Home Alone - Dog

shifty_uk said:
Dont do it, especially if you’re considering a puppy.

Being alone 8 hours of the day with no mental or physical exercise is nothing but cruel.

Yes I have strong views on this but I’ve been a dog owner for 8 years, brought a puppy through training, a rescue through training, you need commitment. What’s the point in getting a dog if you’ll only see them briefly in the morning then in the evening?

I only got a dog when my ex could work from home full time or they were dropped off at a relatives house for the day, which provided company and walks. Years after this, they come to the office etc.
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Absolutely this.

Really don't bother if you're both going to be out of the house for 8+ hours a day it's cruel.

We've left ours for an absolute maximum of about 6 hours on very rare occasions. But I would never do that daily.

Stick with the cats.
 
Lonewolf said:
A rescue dog was an option I considered but without a history of temperament when there’s a child and two cats in the house…
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We have a rescue dog. I don't know if all rescue centres are the same but we had to visit three times and walk the dog each time before they would take him home. The other thing, as others commented, can you leave your dog for eight hours at home when you are at work? I actually took mine to work - I was the boss. I have since retired so that is no longer an issue. We still leave him at home if we have have to go out but that's not usually more than four hours.
 
Lonewolf said:
A rescue dog was an option I considered but without a history of temperament when there’s a child and two cats in the house…
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I doubt a rescue center would consider you a suitable owner if you tell them the truth about how much time you'll actually have for the dog. That should tell you a lot.
 
The training element is going to be the hardest. When we got our puppy we both pretty much used our entire year's annual leave so it had 24/7 company for two months... And it was hell if I'm honest (GSDs aren't for everyone).
3 years later and I'm working from home a few days a week and we get a dog walker in on the days were both working so she's never alone for more than 4 hours at a time.
Dogs do adapt to routine but 5 days a week 8 hours a day of solitude maybe a bit harsh on it.
 
Can you afford dog daycare? Mine goes and is £20 a day. Make sure your budget can stretch.

Mine only goes very occasionally as both normally working from home.

If you intend to not be in or only get it walked weekdays then I'd say a dog isn't for you. 8 hours is too long.
 
As others have said, unless you are going to be home for the first year of the puppy's life, don't do it.
Puppies are a huge amount of work. Training, walking, making sure they aren't eating things they shouldn't, playing, attention. A puppy left alone for long periods will develop behaviour problems.
 
8 hours? No chance, most I've left our lab is 2 hours and that's during the evening when she's usually sleeping.
 
Easy.

Put the dog in a small cage so it can't destroy anything.

Don't give it food or water during the day so then it won't need to go to the toilet while you're out.

Give it a 20 minute walk in the evening (because you're tired from work and have things to do, so anything more is a struggle) to relieve your guilty feelings.

It'll be loving life.
 
Maccy said:
8 hours? No chance, most I've left our lab is 2 hours and that's during the evening when she's usually sleeping.
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We've left ours our two dogs for 3 or 4 hours.

That's been after a long off-lead walk and we have nest cameras to keep an eye on them. Luckily they mainly slept, with the odd occasion where the youngest one got up, looked in the lounge to see if we were about then went back to sleep.

Op. Imagine being locked in a house alone with no TV, no phone, no computer, radio, books etc and the toilet doesn't work, and you are there for 8 hours.

Pretty boring eh?

That's similar to how it is for a dog. Even when they have the company of another dog its not fair.
 
Lonewolf said:
Currently have two cats but since having moved into a house we feel it’s time to think about getting a dog. What holds me back is that we both work and we’d be away for around 8 hours per day. The dog’s welfare is obviously priority and being left home alone isn’t ideal, but I know from experience leaving a dog at home while out working can work.
I know there’s plenty of dog owners on here, how do you manage owning a dog and being away for most of the day?
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Don't do it, leaving a dog for 8 hours every day is cruel.
 
I'd love another dog but due to work now the previous replys are why I wouldn't get one.

Don't get one until you circumstances change for the better, 8 hours is along time.
 
A dog should be considered part of the family, fully integrated. They aren't cats who are pretty self sufficient. You are the dogs entire world, you can't be a part time dog parent.

Would you be happy a having problem dog making your life difficult for the next 10-13 years?

I work from home and Missy also goes to my wife's salon for the day, or worst she goes to the in-laws. She is 20 weeks old now and needs constant guidance and training. If she gets bored, she starts acting out as you'd expect.
 
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VincentHanna said:
We've left ours our two dogs for 3 or 4 hours.

That's been after a long off-lead walk and we have nest cameras to keep an eye on them. Luckily they mainly slept, with the odd occasion where the youngest one got up, looked in the lounge to see if we were about then went back to sleep.

Op. Imagine being locked in a house alone with no TV, no phone, no computer, radio, books etc and the toilet doesn't work, and you are there for 8 hours.

Pretty boring eh?

That's similar to how it is for a dog. Even when they have the company of another dog its not fair.
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Yeh we're working her up to longer periods, she'll do 3 hours this evening but has taken time to get to this stage - she's still only 14 months but brilliantly behaved so can trust her to be left.
 
Aside from the fact it's cruel to the dog you also have to think of your neighbours. The constant barking will drive them mad and you will not be a popular chap. I know this because two of my neighbours used to leave their dogs alone for extended periods of time. On one side we had a Doberman who was never good with people (probably due to minimal contact with them) and on the other side we had a red lab who was kept in a small run on the side of their house for hours on end and in all weathers. It was a nightmare for the rest of us let alone the poor dogs. Dogs are pack animals, they need company. Please don't do this.
 
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