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Working full time-can you responsibly adopt a dog?

KazDub

Hi,
I'd really like to find out if adopting a dog is a viable option for me and my family. We have 3 children aged 5, 9 and 11. Both adults work full time, so there's nobody home from just before 9 to half past six in the evenings during the week. We're home all weekend though.
Both my husband and myself grew up with dogs throughout our childhoods, but we never considered having one while our children were much smaller.
I really miss having a dog now, they're such a big part of family life but I'm not sure that having one now would be fair to a dog. I get an awful dose of dog-envy when I see people out walking their dogs, but I'm aware that the needs of the dog have to come first.
So, my question is this; am I being cruel by considering getting a pet dog for our family if it's going to be on it's own for such a long portion of the day? It kills me to think we can't have one until our kids are much older and will be home earlier, but I just have to find out if it's off the cards completely.
Are there any other full time working owners who spend most of the day away from the home, how do your pets get on, does it work out for you, would a rescue even consider letting us adopt? We already spend a fortune on afterschool childcare, I'm not sure the added expense of dog care would go down well, if I suggested it.
I suspect that it's a pipe dream at the moment, but I've just spent yet another half hour looking at all the gorgeous dogs available for adoption on the <snip> website!

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aonb

I feel for you - I couldnt imagine life without dogs/cats/pets - it just enhances family to have an animal in the family too.
Being realistic, you know already I think, that leaving a dog on its own from 9am-6.30pm would just be very lonely/quiet/solitary for a dog.
If someone could come at lunchtime and take it for a walk - at the very least - this would make it acceptable if you had an adult dog. There is no way a puppy would be possible being on its own 9 hours/day . You mentioned that you're paying already for childcare, so adding doggie daycare to the mix would be just more expense. Do you have family nearby that you could drop your dog to during the day, and collect on your way home from work?

Some thoughts:
What about offering home boarding to people for weekends - or during holidays - people going away for a weekend or by arrangement when you are home on holiday during school vacation etc. You could have a dog temporarily!! There are people looking for someone to walk their dogs very often on here and on various forums - you could become someones dog walker in the evenings and at weekends? An older person in the neighbourhood might be glad to have you walk their dog for them? People on shift work might be very glad of a walker during the evenings and weekends? You could put a card up in local vets/groomers/petshops? Insurance is probably an issue here.

I work with a rescue/shelter, we are always so short of dog walkers for our dogs and puppies. People just come to our shelter on any day of the week and weekend, and take dogs for walks (on our property) - handle puppies - spend time with the dogs etc. PM me if you're in the Kildare area and I can let you have details if interested. Im sure there are many shelters and rescues in your area who would be more than happy to have you to volunteer to get some dog time

Realistically I guess, you know you will have to wait to have a dog until someone is home for longer hours of the day. What about a cat - if you had a cat flap installed, your cat could come/go if you live in an area where it would be safe outside - or cats are more content to stay indoors all day.

em_cat

It’s good to hear from someone who works in rescue as I don’t anymore but do have strong opinions as to if I think it’s fair on the dog if no ones there for 8-10 hours 5 days a week.

I live near a vast amount of people who do this and even with the mid day walk their dogs are suffering. From barking at everything that passes to whining & howling, digging at the walls, doors, fences and anything in between to pure depression, it’s very sad.

Also, have you the time with 3 children & working full-time? TBH dog envy isnt really a reason to get a dog IMO.

muddypaws

I had dogs when I worked fulltime out of the house, I walked them every morning, left for work at 9.30 and was home for around 7pm. I then took them out again and at weekends they had really long walks. This was before kids though, don't think that I could have managed with children in the house as well. The dogs had a dog flap with access to a big garden and there were two of them for company.

Your set up would mean a dog being on it's own for a long time each day but rescues are full of older dogs, some of whom would be able to cope with that. Regarding the cost of day care or a dog walker, do you or your partner have gym membership or similar? Walking the dog everyday could replace that cost?

John_Rambo

Did it for a short time, walked the dog before work and after, he was elderly and I had previously freelanced, a lot from home. I will never do it again unless there's someone at home.

Just not fair on the dog. I really miss having dogs, but I don't want a miserable dog.

cocker5

OP have you considered the options of dog walkers (to come by during the day and take your dog out for at least a hour walk) or doggies day care?

Personally I’d never get a dog again and work full time without one of the other .. or even both in place .. 8 hours a day alone ., 5 days a weeks feels like an eternity for a dog.. if u were to consider the above .. then yes it’s doable .. and most importantly the dog would be ok .. BUT if your not considering the above then no it’s too long for a dog ..

Eve2001

KazDub wrote: »

Both adults work full time, so there's nobody home from just before 9 to half past six in the evenings during the week.

This might seem a bit crazy since you're only just starting to think about getting one dog, but what if you got two? That way they'd have eachother for company.

Otherwise it's an awful long time to have a dog on its own. Maybe you could ask/ pay someone to play/ walk with the dog for an hour or so halfway through the day to break up their time alone a little? Or if you have family nearby could they mind?

Some dog breeds and ages are better than others at being alone but any dog on its own for that long would probably get destructive or have other behavioural problems as they'd be unhappy.

Sadly if you can't do any of the above I'd hold of adopting. If you really want to be around dogs maybe you could volunteer at an animal rescue at weekends? It would be very rewarding for you and the rescue dogs without the hassle at home, and you could probably even do it as a family thing. Or during school holidays/ when you've time of work you could foster.

Good luck either way:)

KazDub

Thanks for all the replies, they just reinforced what I already knew in my heart; now's not the right time to get a dog.
There were some good suggestions, but nothing that would really suit us unfortunately.
I'll have to just look wistfully at all you lucky owners until maybe the kids are older and home from school earlier to take care of a dog.
My daughter has her heart set on a hamster, but it's not the same thing as a big, lovable companion of a dog.
Until then, enjoy your fur babies!!

CircleofLife

I'm going to go a bit against the grain here and say that it actually can be done, partly depending on your finances. This is the exact reason that things like doggie daycares and pet sitters exist. You could consider pricing any recommended ones in your local area, in addition to pricing recommended vets. The other option is to look at breeds with lower energy levels or that are slightly more independent- greyhounds for example will often sleep the day away if given a good walk or run in the morning. They also have the bonus of being slightly lower shedding dogs.

Another pet you might consider is a rabbit. They can be really good little pets, albeit on the delicate side, but they are fine to be left alone in a secured area. Ideally they should be in a pair, but it is not essential, and some do not do well in pairs. They are certainly little characters- mine taught my friends labrador to chase cats! PM me if you would like any more info on them?

sillysmiles

Working full time-can you responsibly adopt a dog?

Yes you can - if you adopt the right dog for your situation.

KazDub

Thanks for the replies, I might go visit <snip> or somewhere similar and have a chat with them, see if there's any glimmer of hope for us having a dog.
I never had rabbits (or any other small furries) as a kid, so I've no idea what they're like as pets. I know our kids would love one (or two?), so maybe that something we need to think about.
I'd really love them to have some kind of pet, as I think it's an important part of childhood and one that makes so many lovely memories for when you're older but as much as we'd love a pet I'm sensible enough to know that the most important 'person' in the equation is the animal, not us.

Graces7

KazDub wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I might go visit <snip> or somewhere similar and have a chat with them, see if there's any glimmer of hope for us having a dog.
I never had rabbits (or any other small furries) as a kid, so I've no idea what they're like as pets. I know our kids would love one (or two?), so maybe that something we need to think about.
I'd really love them to have some kind of pet, as I think it's an important part of childhood and one that makes so many lovely memories for when you're older but as much as we'd love a pet I'm sensible enough to know that the most important 'person' in the equation is the animal, not us.

someone asked way back.. what about a cat?

KazDub

Graces7 wrote: »

someone asked way back.. what about a cat?

I'm just not a cat person, I've looked after feral cats and their kittens in the past when they decided to move into our garden a number of years ago, so I'm not anti cats or anything, but none of us has ever shown any desire to have one as a pet.

em_cat

Would you consider small rodents? You could research with your kids to see what they might like. Some children really love guinea pigs, chinchillas and pet rats.

Also reptiles can make great pets but the setups can be expensive.

brokeasfeck

I know a couple who work full time, their kids are grown up now so there's no one at home. Twice a week they put their dog into Doggy Day Care, for €30 per week in total.

Fakediamond

Do you have any retired neighbours, who might like the company of a dog during the day? Obviouslythey won’t want a crazy puppy, who’s not house trained, but I know if I didn’t have a dog, I’d still really enjoy having a dog in my life. If they had a key to your house, or access to your back garden, the arrangement could be very flexible and they could leave the dog back into your garden if they had to go out themselves, so they wouldn’t feel too constrained every day.

Alternatively...have you considered having someone in your home to mind the kids after school? It might even work out cheaper than a childcare facility.

Latatian

I have an older dog and work full time. She's 15 and sleeps for the day in a crate filled with puzzles, stuffed kongs etc. I have returned home unexpectedly early to find her fast asleep and very unwilling to interrupt her usual nap. I lived somewhere with thin walls where the next door neighbour a few months in was surprised I had a dog.

She gets walked for an hour and a half a day, split up into two. She sleeps about 16 hours a day whether I am home or not and I use lots of outings, walks, puzzle toys, games, dog training classes to keep her happy. Or for example if I want to get a new book I will go to a bookshop that allows dogs, to bring her along on the outing. She gets frightened by daycare.

I did a lot of training when she was young on being used to being left without stress. It's a lot of work and I would not do it with kids. When she dies I hope to get another oldie, and will look for one who is stable, sleeps a lot and is capable of being brought out like she is.

Graces7

KazDub wrote: »

I'm just not a cat person, I've looked after feral cats and their kittens in the past when they decided to move into our garden a number of years ago, so I'm not anti cats or anything, but none of us has ever shown any desire to have one as a pet.

You are missing out! A pet cat is a different critter from a feral ...

Kerry25x

My dog usually spends 1-2 days a week home alone from 8-5 and is totally fine, he is very independent though and could often go chill out upstairs in the bedroom for 6+ hours by himself while we're downstairs. We advised the recue shelter that we would have to sometimes leave him for a day and they recommended a dog to suit us - and did a fantastic job at it.

I do think 5 days a week is a lot of time alone especially in the beginning when everything is new. Then again, plenty dogs in rescues are living lonely lives in kennels for months on end without home comforts or a family to love. With 3 children and you and your partner both being dog people you could offer so much love and interaction to one of these dogs! Maybe if you could manage one day of day care on Wednesday? That way the dog isn't spending more than 2 days in a row on his own. And ask the rescue if they have a dog that would fit in well to your situation?

Captain Flaps

My partner and I adopted a rescue dog about 2 years ago. We both work full time but our workdays are a little off kilter so he has company until about 8.30am and from 4pm, so it's not quite a full day. I also work about 15-20 mins drive from home so I nip home a couple of lunchtimes each week to let him out the back and play fetch for a bit. He gets walked each morning but other than that he has the run of the house when we're at work, and the garden when we're at home.

We boarded him with a private sitter through housemydog before and he got on so well with her that we have a long standing arrangement where he gets a full workday worth of minding each week. So in total he's got 2 full days alone, 2 days with a midday visit and one full day of minding during the week. I think it works well for him and he's a lovely little guy. I'd absolutely rather he had more company but he doesn't do well with other dogs, we are contemplating trying to find him a suitable pal to give him more company.

I wouldn't feel right leaving him alone 8-10 hours a day 5 days a week, there's always options to keep him happy that you can explore.

CircleofLife

I can pm you the name of some rabbit related pages (both Facebook and websites) if you would like to research on what they will be like as pets.

RacoonQueen

brokeasfeck wrote: »

I know a couple who work full time, their kids are grown up now so there's no one at home. Twice a week they put their dog into Doggy Day Care, for €30 per week in total.

Where is that doggy day care? The only doggy day care I've found in Dublin that suits me is significantly more expensive than that!

I've wanted to get one for ages now since I'm living on my own. Always had dogs growing up but thing is I work full time, I can easily get home at lunch time though. Would love to have a dog. I live in an apartment, but we've loads of green space and there are loads of dogs around living in apartments. Someone below me has a german shepherd and border collie! They just get the dogs out walking/running for a couple of hours a day. They always bring them out for at least an hour every evening and out in the mornings and afternoons too.

Corkgirl18

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Where is that doggy day care? The only doggy day care I've found in Dublin that suits me is significantly more expensive than that!

Some boarding kennels will take dogs just for the day. Our local one in Cork charges €10 per day.

Belle E. Flops

If you do decide to get a dog I would suggest getting 2dogs. That way they can keep each other company during the day, otherwise a dog home alone for most of the day will be miserable.

em_cat

The advice to get 2 for company always irritates me to no end, usually if 1 dog is barking all day then the other joins in without fail especially if they are stressed, lonely or anxious.

I have to deal with it all day every day in our estate.

It’s not fair on the dogs or neighbors.

Belle E. Flops

em_cat wrote: »

The advice to get 2 for company always irritates me to no end, usually if 1 dog is barking all day then the other joins in without fail especially if they are stressed, lonely or anxious.

I have to deal with it all day every day in our estate.

It’s not fair on the dogs or neighbors.

It probably depends on the dogs.

I have two dogs and they happily play or sleep when they’re home alone for a few hours.

Diemos

We have done this but while I am Monday to Friday, my wife is not. So while he does have some long days, they are at a minumum.

But the main point I argue is that our boy was in a pound with a clock over his head when we rescued him.
We do everything we can to make sure he is happy.
His day time bed is in his kennel in the garage, he has a doggy door to come and go from the garage at will. He has full run of the garden which is pretty large.
He has another bed in the house where he sleeps at night, we figure the change would keep his days as varied as possible.
He is very social, he has toys in the garden and in the garage.
He gets walks at least twice every day, proper walks.

He was at the vet last month for his vacinations and the vet remarked on how great his health was, great coat, strong heart and perfect weight.
We'd love to spend our days with him cos he brings us so much joy.

Given his options, I think he would pick us 100 time out of 100.

Odelay

Diemos wrote: »

We have done this but while I am Monday to Friday, my wife is not. So while he does have some long days, they are at a minumum.

But the main point I argue is that our boy was in a pound with a clock over his head when we rescued him.
We do everything we can to make sure he is happy.
His day time bed is in his kennel in the garage, he has a doggy door to come and go from the garage at will. He has full run of the garden which is pretty large.
He has another bed in the house where he sleeps at night, we figure the change would keep his days as varied as possible.
He is very social, he has toys in the garden and in the garage.
He gets walks at least twice every day, proper walks.

He was at the vet last month for his vacinations and the vet remarked on how great his health was, great coat, strong heart and perfect weight.
We'd love to spend our days with him cos he brings us so much joy.

Given his options, I think he would pick us 100 time out of 100.

How did the pound react to the two of you working? I'm in a similar situation, plenty of outdoors and secure garden too.

muddypaws

Odelay wrote: »

Diemos wrote: »

We have done this but while I am Monday to Friday, my wife is not. So while he does have some long days, they are at a minumum.

But the main point I argue is that our boy was in a pound with a clock over his head when we rescued him.
We do everything we can to make sure he is happy.
His day time bed is in his kennel in the garage, he has a doggy door to come and go from the garage at will. He has full run of the garden which is pretty large.
He has another bed in the house where he sleeps at night, we figure the change would keep his days as varied as possible.
He is very social, he has toys in the garden and in the garage.
He gets walks at least twice every day, proper walks.

He was at the vet last month for his vacinations and the vet remarked on how great his health was, great coat, strong heart and perfect weight.
We'd love to spend our days with him cos he brings us so much joy.

Given his options, I think he would pick us 100 time out of 100.

How did the pound react to the two of you working? I'm in a similar situation, plenty of outdoors and secure garden too.

Pounds don't do home checks, or indeed ask any questions. Pay your fee and take a dog home.

Blazer

If you’re working fulltime it’s not fair to take in a dog.
We tried it ourselves as the missus had one and he used to cry constantly when we left him alone.
Even going away for a few days was a major hassle trying to get someone to mind him.
We even got another dog to keep them company but with 2 kids the poor dogs were missing out. Luckily we had 2 relatives who were mad to take the dogs off us and both of them have a better life now than we could give them. It broke my missus’s heart to give her fella away, she has him since he was a baby and for over 6 years.

One_Of_Shanks

The Pound and adoption work differently. You have absolutely no chance of adopting. They'll interview you and even call out to see the place. Once you admit to the dog being alone 9 hours 5 days per week, its over.

For obvious reasons.

The Pound is different. And you could argue that rescuing a dog from the pound is better than leaving him/her there.
Doesnt equate to giving the dog what it needs though.

I get the dilemma though. We wanted a dog for ages back when we were living in an apartment. We waited til we knew we'd be moving anyway and got her then.
I think 9 hours lone time Mon-Fri is too much. You at least need someone to pop in for 30 mins each day to walk him/her to make it fair imo.