Two dogs in a flat left for hours

Vinney

Vinney

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Am I being mean. A person at work has two dogs a 1 year old cockapoo and a 6week old labradoodle. Not sure if I have a names correct. She lives in a two bedroom flat with no garden and works all day. She goes home at lunch time to spend a few minutes with them and then returns to work. I think she is a nut job. These poor animals are shut up together with nothing to do all day. Surely this is no life for a dog.
 
How long is her working day?

While not idea, the dogs could be perfectly happy. She could be taking them for a long walk before and after work and then just letting them out quickly at lunch time which sounds reasonable - better life than in kennels I say!
 
Why has she got a dog and puppy living in a flat????? Is she allowed to keep pets in the flat. 6 weeks is far too young for pup to be taken away from gmum and siblings. 8 weeks is the proper age. Is she looking after these dogs OK other than leaving them alone for so long? Could you suggest a dog sitter/ walker comes in for toileting and boredom busting????
 
Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do or say as it would cause problems at work, but I just feel for the dogs. The pup can't go out yet so I suppose it will be doing all its business in the flat. How does she think she can house train the poor little mite. There is a small green area around where she lives for them to have a walk in the mornings, but not loads of space. It is on an estate so space for walking is limited unless she takes them out of the area. I just hope they are okay. She is quite proud of them so they wont be neglected when she is at home. It just seems a long time for them to be left without any interaction. Personally I would have taken a few weeks off work to make sure they were settled in.
 
Sorry mean't to add that I wouldn't dream of having two dogs in a flat anyway. Also the flat is rented off her manager so I expect anything goes as long as the rent is being paid.
 
certainly a few things there raising concerns mainly with the young pup! however getting exciting about someone having dogs and living in a flat is a little silly - i live in a flat and have a dog - not quite sure what the issue is :confused:
 
Flat, house, whatever, but having a 6 week old pup away from mum is stupid,IMO, as is leaving a tiny pup for such a long stretch.
 
Vinney said:
Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do or say as it would cause problems at work, but I just feel for the dogs. The pup can't go out yet so I suppose it will be doing all its business in the flat. How does she think she can house train the poor little mite. There is a small green area around where she lives for them to have a walk in the mornings, but not loads of space. It is on an estate so space for walking is limited unless she takes them out of the area. I just hope they are okay. She is quite proud of them so they wont be neglected when she is at home. It just seems a long time for them to be left without any interaction. Personally I would have taken a few weeks off work to make sure they were settled in.
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So you are assuming the dogs are not well cared for and actually assuming an awful lot.............unless animals are at risk or you have facts that they are being neglected it is up to the owner how she cares for her animals.

Mine are left for hrs at home whilst we are at work and they are more than happy!!
 
God I had two dogs in a one bedroom flat :o you must think me simply awful :D
Assuming you're not this persons best friend (poor woman if so) I'd suggest you hardly know what's going on in this woman's life, she could have people walking the dogs for her, or family members visiting to take them for a wee.
If she's proud of them and you don't think she's neglecting them, leave her alone. Far worse things in a dogs world than to be loved and left at home for a long time.
 
Well we live in a small house with no garden, both of us work full time. Anyone passing at the right time of day could be forgiven for thinking that the dogs are never walked as one of them is always lying in the front window, day in day out. The reality is absurdly different!

If it were a close friend and you were 100% aware of the situation and in a position to discuss it with her, fine, but a work colleague and pure speculation isn't something to be worrying about.
 
I do get frustrated by this sort of judgemental post - there are so many seriously neglected and unwanted/homeless dogs that really do deserve our concern and intervention but these don't sound as though they necessarily fit into that bracket.

I was never able to offer a home to rescue dogs because I was ruled out as soon as I admitted to being a full time worker - there are not enough 'ladies or gentlemen of leisure' to provide homes for all those in need so many are PTS instead - sense??

All my dogs have therefore been bought from reputable and established breeders - they have an enviable life and are working dogs as well as pets, well trained and much admired - they were all brought up, house trained (in a matter of 3-5 days) and trained for their different purposes by myself/OH who both work full time. At the time we also happened to be living in a mobile home for an 18 month period whilst wating to move into our home. OH was/is able to come home every lunchtime to let them out/feed/toilet them and now I am lucky enough to work for myself running a yard so I am able to have them with me whenever I choose.

If you are committed and sensible you can make anything work - do not be too quick to judge!
 
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I had two dogs in a one bedroom flat. Both were older though. If anything they got more exercise and walks because I had to take them out when they needed to go. Keeping a dog in a flat doesn't make you a bad owner.
 
Our neighbours leave for hours on end in a kitchen with a aga. Have been in when on boil but it gets better these are rescues and home checked. ...... Think porkies might have been told. And no it's not a flat but a 4 bed house with stables and yard. Why not fully fence yard, adpt stable fronts for kennels and problem solved!
 
Don't get me wrong, I work and my dogs are kennelled when I am out which some people think is cruel beyond belief :p a flat is a kennel is a house is a confined space where the dogs are left - my point was about the age of the pup.
 
Interesting to read all the comments about the 6 week old pup should still be with it's mother. I wean my own puppies from their mother at between 3 and 4 weeks old, and all working puppies I purchase as pups, I take home at 6 weeks.
 
Lulup said:
I was never able to offer a home to rescue dogs because I was ruled out as soon as I admitted to being a full time worker - there are not enough 'ladies or gentlemen of leisure' to provide homes for all those in need so many are PTS instead - sense??
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Yeah and now I'm not working full time I'm not worthy because I had the audacity to have a child! ;) It's amazing how stupid some of these rescues are. Fair enough if you're taking on a rehab dog, but some of these dogs aren't. They need love, walks and care. All of which full time/mothers/people who are unfortunate enough to live in a flat(!) can give to them more than adequately.
 
I know pups are weaned at 3-4 weeks, but it is considered that 8 weeks is the right age for pups to leave their family. I think you'll find it's KC rules that pups are not re-homed before 8 weeks...
 
I honestly think dogs only have a concept of time based on their need to wee or poo. Ever wondered why your dog greets you with the same mental exuberance regardless of if you have been gone two minutes or 8 hours? Because they don't really have any sense of time according to many and I am inclined to agree.

That said, a six week old pup going too long isn't great and will make house training harder.

To be honest though, I can think of far worse environments for a dog and feel quite uncomfortable when people are so quick to make assumptions and judgements on others.
 
Superhot said:
I know pups are weaned at 3-4 weeks, but it is considered that 8 weeks is the right age for pups to leave their family. I think you'll find it's KC rules that pups are not re-homed before 8 weeks...
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Maybe these are UK Kennel Club rules ; they aren't with the KC over here. Although many American and Canadian breeders do prefer to keep their pups till they are 8 weeks old, they aren't obligated to.
 
Vinney said:
...It just seems a long time for them to be left without any interaction...
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Two dogs, left all day together? They're dogs, they interact with each other!

I also take issue with the age of the pup, but the dogs are better company for one another than a human any day!

I do agree that the rules of rescue organisations are ridiculous though - how can being left in a smelly kennel all day with short walks and very little one to one care and love be preferable to being left alone for a few hours a day?

And having rescued a dog from the RSPCA myself, I appreciate that the rehoming fee (it was £100 ten years ago, probably more now) sounds a lot till you break it down, the money they ask is still of reach the average pensioner, who could offer a perfect home for a canine companion.
 
There is a little bit of baggage with the word flat, I think. Dogs sleep for hours, in the wild, in a house, in a flat. Presuming they have plenty of access to walks and stimulation in between, they will thrive.
But six weeks is too young to wean. That mother's milk is important - just like for human babies!
 
madmav said:
But six weeks is too young to wean. That mother's milk is important - just like for human babies!
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Goodness! What age do you wean your puppies? My bitch would never tolerate pups being left on for 6 weeks. She was ready to ditch the pups at between 3-4 weeks. Actually I've never heard of puppies being weaned at 6 weeks before. That seems rather excessive to me and I kinda pity the bitch who is made to feed for that long :o
 
and i feel bad leaving my two in crates for 4 hours twice a week :o


sorry but id never have dog's that young left for so long :( i leave mine - i work its real life but never any more than 4 hours at a time! ever...! my job works around my dogs


6 weeks is far too young to be away from its dam... poor sod.
 
Spring Feather said:
Goodness! What age do you wean your puppies? My bitch would never tolerate pups being left on for 6 weeks. She was ready to ditch the pups at between 3-4 weeks. Actually I've never heard of puppies being weaned at 6 weeks before. That seems rather excessive to me and I kinda pity the bitch who is made to feed for that long :o
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There is a big difference betwwen weaning at 6 weeks and going off to a new home. I, too, would wean before then but would leave pups together, and in close proximity to mum. I wouldn't want them to go out into the big wide world before 8 weeks, just to check that everything was okay with them, and that they were coping okay.
 
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