[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi All

  Do any of you go out to work and keep dogs? I have had a number of dogs over the years both as puppies and as rescues but am coming to the conclusion that I cant have another one until I retire (23yrs to go).

My plan was to get a couple of adult rescues who could be left out in a half acre padock with access to a stable through the day when I am at work and to be with me on evenings, weekends and holidays when I am at home. Although its not ideal to be out at work all day I had hoped that I could offer a couple of unwanted dogs a loving and experienced home. Unfortunatly all the rescue centres that I have checked out wouldnt concider me as a suitable owner as I work full time.

My last dog was a 4 year old gsd rescue who I took from an emaciated nervous wreck to a healthy, happy dog who excelled at obedience and even tried his paw at agility. At the time that I adopted him I had someone to walk him through the day a couple of days a week. I now live out of town and dont have anyone to walk my dogs through the day but hoped that two adult dogs could play out and keep each other occupied until I got home. 

Before I give up on the idea of giving a couple of dogs a good home, can anyone let me know if they keep happy, healthy dogs despite leaving them home alone all day. 

[Sandy]

I used to, BUT, firstly only worked part time and then a job next to where I lived so came home in breaks, then shift work and now I work from home again. Not a good idea to leave young dogs and pups, they can manage a little while as they will sleep but they may become distressed and distructive adn its like leaving little children, can get up to all sorts of dangerouse things, so best to have pups when you are either very part time, have someone come in to puppy walk etc or with acsess to outside and a good inside shelter thats warm/cool and dry, as dogs get older they sleep most of the day, so as long as they have acsess to water, and a nice walk either before work or after work, I would, Oh, and not too long hours, poor dog will want the toilet at some time!!!

[doganjo]

I won't sell a pup to anyone working full time with no possibility of coming home during the day or having someone else do that for them.  If you could organise a dog walker in the middle of the day it could work, but just suppose you leave your two adult dogs roaming around your half acre and someone disturbs them - maybe even just the postie, it could start a fight, or they could get excited and knock over their water and be without any for the rest of the day.  I have inside and outside runs for my dogs set up in my brick garage with pop holes between,and I do go out and leave them, but I have a boy and a girl in each run, they won't fight.  I wouldn't leave mine running round my half acre unsupervised, apart from anything else they'd wreck it! .  Have you tried the Greyhound rescue?

Your options are:
1. get a friend/neighbour/relative to look in on them a couple of times a day
2. Set up smaller runs that have loads of toys in them that they can't destroy and choke on
3. have a male and a female, but ensure they are friends before you start leaving them, or leave them on their own but in adjacent runs - mine are 8 foot by 12 foot for two dogs, adn the same inside that they can come and go to and from.
4. leave them for a couple of hours at a time and build up to half a day before going to a full day (even with someone looking in on them)
5. ensure their water container is fixed and cannot be overturned/spilt
6. exercise them before you leave so they are a little tired or at least not left frustrated
7. and again at night when you come home.
8. feed them before you leave adn again when you come home, after each of their exercise periods.

[geebee]

I used to, BUT, firstly only worked part time and then a job next to where I lived so came home in breaks, then shift work and now I work from home again. Not a good idea to leave young dogs and pups, they can manage a little while as they will sleep but they may become distressed and distructive adn its like leaving little children, can get up to all sorts of dangerouse things, so best to have pups when you are either very part time, have someone come in to puppy walk etc or with acsess to outside and a good inside shelter thats warm/cool and dry, as dogs get older they sleep most of the day, so as long as they have acsess to water, and a nice walk either before work or after work, I would, Oh, and not too long hours, poor dog will want the toilet at some time!!!

I've had 2 dogs, rescues, which had previously been kenelled anyway & they were fine left in a secure run round a 6'x8' shed with a bed on a raised bench. In winter I left an electric oil filled radiator on (cables where they couldn't chew them) and put coats on them. They both eventually ended up as indoor dogs when I reduced my hours and now i'm self employed it's no prob. I still have the option of using the kennel/run if I have to be away all day & have no one to let them out. go for it, you'd be giving 1/ 2 dogs a loving home. I agree with doganjo about the 1/2 acre a smaller area would be easier to make safe & secure

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks all,

  I agree that having puppies without being home most of the day is not an option as they need stimulation and interaction ( not to mention training!) thats why my last 3 dogs have been adult rescues. I dont want to get dogs who will be distessed if left all day as I am a caring owner and dont want unhappy anxious dogs. This rules out breeds such as collies and GSDs.

I used to walk my last dog morning and evening and also did alot of obedience work to keep him stimulated but leaving him stuck at home always made me feel bad. I knew lots of people that were home all day with there dogs but that didn't do anything with them but I still felt that leaving him alone all day was tough.

Our nearest neighbours are the next farmer along and we dont really know them. I'm not sure that they would have the time to be popping in to walk my dogs especially as they dont walk their own. Doggy day care is pretty expensive for 2 dogs 5 days a week and I couldnt afford it.

I had thought that lots of space would be a good thing (with the right fencing) but I you make some interesting points about the benefits of seperate kenels and more restricted space. 

I hoped that there would be a couple of unwanted dogs who could adapt to the life that I have to offer. Perhaps a an older pair who could potter and doze there days their days away with me( get on with my chickens) and be glad of a loving home but I think that I'm unlikely to find a breeder or a rescue centre who would concider me suitable.

Perhaps a guard lama is the way forward

[knightquest]

I think that the points about the water and reduced space rather than the paddock are really important too. The exercise before leaving them is vital too and on lead with them following so that they have to use their brains and not just muscles. A run round the paddock when they get back is a good idea.
Just be aware that they need time after exercise before they eat. And NO food prior to exercise. You probably knew that so i'm sorry to go on  
Other than that....Go for it! You'd think that rescue centres would jump through hoops to find two dogs who are older and get on with each other for you eh?  

Ian

[Jackie]

Please dont think of having a golden retriever either as they love company and for them to be without human company all day will result in depressed neurotic dogs.

[Sharondp]

You could always take the dog to a doggy creche like they had on dragons den! 

[Jackie]

Good idea, I run a doggy creche 

[Roxy]

I work part time now, so am here in the afternoons. But when we both worked long hours, we had no option, but to leave the dogs in their kennels/runs. They were started off doing this as pups, and knew no different, so got used to the routine.  Although I did manage one day off in the week when work permitted.  The dogs came to no harm, had access to water, food, and outside area, and to me that was preferable to being shut up in a small kitchen, say.

I Know plenty of people who work full time, and definitely leave their dogs home alone all day.  Whether thats right or not, I do not know, but its done.

[blackcat]

I have a dog and have, during his lifetime worked full time. He was trained for about two weeks before I returned to work having acquired him from the RSPCA. His yard had access to a deck which permitted him to look over the fence and watch the world go by. It had a wading pool that was left filled with balls of various sizes for him to play with. The cat run extended into his part of the yard so he could interact with the cats. He had a wow of a time all day while I was at work, and when I got home we would pile into the car and go to the dog park where he got to play with his buddies (regulars at the dog park). After, we would go to obedience training if it was that particular day of the week. Then I moved to NZ where he would spend his day in the yard (with various enrichment toys), being visited by the cats, and chatted to by the neighbour through the fence, and in the evenings we would go up to a huge dog park where he could run and chase smells through all manner of long grass, or we could go for long walks along various tracks.

Then I moved to the UK and was away for 12 hours a day what with the commuting. On my return we would go for a long walk again. And if I knew i would be delayed even further, getting home, I would arrange a dog-walker to come take him out for a round or 200 of ball-chasing.

He is nine now. And he is a well-adjusted, happy dog who, now I am home all day gets rather less exercise than he did in all those previous years. I think, rather than have hard and fast rules, it is probably better to consider the nature of the dog. Mine is, and always has been, perfectly happy with the arrangement. If that were not the case, he would have howled the neighbourhood down. And I am assured by various past neighbours that he does not do this. And his lack of destructive behaviour shows that separation is not a problem for him.

[geebee]

The doggy-creche is a good option but depending on where your nearest reputable one is might not be easy & you maybe want him around as a guard. Or use someone like myself who can go in mid-day to let him out to run & also cast their eye over other stock. If you decide on an adult rescue there are some breeds which I would steer clear of. not wanting to upset owners/breeders because there are always exceptions, but in general during my time in vet practices we always found that Weimeraners & Dobermanns got very distressed, vocal, destructive etc.  so if going for one of those check with rescue kennels how they hve been when kennelled. A lot of greyhounds & lurchers have been used to kennels and though many are not safe with stock, there are lots who are. When I first got back into hens last year my lurcher Blue grabbed one but after a very loud & scary reprimand from me hasn't bothered them since & the hen was fine after getting over the shock by the next day. She's still not safe with cats & I have 2!! We have a system whereby the cats have access to outside for about 12 hours overnight, in the morning I shut the cat flap & they have cosy beds, food & litter(seldom used) in my boiler/utility room. either that than Blue being pushed from pillar to post , or worse euthanased, when people couldn't cope.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks to you all for all your responces, I think that you have highlighted that dogs, like people are adaptable but some more adaptable than others. I really dont want an unhappy dog or to be a guilt ridden owner. You clearly all love your dogs and want the best for them and I would want the best for mine. Unfortunatly in order to afford to give them the best, I need to go to work and leave them behind.
I havent concidered doggy day care as I have as much provision as the day care place at my home and Im not sure that the dogs would get much more benefit from the experience. The cost of that service for 2 dogs for 5 days a week would also be too expensive for me. I would like the dogs at home to have a guarding presence so a gentle dog with a big bark would be good.

However, from my investigations so far it would appear that the breeders and the rescue centers are able to home all their dogs to part time or workless people and therefore dont need to compromise their ideal lifestyle criteria which is great news for the dogs!

Perhaps a lonely waif who is great with hens will wander by one day and respond to my gift of food and kind words be happy to hang about all day till I get home.....I've been watching too many episodes of Lassie havent I?

Thanks again for all your contributions and congratulation to all you lucky dog owners and your fortunate pets

[loosey]

We have 3 dogs and they are alone for up to 6 hours a day. They stay in the porch with access to the front yard (securely gated and fenced) when we are away from home. They are out us doing to farm animals for about an hour in the morning before we go for a proper walk around our acreage checking horses and fences etc.

They're wonderfully happy and apart from wrestling with each other from time to time pretty much sleep the day away after their morning exercise (we have cctv!). Every sunday we all go to the beach and when we let them out in the morning they refuse to come with us to feed the pigs and all sit by the truck waiting to go!

[Sylvia]

My O.H.works days and I work nights so the dogs aren't left alone. If I may venture an opinion. If two or more dogs are to be kept together unsupervised make sure to remove collars.My Pa left two Lab. bitches (one in season, the other to keep her company) for a couple of hours. Whilst playing one got her paw caught up in the other's collar, both dogs panicked and an almighty fight broke out which resulted in dreadful injury before Ma could separate them. Collars in house and kennels were forbidden from then on!