Those of you with dogs that work full time........

Perfect_Pirouette

Perfect_Pirouette

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How do you do it? What do you do with them during the day? Do they just stay at home, do you drop them off at a friends/relatives/leave them in the garden?
 
Hi,
He goes with boyfriend to work (farmer) at his parents so is either out on farm or in front of fire. Pretty ideal really! If this wasn't possible he could probably come to work with me.
 
I have a dog walker for the days I do full days, and the other days I just get back before the 6-7 hour threshold I set myself. I'm a student though so I make my own rules really!

Are you getting a pooch?
 
I walk mine just before I leave, then my Nana comes to see to him around lunch if she's up to it. I then walk him as soon as I get in. If Nana can't make it over he is fine in on his own all day as he gets a long walk on an evening then another 15 mins just before bed
 
Mine used to go to my friend's farm and run around with her dogs all day... but then she started battering seven shades out of the other female so that had to stop! :(

We have a kennel and run in the garden so she gets walked in the morning before I go to work then goes out in the run, and is walked when we get home. In the winter or on really horrible days she stays in the house. It is not how I wanted her to spend her days, but she does just fine this way.
 
When I worked full time I always made sure I worked close enough to be able to get home for lunch to do a mid day walk. On the odd occasion when I wasnt able to my parents would visit.
 
Dog is walked in the morning, stays in outside pen with wooden Wendy house (he didn't like the kennel we bought) while we are out. Has a radio and heating in his house. Also shares his pen with the chickens - who he loves! Dog walker comes at lunch time. He goes back in the pen if weather is good, if v v cold dog walker puts him back in the house. He gets walked by whoever gets in first in the evening (usually my husband).
 
OH works shifts so they're never left more than four hours except for two/three days a month when the neighbour comes in and plays with them several times a day.
 
I live close enough to work that I go home to them at lunch time. They have a walk in the morning, left in the house for four hours, lunch time walk, another four hours then a walk in the evening.

Before I had this job I deliberately chose to work nights so they weren't left alone all day. :o
 
There is one day a week when mine are often left for 10 hours, however they have access to outside space, are warm if they wish and have the radio on. Other days the longest they are left is 8 hours. They are fine.
 
Mine would vanish if I let them have access to the garden, however well fenced :D So they stay indoors, either in their own room (complete with their own 3 piece suite) or with access to the whole of the downstairs area. They seem quite well adjusted still :)
 
BuzzLightyear said:
Dog daycare facility, we did have a walker but it proved better mentally for the dog, and also financially for him to go to daycare
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Same here, although when the dogsitter is on holiday our dog copes fine with an extra morning walk and a lunchtime visit. Pretty sure she just sleeps all day while we are out, she never seems to concerned about being left alone!
 
They get a walk in the morning, an outside run with hay shed to play in during the day and a walk in the evening. Both are rescues. Both are alseep and snoring beside me on sofa. I figure their lives aren't perfect, but it's better than a rescue centre. They seem to agree.

I can sometimes make it home during day depending on work, but it's rare, maybe once a fortnight. Those days when I do surprise them mid-day they are Always asleep. Always!. They come wandering out yawning like 'oh you're here early'. And after their morning walk they know the routine and are happy to go off to outside run and never reluctant to go. So like I say, not perfect, but damn, it's better than a being a rescue homeless dog.
 
Interesting replies.

I desperately want one but I do work full time. I could walk in the mornings and after work no problems, my mum has said she could have the dog one day during the week and I finish work at 1.30 on a Friday so really it's just 3 days a week it'd be left for the working day, unless I could find a good, reliable dog walker.

I don't have the time for a puppy (as lovely as that would be) and really would love to give a rescue one a home. I am thinking along the same lines as the above poster- surely that would be a much better life than a rescue centre?!
 
Picklenash said:
Mine would vanish if I let them have access to the garden, however well fenced :D So they stay indoors, either in their own room (complete with their own 3 piece suite) or with access to the whole of the downstairs area. They seem quite well adjusted still :)
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I'm retired now but mine did live outside in the garden, with access to covered areas - it took me months to JRT proof the garden but I did in the end. At one time they used to stay outside at night too, my vet said it was much healthier for them, but they used to bark in the night and I had to consider the neighbours. One neighbour used to come and give them dog biscuits over the (5 bar) gate to break up their day, so that had to be jump proofed as well, but they did cope well with that regime. There were pretty much always two of them, so company for each other, and they could see across the neighbouring field as well as what was happening on the road.
 
I'm up at 6am, pooch fed and quick walked before I leave for work at 6.30, leave door open to garden for him until housemate leaves for work at 8.30ish. Then my mum comes over between 12-1 and takes him for a walk. I get home from the yard at about 5-5.30 - he's fine! sleeps most of it! I leave him a Kong Wobbler with treats (dried lung and dried liver) in to keep him occupied!
 
we got a 2 yo GSD about 6 weeks ago. at the moment i study from home 2 days a week, so at work monday, wednesday and friday, out of the house for 7 hours. he is at the yard in the morning for about an hour with lots of running around, then walked as soon as i get back from work and again just before bedtime (we don't have a secure garden so cant just let him out to do his business) he is good with his routine, i give him a chew or pig ear when i go and he just settles down then as realizes i am leaving him. he is happier when the cat is in, as likes to sleep in the same room as her (she still hates him! but has places up high to sleep so is relaxed now). he will be able to start going with my bf to some gardening jobs, or possibly visit my work sometimes. but i think like someone else said better than being in kennels, and there would not be enough homes for dogs if they could only live with retired or unemployed people who are home all the time. for nearly 2 years he lived in a barn on a farm, he definitely prefers the sofa!
luckily i only work short days though and don't have to commute far, he manages 7 hours, and the other day had to leave him for 8.5 as last minute had to pick up my bf, and he was fine.
 
Good reliable dog walker. I can't walk my dogs before work in the winter as they refuse point blank to go for a walk in the dark. More than happy to get up early with me in the summer! Normally come to the yard with me after work but that might change. Circumstances change, mine are about to and so I am putting another plan into action to ensure my dogs aren't left too long. Does help that I am field based so can work around them as well.
 
If OH is working away and I'm working full days then a next door neightbour walks the dog just after lunch. I try and take him for a walk before breakfast but often he'd rather snooze at the end of the bed! Always take him for another short walk after work/evening. If I have a half day/short day then he comes with me in th eback of the pickup and we go for walkies at lunchtime.

He is always left with a blanket or several, water, a bone to chew and toys to unstuff and has the luxury of his own sofa to snooze on and seems happy enough (Boots is a rescue greyhound, so sleeps approx 23 hours day it seems!), he always seems happy enough :)
 
I think it depends largely on the type of dog you are looking for. Some will clearly be more laid back than others. We also have a retired greyhound and he sleeps for England, whether we are in or not.

In an ideal world we wouldn't leave him all day, but we both work full time. He is walked before work and my OH is back mid afternoon so he is left for 7-8 hours 4 days a week. Seems fine with it as long as he gets his walk at tea time.
 
Ours usually stay with OH as he farms at home. On the days they have come into work with me they have been a flippin nightmare, the JRT just causes endless destruction if you let her, fishing through the bin and sat on top of the printer shredding my file notes! My boss has his dog with him today, black lab, perfect office dog...had he not walked her down the common at lunch time where she rolled in horse poo. Worse smell ever when you're trying to eat your jacket potato...
 
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