Should I get a dog?

368100

Hi folks,

So I'm building a house and will be moving in soon on my own. Im away all day, will leave before 7 and it's about 7 when I'm normally home though I do have the option to work from home when i dont need to be in the office.

I'm thinking of getting a dog .. (golden lab) as its a big house and it'd be great company...I love dogs and it would be inside with me evenings and weekends. I was thinking of a large pen ourside with plenty of space for it to move around and a kennel for it to sleep. I'd consider a rescue dog too.

Id really like some opinions....Am I being a bit selfish, as in would it be unfair on the dog given the hours I wouldn't be there?

And if I'm not has anyone got any advice/tips as I know I'll feel guilty leaving it for so long?

TheRiverman

I would advise you not to get a dog,due to the length of time the dog will be on his/her own and also your guilt at not being there.You are obviously feeling guilty just thinking about it.

boomerang

Sorry no, under the circumstances I wouldn't get a dog.

Wildcard7

No matter how big the pen is, if the dog is alone he'll just lie there bored until you're back home. The only way i'd remotely consider it ok in your situation is if you can see yourself walking/entertaining your dog one hour before you leave and one hour when you come back. Extra activities and socialisation in the weekends. 365 days a year, no matter the weather, hangover, social activities or work stress.

If you want a low maintenance housemate get a bunch of cats and cat flaps.

Imallrightjack

No way.you should not get a dog.
dogs need company and affection not just walks.

Pygmy Shrew

You'd need to be prepared to find a reliable dog walker or doggy day care to look after your dog during the day if you're going to be away for that long apart from the days you are working from home.

aonb

I can understand the temptation to have a dog when you're living alone. Not fair on the dog to be alone 12 hours/day though. Could you bring the dog to work? or to a combo of doggie daycare/dog walker for the week - but that combo is $$$$$. If you're building a house is there any family close by that would have the dog for the day while you're at work?
You could get a lodger?!?
Or as someone else said pair of cats/cat flap - not the same, but good company too!

Imallrightjack

Pygmy Shrew wrote: »

You'd need to be prepared to find a reliable dog walker or doggy day care to look after your dog during the day if you're going to be away for that long apart from the days you are working from home.

No i don't agree with this either.with the long hours the op is gone.Who will the dog get attached to?the dog walker?and the dog looks forward to seeing the dog walker not the owner.
That's no good for the poor dog.

Milk_Tray

I leave ours alone in the back garden from 8-5 mon-thurs and daycare on Friday and its absolutely fine. Neighbors check in over our wall and she just plays & sleeps, never barks/crys & is a very happy loved dog. Now when we come home its all about the attention and you do need to make sure you fuss over them and give them a good walk. This can be tough because although you might have had a bad day and are tired, the dog isnt and you need to take that into consideration..Some days you just want to flake on the sofa but the dog needs plenty of attention. Daycare is great for getting them exhausted & socializing and its nice to break up the week for them too...

Oh and dont forget weekends..... you need to spend time with them too. All dogs are different though, some HATE being along and 8-5 would be too much for some.. ours knows no different and is fine. I was very careful checking for signs of stress and separation anxiety etc... the last thing you want is your dog being sad and unhappy... so make sure if they are alone, shower them with attention when home

bilbot79

People go a bit mad on the whole 'should I get a dog thing' here.

Think of it this way, if it's a rescue will he have a better life at your house?

Dogs get bored in the living room if you're not playing with them and just sleep. At home hell just get used to it till you get home. Would you consider 2 dogs?

Watch out with the breeds, like a Bichon frise is the dog version of a ragdoll cat and needs to be in company 24/7

Grumpypants

Just get two dogs so they are company for each other. Make sure they are secured in a nice big pen when you are not there, and have shade and water, but other wise they will be fine.

andreac

No, sorry, your lifestyle is not suitable for a dog.

So you are gone for more than 12 hours a day which means at most your dog will have your company for maybe 3 or 4 hours before you go to bed?

No, that is no life for a dog. Dogs need company and this is not the type of life for any dog.

peasant

Grumpypants wrote: »

Just get two dogs so they are company for each other.

Two dogs doesn't always result in rainbows and unicorns

Best case scenario you have two dogs that keep each other happy (but that also usually means that they can quite happily do without you other than as a food distributor).

Most likely scenario is you have two bored dogs on your hands instead of just one.

Worst case scenario is that you have two dogs who wind each other up, fight, destroy the house and bark the neighbourhood down.

Latatian

Talk to rescues. They might have a nice stable dog who was used to that kind of life, or who sleeps 16 hours a day because they are old, or whatever. If they have no dog who would lead that kind of life happily, they can just say no. Of course if you got it you'd want to have someone by to let it out for a walk in the middle of the day.

368100

Thanks for all the responses. While I'm sure the dog would be perfectly healthy and safe in a big pen during the day, I guess I'd still feel too guilty leaving it for so long.

Work hours unlikely to change either due to commuting time so I'll just have to get over that idea much as I'd love one.

cocker5

368100 wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. While I'm sure the dog would be perfectly healthy and safe in a big pen during the day, I guess I'd still feel too guilty leaving it for so long.

Work hours unlikely to change either due to commuting time so I'll just have to get over that idea much as I'd love one.

To be honest OP the entire point is not how guilty you would feel but the loneliness for the dog while your out and believe me 12 hours a day feels like 24 hours to a dog waiting for you to come home.. and that exactly what they do they wait - they don't just entertain themselves to be honest.

Again on you wanting a dog - the most important thing is quality of life for the dog and imo spending half of its life outside in a pen waiting .. is no the best life for a dog.

If you are gone 12 hours a day.. presumably you will sleep 6-8 hours a day Best and I mean best case is the dog may have company 4 hours a day?
Who would want that life? Dogs adore their humans .. they would spend 3/4 of all of their time alone ... enough said op.

368100

cocker5 wrote: »

To be honest OP the entire point is not how guilty you would feel but the loneliness for the dog while your out and believe me 12 hours a day feels like 24 hours to a dog waiting for you to come home.. and that exactly what they do they wait - they don't just entertain themselves to be honest.

Again on you wanting a dog - the most important thing is quality of life for the dog and imo spending half of its life outside in a pen waiting .. is no the best life for a dog.

If you are gone 12 hours a day.. presumably you will sleep 6-8 hours a day Best and I mean best case is the dog may have company 4 hours a day?
Who would want that life? Dogs adore their humans .. they would spend 3/4 of all of their time alone ... enough said op.

???

I don't think it was really necessary to explain that......

cocker5

368100 wrote: »

???

I don't think it was really necessary to explain that......

You asked should you get a dog?
And I only wrote the truth!

368100

cocker5 wrote: »

368100 wrote: »

???

I don't think it was really necessary to explain that......

You asked should you get a dog?
And I only wrote the truth!

I asked for opinions....not a lecture

Teyla Emmagan

368100 wrote:

I asked for opinions....not a lecture

The poster's response was very fair. The fact it doesn't suit you is beside the point.

I was home on Sunday and as usual drove by this poor dog who has been chained up in his front garden for as long as I remember. He's obviously there for security as no one is ever home. Once in a very blue moon he's not there if he is inside (I guess) or being walked. There are no kids or other animals. It would break anyone's heart. Don't do that to a poor dog, you just won't be home enough.

_Brian

Get a cat

368100

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

368100 wrote:

I asked for opinions....not a lecture

The poster's response was very fair. The fact it doesn't suit you is beside the point.

I was home on Sunday and as usual drove by this poor dog who has been chained up in his front garden for as long as I remember. He's obviously there for security as no one is ever home. Once in a very blue moon he's not there if he is inside (I guess) or being walked. There are no kids or other animals. It would break anyone's heart. Don't do that to a poor dog, you just won't be home enough.

How did it not suit me, I already posted that I wasn't going to go ahead with it?

I think it's fair to say that I had the dog's best interests at heart, if anyone needs that explained to them or reads something else out of the posts that's their own issue.

I didn't need nor ask for a lecture about how my guilt wasn't more important than a dog being lonely....in fact my guilt would be as a result of the dog being lonely.

The post was speaking down to me as if I hadn't considered all of this twenty times already.....if somebody wants to lecture go and do and somewhere else.

cocker5

368100 wrote: »

How did it not suit me, I already posted that I wasn't going to go ahead with it?

I think it's fair to say that I had the dog's best interests at heart, if anyone needs that explained to them or reads something else out of the posts that's their own issue.

I didn't need nor ask for a lecture about how my guilt wasn't more important than a dog being lonely....in fact my guilt would be as a result of the dog being lonely.

The post was speaking down to me as if I hadn't considered all of this twenty times already.....if somebody wants to lecture go and do and somewhere else.

If you had have considered my points twenty times already .. common sense would have prevailed and you wouldn't even needed to ask OP - that's a fact.

And I wasn't speaking down to you I was merely posting from the dogs point of view that's all. You just didn't like what I posted and are now offended (no idea why)

This is a public forum regarding animals.

368100

cocker5 wrote: »

If you had have considered my points twenty times already .. common sense would have prevailed and you wouldn't even needed to ask OP - that's a fact.

And I wasn't speaking down to you I was merely posting from the dogs point of view that's all. You just didn't like what I posted and are now offended (no idea why)

This is a public forum regarding animals.

So I'm not allowed to ask for an opinion even though I've considered a course of action myself.....another condescending post from you...You obviously get off on speaking to people like they're 5 year olds.

Thanks to everybody who gave an opinion who didn't feel the need to speak down to me......I'll sign off here, @Mod feel free to close the thread .....lest somebody else gets scolded for asking an opinion.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057405004

I've certainly been discouraged from participating in this forum again.

sillysmiles

cocker5 wrote: »

And I wasn't speaking down to you.....

TBH, that bit is debatable. The OP had already said that they agreed it wasn't right in their position.


OP, If you are building a house, personally I would suggest living in it for a year and getting used to the commute and the set up in the new house and then think about would a dog suit your lifestyle.
As well as the daily commute and you would also need to think about the lack of freedom to do something after work because you have to go home to take the dog out. Is there family or friends near by that would consent to be a potential dog godparent and food person #2?

I would say there is enough change in your life at the minute, shelve the idea for a year or so.

What you want to avoid is being one of those people that has had a dog for a few years and then the dog gets rehomed due to "change in circumstances".

DBB

I'll close this thread at OP's request.
For the record, I don't have much issue with what Cocker5 wrote... It is certainly not breaking the spirit of the quoted thread on aggressive posting, which was aimed at a posting style far in excess of anything in this thread.
Thanks,
DBB