Ahona Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 ^^ I share that attitude James and Dean ;) Are you looking at a girl or boy? Have you looked into breeders yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I don't have a problem selling a puppy to a couple who work full time (say away for maximum of 8 hours a day). If they are dedicated and committed to ensuring that the pup gets lots of attention, correct feeding, exercise, etc., i would rather one of my pups go to that home than one where someone is home all day and basically leaves the pup in the yard. Some employers are also willing to negotiate times. For example if you both work 9 to 5, perhaps one can start an hour or 2 earlier? From my experience, people who usually work during the week are also more likely to take their dogs to socialisation and obedience classes (MOST IMPORTANT for a puppy!) than say a retired couple. I would definitely not be crating inside for lengthy periods though, particularly without supervision. The pup would be better off in a small fenced off area or run with shelter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 It sounds like the puppy run in the back yard is the way to go with a visit during the day if possible by me (where possible), a friend, or a dog walker/player, and perhaps a day a week of doggy day care. I am tending towards a male, and have been looking at the breeders on this website, but will take any advice??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Which state are you in, jamesanddean?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 NSW - eastern suburbs (near the airport) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Will PM you with a couple of suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 jamesanddean - pls consider contacting Golden Retriever Rescue, they are not far from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Thanks for the recommendation dogmad, I didn't know they even existed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I believe it is quite possible to raise a puppy full time, as long as you are dedicated and fairly flexible in your working life, which is hard for some... I totally agree with Goldielover, that i would rather see a pup go to someone who works full time, but has the committment and determination to make it work, rather than to someone home all day that might happen to leave the dog outside all day with no interaction at all... Best of luck Jamesanddean, it seems like you are already part of the way there by asking all the right questions before you get a pup I hope you find what you are looking for and until then, keep asking those questions!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I work for an organisation that does not rehome puppies to homes where people work full time. That is such a shame. The pups are possibly missing out on some of the best homes available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 GayleK - possibly but on the flip side, most of the dumped dogs are under 2 years of age. Most people work full time and I talk to people very carefully about their regimes and lifestyles. Most would not suit a puppy. This year, in spite of our best efforts and careful interview techniques, we've had 2 instances of dogs returned as they were no longer wanted. In both cases, the dogs were rehomed as puppies by us. In both cases the new owners lied to us about what they were offering for the dogs. In both cases, the dogs were loved at first, like a novelty, before being discarded into the garden. Neither dog was taken to training, beyond puppy training. Neither dog had any time spent with it at all (not even walks) and so began the barking, digging, unhappiness for the dog. I'm only sorry both lots of people took so long to return the dogs which then needed a lot of work as they were bigger breeds. The callousness of the owners in both cases, shocked me greatly. They had obtained the puppies under false pretences and who suffered? At least they are alive because we took them back. The dogs in the pounds rarely make it out because they exhibit untrained behaviour. So I would say that we can only try our best and in the majority of cases, we rehome well. I don't think we'll be changing our rehoming requirements this area at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddii Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Thanks everyone for your advice to date...it is very much appreciated.I agree that as we work full time we have to find a way to make this work for the puppy and ourselves. We are dedicated to the long term commitment of purchasing a puppy and need to make the changes in our lifestyle to accommodate him. On these forums you get a wide range of views but we are committed to making this work whatever it takes. You see so many people who purchase pets (and have children) who are not committed and neglect them. Although we are not home all day I don't want it to be a reason for us not to proceed, but rather an opportunity to find a way to make it work. Hey jamesanddean, I think this is a really good attitude - stick to your guns! A lot of people on here will try and sway you away from having a pup when you work full time, but as a couple of others have said, it's about making it work for you and the dog. Sure, in an ideal world we could all sit at home all day and play with our dogs, but the world is not ideal so compromises have to be made all the way around. My OH and I both worked full time when we got our pups (one from a pet shop at six weeks :rolleyes: lesson learned and the other at 12 weeks from a registered breeder). The boy we got at 12 weeks has always had a mate, and the six girl did have a mate from the time we got her until she was 6 months, but then spent 3 months on her own with no problems. Both are well adjusted and very well trained dogs, but are still left to their own devices 3 days a week for about 10 hours a day and are occasionally at home on their own when the other dog goes somewhere. That said we are at club training 4 nights a week between agility, herding and flyball and have them out on a walk or run and do some training every other morning and night. As you say, it's about assessing whether you are prepared and able to adjust your lifestyle and then doing the best you can. Best of luck with it!! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 Thanks for your support Tony. We will make it work because we are making the conscious decision to do this. I am not someone who would rush into a decision like this (I have waited years to do it now that we have moved into a house with enough room to have a dog). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 jamesandean, for years people told me it would be cruel to get a dog because i was working full time. Eventually I thought 'when am I not going to be working full time'? I was willing to take the pup to training etc which a lot of people who work less hours than me aren't. I contacted a breeder and explained my situation and they were happy to give me a pup. I leave home at 8 and come home about 6, although OH is usually home about 5. We got him on a Friday, we went to work on the Monday. OH came home every lunch time for the first month or two, since then he gets 2 meals a day. We go to training twice a week, and I am sure to spend a lot of time with him on the weekends, and take him for walks daily, or at the very least have a good game of fetch in the back yard. Most dogs adapt incredibly well. If you feel that you can do it - go for it, getting Kyzer was the best thing I did and I need to work full time to pay for all his toys, training, gear, food etc Good luck with your pup and we expect photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Two dogs are the way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesanddean Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 We did think about getting 2, but the advice I received was that they can tend to bond with each other rather than you, and that if you go with 2 you are better to have a period of a few months in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahona Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 ^^ That is true, going by all I have heard! I've heard that most responsible breeders won't sell a person two pups at the same time either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time Puppy Owner Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 I understand that one then 12-18 mths later is a better way to go. That way at least one dog has already learnt all the basic obedience and if not more and I have also read that the new puppy then will generally pick up basic training faster as the watch what the older dog does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 I wouldn't be getting 2 pups at once either. The amount of effort that goes into 1 pup is plenty!! I'd do as FTPO suggested and get another pup when your first pup is older. You may even find that you can't cope with another for a few years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 (edited) We did think about getting 2, but the advice I received was that they can tend to bond with each other rather than you, and that if you go with 2 you are better to have a period of a few months in between. Not to mention that : the closer ages are together, the more likely you might have heirarchy issues when the dogs reach adolescence. what one dog learns, chances are so will the other. This is fine and dandy when it is "good" things they learn off each other, but more often than not, they pick up on "not so good" things faster and more prevalently. Working through with one - making the mistakes as we do (and fixing them, as you are doing ) is a learning curve. Further down the track, if you then chose to take on a 2nd dog, you'll be able to apply the knowledge you've gained through your experience/s. Of course, every dog is an individual, so they normally throw in a 'curve ball' just to keep us on our toes ............... and just when we thought we knew it all! Edited November 9, 2007 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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