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Working full time and dogs

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Romily

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Hello

I have always wanted a dog but as my OH and I will be working full time I am wondering how others who work full time balance that and caring for a dog?
 
Hi

We both work fulltime and have a dog. O/H is a postman so is up at 3.00am to walk Marlow. Marolw then goes for another walk when I take the kids to school. Marlow is then on his own until about 1.00pm when he goes for another walk. His last walk is before we go to bed @):)):)
 
My family all work full time, and myself and my brother go to uni full time. We usually have alternative days to pop in for an hour in the afternoon to take her for a quick walk and fuss, and then a long walk on the evening.

When she was a younger dog we used to take her to my grandads during the day so she had company :)
 
We both work full time but we both work 5 minutes away so one of us is always able to come home at dinner time. My daughter then comes home about 3.30 so he is not on his own for too long. He has a walk at night but being a shih tzu he only has little legs so it doesn't take too long to tire him out! Think about the breed or size of dog very carefully if he is going to be on his own during the day - I wouldn't go for a working breed.
 
Neither one would be able to come home at lunch time as we are too far away and I have been pricing dog walkers which seem to be scarily expensive! Looks as if I may just have to dream a bit longer :-(
 
I walk dogs for people who work full time, but most of these dogs are older and used to being left. Their owners walk them first thing, I visit at lunch time for an hour's walk, owners home at about 5. It's not ideal to leave a dog that long otherwise, I wouldn't consider leaving mine more than 4 hours as I have two youngsters.

I am lucky that I mostly work from home now and have 3 dogs, but I've had to wait a long time for them ;)

Hope something works out for you

Sophie
 
I've got 2 dogs and work full time but am lucky that I do compressed working so only work 4 days a week and 2 of them I work from home. On the 2 days I go into the office my sister comes round at lunchtime to see to the dogs. I am just about to move house to closer to her so that should be easier too. If she cant make it round then I pop home as I am just about 30 mins away by car so can make it home on an extended lunch - the joys of flexitime :) .

Hope you can manage to get something sorted out,
x
 
hi, i have always had a dog and worked full time, unfortunately my first baby girl was left most of the day as i had no other option at the time, and she was fine, but i defo wouldnt recommend it and would try my utmost not to be in this position again.

I now have two babies, and myself and oh both work full time, luckily my fella starts at 5am so hes back home by 12 so they are only left alone from when i leave at 8.

It can be done, all i think is that my first dog was better off with me than sat in kennels all day with no huggies and cuddles and kisses after work! but like i say i wouldnt choose to do that.
 
My parents have a black labrador but luckily my mum owns a tack shop so she just takes her to work everyday with her :)
 
doglovinpiggylover said:
hi, i have always had a dog and worked full time, unfortunately my first baby girl was left most of the day as i had no other option at the time, and she was fine, but i defo wouldnt recommend it and would try my utmost not to be in this position again.

I now have two babies, and myself and oh both work full time, luckily my fella starts at 5am so hes back home by 12 so they are only left alone from when i leave at 8.

It can be done, all i think is that my first dog was better off with me than sat in kennels all day with no huggies and cuddles and kisses after work! but like i say i wouldnt choose to do that.
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I so agree! I dont like how dog rehoming centres won't let you have a dog if it is left for 4 hours or more a day. No wonder they have so many to rehome! I'm sure the dog would rather be in a nice quite home where it can sleep where it wants and wonder round than being in a cold noisy kennels all day.
 
My mum & step dad always worked and had dogs, they had 2 so the dogs would have company while they worked and then when my step-dad got home at 4pm he went straight out with them every single day rain, shine or ice for an hour.

I used to work 3 days a week full time hours and I wasn't allowed to adopt one so ended up buying our collie. She needs alot of exercise and we are out every weekend all together and my husband walks her every day.

I am home 90% of the time now so she has company but she's never chosen to be around me in the daytime, she sleeps in a different room.

I think it can work out even if you work. Just have to be dedicated
 
Lisajazz said:
My mum & step dad always worked and had dogs, they had 2 so the dogs would have company while they worked and then when my step-dad got home at 4pm he went straight out with them every single day rain, shine or ice for an hour.

I used to work 3 days a week full time hours and I wasn't allowed to adopt one so ended up buying our collie. She needs alot of exercise and we are out every weekend all together and my husband walks her every day.

I am home 90% of the time now so she has company but she's never chosen to be around me in the daytime, she sleeps in a different room.

I think it can work out even if you work. Just have to be dedicated
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yes i agree with this, when I'm in my dogs never want to be with me lol!
 
we have 3 dogs, and i am currently on maternity leave, but when i was working, they would be in the house for around 8 hours alone, but they seemed fine and would just sleep - my oh now takes one dog to work though one has to stay at home as she's too nuts!
 
It can be done but it's not ideal. Something to keep in mind is that if you get a puppy it's going to be very difficult to house train it. If there's no one at home all day how is it going to learn to go to the toilet outside if it cant get out? I know of a few people who have had this issue and have ended up with dogs that go to loo all over the house simply because there wasn't anyone at home when they were puppies to teach them not too.

Guess if you have to leave it an older already house trained dog could be better but then you cant guarantee it will be used to being left so it could potentially destroy your house.

If I'm being totally honest I dont think I'd have a dog if I worked full time unless I could arrange for someone to come in and walk it during the day.......................

Teresa xx
 
Now you mention it - when I got the first of my 2 dogs (over 12 years ago so youve just jogged my memory) he was a puppy and I was on flexitime which helped and I lived walking distance from work so could walk home at lunchtime and take him out to the nearby woods.... but .... he did destroy my house - he ate floorboards, a matress (not all at once but over a few months) and lots of other things......

My 2nd dog (2 years later) didnt destroy things but is female rolleyes and a different breed.... so if you do go for one its a good idea to research it thoroughly as some breeds may be better suited to being left in than others.....
 
We have 2 dogs and both work full time. Two days a week they go for pet sitting (Tue and Thu) to break up their week so they're not alone 5 days in a row. They also get a morning walk before we go to work and an evening walk when we get home. :)
 
I agree so much with the comment about rescues not letting you re-home a dog if you'll have to leave it longer than four hours. Having recently moved to the country, lots of people round here have dogs, and I don't know ANYONE that walks their dog AT ALL! My daughter has fallen in love with a Jack Russell/Chuwawa (sorry can't spell) cross next door and takes her out all the time, but most dog owners I know CBA I'm afraid. I think it's such a shame as there must be so many lovely homes out there that would not be able to adopt, which then may make them more inclined to buy from a breeder. I'm sure a loving home with working parents is better than living in a kennel.....
 
Our dog destroyed his previous owners kitchen, did £1000's of pounds of damage to main and cupboard doors, table, chairs.

He was shut in there while she worked full time, she also had a great social life and lived on her own. For the few months before she gave him to us, she was doing a course in Belfast, stayed there 5 nights a week and was home most weekends. He stayed in the kitchen, her mum came in for a few minutes a day to feed him. he had no toys of other stimulation, and reacted to every outside noise by bouncing up against the furniture to try to see what was going on.

Poor Max was 6 weeks old when she got him, and 2 1/2 when she gave him to us. He's a pedigree Cavilier King Charles - a breed well known to be needy for company and developing a strong bond with their owners.

There had been no doggy damage done to our home. We both work full time, but are shift workers, doing nights and days. On average he has one day a week on his own in the house, any more and he spends the day with my o/h's parents, who live around the corner and Max sees every day.

Just shows the difference good planning can make to the dogs quality of life - and the state of your home
 
redd1800 said:
Our dog destroyed his previous owners kitchen, did £1000's of pounds of damage to main and cupboard doors, table, chairs.

He was shut in there while she worked full time, she also had a great social life and lived on her own. For the few months before she gave him to us, she was doing a course in Belfast, stayed there 5 nights a week and was home most weekends. He stayed in the kitchen, her mum came in for a few minutes a day to feed him. he had no toys of other stimulation, and reacted to every outside noise by bouncing up against the furniture to try to see what was going on.

Poor Max was 6 weeks old when she got him, and 2 1/2 when she gave him to us. He's a pedigree Cavilier King Charles - a breed well known to be needy for company and developing a strong bond with their owners.

There had been no doggy damage done to our home. We both work full time, but are shift workers, doing nights and days. On average he has one day a week on his own in the house, any more and he spends the day with my o/h's parents, who live around the corner and Max sees every day.

Just shows the difference good planning can make to the dogs quality of life - and the state of your home
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oh my god, poor Max, it must have driven him insane! Thank god you have him now. :)

I cant believe the person who said about in the country no one cba to walk their dogs, thats not good, no matter what we always walk ours i think that is just mean. And, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. Maybe its different if they can just roam round fields and that i dont know. :{

I wouldnt choose to have a dog and it be left on its own for hours :(, with my first dog my circumstances changed 6 months after i got her and i had no alternative but to leave her, and she did destroy my kitchen and it was for a long time (years), and i never ever blamed her as it wasnt her fault.

Maybe in hindsight i should have given her back to the rescue she came from, :0 but i am just too selfish as i loved her x), and i knew she was hard work and would probably have ended up staying there as she didnt get on with other dogs and they struggled to find someone who wanted her in the first place. I would never EVER leave a dog overnight on its own, that just makes me sad.:(
 
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