long as you are prepared to deal with mess at the end of a long day at work. Ours have always been left from 8.30am till 4pm, no matter what age, and they just learn to adapt. When Dinni was very young, Mum used to rush home in her lunch hour to let them out, and on days when we knew we were going to be in particularly late, we'd put them in a stable for the day (so your dog run which you mentioned would be fine). If you left them in your house, is there any way you could restrict pup's access, i.e. keep him/her in the kitchen/conservatory so that any mess is easy to clean up? Also remember that most pups are very easy to paper train, so it shouldnt take too long before you only have to scoop up the paper when you get home. If he or she had plenty of toys to play with, I cannot see a problem. Also helpful is the fact that you have another dog - if you were intending to leave a new puppy on its own for that amount of time, it would be very different. My aunt bought a GSD puppy back in November after the sudden death of Ava, her 7 yr old bitch. When Ava was a puppy, my aunt had another dog to keep her company so she used to leave them both alone - in the kitchen in winter, in the run during summer - whilst she was at work. But as new pup Roma is her only dog now, she makes sure that either my nan is available to dog sit, or that she can get home from work two or three times during the day to see her.
But, coming back to your situation, if there are two of them - and at 14 months, your other dog is likely to play - a lot! - I reckon it would be fine
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So sorry to hear about your boxer, how heartbreaking for you.

I personally would advise against getting a puppy. I think it is too long to leave a pup alone for the day, even with the company of another dog. I would go for an older rescue dog.

Yes, the pup will play with your Staffie and they will entertain each other this way, but this in itself will need to be monitored. I currently have a 3yo Ridgeback and 4 month old Lab x. If I left them free to play all day long I think the pup would drop down dead through exhaustion. The Ridgie does put a stop to the play, but they only tend to pause for a short time and then she is off again wanting more, I need to step in and seperate them to ensure she rests
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I think it depends on the breed you get and the dogs you have. I got a pup JRT to go with my two greyhounds last year and arranged for a walker to visit twice during the day. Once for a walk and once for a play and we set up a webcam (yeah I know but we wanted to be sure she was OK with the big dogs). I kept my webcam logged in all day and the JR would bug the greys for about half an hour then they all would have a sleep for an hour or two then do it again.

Now she's bigger she sleeps as much as they do and they get an hours walk in the middle of the day and are fine.
 
Far from ideal for you to get a pup. I am about to get one - I am retired so at home although I do some work for charity a couple of days a week. I will pay someone to come in to let the pup (and his two mature brothers) out on those days - and of course to feed him - they should be on 4 meals a day at 8 weeks !
 
Thanks for all your kind responses...DM is a horrible disease and if anyone ever has to deal with it please feel free to contact me for details x Most resuces won't rehome to me due to my working hours, despite the fact that my dogs get more exercise than most.

I think I knew in my heart of hearts that a puppy would be wrong for us. I got my SBT at 6 months and he was almost trained, we had a few accidents but nothing terrible...but hey the house is trashed anyway due to having the dogs, cats and a pony
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My cream carpet looks kind of brown eughhh...I am such a tramp!

I'm speaking to a friend of a friend who may sell me a year old Parsons JRT bich to me (used to horses/hacking/dogs/cats etc, etc), we've just got to check of the SBT and her get on ok.

Once again...thanks for all your opinions...it's really helped me to get my head around things at the moment xxxx
 
Ditto MizElz. Providing your willing to put the work in when you get home, having a puppy is possible.

I brought my girl home at 7wks old, and from day one she was left from 8.30am 'til 3.30pm 5 days per week. I would have loved to spend all day every day with her, but it just wasn't possible. I chose a Chow, a non energetic independant breed, and sectioned her off to one room during the day. I left the radio on for her and gave her a selection of toys, then spent plenty of time playing with her and training her when I got home. It only took a month or two for her to be pretty much fully housetrained, and she never complained or made any noise during the day (I checked with the neighbours, then never heard anything), she just took the opportunity to sleep the day away.

She's now 10mths old, is still happy to be left alone and has grown up a very well rounded dog. She's perfectly behaved, is well trained and I really can't fault her.
 
It is very akward when you work long hours. I got a puppy lab when my 2 terriers were 15 & 16 yrs old, and then one died and the puppy and my old girl became really close and she had a new lease of life, and she went on untill she was 16 1/2 before she was pts. I have now got 2 more puppies to go with that puppy who is now 2 1/2 by the way, but I am around most of the day which is lucky for me and them.
 
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