Honesty required!

pistolpete

pistolpete

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How long do you routinely leave your adult dog? We are getting two new doggies from rescue soon, hopefully. Told springer rescue lady my hours which are about three at a time, I do split shift. She was fine with that. I know the reason some of the rescues are up for adoption is their bad behaviour for being on their own too long. How long is too long? We could leave our old mongrel six hours and she was happy as larry. The springer I had to get a dog sitter! Could'nt safely be left for more than two hours, bless him! At the moment the dogs I like are left nine hours a day. The owner feels it's too long, I agree, but what do you all think?
 
Yellow Dog is rarely left on his own but when my parents were snowed in and he had to stay at home on his own he went from 8am til 3/3:30pm with no problem. I had to wake him up to go for a wee :D
 
9am - 3.30pm on a reg basis. No problems. Has been known to be longer, and again no problems. Once I think in nearly 7 years has there been a present for me to clean up because I got late. - oh, and a chewed screw driver!! lol
 
My OH and I usually work opposite shifts, but occasionally mine is left for 8 hours during the day. He really couldnt care less! I think dogs or far better off with owners that work full time than sat in resce waiting for the mythical "perfect home".
 
8.30-5.30pm and they survive perfectly well, they are normally out the garden through with kennels for shelter/warmth but if the weather is particulary bad I'll leave them in.
 
Working hours three days a week, was five days up until the summertime. Always left with a big bone, frozen Kong, stuff to play with etc and there is always someone there to let him out for a leg stretch/pootle, cuddles, pee time (he won't go in his kennel if he can help it :p)
Big dog is walked by my mother twice a day, she works interesting hours
My old girl was left for working and then school hours for many years, she didn't much like other dogs, got lots of walk and attention either side and lived to 14 very happy and well adjusted.
 
Normally work half 6 till 6 but shifts can be as late as half 7. My mum lets them out at about 10 and again about 2. They're on their own between then so about 7hrs alone time, rightly or wrongly, and they seem very contented dogs.
 
I'm lucky enough to seldom need to leave them alone. They come with me everywhere and 'help' when I'm schooling in the arena. They can cope with being left alone, but its rarely more than a couple of hours. If I had to leave them on a regular basis, I'm sure they'd be fine as long as they got their walks.
 
Mine are not left long, I don't take them with me, but Im in and out the house all day long and they get a mid afternoon walk and night time walk. Thats only because we have a business which means OH is home even when I am at work and when he pops out to walk his dog walking gang he is only gone a few hours. (I only work 2 night a week) and I take my rotti in to work with me.
 
If I go out 3hours tops maybe 4, now we have the puppy I wouldnt be out more than 3hrs.
One of my friends has a Greyhound and they are out all day but someone lets her in the garden lunch time, when she stays with me she sleeps between walks so it dosnt worry her as she is not an active dog. Dogs get used to routine and cope very well, I think some rescues are a bit prissy about people working and I feel a dog is better sat in a good home than in a kennel.
 
The most mine are left is 5 hours, that is 2 days a week. Whilst the pup is still young my son comes home from college and lets him out, I don't think it would be fair to leave him for the full 5 hours yet. I have left adult dogs for 8 hours and they have been fine, though I have not done that on a regular basis. I agree wholeheartedly that rescues can be far to fussy about the time dogs are left. When I used to homecheck I used to try and persuade the rescue to be more flexible re the time dogs could be left by pointing out it was preferable to be left for 6 or 7 hours a day rather than 24 hours in a kennel, they would rarely budge though.:(
 
Longest ever has been *ahem* 12 hours - 3pm - 3am when I went to a gig:o. A friend did pop in to feed and walk him though!

On a regular basis - he comes to work with me so is rarely totally alone. And I don't go out much, at least not without him! 3-4 hours is normally as long as I leave him.
 
Mine aren't really left longer than four hours - that's how long I'm away at uni, three days a week, the length of a lunchtime shift at work, the length of a night out (seldom happens, anyway). I reckon I could push it to five or even six if I absolutely had to but Ricoh needs to pee quite frequently and I don't think it'd be fair to make him wait that long.
 
I leave for work at 8.40 and my daughter gets home from school at 16.20 - so quite a long time. They are walked either side of this (full off lead, cross country, to run as much as they want) even in depths of winter by torchlight in all weathers (God I am dreading that again!) During that time they are out in the kennels with a big pen.

All the time we are home, they are in with us and then go out again last thing.

The dogs are perfectly fit, healthy and happy and like a routine but I doubt I will get a puppy again - very sad about that as I desperately would like another springer :(
 
7am - 5pm

In a run in the garden with kennel, perfectly happy (neighbour keeps an eye) has a pee and poo area and gets long walk in evenings and on yard with us in mornings for hour and a half.

Happy to see us when we get home but no more reaction than when we've been gone 5 minutes :p

Has toys, bone and pigs ear to keep him company (though pigs ear is just for carrying according to a cocker LOL)
 
My poor girls schedule is all over the place:o
There are days when she's out in her garden and her run in (sounds posh but her run-in is just the hayshed!) from 8 to 6, there are other days when i'm working outdoors i can take her with me, then she has a busy day of walking while i'm surveying a site.

I don't think the hours left alone are important versus what you do with the hours you are there.
If a dog is loved and exercised then it doesn't matter to me. I've seen people who work at home but dog is ignored 24/7. I'd much rather be away for hours and then fill her time when i'm home and make her part of every activity. I've also seen her sleep from 8 to 6 :eek: seriously if she gets a 2 hour walk this dog will actually sleep for the next 18 hours or so:eek:
 
Mine is left in the house from 8.30 - 5.30. We have a dog walker that comes around 1.30 and walks him for 45 mins, I work from home 1 day a week and if dog walker isn't coming, I either come home at lunchtime to let him out for a pee or try and leave work early.

I also walk him for approx 45 mins before I go to work in the morning. He's left with a stuffed frozen kong or pigs ear and has several cows hooves (I've just discovered these, they are amazing!) that he can chew on. He has toys but doesn't really bother with them. We also take him for another 20 mins when we get home.

He's fine - he adjusts himself to us really - in the week, he'll sleep all day but will be awake in the evening and wants to play (which normally involves throwing his ball around or cuddle time) and at the weekend, he will be awake all day and snooze in the evening.
 
3/4 days a week they are left from 12.30 - 17.30. They are walked 6am for 45 mins off lead and again at 1730 when I get home before I go to the yard. By the time I leave for the yard OH is home. Whilst Im at home in the morning the back door is open so they can come and go in the garden. We have 2 ESS, 1 and 2 yrs old and an IWS who is 10, they have the run of the downstairs of the house, it is all ceramic floor and dog friendly, no ornaments etc, this has been the routine since day 1 and tbh whenever one of us is home all day there is never a sofa to sit on in the afternoons as they are all covered in snoring dog!!
 
So what of those of us who go to bed at 2300 hrs, and don't arise until 0700? That's 8 hours.

Those dogs which I've had over the years who've been kennelled, have often been left from 1800 hrs, until 0700 hrs, the next morning, and the kennel's were generally still clean!

There is I accept, a difference between a kennelled dog, and one which is house bound. Many years ago, and as an experiment, I spent half an hour on the floor of my house. There wasn't a window to look out of, and the effect was incredibly claustrophobic, to the point where I had to stand up. I suspect that housebound dogs may suffer the same sense of imprisonment.

Kennelled dogs do at least have a view of the outside world, mostly.

Alec.
 
Overnight is very different, Alec - I don't know about you but I can go eight hours overnight without getting up to pee but I'd struggle to go eight hours in the daytime without a toilet break!
 
It also depends when you feed your dog for how long they can last without the loo. I have heard people with those little handbag dogs also litter train them. Which I guess is sort of like a house cat?
 
I think it's interesting to read how many people do leave their animals for a whole working day as it were. We always used to do this when we were kids as my parents both worked so dogs were left from 8ish in the morning until about 4pm I guess. However, these days if you try rehome a dog, they don't seem to like that idea. I find that odd though as the majority of people I know actually do tend to work sort of office hours or thereabouts but they are the ones who can afford to lok after a dog. if you're at home all day then, unless you're very lucky and work from home, wouldn't that suggest you're unemployed or retired? if unemployed, how can they afford a dog? Retired people, great but there's not as many and very old people may be very limited in what dog they can physically look after.

Anywa, off point a bit - I am sort of browsing for a rescue dog at the moment and for a change I was pleasantly surprised when i went to Dogs Trust at the weekend and the woman there was very understanding of the office hours working as she too had done the same AND managed to have dogs so it has given hope that at least i won't be ruled out completely!
 
Our dog generally isn't left for more than 2-3 hours at a time, I'm self employed & she comes to work with me :p

The neighbour next door to my office, however, has 4 dogs & works fairly long shifts. Every afternoon, the dogs howl and howl and howl. She is fully aware of this. I even offered to go in to let them out a couple of times during her shifts, but she says they would not tolerate a stranger entering the house.

No doubt, when she gets home, they are pleased to see her & seem perfectly ok.

In my mind, it's not just about food/toilet breaks, but more about the mental stress and worry that long periods of being alone might cause.

I'm truely not knocking anyone who has to leave their dog/s to go to work - I'm no idealist, and I know full well that this is the real world. I also know I'm lucky to have my dog with me, although I've worked hard to make this happen. But personally I would not be happy to leave mine for 6/7/8 hours + on a regular basis.
 
My dogs are outside in pens during the day and can be seen from the kitchen and hall windows.
I and others in an adjoining building at my request, when I have been away have observed them while they are alone, out of interest.
They tend to sleep or chew bones :)
 
ladyt25 said:
I think it's interesting to read how many people do leave their animals for a whole working day as it were. We always used to do this when we were kids as my parents both worked so dogs were left from 8ish in the morning until about 4pm I guess. However, these days if you try rehome a dog, they don't seem to like that idea. I find that odd though as the majority of people I know actually do tend to work sort of office hours or thereabouts but they are the ones who can afford to lok after a dog. if you're at home all day then, unless you're very lucky and work from home, wouldn't that suggest you're unemployed or retired? if unemployed, how can they afford a dog? Retired people, great but there's not as many and very old people may be very limited in what dog they can physically look after.

Anywa, off point a bit - I am sort of browsing for a rescue dog at the moment and for a change I was pleasantly surprised when i went to Dogs Trust at the weekend and the woman there was very understanding of the office hours working as she too had done the same AND managed to have dogs so it has given hope that at least i won't be ruled out completely!
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You can still afford a dog if you're unemployed. You make sure you have insurance to cover the majority of vets bills if they happen. The rest of the things a dog needs aren't that expensive really in way of food, wormers etc.
I do agree that rescues disregarding people due to work hours is a bit sad. Most dogs I know can be left happily for 6 hours or so. As long as they're well exercised before being left of course.
 
CC - wtf is a frozen kong?! :D

milz has her kong with the stuff in whch she eats in 10 minutes.... do you mean like freeze the stuffing in her kong??



back on topic - millie gets left for no longer than 4 hours now ive changed my work - and thats 1 day a week! generally its 3 hours


She sleeps tho so ive no idea why i feel so guilty leaving her for longer than 4 hours :o
 
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