Should we get a dog?

Fittle

So I'm looking for advice or whether I should get a dog.

Im a mum to an 8yr old boy and we live in a house with a small back garden. I always had a dog as a kid. My son would love a dog, but I work full time and am unsure if it would be cruel to leave a dog out the back from 8.30 to 6pm every day during the week. I don't work weekends, so that wouldnt be an issue but how unfair on the animal would it be to leave it home alone?

Any ideas?

This is our third xmas where I'm tempted to get him a dog....what would your advice be?

belongtojazz

I understand that accepted advise is that is too long to leave a dog as they will/can get very bored. However I have to say when I got my little jack 2 years ago I worked fulltime and my daughter was at school. We left the house at 8 and my daughter was home by 4 and to be honest for us it worked. For the first few weeks I came home at lunch and she was well walked both early morning and in the evening. I did get another dog when she was a year old as company for her though as I felt so guilty leaving her.
I also struggled to do anything in the evening without her as I felt that time was her time and she needed it, so I just brought her everywhere with me

Would there be anyway you could the dog to day care or have someone come in to walk/feed/spend time with?

Mr. Manager

I'm sure a rescue dog would appreciate a nice home and garden to play around in.

belongtojazz

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

I'm sure a rescue dog would appreciate a nice home and garden to play around in.

I have to admit I have come so close a few times on here to saying that
Both my dogs are rescues and they have a brilliant life, just because someone is home all day doesn't mean any of that time will be spent with the dog. My dogs get at least 1.5 hours run around each day plus training time plus play and cuddle time.
Ideally a dog should have someone with them most of the day, but a dog in a rescue centre or a pound needs a home, and so long as you are prepared to give up some of your free time for them, then in my opinion you should go for it

IvySlayer

Would you consider rescuing 2? At least they'll be company for each other. A pup would be out of the question as they need a lot of training/attention.

Tranceypoo

Would the dog have to be left in the garden all day, could he/she not be left in the house/an area in the house? Are you considering a puppy or an older dog? I wouldn't advise bringing a new dog or puppy into the house at Christmas, it tends to be a time of excitement in the house, more visitors than normal, child a bit more excited than normal (especially at age 8 I would think?) so the dog may feel a bit overwhelmed, if you waited until a couple of weeks after Christmas there would be even more dogs than usual available in the shelters and plenty of puppies sadly. If you do decide to go for a puppy (and personally, I would go for an older dog but that's just me) you will need to train/socialise it, take it to obedience class, house train it etc and you certainly shouldn't be leaving a young puppy out in the garden all day.

Fittle

I hadn't really thought about a pup or an older dog as a preference to be honest - Im a single mum and himself is an only child and I think a pet would be wonderful for both of us. I hadn't really thought further than that. Each time I allow myself to think of us having a dog, I stop myself almost immediately because I'd hate to leave it out the garden all day.

My home is quite small - downstairs is open plan so there isn't really an area to leave it inside - I suppose I could get a baby gate and leave it downstairs though..perhaps, if it wasn't a lunatic.

I had also thought of getting two dogs because a friend had mentioned that they would be company for each other - but could I afford them? Like I said I was a child the last time I had a dog, so I have no clue what the cost would be keeping one, never mind two of them.

Also, the walking...hand on heart, I can tell you now that I would walk it every single night. But the reality is that when I get in from work at the moment, the very last thing I want to do is go back out again. Himself has football and gaelic training three times a week so I could bring it with me....

I get these feelings every year around this time..just the very thoughts of having an old dog sitting at the fire and letting him jump up on the couch while we cuddle him, fills me with happiness and great memories of when i was a kid....I wouldn't get the dog FOR christmas by the way, it would be a few weeks after....

Although I do like the idea of having a few weeks annual leave from work and giving the dog time to settle into the home environment before we leave it for work/school....

Tranceypoo

Why don't you have a look online at some shelters in your area/county, there are plenty of older dogs there desperate for homes where they can spend most of their time lazing in front of the fire/on the sofa with their humans and whilst every dog needs daily excercise, some dogs need a lot more than others, if you had an older dog, maybe a smaller breed, it wouldn't need to walk miles every day. In my opinion you sound like you would give a sad lonely old doggie stuck in a shelter wondering if anyone will ever take him/her, a loving safe home (hope I haven't pulled on your heart strings too much ) Good luck with your decision!

belongtojazz

I lived in a small terrace house in the UK which was also open plan and I have a mad Jack and a 20kg Springer and they were fine. So long as you prepare the house the same way as you would have done for your son when he was small you should be fine.

I understand what you mean about not wanting to go out again when you get home, but it feels amazing when you do, I find it really rejuvanates (sp) me and if I miss a walk now I feel really low. I do have to force myself sometimes but my Jack becomes quite destructive if I don't bring her out so I have no choice now

I haven't found a 2nd dog much more expensive than having only one. I pay about 20 euro a month on food, I buy all their toys leads etc from markets (also a great oppurtunity for a walk) and an extra 30/40 euro a year for jabs. My big guy was too old to insure so I didn't have that cost.

I am currently sitting on the couch with a small dog under my jumper curled up with me and apart from a cuddle from your child there is nothing like it

I meant to add they are great company in the evening once your little one is in bed. Like you i'm a single Mam and used to find my evenings dragged a bit.. well not anymore lol

Fittle

Wow...pulling at my heartstrings is an understatement:(

So bottom line...is getting an older dog and leaving him alone for 9ish hours a day but giving it so much love for the rest of the evening as to practically smother it - better than leaving him in the pound?

belongtojazz

Fittle wrote: »

So bottom line...is getting an older dog and leaving him alone for 9ish hours a day but giving it so much love for the rest of the evening as to practically smother it - better than leaving him in the pound?

Yep.. without a doubt! (in my opinion anyway)
I wouldn't be without my pair and I strongly believe that even though they were left alone for a lot of the day my dogs adore their life

Tranceypoo

Fittle wrote: »

Wow...pulling at my heartstrings is an understatement:(

So bottom line...is getting an older dog and leaving him alone for 9ish hours a day but giving it so much love for the rest of the evening as to practically smother it - better than leaving him in the pound?

Leaving it alone for 9ish hours a day is not ideal and I think you would definitely have to take it out in the morning for a walk, even just a short one if that was all you could manage, but I do think leaving him/her lying on his/her bed or sofa in the house, radio on for a bit of company, bowl of water, toy/kong stuffed with some of his/her food etc would be preferable to him/her being in the shelter, that's just my opinion. Now, there are a lot of shelters who won't rehome a dog to you if it's going to be alone that long, if you are anywhere near Co Galway www.madra.ie will rehome a dog to suit your lifestyle and you could ring them and have a chat. Alternatively, would getting a cat be an option?

Fittle

I'm not a fan of cats at all, sorry!

I'm in dublin...should I ring around some of the shelters and say what I've said here and ask them to advise me?

Tranceypoo

Yes why not, nothing ventured as they say, I would start with DSPCA and Dogs Trust and see how you get on, keep us posted

Fittle

Will do..and thanks again..just wanted to get a perspective from other dog owners...I loved our dogs as a kid and would love my little fella to experience that too....:D

I'll ring around next week and keep ye posted..thanks again.

Cherry Blossom

OP, I've seen plenty of incidences on rescue sites where 2 small dogs need rehoming together. I'm sure there are loads of little dogs looking for a quiet home like you can provide to live their days out in I've recently gone back to work but my Westie has my mum and loads of kids for company during the day. The novelty has worn off now at this stage though so she's pretty much left to her own devices during the day and she's happy enough and if she decides she wants some attention she finds someone and demands it from them I make up for being away by letting her tag along in the mornings and evenings when I'm feeding horses and cleaning out stables and she sleeps in my bed so she's no worse off than any dog that has it's owner at home all day and sleeps downstairs in terms of how much time I spend in her company. You could try something like a little pen that can be put up or taken away easily if you worry they will wreck your house while your out. To be honest older dogs will just sleep a lot of the time when your not home anyway.

<ETA> Of course with 2 of them you'd get to have one each!

ISDW

If you get a dog thats not too big, you could put a dog flap into your back door, then the dog could go in and out during the day. You can get dog flaps for big dogs as well, but I'm just thinking of the security aspect of it.

I've always found that dogs tend to sleep most of the day anyway, whether the owner is there or not. As long as the dog gets plenty of love and attention and gets their walks every day, as others have said, a rescue dog would love that kind of life.

merryhappy

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

OP, I've seen plenty of incidences on rescue sites where 2 small dogs need rehoming together. I'm sure there are loads of little dogs looking for a quiet home like you can provide to live their days out in I've recently gone back to work but my Westie has my mum and loads of kids for company during the day. The novelty has worn off now at this stage though so she's pretty much left to her own devices during the day and she's happy enough and if she decides she wants some attention she finds someone and demands it from them I make up for being away by letting her tag along in the mornings and evenings when I'm feeding horses and cleaning out stables and she sleeps in my bed so she's no worse off than any dog that has it's owner at home all day and sleeps downstairs in terms of how much time I spend in her company. You could try something like a little pen that can be put up or taken away easily if you worry they will wreck your house while your out. To be honest older dogs will just sleep a lot of the time when your not home anyway.

<ETA> Of course with 2 of them you'd get to have one each!

Like these two beauties: http://upload.irishanimals.ie/Uploads/98_winwill.JPG

http://www.irishanimals.ie/dublin_homes.html

mymo

I'm also a single mum, got my first dog when my girl was 10, then another a year later. They are great, we go out much more now walking them, and people stop to chat, and they are great at night, I highly recommend getting a dog(or 2).
My two aren't left for long(about 4 hours at the most) but on the odd day I have to be gone all day, I bring them for a 10 or 15min walk before I go and then get someone to call in at lunchtime and let them out. Would you have a friend, neighbour or family member to do that?
I use a baby gate to keep them from upstairs, they are great.
Two little dogs like those in the link would be great, not pups but young enough to be fun. They would also be just the right size for a doggy door.
To be honest it is more expensive for 2, but not much more. Buy food in bulk, 15kgs and get airtight containers. Vac's are x2 the price and kennel fees if you go away, toys are cheap, bedding, just get something washable.
Have a good think and do think of the bad points too, talk to a few rescues as they will be great source for info and advice, and take your time.