Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Do any dog owners go out to work?  (Read 9588 times)

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2010, 08:21:24 pm »
Oh dear how awful. What a distressing story. I have heard similar stories of the dangers of keeping horses turned out in headcollars.

Thanks for the advice.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
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Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2010, 09:11:31 pm »
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!
Something similar happened to us.  We were out gardening, beautiful day, Hester and Gigi, best of friends normally, usually played together all the time; we tied them to a big iron cartwheel to stop them straying while we worked, we had just gone round the corner of the house to take down an old coal bunker when there was an almighty racket - they had both tried to follow us, got tangled in each others leads and set upon one another.  Just as well there were two of us - we separated them withing seconds and there were only a few puncture wounds, but it could have been worse.  And as experienced dog owners we should have known better!  We never got them back together and Hester has been sharp with other bitches ever since.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

OverWyreGrower

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Lancashire
    • Mistress of Meals - Blog
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #17 on: August 31, 2010, 03:05:49 pm »
We both work full time, and have 2 large, fairly high energy dogs, and we make it work!

We are up between 5.30 - 6am every weekday.  Walk the dogs, get back and feed the birds etc, feed the dogs.  Feed ourselves whilst the dogs mooch, get dressed for work, make up the dogs stuffed Kongs, then leave the house by about 8.30am.

We're back again at 6pm, dogs are let out, walked again (most nights) and then spend the rest of the evening with us, either outside working, or in the house.  We don't go to bed until about 13.30-11pm, but often the dogs will mooch upstairs earlier than that and warm the bed up!

Both dogs are past puppy age (being 3 and 4), and are very routine based.  However, it took a while for this to work, and we have invested, and continue to invest, a lot of our time in making it work.

I would love to have a dog walker, but both dogs aren't particularly 'other dog' friendly, so can't be walked with other dogs, plus the money aspect.  I haven't got £50+ a week spare to pay someone to walk them at lunchtime (for example).  We have no family in the area, and frankly, I wouldn't trust anyone who didn't know my boys inside-out to walk them anyway.

The breeder of our dogs knew we both worked full time when we bought the boys (she works full time herself), and we knew it was the only way we'd get a dog, given that a resuce would never rehome to us, because we work.
20 chickens, 8 ducks, 2 Boxers, 1 polytunnel, 1 orchard, 1 longsuffering husband!

knightquest

  • Joined May 2010
  • Birmingham
    • Knight Pet Supplies
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #18 on: August 31, 2010, 09:11:10 pm »
Dogs are by nature creatures of habit and love routine so it can work. We leave three or four of ours home all day and they seem perfectly happy. We only work a mile and a half away but find that going home at lunchtimes only disturbs them. When we have been home in the past, sometimes they don't even get up!!!

Big respect to you though OverWyreGrower for doing it with Boxers.....OMG!!  ;D ;D ;D

Ian
Ian (me), Diane (my wife) and 4 dogs. Ollie (Lab mix) , Quest (Malamute), Gazer and Boris (Leonbergers)

OverWyreGrower

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Lancashire
    • Mistress of Meals - Blog
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #19 on: September 02, 2010, 12:24:26 pm »
Big respect to you though OverWyreGrower for doing it with Boxers.....OMG!!  ;D ;D ;D

They're not as bad as everyone makes out, honest! ;D

They have the same kind of energy as a Border Collie, but don't need to have this focussed through work.  A good walk, retrieve training, or general obedience training is brill.

Boxers are very good at relaxing (too good sometimes) and honestly aren't any more manic/active than a collie, flatcoat etc
20 chickens, 8 ducks, 2 Boxers, 1 polytunnel, 1 orchard, 1 longsuffering husband!

littlemisspiggy!

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
    • just left of the 20th century
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #20 on: September 02, 2010, 09:09:45 pm »
hi,i approahed the RSPCA about a rescue and they turned me away straight away!i work as a security guard on nights,my OH works days but because we both work full time we were not suitable(obviously all the barking stressed out dogs in their kennels didnt need loving homes that day!!!!)Anyway to give you hope i now have 6 dogs,10 mini shetlands,6 pigs,6 ducks,7 chickens and 2 goats on the way!!!!!we have kennels and runs for when we're out and everyone else is in a 4 acre field!its damn hard work and holidays are out the window...lol... :wave:but its as rewarding a life as i could ever want,im 27 and couldn't be happier,i got all my dogs from families that advertised privately first before resorting to taking them to rescue centres,they needed my help as much as the ones in the RSPCA,i just managed to home them before they got there!!good luck and dont give up!!x.x.x. :dog:
'can't rain all the time!'

knightquest

  • Joined May 2010
  • Birmingham
    • Knight Pet Supplies
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #21 on: September 03, 2010, 08:18:43 am »
If close enough y'awl should try the Birmingham dogs home for dogs.............had a young couple in the shop on Tuesday, on benefits so home all day who were about to go and collect a one to two year old Staffy type dog. They had a child in a push chair and lived in a maisonette on the upper floor. They had never had a dog before but lived near a park...............any ideas how this situation will turn out????>:( >:( >:(

I called the home but they can't discuss individual situations............T*ssers! Moneygrabbing ones at that!

Ian
Ian (me), Diane (my wife) and 4 dogs. Ollie (Lab mix) , Quest (Malamute), Gazer and Boris (Leonbergers)

Snapper

  • Joined Mar 2010
    • walbut house farm
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #22 on: September 03, 2010, 12:39:51 pm »
We left both our terriers at home, shut in the kitchen for upto 8 hours a day with absolutely no problems when we went to work. We used to leave food and water for them as well as treats. Although we found that they didn't seem to touch the food or treats until we came home.

Even now if we go out for the day we leave them indoors with no problems. Other dog owners ( about five of us) at work do the same with  a variety of different dogs a Westie, 2 Springers, Labs and Cavalier King Charles. I wonder if the secret is to give them a reasonable walk in the morning before leaving them??

Try Pre-loved. Pets 4 homes or Epupz there are often older dogs needing new homes as well as pups. Also The Dog Trust don't seem as awkward as RSPCA.

Hope this helps.


littlemisspiggy!

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
    • just left of the 20th century
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #23 on: September 04, 2010, 01:23:47 pm »
nice to hear someone else manages it with boxers!!!lol....... we leave our 6 dogs at home when we have to and we have 2 boxers, 2 boxer cross collies!!!!!! a doberman and a collie...i know im mad...... ;D
'can't rain all the time!'

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #24 on: September 05, 2010, 08:56:15 pm »
Hi All,

   thanks for your positive experience and encouragement. Perhaps the right dogs will come up somewhere. Many of the rescue centres seemed full of staffy types and I suppose their only homing criteria is that you dont work. Not having a garden, any experience or any intention to walk or train the dog isn't a concern to them.

  A private add may be the only option and hopefully there would be a genuine reason for the sale and enough concern for the dogs welfare to let me know if they felt the dog would struggle with being left at home all day.

 :dog:
 

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: Do any dog owners go out to work?
« Reply #25 on: September 05, 2010, 09:47:23 pm »
but check with "local" rescues, rather than big name ones.

we have a rescue German Shepherd, I work full time, my o/h is agrophobic following a breakdown so is obviously at home (!) but the dog cannot be out when the cats are around, or off lead at any time... due to her background

while he sees to the other animals, or does stuff outside, Sheba is quite happy in "her" room (our bathroom). she has a comfy bed, water, an open window, we have left food/treats/toys but she wont touch them until she is out.  She can hear what goes on outside, and enjoys a nice kip for however long she is there.
She has been known to take herself off to her "basket" after bath, walk, breakfast even if we dont need her shut in - its all about the routine.

(yes, bath.  she and I share a shower every day... If I try to shut her out she just kicks the door! she jumps up and plays in the water spray   ;D ::)  )

I would be happy to leave her there if we were both out all day, rather than loose in the house, getting wound up by what goes on outside & upset by the bus going past  ::)  and she would not cope with being kennelled outside. 

its all about the dog, and you... some dogs would never manage it, some are quite content to wait for your return home...

good luck with your search.  :)
Little Blue

 

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