How Many Hours Can A Dog Cope With Being Alone?

[BT-Argo]

Hello

I have just joined this forum tonight and thought id create a post with my situation.

I have always wanted a dog since I was a child but never actioned on it until now that i am in my own unit. I have been given approval to keep a dog in my unit as others have them in the block also.

I have done so much much theoretical research and listed with breeders over a year ago and thought i would go for an older puppy or young adult about 12months old. I have a situation or i see it as a problem where i am at work 9 - 10 hours a day so the dog would be on its own for an average of 10 - 11 hours a day. This has kept me from getting a dog until now and the fact that i am in a unit i am not sure how it would cope.

I am looking at a toy poodle cause its smaller type of dog, it does not shed hair and i do not mind taking time to groom it at nights. on the weekends i would spend most of the time with him.

A dog has come up and i have spent a few hours with him and really felt for him but as i spent a week thinking of his welfare i decided not to take him cause of the hours he would be alone. The issue is i really would like him and know i woudl take him out both at mornigns and nights as i love walking or going for a jog in the mornings.

What are your thoughts on how a dog copes during the day, how long it can stay alone , how it copes in a unit etc.?

I have thought of kong toys and hiding treats through the rooms ...

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Curious

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Many ppl with dogs work full time hours and their dogs manage...personally, my dogs are left for about 10 hours through the week b/c I work full time and at least four nights per week I go to the gym after work. But they didn't arrive at my home and get thrown into that situation: it took "alone training", establishing a routine (for the dog to learn our patterns), and being realistic in our expectations, to create the situation where the dogs accept our work hours and absences and take it in their stride. Plus realising that issues such as Separation Anxiety and diet can play a huge role in how well a dog copes alone. With three dogs, we could simply leave them together...but as they are all different sizes and temperaments, this would be foolhardy at best. So we separate them and they each have their own space inside the house.

We have two DAP diffusers, Molly has a crate in our room with the door left open and I suspect she spends 80% of her time in her crate, Ruby has our family room/kitchen, and Lilly has the lounge/dining room. They each have a kong toy, rope toys, nylabones, and we rotate other toys such as treat balls, busy buddies, and everlasting treat balls. They also have "company" - classical music, radio, and TV. They were taught from the beginning that it was OK to be left alone for short periods, and this alone time was gradually increased until they each coped with four hours alone. Once a dog can be happy alone for that time period, any additional time isn't too difficult for them to manage.

From time to time, each dog is left a food trail to hunt. This doesn't happen often and there is no distinct pattern to this particular activity so they never know when to expect it. :D

Doing such things keeps them busy and interested in their environment.

Exercise and mental stimulation work hand-in-hand to help the home alone dog cope with their alone time. Dogs are designed to do jobs and without these jobs, they will find their own work, which may include behaviours such as excessive vocalising, destroying your home or garden, or toileting in unacceptable places. With appropriate training and management of dog and environment, we can do much to reduce the likelihood of such outcomes. But there are no guarantees.

For you, what I'd suggest is adopting your dog when you can take some time from work to begin the training (alone training and routine making) the dog will need. If you can't do this, then perhaps you could employ a dog walker (or family member or friend) to visit your new dog daily (midday is good), so that the dog is getting let out to the toilet and going for some exercise and activity. Or if you live close to your workplace, you could spend your lunchbreak at home with your dog. All of these are workable ideas...but you also need to be realistic in terms of what the dog can reasonably cope with.

I hope this helps.

BTW - Welcome to DOL.

[cowanbree]

I believe that is too long to leave any dog alone but I would seriously consider 2 older dogs, perhaps 4 years and over. They would keep each other company during the day and generally be a lot happier. Even then I would employ someone to visit daily to take the dogs for a walk or even just spend some time together. It does depend greatly on how much you want it. Personally I can’t see myself being away at work for 11 hours daily and then feeling like spending quality time with the dog when I get home but we are all different

[Dogsfevr]

Okay a few questions.

*will the dog have access outside

*What sort of social life do you have(many people work but many have very busy social lifes which means the dog spends alot of no people time

We place puppies out with people that work as there good owners but some breeds cope better with being alone alot compared to others.

I personally dont think a toy poodle is a breed that generally copes with alot of no people time & do suffer from seperatin issues more than most breeds do.

Older dogs can/cant work out ,am older dog is just as much work as a puppy because it can be harder for older dogs to settle /adjust to a new home

[Muttaburra]

I agree that a poodle or any of the lively small breeds would not be the best for your situation. Pomeranians, Mini Foxies, Jack Russells also wouldn't like that much time alone. (temperments in any breed do vary and age can make a difference).

Have you considered a rescue greyhound, they are couch potatoes most of the time and adapt well to apartment living. If you are in Sydney there are several excellent rescue groups, one of them is Cordelia's. You might be able to visit them with a view to looking at what is available and what sort of home might be suited to a particular individual.

With the long hours you spend at work, I think you will need to consider compromising on what you view as your ideal dog.

There is also dog day care (not cheap), and dog walkers (cheaper) that might be able to break up the day for your dog.

Good luck with your search.

[Poodle wrangler]

Glad you're asking advice and thinking about what's best for the dog.

Poodles are a breed that thrive on human companionship. I think a poodle would tolerate being left alone so long very poorly. Best to hear this now, not later.

Is the non-shedding very important? Other smaller breeds that are low-shedding are Bichon Frise, Bedlington terrier, Mini Schnauzer, but I don't know how suitable they'd be for your situation.

Low or no shedding means grooming...e.g. poodles need clipping every 4-6 weeks (approx. $40 each time, in case this is an issue).

Please be very wary of poodle crosses advertised as "low allergy", "low shedding" or "non-shedding"- this is often NOT the case. Do not buy from pet shops.

I'd look in rescue and council pounds for a small- medium size dog. I've seen (and owned) some great pound dogs and you'd have no trouble finding a young adult. I'd adopt a greyhound if there weren't allergies in my family. I'm told they don't shed alot, but the OH can't tolerate even a low-shedder (poodle's fine, though).

Best of luck :D

[BT-Argo]

Hello All

Thanks everyone for replying, it is appreciated.

Throughout the past year I have asked many people and in different situations and it seems everyone has a different answer and responce depending on their experiences.

The dog I am looking at (Which was 3 weeks ago so it might have already been sold) is a 15 month old show dog that will no longer be shownhence the sale. The Dog spends most of its time currently in a kennel about 3 by 3 metres big. The owner has several toy poodles and keeps them seperate for the reasons of keeping their coats etc in perfect condition ... She said that it spends most of the days alone and she takes it out twice a day for about half an hour at a time in the morning and evenings....

I asked all the questions regarding how he copes etc and if he chews and if he has been socialised with other dogs etc... I also spent some time with him and he was a nice and quiet dog that was happy to walk off and explore on his own when i saw him at his house.

I asked her if i could have a trial with him 3 weeks ago and she agreed but cause of my concerns about leaving him on his own for 9 - 10 hours a day i declined. As you can see from last nights post I have spent every day deliberating whether I should have given it a try...

My Job is a stressfull environment and I go to the gym a few times a week to help release some of the stress and thought a dog would be nice to come home to every night... a way to forget things at the end of the da and focus on something that woudl be relaxing and enjoyable..

To answer some of the peoples replies to my original message

1. I was goign to leave him inside but leave the balcony door slightly open with paper in the corner in case of emergency toilet needs of the dog

2. Was going to leave classical music and a light turned on with toys and kong filled with some treats for him

3. I had already found a training school to take him to on Sunday's

4. I would take him out for a walk mornign at about 6ish and nights when i returned.

5. I go out usualy for dinners on saturday night but on weekenights I usually stay home.

6. The dog would stay at my parents house 2 days mid week and they are retired and home all day... woudl this cause issues with goign from my house to my parents? I stay there 1 - 2 nights a week already so the dog would come with me..

My other questions to other memebers would be

1. I would like to be able to take the dog out when i go to beach, shops etc?... I have done some research and i know dogs are allowed on certain beaches but how about shopping centres etc? Tonight i saw a lady and another couple with small dogs in Westfields... IS there any standard legislation on were dogs go or is it per the establishment etc?

I know you can walk dogs and take tem to certain cafes no issues there but indoor places in winter woudl be an issue i guess?

Thanks one again

Curious.

[BrunoBella]

Have you considered a rescue greyhound, they are couch potatoes most of the time and adapt well to apartment living. If you are in Sydney there are several excellent rescue groups, one of them is Cordelia's. You might be able to visit them with a view to looking at what is available and what sort of home might be suited to a particular individual.

Great idea Abergavny, greyhounds like to run for 20 mins and then sleep the rest of the day. They would be perfect

I'm also interested in where dogs are allowed. Have taken mine to the pet shop but not sure where else they are allowed.

I would not recommend a GSP for appartment living

[hlk70g]

How about getting a cat?

Just my 2 cents worth for an appropriate apartment pet...

BTW - where are you? Maybe you can get in touch with a local rescue group.

[BT-Argo]

Hi all

Great to see so many replies. I dont know how everyone does it but my situation is I am on my own and I have to go to work and unfortanetely I work in different locations throughout Sydney so one day it might take 20 minutes to get home and another 1 hour... I guess the right thing to do is not to get a dog at this point in time.

I was also thinking if your sleeping during the night does the dog register itself as being alone or does it feel safe knowing even thught your sleeping you are in the room/house with him?

Curious!

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

I know you are looking towards a poodle, but have you considered a rescue greyhound?.

[BT-Argo]

To be honest i do not like greyhounds at all... I had always considered a toy poodle or Pug. Issues with pugs are they shed too much

Also I was knew a friends flatmate that had one and it would destroy everything in site ... It may have been poor training who knows but everytime i went to their house it had further damage caused by chewing ...

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Why don't you "like greyhounds at all"???

What's NOT to like? They're gentle, placid, docile, loving, easy to care for, require minimal exercise and grooming, and simply love us like no other dog I've known. Their only real "flaw" is that they like to take over the soft furniture...

Seriously, please explain why this breed isn't on your short-list. I'm interested to know what it is you don't seem to like about them. I will *always* have greyhounds now...ALWAYS.

[BT-Argo]

Hi lillysmum

I just have never thoguth of a grey thats the simple truth and when i think of them they are too big and its not what I have really looked into. My cousins flatmate had one and it would chew evrythign in site it turned me off you could say...

I rang the breeder this afternoon and the poodle I was looking at was sold I had my heart set on him but i procrastinated for 3 weeks cause of my concern of the hours i work. This to me says I should put dog ownership on hold for a while to my circumstances change with work if they ever do...

Thanks for all your replies..

Curious

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Female greyhounds would be considered "medium" size...Lilly weighs just on 25kg, and she's only mid-thigh-high on me (I'm 5 feet 2 inches) which is not a big dog at all. The chewing problem you mention was either boredom (not provided with appropriate things to do while left at home) or separation anxiety (not provided with appropriate training in how to be happy while left at home, not provided with "company" such as TV or music, and not given activities to keep him/her busy) and both of these things are completely fixable.

It sounds as if you are looking for something that doesn't exist: a small dog that requires little human company, minimal training to fit into your household, and happy to be left with nothing to do while you're away. :D

A cat would certainly be a more appropriate choice of species given the above.