Long Working Hours - Can You Still Have A Dog?

[Aziah]

I don't think a puppy will cope with these hours-10 hrs + travelling time.

Puppies also need 3 feeds a day for a few months.

I wouldn't do it.

Do they? I assume you meant in your opinion?

I think you'll find that's not the case and varies widely between breed & breeder...

Even if a puppy requires 3 meals a day it's easy to work around working hours. Feed just before heading out to work, as soon as you get home from work and before you go to bed.

Edited January 14, 2010 by Aziah

[Scarlet]

I don't think a puppy will cope with these hours-10 hrs + travelling time.

Puppies also need 3 feeds a day for a few months.

I wouldn't do it.

Do they? I assume you meant in your opinion?

I think you'll find that's not the case and varies widely between breed & breeder...

Even if a puppy requires 3 meals a day it's easy to work around working hours. Feed just before heading out to work, as soon as you get home from work and before you go to bed.

As I said I wouldn't do it.

The op said they are often working over 10 hrs a day and I'm assuming some travel time is added onto the 10 hours. Thats a pretty big day when it is a regular occurance - not just every now and then.

Perhaps I should have been more pedantic and said IMO pups need 3 feeds a day - though I believe this is pretty common.

Assuming the pup feeds at 7am when they leave home and again somewhere between 5pm-9pm that is still a pretty big gap between feeds.

[Aziah]

I don't think a puppy will cope with these hours-10 hrs + travelling time.

Puppies also need 3 feeds a day for a few months.

I wouldn't do it.

Do they? I assume you meant in your opinion?

I think you'll find that's not the case and varies widely between breed & breeder...

Even if a puppy requires 3 meals a day it's easy to work around working hours. Feed just before heading out to work, as soon as you get home from work and before you go to bed.

As I said I wouldn't do it.

The op said they are often working over 10 hrs a day and I'm assuming some travel time is added onto the 10 hours. Thats a pretty big day when it is a regular occurance - not just every now and then.

Perhaps I should have been more pedantic and said IMO pups need 3 feeds a day - though I believe this is pretty common.

Assuming the pup feeds at 7am when they leave home and again somewhere between 5pm-9pm that is still a pretty big gap between feeds.

No different to feeding at 7am 12 noon 6 pm - puppy is still going without all through the night

[Erny]

This may be really stupid, although it is an honest enquiry,but how do people toilet train a puppy when they are out all day?

The natural development of substrate preference plays a good part with this, Monah.

[cointreau]

Yes it can work I do shift work whic means 12 hour days or nights my dog copes very wel, she has a cat to keep her company and they get on very well. I generally work 3 shifts in a row and then have days off, which are spent with my dog she gets quality time from me before and after work and also on my days off. On the rare occassion I have to do 4 nights in a row I book both Sparkles and her cat into their holiday resort so they can have the attention and care they need and deserve allowing me get the sleep I need without neglecting them.

I choose my breed of dog carefully and spent time getting her used to being left alone, she has plenty of toys and I leave some biscuits hidden so she can hunt for them while I am away. If the weather is going to be very hot I put the airconditioner on timer and make sure there is a cool room they can go to if necessary , she also has free access to the backyard. My neighbours are very good and if necessary would phone me at work if they thought either of my pets needed me to come home. Sparkles is so happy with the arrangement my neighbour never hears her barking and rarely sees her outside.

In a nutshell yes you can work long hours and have a dog but you must do your homework and be prepared to give quality time to your dog when you are at home, just going for a walk isn't enough.

[gundoglover]

Two dogs are better than one if they are to be left for long hours. However, I would not suggest getting two puppies at the same time!

[Nic oh lah]

Two dogs are better than one if they are to be left for long hours. However, I would not suggest getting two puppies at the same time!

Oh man - can you imagine being the neighbours of someone who left 2 puppie alone? Let the chorus begin.......

[Bilbo Baggins]

I have my puppies leave on 2 meals a day. I work the buyers work.

This does not stop extras from being given when people are at home.

[jacqui835]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm really happy to see that many people have been able to make it work. The couple are very young, 23 and 25 and have no plans for children for at least 7-10 years, possibly not even on the cards so that's not so much of an issue. They are keen to have a puppy just so it can grow up with them and also because they already have a cat. The dog will belong first and foremost to the girl, if they break up it will go with her, and although they have been together for a long time and are very close, they have thought all of that stuff through.

They are planning to each take 1 week off, so that for the first 2 weeks, the puppy always has someone with it, but after that, it would be alone for about 10 hours a day.

Any suggestions anyone has for making this sort of situation work - distraction tactics, experiences etc would be most appreciated.

[macka]

for the first 2 weeks, the puppy always has someone with it, but after that, it would be alone for about 10 hours a day.

Any suggestions anyone has for making this sort of situation work - distraction tactics, experiences etc would be most appreciated.

They need to spend the two weeks getting the puppy used to being on its own. Starting with 1 hour on the first day then building it up. Otherwise the puppy will stress when they go back to work.

[corvus]

We are in a similar situation. Our dogs are inside for 10 hours plus on their own every day. We walk them before we go to work, leave them with a Kong (although by "them" I really mean "Erik" because he hoardes and Kivi lets him) and when I get home they have a play together in the yard, then I play with them, and/or so some training, and some days we take them to the dog park for a run in the evening. Love summer! We barely go anywhere without the dogs on the weekend. They are a big part of our lives.

On the independent thing, I honestly think that Erik is less independent than Kivi, in that he's much more attached to us, but Kivi doesn't cope as well with being without us as Erik does. Kivi is not unhappy with the way things are, but I don't think he's as happy as he could be, either. When I started working from home he became a big sook and spent nearly every minute with me. He has coped well with me going back to work, but to begin with he was a hopeless snuglebug when I got home, just needing lots of reassuring cuddles. He has settled down now, but I do wonder what impact it has on them.

[Odin-Genie]

for the first 2 weeks, the puppy always has someone with it, but after that, it would be alone for about 10 hours a day.

Any suggestions anyone has for making this sort of situation work - distraction tactics, experiences etc would be most appreciated.

They need to spend the two weeks getting the puppy used to being on its own. Starting with 1 hour on the first day then building it up. Otherwise the puppy will stress when they go back to work.

True. Tell them not to spend all their time with the puppy, but leave it alone for increasing durations each day. Otherwise the puppy will have serious separation anxiety when they go back to work.

[jacqui835]

Thanks guys, I will pass all of that on. I'm not sure that they will get another dog, but I know they do already have a cat... Not quite the same thing I know, but at least it's something

[Bilbo Baggins]

A lot will do with the type of dog they get. A border collie would not be a good idea to busy, a cav excellent sleeps all day.

EF Clarity.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Bilbo Baggins

[gundoglover]

Thanks guys, I will pass all of that on. I'm not sure that they will get another dog, but I know they do already have a cat... Not quite the same thing I know, but at least it's something

Dogs & cats raised together can become friends and provide company for each other. It depends a bit on the cat's previous experiences with dogs & how the cat feels about no longer being the only pet.

[all that glitters]

I don't think a puppy will cope with these hours-10 hrs + travelling time.

Puppies also need 3 feeds a day for a few months.

I wouldn't do it.

My dogs managed fine when they were puppies. Of course I initially took 15 days off to make my first puppy feel settled. During this time we left him alone for a few hours and gradually increased the time. I also left midday meal for him in treat balls which kept him occupied as well.

I have a secure yard, so he had access to the backyard through a dog door once he was old enough to use it. Before that he stayed inside and toilet training was with newspapers!!!

Yep same here!! I had my girl indoors for 5 weeks when we got her, sure she toileted inside but I cleaned up and ignored the mess and kept up with toilet training when I was home, and she turned out 100% toilet trained when we gave her a dog door.

I don't think a puppy will cope with these hours-10 hrs + travelling time.

Puppies also need 3 feeds a day for a few months.

I wouldn't do it.

Do they? I assume you meant in your opinion?

I think you'll find that's not the case and varies widely between breed & breeder...

Even if a puppy requires 3 meals a day it's easy to work around working hours. Feed just before heading out to work, as soon as you get home from work and before you go to bed.

Yeah whats with everyone saying the 3 meals a day thing and saying you can't really do that when working fulltime?? My mum came over and gave Shyla lunch every day for 5 weeks, so she had breakfast, lunch, dinner sure.. but after that (still a puppy) she had breakfast, dinner, and then supper later and was fine, and if I didn't have mum to do the lunch thing initially it would have been breakfast, dinner, supper from the beginning.

We are in a similar situation. Our dogs are inside for 10 hours plus on their own every day. We walk them before we go to work, leave them with a Kong (although by "them" I really mean "Erik" because he hoardes and Kivi lets him) and when I get home they have a play together in the yard, then I play with them, and/or so some training, and some days we take them to the dog park for a run in the evening. Love summer! We barely go anywhere without the dogs on the weekend. They are a big part of our lives.

Do your guys hold on all day corvus? I always wondered if I had to keep my dogs indoors only if they would hold on for that long

[mita]

A lot will do with the type of dog they get. A border collie would not be a good idea to busy, a cav excellent sleeps all day.

EF Clarity.

Agree with you, BB. So much depends on the dog. For a long time (& working long hours) we had a little mixed-bred rescued dog (sort of poodleXtibbie). She was rather cat-like. Loved to snooze away the day in the house. The house with all the familiar scents of her owners, was like her secure doggie cave.

Set-up counts, too. She had doggie doors out onto a weather-proof verandah deck, with another doggie door down to a secure little courtyard, for going to the toot.

But we later got a sheltie who hated being left alone to the point of separation anxiety. But with training guidelines from a behaviorist & the added company of a calm little rescued sheltie, she eventually was happy in the same circumstances.

So I'd say, depends on the dog & the set-up.

[corvus]

Do your guys hold on all day corvus? I always wondered if I had to keep my dogs indoors only if they would hold on for that long

Kivi's been doing it from 6 months old. He can go 13 hours without any trouble. We currently have a dog walker visiting daily to let them out because Erik is borderline. He's just over 6 months old and he can go 7-8 hours reliably, but 10 hours is a hit and miss affair. I'm planning on giving him another month before seeing how he goes holding it all day again. When he was smaller I was working from home about 60% of the time, but the rest of the time Erik was inside in a pen for longer than he could hold it. I don't feel it has impacted on his toilet training. Maybe extended it a little. He doesn't have accidents now unless he can't get outside, and he has a "need to go out" bark he will often try if the door is closed.

I'd love to give them the run of the yard and the house, but the setup of our house means it's not currently possible without giving them unfettered access to the swimming pool as well. Would like to fix that. They have a yard fenced off from the pool, but Kivi hates it because it's too far from the house.