Guest rhy&ge Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hi all! I'm new to the forums and thought I would say hi! I am not a currently dog owner, but my partner and I are currently considering adding to our 2 person family - with a four-legged friend smile.gif My partner is in the defense forces and will be going away for 6 months come July. We have been exploring the possibility of getting a dog before he leaves to keep me company and also to make me feel a bit safer, as I am not looking forward to being at home all alone. We are thinking of a toy poodle, as my partner had one when he was a kid and LOVES them. I am also fond of the havanese - I think they're super cute I guess the biggest thing for me is worrying that a puppy might not be happy with me gone from 6am-12pm, 4 days a week when I work (the rest of the time I study, so I am at home alot.) We have considered adopting an older dog too. A big decision I know, so not one we are rushing into! Any input would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac'ella Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hi all!I'm new to the forums and thought I would say hi! I am not a currently dog owner, but my partner and I are currently considering adding to our 2 person family - with a four-legged friend smile.gif My partner is in the defense forces and will be going away for 6 months come July. We have been exploring the possibility of getting a dog before he leaves to keep me company and also to make me feel a bit safer, as I am not looking forward to being at home all alone. We are thinking of a toy poodle, as my partner had one when he was a kid and LOVES them. I am also fond of the havanese - I think they're super cute I guess the biggest thing for me is worrying that a puppy might not be happy with me gone from 6am-12pm, 4 days a week when I work (the rest of the time I study, so I am at home alot.) We have considered adopting an older dog too. A big decision I know, so not one we are rushing into! Any input would be appreciated! Is that 12 mid day or mid night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Any dog will cope just fine with being left alone 6 hours per day if no fuss is made when you leave. I've left 8 week old puppies alone for up to 8 hours and they've all grown up to be nicely balanced adults with no separation issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rhy&ge Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 12 midday!! 6am - 12 midnight would be a pretty awful shift!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothieGirl Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 My dogs would love it if I was only away from them for that long. Good luck choosing your new little pal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Sounds pretty good to me. Your dog will probably sleep the whole time you're gone at work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 The dog will cope with those working hours but toy poodles can be very one person orientated & with hubby away during the early ages the dog may take longer to adapt to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac'ella Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 12 midday!!6am - 12 midnight would be a pretty awful shift!! wish I had those hrs If you bring your puppy home on a day when you can spend the most time before going back to work it can at least get used to being fed before you leave for work then with plenty of toys to occupy it there should be no problem and as Esky said will sleep most of the time, a bit of play time before you leave might help as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelaa17 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Welcome!! And the dog would be fine! I am away almost 12 hours a day sometimes!! - HOWEVER, there is always someone home cause my dad is retired! Have you had a dog before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rhy&ge Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 That's all very reassuring - although I have been worried that doggie won't know my partner when he comes home from overseas and will suddenly wonder why there is a big hairy man in his place on the couch!!! I also have never had a dog before - my family were cat people so I don't know the first thing about how to train a puppy, though I do want to take it to puppy school. Can anyone recommend a good online guide regarding bringing a puppy home? Do you think I would need to take a few days/a week off to help it adjust?? I guess I'm also worried cos I have heard people say a puppy can't hold it's bladder for 6 hours and I would hate for the poor little thing to have an accident Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 There are plenty of good resources around Try having a read of the Ian Dunbar Ebooks Before you get your puppy and After you get your puppy. Just type those titles into google and you'll be able to download and read them for no cost. Probably a good starting point. There is a section of the book that covers setting up a long term confinement area (a spot for your pup while you're at work.) It's basically a pen with food, toys a place to sleep and a place to toilet. Also do some reading up on crate training. An absolute godsend. Have a look on you tube as well at kikopup's channel. She is a clicker trainer and her tutorials a very very good. Watch some of the videos, it'll give you an idea on how some people train their dogs. DOL is a great resource for gathering links, but there is no be all and end all way to raise a puppy. It's good that you're doing some research beforehand, I'm sure you'll make great owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midday Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Of course the other option would be to get two dogs, maybe one older and one young. They would keep each other company as well as offering twice the security and love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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