How do you manage to have your dog..?

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

As the title really, how does everyone manage to have their dogs?

I would love a dog, and have always felt that way. However, I don't see any way that I can have one as I work 8am-4pm, so full time and so does my partner (albeit he has one weekday off).
I see that so many people on here have pooches, and I'm wondering how you all manage them? Surely you can't all work from home?

 

[Red-1]

OH and I were on opposite shifts for years, and then on different shifts, so never more than 5 hours between one leaving and the other getting back, but usually a lot less.

If ever we overlapped more, mum used to come and let the dogs out. We also had a couple of other people with keys who could step in if one if us was kept on at work.

Now, we both work days and mum has died, so I have to be part time because of the dogs. If I need to work a full day,OH has to take a day of annual leave.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I WFH which has now enabled the dog.

Some of my friends work full time & they walk before/after work with a dog walker at lunch - or go home, if they are close enough to do so.

 

[Sandstone1]

I go home at lunch time. walk before and after work.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I've always had dogs (often single dogs) and worked full time and so did my mother, since the 70s. They have all (bar two siblings who had health issues) lived to ripe old ages without their heads falling off, mine are mistaken for being years younger than they are, so it cannot be that stressful being away from me during working hours
They are in secure pens during the day, are walked either side of work and get plenty of attention, exercise and training, they go to the beach and the forest and the mountains, they go on holidays with me, etc etc etc.
I'd go for an older dog/rescue/rehome in your position, show breeders often have older pups who won't make the grade but are stable and well-adjusted. There are also options like walkers and daycare (although not for me).
I did move my job and my home so that I could pop home in the afternoons and see them but to be honest it feels like I am rudely disturbing them. The pup comes to work with me at the moment and will do until I finally get company again but is used to being at home in the pen or spending time in the van for short periods (as she'll need to get used to long journeys) while I'm otherwise engaged and we're building the time up.

 

[blackcob]

I have worked variously close enough to home to be able to get back at lunch time, in a job that allowed them to come with me, or doing nights so opposing shifts to my partner. Now WFH which has been something of a relief, the lunch time dash wasn't fun.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I could work from home pre pandemic so did 1-2 days at home. OH did 1 day at home and then mum had Mabel the other 3 days as she works part time. If we didn’t have mum we’d have had a dog Walker in the middle of the day.

 

[Equi]

I think people and theerfor dogs have become way too attached. I have no problem with someone training their dog to accept being home alone for the day, most of them just sleep anyway! Provided they have had a really good run about before and after (and maybe a walker in at lunch if they need it) it should not be a problem.

 

[teddypops]

My dogs just stayed at home all day when I worked full time. They had a walk in the morning and a walk when I got home. They just slept all day and were quite happy. One lived to 20 with no issues, the other is now 15 with no issues.

 

[TGM]

When my husband and I got our first dogs I was working full time in London, but he was able to take the dogs to work with him (farrier). They were both about a year old when we got them. Then when I gave up work to have my daughter they stayed at home with me. Now I work freelance, mainly from home, which works well. Our last couple of dogs have been from 8 week old puppies and that is the tricky bit if you are out at work full-time. Most puppies (IME) need constant supervision to ensure good house-training and prevent destructive behaviour, which is not easy if you are out of the house for hours on end. I think our current dog would 'cope' if I went out to work full-time, but I don't think she would actually be happy about it. I also think there is a difference between having one dog home alone all day and having two or more at home without humans. They are pack animals after all and appreciate some company whether that is human or canine.

 

[AmyMay]

I work from home.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I have always had more than one dog.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

It's interesting to know that some have made it work whilst working full time. I wouldn't be in a position to go part time at this stage in my career, but I curently do and will always work close enough to home to pop home at lunch time, I have zero desire for a lengthy commute and I am in a lucky position geographically that there is lots of opportunity close by. I have no desire for a young puppy, and would be much more likely to have an oldie rescue or a pair (if I would be allowed to rescue that is).

Perhaps I will have a look into it more once my cats have passed, they're both 23 and I wouldn't think it fair to introduce a dog at this stage in their lives. I am absolutely desperate for a dog, especially now I have taken a step back from owning horses.

 

[Karran]

Still WFH until June but before I would leave the dogs at 8, get home at 6.30. Mrs Spaniel flatly refuses to leave the house with a stranger and I wouldn't trust Miss Collie with a random unless they were vetted VERY. Carefully.
They had (still do!) A 40 min walk before work and then our evenings were filled with flyball or the stables or obedience or agility. On the occasions when that wasnt going ahead we would go out for an hours walk.

It helps that I live with my brother who does shifts and weekend work so depending on schedule he would let them into garden at 11 or 3 for a wee.

It can work, deffo go for an older dog rehome (although dont take toilet training for granted - I did with Miss Collie and paid the price!). I do devote all of my free time to them and we are out for long hikes/go competing at weekends so me at work is their chilling out time, to decompress and mooch about the house.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'm very fortunate that mine comes to the office with me on days I'm there, and did in previous job too. Till covid struck, she often got attention from clients coming past ☺
Comes to yard early doors and then back home for breakfast, hour later off to work. Sleeps through till lunch break, enjoys a good walk in the town park at lunchtime, then snores for the afternoon and sometimes needs bellowing at to go at the end of the day, we go straight to the yard before going home.

We had thought about getting a 2nd mutt but current office not got room for another dog bed behind my desk and I couldn't guarantee another one would be as well behaved to start with.

 

[tinselbobs]

I’m wfh full time at the moment, but before that on the days both husband and I were in the office roxie went to doggie daycare.

She absolutely loves it and has the best day! They also do overnight care too so if we go on a non-dog friendly holiday she goes there as well.

Its not a cheap way to have a dog though!

 

[BallyJ]

I take mine to the office with me, they sleep under my desk

 

[P3LH]

Mine honestly don’t care when I’m here and when I’m not. I always suspected this but realised with flexible working between home and office during the several lockdowns confirmed that they don’t actually care. I’ve had them from pups too, and just worked around making it work.

My in-laws work full time, don’t get as much holiday as OH and I, work longer hours, snd pretty much leave their pups post settling period onwards and all of their dogs are the most mellow, chilled out and well adjusted dogs I’ve probably ever met.

 

[L&M]

Dog walkers, doggie day care? Lots of options if you can afford it.....

 

[DabDab]

Small dogs, dog flap and secure garden mostly. Though in recent years parents live next door (when they're not off galavanting) so they let them into theirs if they turn up at their patio doors. And when Dee was young I was initially still working on horse yard so she came with and them at uni and she just used to sleep in the car while I was in a lecture.

Dee is 15 now and still merry and bright. However, in the past I couldn't have managed without the flap - my work meant that I just couldn't reliably get away at the same time every day.

 

[Annette4]

Pre covid OH worked shifts and I could work in an agile way so I worked from home on the days he was on shift. Worst case scenario he came home on his lunch.

Before we moved we had a dog walker who came in at lunch time to let them out for a wee and play with them.

 

[ester]

I think it’s one of those things that is easier once they’re established ?

I only have a 13 minute commute but a 30 min lunch break so that wouldn’t work.

If I get a retirement I plan to have one then!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Pre Covid I could sometimes take her to work as a therapy dog. And if not she had a dog walker at lunchtime and the children were home from school by 3.30. Since Covid she's had all 5 of us at home. The problem we have now is getting her used to being alone again occasionally after over a year of constant company.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Husband and I always worked different shifts. We had children and needed to be around for them. The dogs considered themselves to be the same as the kids, so it worked out well.

 

[windand rain]

Kennels with huge covered runs when the kids were small and OH and I worked shifts they came in in the evening and were walke two or three times a day. Kids got older and the were walked when they came home from school as well as morning and night. We had a big garden more than 1 dog so it worked well. Both retired now so the dog is with us most of the time is walked morning and night and is with me while I am in the garden. She is old and likes to potter but we always trained the dogs not to leave us by close command, She is crate trained from day 1 so it is her haven where she sleeps for hours with the door open. If she cannot come with us she sleps in her crate or in the hall

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

OH does shifts, I have all the school holidays off and the 3 days a month we both work, the neighbour takes them to her house and totally spoils them.

 

[deb_l222]

I’ve always worked full time and always had dogs. I’m currently working from home constantly so not a problem but when I was going in to work, they were just left at home. I did however make sure they had at least an hour’s walk before work and we went out for a walk immediately on my return.

I’ve always had older dogs who are less needy than puppies and it’s worked fine. I’ve only ever had one destructive dog and he was a bloody nuisance whether I was there or not

Willow has slept most of the day today. Occasionally popping into the ‘office’ just to check I’m still there and have a quick fuss, then back to bed. It’s pretty much like that every day. We live a very boring life

 

[islander]

I chose to work part time, no more than six hours, my sister lived nearby for a long time and would come in and dog sit or take them back to hers for a while.
Have always had more than one dog at a time too.
l lived in a safe place and would often leave the back door propped open, l didn’t have near neighbours and luckily didn’t have barky dogs either.

Once l married, we tended to work at different times.
OH kept his gundogs outside in kennels with runs, as they got older they were promoted to house dogs.

Now l am retired and the dogs are all house dogs, never left more than about four hours.

 

[Chiffy]

When first married and both working full time and both from homes with dogs, we realised it would be unfair to have a dog, so we had a cat instead.
As soon as I stopped the job I had initially trained for and opted to work with horses, we got our first dog, a whippet who came everywhere with me. She was allowed in the yard and she sat in the car while I rode.
Eventually we had our own yard, house and land and ever since there has been multiple dogs no problem.

 

[MissMay]

We both work full time always have

we got 2 small dogs at the same time. In the morning they get 2hours with the doors open to potter in the garden as they wish.
Then a walk when we get home, and they are very happy. they have run of the house during the day and we can see on the cameras all they do is sleep or watch the world out of the window

Pick your breed and go for less energetic needs