Leaving dogs on their own....

I work 08.30-17.00 three days a week and 11.30-19.00 the other two days with an hour's lunch break, plus one Saturday a month. It's not even a minute's walk from the house, however, so in that lunch break I come home and take them for a good 30-45 minute walk. It was a massive perk of the job, plus I can take them with me if they're ever unwell (I work in a veterinary practice).

Previously I chose to work night shifts so I was home during the day - I'd walk them at 08.00 when I got in, sleep for a few hours and take them out again in the afternoon. I'd resigned myself to never being able to have a 'normal' job unless it was close enough to home to be able to come back at lunch time because Ricoh absolutely cannot hold his wee that long - he was diagnosed with chronic pyelonephritis a couple of months ago and has a long history of PU/PD and accidents in the house. They are both the sort of dog that don't do well being left for long periods anyway, though they're happy with the current 4hr - pee walk - 4hr pattern.
 
That BBC program baffled me.....

BC out of curiosity could your huskies not be kennelled outside, if it relieved you of that pressure? I'd spend my life worrying that he was sitting there with his legs crossed...!
 
stargirl88 said:
BC out of curiosity could your huskies not be kennelled outside, if it relieved you of that pressure? I'd spend my life worrying that he was sitting there with his legs crossed...!
Click to expand...

Yes absolutely, just sadly not possible where we are now (rented, no garden!). First priority for our new house is a garden with a suitable area to put in hardstanding and a good sized kennel and run, I've no qualms about leaving them out like that. :)

He had a six week course of antibiotics a while back which has knocked the worst of it on the head but his one kidney will probably remain shrivelled and he's got a sort of psychogenic overdrinking habit as a result. He doesn't really leak any more but is always full of pee! I wouldn't want to leave them a great deal longer than that anyway, Dax used to have severe separation anxiety and although she's fine now (many videoed hours of snoring dogs!) it's still my preference to go max 5 hours.

I know I'm a loon for choosing jobs on the basis of the dogs but it's finally worked out perfectly, I adore my job. And get a massive discount. :p
 
Most of the people on that programme mentioned made a rod for their own backs and (created separation issues with the dogs) something people still have issues with the concept of.
As a (large rescue rehoming hundreds of dogs a year (not sure what happened to me stepping back from that) :P as I have dealt with more dogs in the last month than my entire life ):P...anyway I hate it when folk apply and say "im home 24/7 all day every day" (as for my that's a sure fire (FAIL)...it's not realistic and anyone spending this much time with a dog (who will one day have to leave the home) be it in an ambulance or emergency (the dog will suddenly be ALONE) and the anxiety will be (unreal)

Anyways :P I work nights but the OH is home then, so I take to big beaslty dogs with me and the rest are home with him and when OH is out and im asleep the dogs are also sleeping, I can sleep 6 hours whilst he is out (2 days a week) so effectively the dogs are fast asleep in the home with me (I don't let them out cos im dead to the world) :P otherwise they are not left long (I dont mind leaving them, non have issues (they have been filmed) I don't have an issue with settled adult dogs being left for longer periods (people do have to work and dogs need homes) but puppies is a huge NO, I wont home a puppy to a full timer, half for training/stimulation reasons and the other for toilet releases, esp as puppy have way more meals to empty out and little bladders so obs need more toilet breaks :P
 
Mine are left for 5 - 6 hours at a time most days, my hours have changed recently , prior to this the maximum they were left was 4. I did worry about them a little, but they are both adults, and they go out in a covered run with access to a larger open compound which they have landscaped beautifully to be a huge hole digging area. I don't have a problem with an older dog being left for a few hours, although would not be happy to leave them up of 8 hours every day. When I used to home check for a rescue which had very strict maximum 4 hours rules I used to be a little vague with the forms as personally I felt a dog was better being left for 5 hours than spending all day in a rescue kennel. However with pups it is a totally different matter, I would never sell a pup to someone who works full time, even if they had someone coming in at lunch time, and when I had pups at home even though I was only working 4 hours at a time then I used to try and work it so someone came home during that time.
 
In the summer I get up at 4.30am and take my dogs to the yard with me -they are with me the whole time except when I'm riding. I leave for work at 8.20am and get home for my lunch break at 12.40pm. I just let them out for a wee and then go back to work at 1.20pm. I get home again at 5pm and they come back to the yard with me whilst I'm sorting out the horses and poo picking.

I feel really guilty with my winter routine though as they get walked at 4am for half an hour and then are left until 7.30. My working hours are then the same but they get walked at lunchtime rather than just let out for a wee. In the evening they get a walk but can't roam the yard as it's dark. One day a week they do spend the afternoon at my parents so that gives them a break.

I don't like my winter routine but they are greyhounds and although not ideal, I feel they have a better life than being cooped up in a very small kennel and only being let out for 5 minutes three times a day.
 
blackcob said:
Yes absolutely, just sadly not possible where we are now (rented, no garden!). First priority for our new house is a garden with a suitable area to put in hardstanding and a good sized kennel and run, I've no qualms about leaving them out like that. :)

He had a six week course of antibiotics a while back which has knocked the worst of it on the head but his one kidney will probably remain shrivelled and he's got a sort of psychogenic overdrinking habit as a result. He doesn't really leak any more but is always full of pee! I wouldn't want to leave them a great deal longer than that anyway, Dax used to have severe separation anxiety and although she's fine now (many videoed hours of snoring dogs!) it's still my preference to go max 5 hours.

I know I'm a loon for choosing jobs on the basis of the dogs but it's finally worked out perfectly, I adore my job. And get a massive discount. :p
Click to expand...

Gotcha ;) I can't judge you for that. I've only stuck with my job at the moment because the dog can come with me!
 
I luckily got my lab pup 2 years ago before I started my now full time mainly office job :( (love the job just not the office!!) I started my job 15 months ago so she was the right age at the time and is either with my husband or dad on the farm or with my dads german shepherd or just hunts and pleases herself. We have an electric boundary system round the whole yard, back and front paddocks etc which works well. The other day no one was around to look after her for the first time and I couldn't bring my self to let her be on her own indoors from 7.30-4.30 so I sweet talked my very anti pet boss to let me bring her with me and she was sooo good!! wish I could do it more often but will just save it for emergencies only!

I would like to get another lab pup at some stage but I just cant, they require so much time in the beginning so am just hoping I will be based from home in the next few years and will look into it then!
 
My 2 have always come to work with me (office job) which has been really lucky and one of the main reasons why I took the job! But the new boss has decided from January they're not allowed in any more which gives us a massive problem as we're both out of the house from 7am - 5pm. Our bitch is old so needs to go in and out more regularly but doesn't really need walking apart from 10 minutes around the block, dog isn't so bad going in and out but will need proper walking. Garden is secure but don't really want to have to leave the back do open all day. Currently trying to work out the best dog walker / sitter / family / neighbours, plan.
 
I work on the farm where I live so I can pop back at odd times of the day to check on them and they are always asleep!

I took one of the deaf girls to a demo in Hampshire a couple of months ago and my work colleague came in several times to let the others out for a wee. Unfortunately it was raining and all three refused to go out of the door. So they went voluntarily 12 hours without a wee. Not what I would recommend but it was their choice.
 
My dog is left from about 8.30 in the morning until my mum gets home from work around 1.00, so about 4.5-5 hours. She sleeps while we are out and wont move from her bed but still don't like to leave her for too long as must get boring! She goes for a walk in the morning (weather permitting - she will not go out in the rain as will just refuse to move - her choice!) and then again in the afternoon with my mum.
 
Our group get left for a full day (about 8 hours) most work days but we try very hard to not leave one of the three on their own for any lenght of time (there's always 2 of them if being left). They actually get excited when we leave as I always give a chew as I'm leaving - keeps them occupied and helps them settle down immediateyl we go out. There is the odd occasion where there may be an accident but usually no bother at all. I think if they have a routine, are used to it then there's no problem with it so long as you introduce it slowly rather than, bang you're on your own,
 
When he was young he was left in from about 8am till 12 when my mum came round and spent some time with him, fed him and let him out for the loo. He does really well on his own for 4/5 hours at at a time and is rarely on his own for longer - he once got left on his own for 8 hours because we got stuck in snow on the motorway and my mum was with us so we had nobody to pop over and let him out - I ran into the house in a blind panic thinking he was probably dying for the loo or going nuts cause he was alone - to find him sleeping in the back hall quite happily. To be fair the days I am in the house all day, he pretty much ignores me after hes had his walk and a play - I honestly sometimes think he doesnt care if we are there or not lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top