Leaving a dog alone.

brando08

Hi everyone! Thinking off getting a new dog the only thing is the dog would be on its own out the back yard between around 8 till 5 around 4 days a week due to my work,but would be getting plently off walks outside these hours. Would this be unfair on the dog?? Was thinking off getting a rottie or irish staff.

Weidii

If you have a big enough garden maybe you should consider getting two dogs to keep eachother company. Personally, I wouldn't leave a dog alone for this amount of time every day unless it had a large space to run around in or other dogs to socialise with. Dogs are like humans in that they are sociable animals. Imagine being by yourself for that many hours a day.

Alfasudcrazy

I recommend two dogs as well. They obviously would also need a secure enclosure and some place warm and dry to sleep.

Essexboy

brando08 wrote: »

Hi everyone! Thinking off getting a new dog the only thing is the dog would be on its own out the back yard between around 8 till 5 around 4 days a week due to my work,but would be getting plently off walks outside these hours. Would this be unfair on the dog?? Was thinking off getting a rottie or irish staff.

NO! This is a very bad idea.

Treating an animal like this is cruel and you could also have trouble with your neighbours. The dog will bark a lot and cause a nuisance. :mad:

Ruu_Old

Seems a bit unfair in my opinion, maybe have another think if you want to get a dog. It is a long time to leave the dog alone.

Annika30

I think it's too long to leave a dog on it's own and I don't get the idea that if you get 2 dogs you can leave them as long as you like???!!! It's still too long to leave them. But if you get a dog walker in or leave the dog in a dog creche it would be fine in my opinion.

Kristopherus

If you get a dog as big as what you're thinkling, you will need at least a half acre to run around. Then you will also have to consider there are special regulations to own a rottie.

deemy

Thats just wrong. :eek: You can't leave a dog on their own for that long. Dogs love company. And i don't mean company as in another dog. Even if you did have a massive acre all fenced in for safety this is too much time for a dog to be alone. If you still want to have a pet maybe consider a cat. much more of a solitary animal. Maybe a goldfish:rolleyes:

SuzyS1972

It's pretty bog standard hours for most working people.
If you commit to training classes - make sure the dog is in with you all the time you are there and sleeps in then thats not so bad. I would also say get a dog walker in. Weekends mean spending yout time with the dog too.

Just remember the evenings - every evening rushing home - never going for a quick pint after work , never doing anything in the evenings either unless you make provisions in advance - thats what my life is like !

Perhaps consider an older dog though - It's 100% not suitable for a puppy especially a breed like a staffie - they need socialisation at a young age due to their tendancies to not get along with other dogs .
Also a rottie / staff need a good hour a day walk so be 100% certain you will want to do this every single night no matter how your day has been - how the weather is etc.
Thats the reality of owning a dog and working full time if you want the dog to have a decent quality of life........

Also as others have pointed out - certain dogs left alone can be destructive - suffer separation anxiety and wreck your garden / house.

And honestly 2 bored dogs = twice the destruction.
I have a friend who has an older dog and is looking after and trying to find a home for a lab x whom he found some weeks ago - every day he comes home she has destroyed the kitchen / garden so 2 dogs do not always gel and keep each other happy

brando08

Hi SuzyS1972, thats sound advice thankyou. Think i will leave it for a few months might have alot more time then due to changing working hours.

SuzyS1972

thats sounds good
If you are not totally set on a certain breed many rescue groups get more settled dogs in in pairs that often need homes together that may suit your lifestyle too
It's just a thought

Lauragoesmad

I think you should be a cat person instead.

Anynamewilldo

I was a Non dog owner up until a year and a half ago. I felt too guilty and worried about leaving a dog alone 4 days a week all day. A friends of mine that also worked similiar hours rescued a dog and told me I should reconsider as there are lots of rescue dogs in a lot worse circumstances waiting for a good home. My dog had been in rescue for 8 months since he was a puppy awaitng a home. His living conditions were anything but ideal. Absolutely tiny area for exercise that made my back garden seem huge and rarely any walks, if ever.
You do need to be careful of breed etc when choosing a dog that will be left alone for periods of time. My lad gets a 40 minute walk before I go to work and the same when I get home, he's in the house whenever I am home and at the weekends he comes everywhere with me. He is without a shadow of a doubt a Happy well adjusted dog He doesn't bark during the day when I am gone and there is no evidence of chewing. Lots of exercise before you go to work is a must and the same when you get home.

PinkDiva822

We've had dogs in our house for years and in my opinion it can be fine for them to leave them alone. Tho we've had only small dogs through the years. We all work in my house but after 5 everyone is home and weekends there's always someone there. We had one dog on his own when we were young but in those days dogs could wander and nobody would pay any heed to them!!
Our last dog who died recently was left on his own through those hours too and we never had any problems with barking or other bad behaviour. We came home and gave him loads of attention. He was well fed, well looked after and loved dearly. Yes we had a cat too during his life too but she was out most of the time.
If you think about it, the animal is getting attention and love when you come home, before you go to work and when your off. Being fed, watered and a has home. Rescue dogs out there don't have these lives, would you rather see these animals in a home where its loved and cared for even though thay are left on their own for so many hours a week then leaving them in conditions you wouldn't even live in yourself?? I'd rather rescue the animal give him/her a home even if I'm not going to be there all the time than leave them where they're not wanted.

glineli

My westie is left at home on his own from 9 to 5. Recently i had a day off so was at home. i tried to let him in during the period but all he wanted was to be outside. He has his normal daily routine where he sleeps, runs around a bit, plays with one of his many toys and then goes back to sleep. Around 4.30he waits for one of us to come home. then he is inside, taken for walks etc til 11.30 or so.

Its no problem, he is well used to it at this stage.

Whispered

I agree with the above posts to an extent - while it is not ideal, it's better to be in a loving home than in pound or rescue. However you should be careful of the breed, as far as I know staffs dont take well to being alone, I'm not sure about rotts. Collies tend to be destructive when alone, and as far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong) but sight hounds usually cope very well with being alone for long periods.
Of course I know it depends on the individual dog, but choosing a breed with a temperment to suit your needs will help a lot. Also, if you can, try get an older dog. I think it would be very hard for a pup to be taken from the hustle and bustle of his litter mates to living a solitary life.

Also, I know what people are saying about two dogs makeing no difference to unwanted behaviour but as far as I know, they will help keep each other happy. They have each others company, they are a pack animal it makes sense that they will be happier with company during the day, even if it is just other doggy company.

Rodney Trotter

It's more natural for a dog to have another dog for company than a human.
Two dogs will play with each other, one has to be dominant, one submissive.

I feel some people get far too tied to their pets, it's not healthy, not that the pet cares.

Edit: We have a Boxer bitch and a rescue dog (his mother was some slut, God knows what breeding he has). She is the boss but they play with each other for hours every day. She'll bark at strangers, he has never barked since he was born, 8 months ago.

Only down side is the amount of cr4p that comes out of a dog is multiplied when you have two. They get so much exercise they eat more so, instead of the cr4p from one docile dog, we have the stuff from two active dogs.

peasant

Rodney Trotter wrote: »

Two dogs will play with each other, one has to be dominant, one submissive.

Who fed you that load of BS ? :rolleyes:

Two dogs may:
- play with each other and get along like a house on fire
- be completely indifferent to each other
- hate each other's guts and fight all the time
- gang up and make your and your neighbours' life hell

luck of the draw, that one ...and nothing to do with dominant vs submissive.

One thing two dogs will definitely do is pick up and amplify each other's bad habits, especially if they're left unsupervised for long periods.

Rodney Trotter

peasant wrote: »

.............................................................................
One thing two dogs will definitely do is pick up and amplify each other's bad habits, especially if they're left unsupervised for long periods.

And, pray tell, who fed you that load of BS ?


Unbelievable.

illiop

My dog gets left alone from 9.30-5 during the week(though someone is useually home at lunch). He just sleeps all that time, even now when i'm home he just goes to bed. It's not ideal but when we got him we had no idea on what owning a dog is like.

peasant

Rodney Trotter wrote: »

And, pray tell, who fed you that load of BS ?

My dogs

stevoman

I have a rottie and they defintily need company. i have a setter the has a large run and then the rottie has the rest of the big garden to himself. what you need to remember about having a rottie is that they really do need company or else they will get very depressed in themselves.

Im very lucky that i have one that is as soft as butter and afraid of his own shadow (which is great and im very lucky in that sense), but a bored depressed angry rottweiller can make a very bad pet.


I really recommend you dont get on unless you are able to handle the breed through thick and thin. i was recently offered a rottweiller to re-home, as he had killed three sheep. i couldnt take a risk on a dog like this and i had to make the suggestion that he was to be put down, which i wasnt happy about doing, but it was for the best in my opinion.

PLEASE OP dont get a rottie unless you can handle one. If its the image your lucking for with either a rottie or a staff, you might think you look good with it for a year or two, but your image will change in time, but a dog is for life!!!!

brando08

Hi stevoman! no mate its not too look good, been around rotties most my life,love the dogs, but they have never been on their own for more than 4 or 5 hours each time.

stevoman

brando08 wrote: »

Hi stevoman! no mate its not too look good, been around rotties most my life,love the dogs, but they have never been on their own for more than 4 or 5 hours each time.

accepted brando. you know the types then who buy them to show the lads and then neglect them. their was 3 pups dumped around my town lately by horrible people whio couldnt handle the breed. personally i wouldnt leave any of them alone for too long a time. they'l just turn nasty. i bet a staff wouldnt mind as much, although i wouldnt leave one of them alone too long either

crally

I got one dog. felt sorry for him all alone all day. so i got another dog. they are together but they do not like being left alone. they bark and howl so i keep them indoors as my neighbours were complaining. dogs like human company. so two dogs will be two lonely dogs. i now have them 3 years so i would find it difficult to get rid of them but i dont think it is fair on the animals. they love to be around people.