Can we get a dog?

Jim100

Myself and my partner are out at work all day but really want a dog. The thing that's been holding us back has been the thought that it probably wouldn't be fair to the animal to be left alone for up to 12 hours a day while we are at work.
Would it be completely unfair of us to get a dog (it would be looked after really well when we are there but the problem is for 5 days a week it would be on its own in the back garden and shed)?
We love dogs but do not have one for the above reason. Is there any way we could get one without being unfair to the animal?

Shelli

Why not get two dogs? There are plenty of "pairs" of dogs in pounds who have spent they're lives together and cannot be seperated and are now looking for a home for one reason or another. Dogs need company so I can't really see any other way around it.

Sigma Force

The company of another dog won't make up for lack of human company, if you are working long hours you will need to get a dog walker, sometimes a neighbour will do it or you might have to advertise. Dog walkers save all sorts of problems in the long run.
12 hours straight is too long for any dog to be left alone even if they have other animals as company.
Dog walkers work well for people at work all day.

gypsygirl

Shelli wrote:

Why not get two dogs? There are plenty of "pairs" of dogs in pounds who have spent they're lives together and cannot be seperated and are now looking for a home for one reason or another. Dogs need company so I can't really see any other way around it.

I agree with Shelli, We have always kept a pair of dogs, usually a Bitch & Dog, We have a Doberman (Dog) & a Shepherd (Nuetered Bitch) We work all day but when we get home our first priority is walking the dogs (regardless of the weather), Our two stay indoors with us for most of the evening after their walk, it can however be difficult if you like your evenings out or weekends away, think long and hard about this as looking after them properly is a big commitment, they will need a clean space to play (provide toys & fresh water) and a place to relax outdoors, you also need to make sure they have decent shelter from the weather & the outside area is secure, That said, being a dog owner is very rewarding & highly entertaining.

Jim100

Thanks for the feedback. I like the suggestion about the dogwalker. Does anyone have a rough idea of what they charge & generally if they are reliable etc? I suppose it depends on where you are living so if anyone can suggest any in the North Dublin area it would be appreciated.
I understand that 12 hours is a very long time to leave a dog (or even a pair of dogs) alone and that is why we haven't gotten one up to now.
On the other hand, there are a lot of dogs that are mistreated out there and I know that if we got one, they would be treated very well except for being left alone for those periods of time.
Not really sure what to do.
If I did get one (having a medium sized garden) I guess I would really have to look at getting a small to medium sized dog?
This may be a stupid question but are there certain breeds that would handle being left on their own better than other breed types?

franksm

Suppose it depends on what your garden is like too - medium-sized sounds fine, especially if it's interesting enough, the dog(s) aren't able to escape, and have some shelter - should be absolutely fine.

I know nothing about dogs though, so don't know which breeds would be able to handle the alone-time.

My neighbour has a large boxer dog; its owners are gone for most of the day. The garden is small (7m x 3m), but worse than that they paved the whole thing off :-( The dog no doubt has cabin fever as he's forever pacing around and around, whimpering. From what I can make out, the dog gets a 15 minute walk at night time, and 1/2 to an hour on Sundays - surely not enough

peasant

I would strongly advise against leaving a dog / any number of dogs alone for such a long period of time every day.

Besides the fact, that as social animals they absolutely need and crave company, they would also be unsupervised and uncorrected / untrained.

12 hours every day (except weekends) is more than sufficient time for any dog / any number of dogs to develop all sorts of not so funny habits unchecked.
Correcting/eradicating these habits is almost impossible when you're not there ...just think of excessive barking and the possible hassle with the neighbours.

Furthermore, they could also injure themselves / get into difficulty without anyone there to help ...a spilt water bowl on a hot day could kill a dog ...

Having a dog walker come round is a good thing ...but still not good enough ...it just breaks the 12 hours into 2 x 5.5 unsupervised hours ...still ample time for things to go wrong.

Another problem is that people tend to over-compensate in the few (awake) hours that they actually do spend with the dog(s). All sorts of activity is then hyped onto the dog ...only to "come down" to the same old boring, lonesome existence every weekday morning over and over again ...this only adds to potential behavioral issues.

It is a myth that you can just train a dog and then expect it to perform only the trained behaviour ever after ...take it to doggy school for a few weeks and expect it to drop all bad habits forthwith ...

Doesn't work ...

Dogs learn by constant repetion and routine ...with nobody there they learn nothing (best case scenario) or all sorts of things you'd rather they wouldn't (normal scenario)

So ... in conclusion ... not only is it not fair on the dog(s) to leave them alone for such a long time, but it also isn't fair on you. Because, over time, you will find that both you and your dog(s) will be disappointed with each other.(more or less badly so)

As for breeds that are more suited to being left alone ...there are none ...all dogs are dogs and social beings by definition.

But fair play to you for asking yourselves the question and not going out there and getting a dog regardless. Don't despair ...circumstances will change ...and when the circumstances are right, having a dog really is a wonderful thing.

(I should know ...I had to wait 35 years to get mine (ours))

MR DAZ

If you want a dog ...get a dog...just try and get someone to walk it during the day.

You sound like you would make a good dog owner!!

Daz

peasant

May I just point out that "walking" isn't the be-all and end-all of the the dog owner's responsiblity ...

Training, bonding, establishing routines, correcting behaviour, caring and nurturing also need to be taken into consideration.

A dog does (need) a few more things than eat, drink, sh*t and "walk".

And just because more and more people reduce their dogs to just that, still doesn't mean its right ...or good for the dog.

Don't get me wrong ...I'm not saying that a dog cannot be left alone. Most dogs can easily handle a few hours on their own (they usually sleep a lot anyway) but twelve hours is just too long ...in my opinion even when interrupted by a visiting dog walker (although that is a thousand times better than no dog walker).

MR DAZ

I know that walking a dog isnt everything ...i have a dog myself...but the original poster seems like some one who would really look after a dog.

Also ..waiting 35 years to get a dog...:rolleyes: not eveyone will wait.

At times in here when you ask a question........you end up feeling like a criminal ..due to the harshness of some of the comments.


Yes Dogs do need company, but there is always ways of coming to a compromise.

Daz

peasant

Mr. Daz

I would agree with you that the OP would probably make a very good dog owner, alas the circumstances do not allow it...


Compromise?

As per wikipedia:

A compromise is an agreement (or proposed agreement) to accept a situation in which the parties allow variations from what they originally sought, to achieve a compatible outcome. Is also something that any involved parties have to concede in something for the common better good to be achieved in an appeasing manner.

As the dog can neither understand what is being asked of it nor agree/disagree nor argue its point of view ...there is no possible compromise.

A dog either can or can't do something ...stay on its own for long periods of time every day it can't.

Owners might be able to convince themselves that a "compromise" has been reached by means of a dogwalker or some such ...the dog will still not understand and feel "abandoned" every single working day.
Some dogs will be able to "cope" with this situation without obvious effects, other dogs will just become the "problem dogs" that we all know about. No dog ...given the chance and ability to do so ...would choose this sort of life.

As for waiting: The most responsible form of dog ownership is not to have one unless the circumstances are suitable.

By asking the question instead of just getting a dog regardless, I think the OP has shown just that responsibility.

Jim100

Thanks guys for your comments. Peasant I know exactly where you are coming from. I have the same reservations myself. I have previously thought about the things that you have mentioned and agree that dog(s) need more than just food, shelter, water and the occasional walk. Especially if you want the best from them (and for them). If it were me left in a garden for 12 hours 5 days a week I wouldn't be too happy myself. And I take what you're saying about developing bad habits out of boredom.
Daz thanks for saying you think I'd make a good owner. I know that I would which is why I am asking myself these questions as opposed to impulsively buying one and finding out later. Or not giving a s*** later. However, in a way I think Daz is right too - if I really want one, and if I treat it well (except for the long unsupervised periods) then why shouldn't I? Especially when compared to the countless badly mistreated animals out there.
However, when I think of what really would be fair to the animal I am reluctant to do it.
There are many households where both people are working full time so I would think that there are a lot of other people who either have a dog in similar circumstances to the scenario where I would have one. Without being judgemental in any way I am interested to see how people find it and if it's working out. Any takers?

Gordon Gekko

They're kind of the wrong people to be asking to be honest - they see the dog only evenings and weekends.

You'd be far better off asking any neighbours of theirs who are at home during the day, and have to put up with the constant barking/crying/whining, like I had to with a beautiful lab next door to me when I was growing up. In the end, the poor thing was so lonely and distressed (being really nothing more than a lifestyle accessory to go on long country walks with at the weekend) on its own all day that I was almost relieved for it when it got cancer and had to be put down...

peasant

Jim100 wrote:

...- if I really want one, and if I treat it well (except for the long unsupervised periods) then why shouldn't I? Especially when compared to the countless badly mistreated animals out there.
....

Jim100
Please don't take this as a personal attack ...because it isn't meant as one (in fact I really respect the way in which you approach this issue) but that way of thinking is wrong.

Wrong because it is the typical egotistic, self-centred human way of thinking.

By human reckoning, a dog that is well cared for, looked after and loved but left alone for a long time is far better off than a dog that is neglected, mistreated, possibly beaten and also left alone for a long time.

But the dog cannot rationalise this. It doesn't realise that it could be far worse off, it is not grateful for being better looked after than many of its counterparts ... all it can perceive is that it is "abandoned" for endless hours every day ...so it suffers. Whether other dogs suffer considerably more is totally beside the point.

Jim100

Fair point. To be honest, that is not the way I'd want to look after a dog anyway. I wouldn't want to abandon it for virtually all day 5 days a week. This all just re-enforces my original point of view really i.e. that although there would be worse-off dogs, it would be far from ideal for both owner and dog.
Maybe I'll get a goldfish but they don't have the personality;-)

Michael G

One dog left alone all day won't work, because dogs need to be in a pack and get distressed when they are alone; two dogs are better. But basically because dogs are pack animals, they need hierarchy, and they don't differentiate between species. There has to be a top dog and if you get a dog or dogs you are forming your own pack, and the top dog has to be you. And your partner has to be number 2. You can swop those rankings but the vital point is that the dog or dogs have to be below both of you. If you get a dog walker, he or she will be top dog instead; then where do you both come in? Unless you are going to devote a serious amount of time in the evening or weekends to training, it won't work for you. Training is essentially a matter of establishing who is top dog. And it isn't a matter of doing it once, because the lower dogs in a pack will want to bid for higher status every so often — especially males as they get older, but bitches will do it too. You (and your partner, whether you are number 1 or number 2) would need to reassert your status every time it is challenged.

Cats pose none of these problems.

Gordon Gekko

Cats pose none of these problems

Too right! It would never even occur to a cat that it might not be top of the heap

Get a cat or better yet two cats - my kittens are great fun and most definitely have buckets of personality!

Nala

Cats are brilliant. Mine just sleep all day while I'm out so they don't mind being left, and when I do come home they're all happy to see me. Cats deal with being left on their own much better than dogs, they just sleep as opposed to barking/digging etc.

slumped

Don't agree with Peasant's post.

We were in the same dilemma, but took the plunge and resuced a golden lab from a home.

The dogs day is as follows:

Sleeps inside, so let outside at 7.30am for toilet etc.
In again at 8am - out again at 8.20am with food/water and dog run shelter.
In again at lunch time for 45 mins
Out again for 3 hours in afternoon
In at 4.30pm for best part of evening, walk, watch TV with us, sleep in front of fire.
Out for toilet before bed at 11pm

It's like having a child!

There have been several days where it has not been possible to get home at lunch to see him and he manages fine. Perhaps its just the dog being laid back but no behavior probs at at all. No barking during day - neighbours vereifed!

Get a dog, leave a radio playing in his shed, smother him with attention from 6pm until you go to bed. Let him sleep in the house. This way he will feel part of the family!

S