How long do you leave your dogs?

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Patchworkpony

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How long do you leave your dogs if you go out or work during the days? What is the maximum number of hours you would leave a dog on its own - with toys a bone or a chew etc.?
 
Ours have always been in a run during the day while we've been at work. My current dog is no different and lives a very full and active life with plenty of exercise, training and stimulation, comes on holiday with me etc. I appreciate not everyone would keep their dogs like that but it works for me, and him.
I used to give him stuff when he was younger but he has no need for it as a mature dog.
 
When I used to work (on maternity leave now) he was left 8.15-3.15. Occasionally slightly longer. My husband used to be self employed and if working near by would pop in at lunch. In an ideal world he would not be left so long, but he can easily hold his bladder and I would have him out at the yard for 2 hours in the morning 5.30-7.30 so he was falling asleep as I left! Then back to the horses after work.
 
I had an elderly dog when I worked full time and she was left for up to 10 hours a day. She was in a bed in the garage with access to the garden but she was still on her own.
Now maybe max 4/5 hours? My mum lives next door so she walks them when we are all busy.
 
I leave for work at 8am and my other half gets home at 6pm - 4 ageing greyhounds who are completely used to that routine and are very happy with it. I have a lady who comes to let them out into the garden every lunchtime who adores them, she is meant to stay for 10 mins but is often here a lot longer cuddling them :)

I've worked full time for the past 28 years (god that's depressing!) and have always had dogs during that time, with a combination of dog flaps so they can come & go into the garden, a partner who was a shift worker so they were only left for 4 hours at a time etc etc. I've never had a problem, but then greyhounds are such chilled out souls - I couldn't imagine a springer adapting to that lifestyle!

ETA - the only rule I have is that I would never ever have a single dog and leave it all day like that - my lot often seem indifferent to each other but I feel a dog needs company if it is going to be left all day
 
Generally ours would only be left for between one and three hours each day, but I usually work from home and husband is self-employed. With older dogs that we know well we have very occasionally left them for a whole day whilst out competing/hunting etc with neighbours letting them out during the day (and with them having a good run beforehand), but now we have a pup we don't leave them that long.

How long it is acceptable to leave a dog depends on so many different factors - breed, age, general temperament, background, whether dogs have access to the garden, whether they have other canine company etc, the amount and quality of exercise you can give them before you leave etc. The trouble is, when you take on a dog you generally don't know how they will react to being left - some are fine and some are not. But if you commit to taking on a dog, and then find it doesn't cope well with being left, you need to have the support network/resources to find a good solution - doggy daycare, dogwalkers, help from family, friends etc.

No good getting a dog on the basis that your friend's canine is left at home quite happily nine to five, and then you find your new acquisition is howling the house down, destroying the furniture and messing all over the floor, and you haven't got the money to pay for daycare or a dogwalker and friends/family can't/won't help. :(
 
Thank you everyone - brilliant and diverse answers but I totally agree with TGM. I have been to visit friends in the past in the suburbs where you can hear a cacophony of dogs barking all day long because they have just been locked up and left for the day while their owners go to work.
 
I leave Mrs Spaniel at 8 and get home around 4.45/5pm depending on traffic.
If my brother is on late shift he will let her out into garden before he leaves at 11 but if he is on early he may not be back much before 4 himself.

She seems unbothered by this. I leave her a filled kong, toys and a ball but they are often in same place where I leave them. I set up a cam to record her for a bit and apart from going to the door when postie comes she spends all her time dozing in various places.
I did say that if she showed signs of stress i'd get a dog walker but she seems happy enough.

I am considering getting another cocker but she is such a spoilt only child i'm not sure how she'd take to it as she very rarely chooses to interact with the other dogs at flyball or the other dogs we meet on a daily basis in the park.
 
That would also drive me nuts, my former neighbours on one side had four dogs who used to bark constantly in the garden. Their owners were in most of the time.
My landlords are next door and often comment that they sometimes forget that I have a dog.
 
Great reply from TGM - and one I agree with.

I work mainly outdoors at home and so my young, fit dog comes with me almost everywhere. My two oldies are not left for longer than 2-3 hours at a time (4 would be my absolute max). I have worked full time away from home and owned dogs in the past and it can be done successfully so long as the dogs are fully exercised, someone comes in during the day (I even moved job and house so I could get home for 50 minutes of my lunch hour) and you have zero social life :D
 
Our 8 year old dog is left from 9.45- 3.45 two days a week. The rest of the time, someone is off with her. As a younger dog, we used to take it in turns to pop home two or three times during those two days to see her. We gradually made this one visit at lunchtime and now that she is older, and enjoys the peace and quiet to sleep, she is happy to be left all day. She does have our cats for company though, so is not entirely alone.
 
I work 08.30 - 17.00 or similar shifts with an hour's lunch break. I can pretty much see my house from my desk and that hour is spent at home or out walking, so they're left for about four hours either side of that. That's for the big dogs, on the days I have little spaniel he actually comes with me and sleeps on the desk. :o

I couldn't have left my single dog alone like that (severe separation anxiety) and for a long time I worked night shifts opposing my partner's working hours so they weren't left alone. Both jobs chosen for their hours and proximity to home, definitely not for their piddly salaries. No social life that isn't dog related here either! :D
 
blackcob said:
I work 08.30 - 17.00 or similar shifts with an hour's lunch break. I can pretty much see my house from my desk and that hour is spent at home or out walking, so they're left for about four hours either side of that. That's for the big dogs, on the days I have little spaniel he actually comes with me and sleeps on the desk. :o

I couldn't have left my single dog alone like that (severe separation anxiety) and for a long time I worked night shifts opposing my partner's working hours so they weren't left alone. Both jobs chosen for their hours and proximity to home, definitely not for their piddly salaries. No social life that isn't dog related here either! :D
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I love that you care so much about your dogs.
 
blackcob said:
Thank you - I get an awful lot back from them, it's worth it. I'm also not trying to claim some sort of moral high ground, I'm well aware most folk would consider me a fruitloop, there's probably a more sensible middle ground. :p
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BC you are a fruit loop - get a couple of greyhounds instead and none of that would be necessary :D :D

Not directed at you BC, but I really don't get why people get so uptight about dogs being left - obviously if the dog got distressed or upset that would be totally unacceptable, but I know people try and take the moral high ground with me and I just find myself thinking WTF???!! My hounds do exactly the same whether I am at home or whether they are on their own during the day :D
 
As I've said on a previous thread I used to pop home at lunchtime and it was as if I was inconveniencing him...'what are YOU doing here??' I still do the odd time but he rarely deigns to stir himself.
 
^^ there's the sensible middle grounds. :D :D :D

Emotional needs aside one of mine also has a shrivelled kidney and a bladder the size of a peanut which rather influences things!
 
Mine used to come with me to work, so had company almost all day. When I knew I was changing jobs, I had to change their routine. They are currently left from midday til 3.30 when my children start coming home from school. Neither seem to mind this new arrangement!
Previous years prior to owning the spaniel, 'old dog' was quite happy home alone for more than four hours. I'm sure she liked the peace!
 
Lévrier;13459573 said:
BC you are a fruit loop - get a couple of greyhounds instead and none of that would be necessary :D :D

Not directed at you BC, but I really don't get why people get so uptight about dogs being left - obviously if the dog got distressed or upset that would be totally unacceptable, but I know people try and take the moral high ground with me and I just find myself thinking WTF???!! My hounds do exactly the same whether I am at home or whether they are on their own during the day :D
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Completely agree with you. People get on their high horses with me about our dogs being left from 10 - 5 for one or two days a week. The dogs are perfectly happy left and ignore me all day if I'm home during that time as they're sleeping yet people still try and make me feel guilty and I was starting to believe I really was a bad dog owner! Thanks everyone for making me feel better :D
 
The whippets are left about 4/5 hours at a time. They longest is usually in the morning if we go to work early, then we come back at lunchtime to walk or let them out for a wee. I really don't think they would mind being left a bit longer TBH.

Normally when one of us comes back at lunch they are asleep upstairs. Our oldest will get up when we call to go out for a wee, the youngest sometimes doesn't get up and you have to physically get him out of bed (it's like having a teenager!!). The other day he point blank refused to get up. Tried to lift him and everything and he wouldn't come down for lunch time wee. So he was left there until after work!
 
Lévrier;13459573 said:
BC you are a fruit loop - get a couple of greyhounds instead and none of that would be necessary :D :D

Not directed at you BC, but I really don't get why people get so uptight about dogs being left - obviously if the dog got distressed or upset that would be totally unacceptable, but I know people try and take the moral high ground with me and I just find myself thinking WTF???!! My hounds do exactly the same whether I am at home or whether they are on their own during the day :D
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I don't think I get (too!) uptight about dogs being left and understand that most of us have to work to earn a living, but I do think there is a throwaway culture which sadly also includes living, sentient animals. People want and so they get. Many dogs are left for very long hours, alone and bored with very little exercise or company in their lives. These dogs I do feel sorry for. I believe sharing our lives with dogs (or other animals) is a privilege and not a right and so unless owners are prepared to put the effort in to ensure their dogs have a good life (which includes daily exercise, play and company), then they should just get a soft toy.
 
WorkingGSD said:
I don't think I get (too!) uptight about dogs being left and understand that most of us have to work to earn a living, but I do think there is a throwaway culture which sadly also includes living, sentient animals. People want and so they get. Many dogs are left for very long hours, alone and bored with very little exercise or company in their lives. These dogs I do feel sorry for. I believe sharing our lives with dogs (or other animals) is a privilege and not a right and so unless owners are prepared to put the effort in to ensure their dogs have a good life (which includes daily exercise, play and company), then they should just get a soft toy.
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Oh yes I totally agree - my dogs are everything to me, I would always always make sure that they have a great quality of life doing whatever makes them happy (sleeping is definitely Islay's preferred activity now!) when I am not at work.
 
I am lucky in that dog(s) come to work with me three days a week. Depending on what I'm doing there, they might spend a couple of hours in the van at a time, when he's not inside-which apparently is unacceptable to rescue societies. despite a walk beforehand and playtime/walks at regular intervals during the day. OH works from home two days a week and has him. I don't see anything wrong with leaving a healthy adult dog that has a varied life for more than four hours on occasion though. I have left dogs during a normal working day but would try to not do it again, and not leave them without other dog company again either.
 
Mine come to work with me a couple of days a week, the rest of the time she is with my OH. We only have one dog, so I won't leave her for more than 2-3 hours but wherever possible she comes with me. On the days neither of us are around, she goes to stay with either of our parents. For me personally, I didn't get a dog so I could leave her alone for large amounts of the working week, she loves company and I love having her with me.
 
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