Dog being left alone

Hi there, I'm just after a bit of advice - myself and my partner are hoping to get a Dobermann puppy soon, however with a lot of thinking and research im not sure whether to get an older dog or a new born.

Basically my concern is that my partner has just got a new job. Shift work, 4 days 7am -7pm, 4 days off, 4 days 7pm - 7am. I work 8:30am till 6pm. which means that for 8 days of the month neither of us will be home between 8 and 6. my sister has agreed to let the dog out twice a day during this period. But im still not sure this is best for the dog. Technically its only 8 days per month the dog will be left for a maximum of 4 hours alone. Will a puppy cope with this, or should we find an older dog thats done this before. I am willing to take time off work for a bit to train the dog to relax whilst im not there. Anyway im really confused, any advice is welcome!

Thanks

N x

Hi

Whilst the dog will only be left alone for 4 hours before your sister comes, won't she then go again? A puppy will need more attention than that, and dogs get into a routine.
I'd say if the hours were a little shorter and it was like that every day of the month, then the dog would get used to it (they just do) but if the dog is used to someone being there more, and then for 8 days of the month it changes, it won't get into a routine.

I've only ever seen one rescue advert for a dog that was ok staying 6 hours on it's own and it was an older greyhound.
If you go to a rescue and look around and there is a dog that's used to being left that's a different matter but I wouldn't want to tell you to get any age of dog being out that much.

If your sister was going to stay with the pooch for longer than just letting it out, it may be different but the worry is doberman's are big, destructive sods when left for too long (my friend had one that was left and he ate the kitchen table legs - I mean all of them).

Someone else will be able to help you more than me. Sorry

i sometimes leave mine,when i got harvey as a pup i had a different job and had to leave him,but he had hector for company,the thing i had to accept that his house training took a lot longer and the chewing(he is now called lawrence Llewelyn harvey lol).i left them sunday while i went to crufts,left the back door open,filled anything big enough with water.if your sister is willing to help it could work,its qaulity time more than qauntity time imo,some people are home all day and thier dog is outside or shut in the kitchen,anyway good luck in what you decide(rescues are full of dogs looking for loving homes)

just thought,my homes full of rescue dogs lol

I have a 11 week old pup he is left three days a week for the day with my OH coming home in his breaks three weeks out of five then five days of the week two weeks out of five. I took time off work to get him used to being left alone, (you have to be off work to be able to leave for very short periods building up over time!) and we have built him up to it gradually next week is his first week being left for 5 days I am not looking forward to it but he is doing very well and is generally not barking when we leave anymore as long as he had his kong or other treat filled activity toys and is not barking when we come back so we can only assume hes not barking too much in the middle either. We did have a problem with him barking himself horse the first couple off days he was left but he seems to be getting used to it now.
We believe Loki is happy as he seems to be so and think he has a good life as he has alot of quality time with my partner and myself, I would much prefer to be at home with him and to not have to leave him so much but I have to work! Although I do hope to bring him with me when he is older and has calmed down a little!

Hi there,
i dont know much about dobies and whether or not they suffer from seperation anxiety, but for me getting an older rescue dog was best for me.
For a start he was still young at 18 months but he was house trained and roughly knew 'sit' and he was ok to be left for several hours at a time.
He is now a 3.5 yr old much better trained, happier, healthy, funny character and i have just taken on a new pup.
What i have learnt from the older dog has helped me deal with her pup and being able to copy him has made the pup learn a lot quicker.
For me personally i wouldnt have done it any other way.
Also i wouldn't have got the pup if she wasnt going to be allowed to come to work with me cos i know her breed can be prone to seperation anxiety. We have had to work hard to be able to leave her quietly (with the other dog) for a couple of hours, without her howling like she is being murdered!
I wish you all the best whatever you decide. Hope you keep us all informed!
x

Glad it worked out for you Hannah,

Dogs do adapt, I know that, and Takara is left sometimes but for no longer than 3 or 4 hours.

I don't know about nova scotia's as i've never met one, and although I'm no expert on dobies, I'm speaking from the little experience I have, my friend's didn't take kindly to being left and they ended up rehoming him because she got a new job (he was actually her hubby's dog and he already worked!)

Maybe try speaking to a breeder? dobe breeders will tell you if the pup will cope with being left. If they say no, then you know for definite!

Again, if you go to a rescue, there might be a dobe rescue with an older dog used to being left, or you may have to go for a different breed or a x breed dog but it'll still all be worthwhile!

I'm afraid you might not like my views on this - I don't think you should get a dog, either a pup or a rescue, sorry. Both will require a huge amount of time and effort to settle in during the early weeks, you can't leave them on their own for more than a couple of hours, really. If you DO manage to take enough time off work to settle them in, then you have the worry of what happens when you go back to work - there's no guarrantee they'll accept it.

It's not fair on a rescue to dump it back in a rehoming centre, and not fair to expect a pup to suddenly accept you absence for that amount of time. I read somewhere that a well-settled adult dog can be left for 4-6 hours daily -no more than that.

Dobies are very people-oriented, they don't take well to being left on their own at all - they don't do very well in rescue kennels for this reason, either - they need to be with their 'people'.

Could you perhaps become a dog-walker for your nearest Rescue Centre? They are always hoping for people to do this, and it's a way of being with dogs without having the worry of full-time responsibility for them. You could even volunteer to have dogs for a weekend - to see how a dog is out of kennels, or to give one a break from kennel life. You'd be doing a great service to rescue dogs and you would have a doggie-pal for the times YOU want one - and none of the concerns about what happens while you're at work.

Sorry to disappoint you on this - but it's so terribly sad when dogs end up in shelters because their owners can't spend enough time with them, and sadly, this is one of the most common reasons for a dog to be in a shelter.

Just a quick add-on . .

When you are calculating the time your dog will be alone, you need to add on your travelling time to work, and any shopping/errand time, and any after-work activities that your dog cannot be involved in.

i am not the best to give advice but i can tell you my situation which may help.

we got buster as a pup and had a week home with him but me and OH works full time so he has been used to being left for 8 hours a day alone. i leave him toys, treats and the radio on and he holds everything in til we get home.

he is now 15 months and is used to being left and doesnt cry or bark and has a play and a good sleep.

i believe that i have enough ove to give my dog even tho iam not at home 24 hours a day and i ensure that i make up for it while i am at home.

and you also have the advantage that someone can pop in and see to the him/her, i dont but we cope fine.

as long as u can give it the love it needs, go for it!