Leaving a dog home alone?

[Gilly120]

We have two dogs choc lab and Lakeland both left from 9 - 5. They are walked 6.30 every morning and 6pm in the evening. They are fine but we are lucky enough to be able to leave our back door open so they can go in and out whenever they want. If the weekends are anything to go by they don't go out much as they spend most of Saturday and Sunday sleeping on the sofas.

Dogs will adapt to your lifestyle, if you have only ever left them for 2 hours that's what they get used to, if you leave them all day they will adapt to that.

[Lell]

We have 4 Border Terriers, we both work Mon-Fri but I work at home at least a day a week and our son is at Uni but only for a few hours so they are never left very long. If our son is out all day I come home at lunchtime to see to them. They sleep in our rooms at night. When I am working at home, I rarely see them, they are generally cuddled up on someone's bed sleeping. In fact today, our oldest terrier refused to go out when I was letting the others out. I would recommend taking a couple of weeks off work to house train a puppy and then organise a dog walker if it's not possible to come home yourself.

[toots82]

I work 9-3 four days a week so I have a walker for my 2. Luckily she's also a friend so I've no issues with her having a key. I love seeing pics of them out having fun while I'm at work.

If i needed to, I could leave them and they'd be fine but it's not something I'd be comfy doing more so for the wee one. Bella is a 6.5 month old cocker and she needs the day split up. She looks for more company, attention and exercise than Beau (he's a lazy 2 year old lab).

Think about your lifestyle overall. I love that my guys get a good off lead run while I'm at work. My kids have activities most nights and my husband can work late. If my 2 have had a cracking run then a quick half hour play on a grass patch beside the house in the evening does them fine if it's all I can manage.

[suesmum]

Originally Posted by FlorayG

Lots of people leave dogs alone at home for hours but that doesn't make it right. Dogs are pack animals and it's unnatural for them to be alone away from their pack ( even if the pack is human)

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Agree 100% ... having a dog they become part of the family. They are pack animals, they love company and hate being on their own. Just because a dog looks fine and wags its tail when someone comes home after 6 or more hours, does not mean the dog is happy. It has no choice. 4 hours is the maximum to leave a dog. Often leaving the radio on helps. But any longer than that then should get someone in to say walk the dog or spend an hour with it. To be honest i dont see the point in getting a dog if most of the time durin the week it is on its own. also when someone comes home are they then going to give it their undivided attention for say an hour to make up the the alone time? or does life just carry on and the dog fits in?

Have you thought of having a cat instead? They are much better at being alone.

If you do decide to get a dog and you know it will be alone most of the day, then please put the dog first and get a dog walker or dog sitter in to spend an hour with the dog. They have emotions and feelings just like humans do and just because a dog wags its tail and shows its happy to see you when you come home, does not mean it has not been miserable ...

[amy56]

Originally Posted by suesmum

Agree 100% ... having a dog they become part of the family. They are pack animals, they love company and hate being on their own. Just because a dog looks fine and wags its tail when someone comes home after 6 or more hours, does not mean the dog is happy. It has no choice. 4 hours is the maximum to leave a dog. Often leaving the radio on helps. But any longer than that then should get someone in to say walk the dog or spend an hour with it. To be honest i dont see the point in getting a dog if most of the time durin the week it is on its own. also when someone comes home are they then going to give it their undivided attention for say an hour to make up the the alone time? or does life just carry on and the dog fits in?

Have you thought of having a cat instead? They are much better at being alone.

If you do decide to get a dog and you know it will be alone most of the day, then please put the dog first and get a dog walker or dog sitter in to spend an hour with the dog. They have emotions and feelings just like humans do and just because a dog wags its tail and shows its happy to see you when you come home, does not mean it has not been miserable ...

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Hi - I'm not sure if this is just a general post or directed at me (the op).

I literally only work two longer days of six hours, and on those two days, my DH has said he will come home for a lunch hour (and actually I'm now thinking that on those two days I will book some of my appointments to be at my own home, in which case we can reasonably expect the dog would only be left for 3 hours a day on 3 days of the week).

In this respect I actually think I'm home a lot more than I suspect most dog owners are - would you agree?

My question to myself is now more in terms of raising a puppy - I need to ascertain if I can reasonably be home for enough extra time to give it the most settling start into its new home, and obviously to tackle the toilet training. This is something that I will have to give further thought to.

As I say, any decision we come to will be thoroughly thought through and we won't go in to this lightly, if indeed we decide to do it at all. But I'm beginning to think we are in a better situation than most to have a dog (besides retired/home all of the time people, of course).

We are not cat people at all, so that wouldn't be a good alternative for us.

[axxxl]

The whole dog pack thing is a myth. Wolves are pack animals - just because domesticated dogs descend from wolves do not make them the same. Moreover, dogs know that we are not another dog, therefore we cannot possibly be "leader of the pack" or part of the pack etc.

[Mel49]

Amy56 please don't take any of the comments personally I think they are more just general comments.
From what you've said you're being very sensible, not rushing into a decision and have all bases covered so it's just the initial period you may need family or friends to pop in the odd day and let it out to help wth toilet training. Also puppies are like babies and sleep a lot of the time so 10/15 mins playing in the house or garden are enough to tire them out.
Good luck with the next step of your journey and hope to see a post with a picture of a cute little puppy over the next few months

[daytonababe]

Originally Posted by amy56

Hi - I'm not sure if this is just a general post or directed at me (the op).

I literally only work two longer days of six hours, and on those two days, my DH has said he will come home for a lunch hour (and actually I'm now thinking that on those two days I will book some of my appointments to be at my own home, in which case we can reasonably expect the dog would only be left for 3 hours a day on 3 days of the week).

In this respect I actually think I'm home a lot more than I suspect most dog owners are - would you agree?

My question to myself is now more in terms of raising a puppy - I need to ascertain if I can reasonably be home for enough extra time to give it the most settling start into its new home, and obviously to tackle the toilet training. This is something that I will have to give further thought to.

As I say, any decision we come to will be thoroughly thought through and we won't go in to this lightly, if indeed we decide to do it at all. But I'm beginning to think we are in a better situation than most to have a dog (besides retired/home all of the time people, of course).

We are not cat people at all, so that wouldn't be a good alternative for us.

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Do what's right for you... My dog is left and she is perfectly happy..

Even when we're home she's not with us 24/7... At night she's alone for 8 hrs.. this morning she was laid out in the garden alone for ages because she wanted to be. Now for the last hour she's been laid asleep on my legs.

As for puppy training some dogs don't take long at all, Lola came to us at 8 weeks and she was pretty much house trained because she was used to be outside.. She has never ever wee'd /messed in the house at night and I bet we had less than 10 wee's in the house overall.
My boxer though was a pain and took much longer to get it..

[skalexander]

OP, in my view having dogs who are never left creates difficulty when the time inevitably comes when they have to me left for a period of time. Our dogs know the routine, they don't make any fuss when we go off to work as they know the drill. You are definitely home more than many dog owners, and those owners still make it work.

Having a puppy is all about consistency to build routine. The toilet training, socialisation and general training come with consistency, persistence and lots of treats - you can provide that, certainly with the working routine you've described.

[shepherdypie]

We have two Border Terriers and they have always been left when we go to work.

Every morning they are walked for 3-4 miles and then another 4-5 miles on an evening.

This is what they have always known so nothing different to them.

I have a neighbour who has two dogs and yes she is home all day but they are not walked at all, which is so unfair to the dogs! Mine are walked regularly and even when I am home they choose to sleep all day! Lol

I really do not see the issue with leaving them and if you don't then it will make it difficult when you do come to leave them for any considerable time.

Do what is right for you, but honestly they will be just fine. We had a cage when they were little so they were safe when we were out but they don't have it now.