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Long Work Hours
My husband and I want to adopt a large (full grown) dog this spring. We've been talking about it for a while but were waiting until after we had settled into our home. I've grown up with dogs and lived wih several roomates that had dogs, but he's never had a pet in his life. His biggest concern is that we are away from the house too long. We leave for work at 6:20 a.m. and don't get home until 5:00 p.m. While we do have an open yard for a dog to run around in, we don't want to leave it outside all day while we're gone. On the other hand, my husband is nervous about the dog ruining furniture if we keep it inside. We have a really open floor plan so there really isn't a place to gate off for the dog. We also don't want to leave a large dog in the laundry room all day.
What does everyone do with their dog while they are at work during the day? Does anyone have any useful articles on this topic?
Re: Long Work Hours
I have 2 small dogs (pugs), ages 5 and 6. We have had T since he was 13 weeks old and S since he was almost 4 years old (he's a rescue). In general, I am gone from 5:45 am - 7:30 pm, and DH is gone from 7:30 am - 5:30 pm. We crate trained both dogs, and they were crated any time we were gone until we could trust them not to be destructive. Once they earned their freedom, we started baby-gating them into our third bedroom (which we use as an office).
We also have a dog walker come every weekday around 12:30/1:00 and take the dogs for a walk so they can get some exercise in the middle of the day and don't have to hold it all day (they can both hold it up to 10-12 hours, but I don't want to make them do that).
Adopting an adult sounds like a good fit if you are gone long hours as long as the dog is given adequate exercise and mental stimulation (a bored dog can become destructive). In deciding on a dog, consider its needs and energy level (my dogs are very low maintenance compared to most and do just fine with two 30-40 minute walks or one hour-long walk per day).
I would highly recommend crate training even if you plan to let the dog roam the house eventually. It keeps the dog safe and allows you to determine whether you can trust the dog to be loose in the house. Some dogs have to be crated their entire lives; others can be transitioned out of the crate. We still use our crates when we travel - they provide a safe, familiar space for the dogs in new environments. If you eventually trust the dog enough to allow him/her to be loose in the house (or baby-gated into a particular room), you can transition to that set-up. I would not leave the dog outside when you aren't there to supervise - the dog could escape or get injured. GL!
6:20 to 5:00pm is a long time for a dog to be home alone. If you could find someone to take him/her out in the middle of the day that would be ideal. I also recommend crate training. It is a safe place for dogs to stay when they are home alone. You could look into doggy day care too, but that can become expensive.
Good Luck!
I'm easily gone that long in a typical workday. My husband's day is typically much shorter, but there have been many times he's away traveling and I can't always get someone to come over and let Zoey, our Boxer, out.
1) Crate training. This is where the dog stays when you're not home or not able to closely watch him until he's been trained and learned not to be destructive. Zoey did not earn her total freedom from the crate until she was with us for over a year (we also got her as a baby, though, so it might not take a as long for an adult dog, though some dogs never earn their freedom). The crate is a safe and relaxing place for your dog to hang out and give everyone peace of mind, and that way you're not worrying about fitting baby gates all over the place.
2) Look into dog walkers, or see if there are any friends/neighbors/family members who wouldn't mind stopping by in the middle of the day to let the dog out for a potty break. We used my dad and a few friends on rotation to come over and let Zoey out when she was a puppy and couldn't hold it for long periods of time. It's the only way we could have made it work!
B/w 1/8: betas 17,345, progesterone 25.6
Well, right now my H is an SAHD, so he's at home most days, but before he was home, we had one dog and both worked. A few things that worked for us: 1) Alternating schedules: H worked 7:30 to 4:30 and I worked 9 to 6, so the amount of time we was reduced, 2) Crate training: our dog would sometimes chew up random items or get into the garbage so for his safety, we crated him. Crating is actually comforting to a dog and safer for many dogs, and as long as they get adequate exercise and attention the rest of the day is no harm at all, and 3) Adopting an adult dog. Our dog was house-trained, crate-trained and came from a working foster family, so as first time dog owners we were comfortable that we were able to meet his needs.
Some other options you could consider would be hiring a dog walker to let the dog out mid-day or enrolling in a doggy daycare. (Most daycares allow you to go, as needed, so even if it was just once or twice a week, it would help with exercise and stimulation.)
I think my best advice would be to be very open with the rescues about your schedule and what the dog's living arrangements would be. Some may say no to matching you with certain dogs based on your work schedule (i.e. very young puppies, dogs with separation anxiety, or some dogs with very high energy levels), but don't be offended...it's for everyone's best interest that you be matched with a dog that's a good fit for your lifestyle, so take your time and don't get frustrated if it takes a little time to find the right match.
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath
For that long a way, I wouldn't get a dog without having a daily walk mid day by a dog walker.
And that's why I don't have a dog. Well, one reason anyway. MH would not be up for the dog walking fee right now. Our lifestyle will change when the kids get old and then I can't wait to get one
)
I'm gone from about 8-5. Our dog stays by himself with no mid-day walk in our house. He has destroyed things that we have stupidly left laying around but that's really about it.
We tried crating but our dog hated it. We talked to a behaviorist who said that if crating causes more stress than damage to not do it. It could be an option for you, however.
We leave our dog with plenty of toys, some food, clean water, the light on, his bed, etc.
<img scr=<a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a212/Blawndie42/?action=view
**6.30.12** I have found the one whom my soul loves.
This is all my opinion...10+ hours a day is too long for a large dog to be crated. They need exercise or they will start acting out.
I don't even like to kennel my little dog for more than 5 hours at a time, because he doesn't get enough exercise and he's got a little bladder.
Now I'm lucky, I work from home a lot. But I'd recommend and re-endorse many suggestions stated by PP:
1. Look for a neighbor or reputable dog walker. Your dog will love it. We live in apartments, and I am not a professional dog walker -- but I am a doggie mama -- and my next-door neighbor pays me $10/day to walk his 2 yr old lab once in the afternoon. Everyone's happy. (If you think $10/day is unaffordable, you may want to rethink getting a dog right now.)
2. Some PetSmart locations offer reasonable doggie day camp. $14 half-day, $20 full-day; with deals for frequent customers. They separate large and small dogs. Our little guy goes 1X a week or so, and he loves it.
3. I didn't see your city listed on your screen name, but I am sure there are also many privately owned day camps.
4. I wouldn't leave your dog outside all day in your yard unless you have some shelter/shade, and especially not when they are little.
My $.02.
These are not the only things to consider with leaving a dog outside unattended all day long.
It could start raining. Would the dog have somewhere to get out of the rain? What about the winter when it could get a lot colder, with much more inclement weather?
The dog could be stung or bitten by something and, just like people, have an allergic reaction. If you're not there, the results of this could be pretty awful (even deadly).
If you're not there, you have no way to know how the dog reacts to being outside all day. He/She could end up barking all day long, which annoys neighbors, who then call the police/animal control/etc, or end up being nasty to you (or even worse, the really horrible people who take matters into their own hands, and are nasty to the dog, even going to far as poisoning [no matter how unlikely, it's happened]).
B/w 1/8: betas 17,345, progesterone 25.6
I leave the house at 5:30 and we are not home until 4-5 pm My dogs are crated during the day, that is the best thing for them so they do not get into any trouble. They get to love their crate, my jack russell loves his I out my shoes on and go and get his carrot and he is waiting at the downstairs door to go to his crate.