Getting a doggie?

Hi all,
Am new to this and looking for advice. We are a married couple, living in the country with a large back garden. I am not working at the moment as I am doing a post grad course from home to do Primary school teaching. We have been thinking about getting a dog for a long time and feel that the time is right at the moment as I have the time to devote to a puppy. The only thing I am worried about is in the future when I return to work, is it fair to leave a dog home alone for 6- 7 hours a day?
Would love to hear your thoughts and advice

Hi and welcome, personally if the dog is used to being left for this time - then most adapt fairly well, however if you plan on getting a puppy which will have you homje most of the time and then possibly suddenyl being away for 6-7hrs a day then pup wont be adjusted to it - It also depends on when you ar4e planning to go back to work as if its when pups are going through their teenage stage etc then it could get destructive and do a lot of damage in 6 hours, I would suggest a crate but i think its cruel to crate an animal for that length of time.

To be honest it all depends on when you plan to go back to work and whether you will have a dog walker come in etc - Personally i wouldnt leave my dog for 6-7hours every day - I do do it occassionaly but on a daily basis definetly not - he loves company and I just think its mean to make him stay in by himself all day every day for that length of time.

other people may differ in opinion on this one though !!

it also would depend on what kind of dog you had in mind too ??

I would say 6-7 hours is too long for a dog to be left on it's own. Do you have any friends or family that could call in over lunch time to take the dog a walk or even let it out for a run to help relieve boredom? Or perhaps you could look into hiring a dog walker in your area to take the dog out for an hour.

It's good to hear you are taking all this into consideration. A dog lives for many years and is a resposibility.

Hi I hope you enjoy the forums and a big,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

hi there, its can work if you start teaching the pup from early on that you will be away, try to avoid a breed that has high anxiety seperation.

Also as others have said depends on when you are to go back to work, if your pup is 9months + I would say it will have calmed a lot by then but read my posts if you want to know about devastation when leaving a 5month old alone for only 3 hours.

Welcome to dogsey!!!!!

I was a teacher in a previous incarnation and I had my 2 old boys then (who were young boys at the time, if you get me?!!) Anyway, my OH works shifts and as a result they were only ever left for a max. of 2 days a week and that was after a LONG exhausting walk early in the morning. We also had someone come in and check on them. I hated it. I was working full time and it certainly isn't a 6 to 7 hour day. I had to be in work for approx. 8am and wouldn't leave until 4pm at the earliest. Coming home at lunchtime was out as I worked through all of them. When we had staff meetings I was there til 5.30, on open nights it could be 8pm. That was before I did the piles of work that needed to be done at home. It isn't easy and I personally wouldn't have dreamed of having a dog at that time if it wasn't for OH being home and having my bro in law around to come in and see them when he wasn't...
It's not just the tinme in school, it's the exhaustion and other work.
In my opinion, I'm sorry, I don't think you should get a pup...even in a year it would still be too young to be cooped up for the amount of time I know I was out. Sorry if it's not what you want to hear, I know not everyone will agree though and ultimately it's your decision, I'm just talking about how it was when I was working. Teaching is definitely not a 6 to 7 hour day away from the house...


Welcome to Dogsey though!!!!

This is just how I feel but I wouldn't have brought a pup home if I had to leave it alone for more than 4 hrs.I am able to get home from work lunchtimes for an hour. Even then I feel guilty -tho I know my dog- who is now 3- sleeps while Im out. Many people do leave their dogs for long periods un-attended but its not someting I could do.

Hi Carla, and welcome to Dogsey.

There are always different views on this subject and I can only speak from my experience.

I have always worked and yes, I have felt a bit sad about leaving my two (late) dogs at home for periods of up to 3-4 hours. However the life they had with me was superb, they enjoyed their walks, they were much loved, comfortable, vets bills were always paid and visits kept up to date, they were well fed, and were a major part of my life.

Now I am getting a new pup and I feel the same way. She will be left for up to 4 hours at a time from when she is 16 weeks old, however she will be walked in the morning and evening and visited by me or someone close to me every lunchtime. Weekends will mostly be spent with her.

Just because I work full time I don't think that this should stop me wanting or having a dog. I know its not ideal, but then most things in life aren't. Willow will have a better life than many dogs whose owners are with them full time, because she will not be 'just a dog' to me, she will be like a new companion and a lifelong friend.

Just my views anyway. Good luck with whatever you decide. xJx

Hi Welcome to dogsey
Personally I think it is down to the individual dog - you would be better getting an older rescue dog than a puppy and then you might know some background ie. if they are used to be left for long periods.
We got our dog in December after months and months of agonising about whether we should get a dog when we are out 8hrs/day. We got a 5yr old crossbreed (I think staffie x greyhound) who is soo lazy he just sleeps all day! I dont think he gets off the sofa from when we leave til when we return! He really doesnt care when we leave in the morning - just opens his eyes, flicks his tail, then shuts them again!
But my parents dog who is 14yrs old gets really upset if you even leave the house to post a letter. He has always hated being left alone for some reason.
So it really depends on the dog. Hope this helps? xx

One thing I will say is well done to you for considering the welfare of the dog in the future if you know that your circumstances will be changing- not everyone does when they get a dog