If you own a dog, how?!

[kyanya]

Having grown up with a dog, I always assumed I'd have my own when I was an adult.

Now I'm an adult with a house I could keep a dog in, I just don't know how I'll ever be in a situation to own a dog. I work office hours, as does my OH, so as far as I've been brought up to believe, this means we're not suitable dog owners. However, I don't ever see this changing really, because we both need to work those hours to afford the house! Even if we have children one day, I doubt either of us could afford to permanently leave work, so being home enough to have a dog would only ever be a temporary arrangment.

Are there ways around this though? It just seems crazy to me that something seemingly so normal as owning a dog will never be a reality for us, because we both have working lives!

 

[AmyMay]

I'm in the same boat as you, and therefore won't have a dog.

If I were in a position to take it to work it would be different.......

 

[Spudlet]

Mine comes to work with me. Other options are doggy daycare (some kennels offer this) or getting a dog walker in / getting the help of relatives.

I wouldn't totally rule it out but you have to be sensible - an older dog of a quiet breed that has few issues might well settle to this routine, a puppy would be asking for trouble IMO. And dog walkers or daycare are not cheap options at all.

 

[friesian80]

I am lucky in the fact I work part time and its shift work, if I worked full time I wouldnt dream of getting a dog. People are more aware of animal welfare these days and shutting a dog in for that length of time without stimulation or acess to outside in my eyes is cruel.

 

[bex1984]

We work full time but come home at lunch. As it has worked out our mega sleepy lazy dog is perfectly content on his own, sleeping all day. If we couldn't get home we would consider getting a lunch time dog walker (although stan the dog would probably not appreciate that...)

 

[bex1984]

Just to add, stan has been home alone while we are at work since he was 12 weeks old.

 

[jsr]

Work full time here...have a horse too so at yard straight after work...and 6 rescue dogs!!! Obviously it's not ideal but for 3 of mine it was either a life with me or PTS so no brainer really! They have each other for company, they get 2 good long walks off lead a day, they have my undivided attention every evening (social life....what social life?) and weekends and holidays it's all about them! They have access to a very secure garden and to be honest are the happiest most well adjusted pack I've ever me. Rescues have never had a problem rehoming to me and for years I fostered for many of them while still working too.

Plus my house is tiny 2 up 2 down and my garden a postage stamp...my neighbours are forever telling me they can't believe I have that many dogs because they are so quiet.

I certainly wouldn't have a lone puppy if I worked full time though but there are many many many older dogs in rescue who would be happy to doze all day long. My latest addition was a 7 month old lurcher who trashed my house due to being left..but now he's 100% fine and most days happily see's the back of me so he can get to the business of sleeping!!

 

[blackcob]

I work evenings and weekends only, my partner works full time. When I start full time work later next year we will be looking into daycare (a lunchtime walk won't cut it for our breed), and have accepted that a shockingly large portion of my wages will be spent on that.

 

[Bug2007]

Both of us work office hours full time and have a Greyhound, he comes to work with me most the time, but he is more than happy to stay at home on his own all day, being the breed he is, he is more than happy to lie on our bed and sleep all day long.

 

[SplashofSoy]

I am on my own and work full time but dog comes to work with me at the office and is walked before after and at lunchtime so spends office time sleeping! Its tough as sometimes I am under pressure to get things done and in the past would have worked through lunch but now have to take a break to dog walk but as he is already at work it saves time on actually leaving office as dont have to get home and back as well.

 

[Luci07]

Dog walker to break up their day and upto the yard with me after work when I walk them again. Mine got into the routine and sleep in the day and around their walks and sometimes I also work from home. Mind you, on the days I work from home, the dogs go to bed pretty much for the times I would normally be out!

 

[millimoo]

I work full time, but thankfully have a laptop and spend most of my week at home.
My mum has my dog if I go into the office for a full day, or travel south on business.

If god forbid I was ever in a position that I couldn't work from home, I'd have a combination of Dog walker at lunchtime, parents and my neice is also coming to an age that she will be old enough to walk her alone.

I think with careful consideration of the breed - i.e nothing that needs to be stimulated mentally as well as physically for hours & hours a day, and a decent and reliable dog walker, theres no reason why you can't have a dog.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I work from home now so my dogs have a run up the field in the morning and an 'open backdoor' to the garden all day.
To be fair they spend a great deal of time sleeping. When I was working in an office I did still have dogs. I had 2 so that they had each other for company and I got a dog walker who gave them a short lunchtime walk and would have a cup of tea so they could have a play out the back to break their day up.
I am sure you would think of this yourself, so don't take this as patronising, but you would need to be mindful of what breed if they are to be left. I mean leaving pointers or rotties or any very active dog could be asking for trouble. You could also consider a large outdoor kennel type enclosure for when you were out, with toys and another dog for company I think they would be happy. Dogs like any animal get used to a routine, but hours spent alone daily would be unfair.

I now have a patterdale along with my other dogs and I would never have got him if he had to be left.

 

[lexiedhb]

I work full time hours but 8-4ish. OH does not leave till gone 9 and then is home for some of the day, at the very least for lunch, and then works later than me.

Good walks AM and PM and he's happy. ETS and he is considered high energy, but has fallen into his routine very well.

 

[Pendlehog]

My partner and I both work full time and have a dog. Given a good routine and plenty of exercise and attention when you are in, most dogs don't really care that you're at work. I work in dog rescue and all my full time colleagues have at least one dog at home.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I work full time ATM and I work even bloody harder to make sure my dogs are exercised and stimulated.

Please don't anyone tell me they have a worse life than a dog in a rescue kennel!!!

 

[jenniaddams]

We have a pair of collies. They're at home alone from half 8 till half 4. Sometimes go to work with my dad but have to stay in the car (only on cool days...its a nissan pick up and with snugtop) and the rest of the time they are happy at home alone. They just sleep. It's what they are used to..had them since pups and they're not bothered at all.

 

[RuthnMeg]

I got my dog when I had my daughter. Having a baby and a pup does work, much to other peoples mystery!
I was at home most of the time, dog walking with baby in tow. Now I work part time, some days the dog comes with me, others she is home alone. I get up early to take her for a long walk, and often late at night too.
On the 'human days out', the dog IS home alone from 8 am ish, til gone 5, and you know what, she is fine. So many people worry about having the time for pets, but when you do have them, you find time, and the pet adapts.

( and on the very odd occassion when said pet does make a mess, as all/any pets can do, it is no big deal, clean it up and carry on as norm).

 

[reddie]

Our two keep each other company. i work fulltime and OH works shifts so he either starts at 2 or is back just after 2. I sometimes come home at lunchtimes.

 

[Natch]

Those of you who cant get home at lunchtime, do your dogs have access to the garden? If not, do they cross their legs?

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

We used to have a dog flap in the back door. The dogs had their bed in the utility room, and the dog flap gave them access to 'their' part of the back garden, so they could pee, poo, sun themselves etc etc.

If I had to leave a dog for long periods of time, I wouldn't keep it alone, two is much better (three is horrid and a pain in the backside to walk!)

 

[Cinnamontoast]

We have a fab neighbour who took Jake and Brig to her house on the 3 days a month where the OH's working hours coincided with mine. They also had constant access outside via the dog flap.

She's a bit more fragile now and the pups are very lively and a bit much for her with Brig as well. They no longer have the use of the dog flap what with Bear being an agility expert/escape artist. Fortunately, it's rare that the OH is out for more than four hours before I get home and I sometimes come home at lunch. I also have all the school holidays, obviously.

 

[buddylove]

OH takes Buddy to work every day with him on the farm, he (the dog) nips in the field for a poo and then spends most of the day in the office (of his own accord), before going for a quick blast up the field chasing the quad bike!! lazy JRT!!
My MIL leaves 3 (lab, doberman and heavily preggers JRT) at home all day when she goes to work and they are perfectly happy getting let out morning, lunch, and evening for a wander.

 

[littlemisslauren]

On the days we are both out of the house all day I zoom home on my lunch to let the dog out for a toilet break, other than that she stays home alone quite happily after a walk first thing.

 

[orionstar]

Move next door to your mother in law and leave the back door to your house wide open all day so when he wants his treats and a walk he goes to the fence beside her back door and lets her know!

 

[bex1984]

Those of you who cant get home at lunchtime, do your dogs have access to the garden? If not, do they cross their legs?

In a year of coming home at lunch, I can count on one hand the number of times Stan has had a lunchtime wee!! We couldn't give him access to our garden because he would get an ASBO - garden = barking!

 

[Crackedhalo]

Me and my partner both work full time - We have ten dogs greyhounds, whippets and lurchers. I do a later shift at work so i leave the house later and he gets home earlier. They are all very happy and never make any noise or trouble for the neighbours, My mum will often nip over in the day to let them out otherwise they are ok on their own.

 

[Pendlehog]

Those of you who cant get home at lunchtime, do your dogs have access to the garden? If not, do they cross their legs?

Mine has no access to the garden when I'm out, he has been left since 5 months old and has never failed to hold it til I'm home.
Some of the dogs at work choose to hold for 16 hours despite access to an outdoor run!

Dogs that are healthy and truly housetrained typically WILL hold on.

 

[scrappydoo1]

i only work part time away from home rest of time at home

 

[Sanolly]

I have a dog and have worked full time in the past. I just make sure he gets a good run at either end of the day, I also have one of those automatic kong despensers which shoots out about 4 kongs at set intervals. All the kongs are filled with different things to keep him entertained. House is always in one piece when I get home and there is always a 'hotspot' on my bed!