Those who work office hours......

ladyt25

ladyt25

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2007
Messages
7,792
Location
Leeds
Visit site
.... how do you manage looking after your dog(s)?

The reason I ask is, last year i (finally) managed to buy my own house after I left my job and got a new (better paid) one. It's been tight money wise certainly and, although my parents have our 2 family dogs, I feel the house is empty without a dog in it. I have 2 guinea pigs outside it it's not the same! Lol. Thing is I am not daft and did not have enough money.

However, just this week, having gone through the trauma of an interview - I have got a promotion at work so = more money (yay)!! I am thinking, maybe, just maybe I could possibly look at getting a dog next year. BUT, I will still be working office hours so, those who do that, what do you do with your dogs? I do not have an OH so have noone at home to share the care with although I reckon I could persuade my parents to dog sit in the day (they say no at the mo but they're soft! Lol).

What do you lot do? Do you get dog walkers in/rely on parents or friends or do you leave the dog at home when you're out (I wouldn't want to do this as far too long). Just interested I guess.
 
Get up very early and walk/exercise/train, have someone throw in a pig's ear/bone at lunchtime or let them out for a run if it's my mother, go home and walk/exercise/train.
I'm not full time anymore but all last year I worked my bollox off morning, noon and night in work and out and if anybody said my dogs aren't well looked after, oooh, they'd get a mouthful...dunno how I was supposed to pay for The Walking Vet Bill, not working :p

I'd rather have a dog at home with someone who works office hours than bouncing off a kennel wall waiting for a home.

My mum worked full time and kept dogs for years while I was at school, all the dogs were fit, happy and healthy and lived to a grand old age.
 
I am lucky my OH works from home so can look after my dog while I work. He comes out with me early while I do horses then has a walk, and spends the rest of the day with OH. My neighbour works during the day so she got 2 dogs to keep each other company and has a dog walker who visits every lunch time. She is really sweet, she takes them up the road for a run in the field then when she gets back she sits in the garden reading her book while they have another run round and play. It seems to work really well for them, I think the secret is finding someone you can trust and who will be reliable.
 
Send gifts to your folks from now until said pooch lands on your doorstep!!

Im lucky in that OH works from home a fair bit, otherwise it would be a dog walker £10hr here or doggie daycare £25 a day here............... that I could not afford!
 
Well, we've always had dogs when I was a kid and, to be honest the ones we had were left at home from 8am til 4 or so (my mum was a teacher) 3 days a week. They were ok with that but 8 til 5:30pm is a little long really isn't it.

Between me, my sister and my mum we have 5 horses as well so I don't have any issue with the whole morning thing (ok, actually I hate mornings but, once you're up you're up!). I guess my thoughts are - financially I may now actually be able to afford a dog but I would not hate to have a dog just being left on its own for the majority of the time. That's not fair. Hmm, i reckon i should just say I have 'found' a stray and then i think i could talk the parents round.........

It's odd really how horses are actually easier to keep!

Lexiedhb - I certainly couldn't couldn't afford a dog walker 5 days a week no! I think I shall start being very nice to the parents from now on......!
 
I work 9-4 mon/tue/thur and fri and 10-3 on wed for 38 weeks of the year and the rest off as I teach at a HE college. My dogs are walked in the morning literally just before I go to walk- they are then left at 8am (9am on wed)with a large frozen kong. The dog walker arrives at 12pm for 30min- she walks them for 15-20min then plays/grooms them and leaves them with lunch and a frozen carrot. I get home at 4.45pm (3.45pm on wed) and I walk them literally as soon as im changed out of my work clothes. I think the dog walker is essential for their health as it allows them to toilet. I'm on holiday now so routine depends on what we are up to for the day.
 
I've got two and they get a walk on a morning then I leave the back door open all day so they can happily trash the garden and kitchen together. mother in law lives next door so she comes in to feed and play on a lunchtime then they come to the yard with me at night and oh takes them for a walk whilst I get everything done.
 
I work office hours.

I walk the dogs every morning and every evening before/after work - thats fine this time of year especially if you can take them riding with you, but in the winter, walking in the freezing cold, pouring rain, striding with full waterproofs on by torchlight is not fun. Trouble is my dogs are so fit that if I don't walk them they are literally climbing the walls and its simply not worth it!

I had kennels and a really big secure pen built in the garden and they go out there during the day but seeing as there are three of them, they keep each other company.

I give them bones, chews, trotters, pigs ears etc every now then too to help keep them occupied especially if I think I might get back later than usual.

School holidays are much better for me because when the children are home the dogs are in the house with them.

I would love to go back to the life of working part time, just a few hours a day for the sake of the dogs but they have never once baulked at going into the kennels so I guess its either just routine or they are perfectly happy in there. Actually Toby often puts himself to bed anyway!

Would a single dog get bored being on its own everyday? Depends on whether its known any different I guess. Dogs love routine just as much as horses do :)
 
My old dog and Sweep were both left from 8am until approx 6pm at night every day. they were both walked round the park first thing in the morning EVERY morning regardless of the weather/hangover etc etc and they got walked round the park again as soon as I got home everyday. They were happy with their routine and never trashed the house or barked etc etc At weekends I would take them to the park twice a day and take them for a 'big' walk somewhere different. At the time i lived 3 miles outside Birmingham City centre.:)

Even now where mine have the run of the garden all day when I am not here they usually spend the entire time i am out asleep in the house - backed up by the YO :rolleyes: - no matter what the weather etc.

Dogs liek routine and they will adjust to whatever routing you set - better they are left all day when you are working and being walked either side of it etc than a dog who is at home with you all day that never gets walked:o Obviously chose a type of dog that is suitable:)
 
Hmm, yeah we always had two dogs and they would be happy left for long periods but i am not sure I'd necessarily want to do the same as I would only be looking for one dog really. I think the dropping at the parents for the day may be the way forward! That, or I get two dogs! Lol. I'm glad to see it can be done, it always used to be the case but somehow these days you get the impression that the only people who have dogs are those who work from home, don't work, are retired or work P/T. Makes you feel bad looking for a dog when you work full time, office hours.
 
I'd love a dog, but out at work all day think it is very unfair - so don't have one.

I would consider it if I could find a reliable dog walker for the day - but to my mind working all day and having a dog is very unfair on the animal - they're not designed to live in solitary confinement.
 
I work full time and only got a dog as he is allowed to come to the office with me. Works out great he gets loads of company and socialisation and to plauge anyone and everyone with his toys! We walk to and from work and lunchtimes. Gets me out of the office at lunch as have to walk dog and if i need to work late dont have to worry as he is here and not waiting for me at home. I am very lucky as my employers have no problem with it at all, my boss even keeps dog treats in his desk to give to Henry now and again!

Have to agree with CC though that a dog is better in a good home woth someone working full time that in a rescue kennels. The reality is there are many dogs who need good homes.
 
Have to agree with CC though that a dog is better in a good home woth someone working full time that in a rescue kennels.
Click to expand...

I too would agree with that, which obviously makes my original comment rather contradictory, I realise.
 
I am really lucky and my dog comes to work with me. However, although I work in an office, its in the office of an animal feed/pet shop so he isn't out of place, if that makes sense?

If Herman wasn't allowed to come in, I'm not sure what I'd do. He has seperation anxiety (although is fine left in the office alone for ages :gofigure: ) and is a high energy breed. The people who bred him run a boarding kennels and do daycare there, so theoretically he could go there daily and as I drive past to go to the yard could collect him easily enough. Would be hideously expensive though!
 
My GSD goes to a very expensive dog trainer who looks after her through the day dropped off in the morning & picked up at night

We did do the walking in the morning & going home at dinner but she literally trashed my house through broedom so that is why she goes there and is so much happier although she winges when we dropp her off as she would prefer to be with us 24/7 she even sleeps in her crate next to us

I would not recomend a GSD as they are ver clingy needy dogs who hate being alone

Good luck

Liz xx
 
Hmm, I think the general consensus is it's doable (hey and maybe one day I'll meet a rich bloke and won't have to work again! Lol). There are a heck of a lot of dog owners round whre i live so I suppose it may always be possible to ask for their help but I think, of push comes to shove my parents wouldn't mind dog sitting (it'd be a lot cheaper!). Parents always say no to start with but seeing as my mum has had a history of taking in rickety old horses I don't think she could say no to dog sitting her wonderful daughter's dog surely?!

We (ie family) have one GSD x already, she's lovely but she well and truely trashed the house (ripped up carpets etc) when we first got her, even though she had a companion. Getting a creat sorted that out and as she's grown up she is now fine.

I just keep seeing these older dogs on my local dogs trust website and feel very sorry for them - there's couple of older lurchers on there who look very sweet. However, I do know I really need to wait a few months yet realistically (doesn't stop me looking though!)
 
Dogbetty, sorry, have to disagree with you there - all the dogs I am talking about are GSDs and were and still are fine with being left alone during the day as long as they have things with which to occupy themselves, chews, views etc! - lots of dogs are fine with spending time without humans, as long as they are taught/made to feel that it is OK and the sky won't fall in if they are left alone for a few hours.

There are plenty of older GSDs in rescue who would be fine with that sort of set up, although of course certain types of GSD or *any* dog might not adapt well.

If the dog is allowed access to certain items, then yes, of course, they will chew/wreck them if they are bored or upset. Having her sleep in a crate next to you won't help her be any more independent x
 
When we had 6 (yes, 6!!!) GSD and my mum worked full time we converted the whole back garden for them, and us kids used the front. They had a huge undercover kennel with a shed in, lots of baskets and beds, toys etc. Then they had a gravel run off the kennel, and behind that a grass run which we could let them into. If out for a long, long time, they had the run of the kennel, gravel and grass paddock. Then when we were home/out for a few hours, they had the run of the back garden which was fully dog-proofed and about an acre? There was like a wooded bit at the top and the garden was a hill - I used to look out on the garden and have honestly never seen such happy dogs. They were all fit and healthy and with 6 of them never seemed to miss human company. They were walked once a day in two groups of 3, my mum with 2 and me with 1. Certainly kept us fit ;)

Now we have a border terrier and a little whippet x. They go down the yard and get walked between 6-8, then shut in kitchen and hall with toys, their bed. Mum pops in throughout the day so they get let out, fussed over, then back in. I usually get home at 4 and they get let out, then down the yard and walked.

ETA - also disagree about GSD's being clingy dogs, when 5 of our 6 were gone we moved the last one into the house, and she was left all day (mum worked shorter hours then so only really 10-2) and Iona coped fine, being away from other dogs and humans. She just dozed and woke up when us kids got back. We did then get a little border terrier to keep her company as we felt bad, but I think she liked the peace and quiet tbh!
 
Last edited:
FWIW, just read my reply to Dogbetty and I am coming over a bit snarky, I didn't mean to be - I just meant to say some dogs of any breed cope fine with being alone, some don't, yes GSDs are a thinking, working breed that need to be active, but some are more laid back than others and one of their attributes is that they are independent and can think for themselves. It is a diverse breed!

I don't think it is healthy for dogs and humans to be together 24/7 - it's making a rod for your own back if you need to go on holiday/into hospital/need to work long hours for financial reasons and it puts a lot of pressure on the dog if for any reason they HAVE to be alone in an emergency.
 
i adopted my dogs when i was working full-time, i was out about 8.45-5.20 and as i worked locally i could pop home for lunch to give them a toilet break/short walk. They usually only got a short walk before work and about an hour in the evening once i got home. Greyhounds tend to sleep most the time anyway so they were fine with the routine, i got a pair because i felt better knowing they had company in the day but i don't think its necessary with the right dog.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top