Hi

i have noticed there are a few dog owners in these forums. My girlfriend and I have been considering it and after looking after her parents we are even more interested.

My heart says yes but my head says no.

I leave for work at 7.30am and get back at 6ish. My girlfriend leaves at 8 and gets back at the earliest 4ish as she is a primary school teacher. both of us have after work activities, riding, netball, hockey, occassional 5 a side footie.

with this in mind i feel it would be unfair on the dog as we would want something like a collie or lab, maybe greyhound.

anyone on here live similar life and own a dog, or agree that it is unfair on thw dowg?

you can rule out a collie
and a puppy

retired greyhound might tolerate your schedule

dont do it.

dont do it.

+1

You don't have the time to give a dog what it needs fella……get a goldfish!

I love my dog but I can go to work knowing that there will always be somebody around during the day to look after him. To be honest, the hours you are talking about being at work would be pretty unfair on any dog you get. If you were to get a collie or labrador you wouldn't be able to leave them all day. They are both active breeds and need to be kept occupied. A labrador would tear your house apart during the day if left alone too long.

Perhaps if your girlfriends parents could help by looking after the dog during the day…

Dogs are great but can get very lonely.

We wouldn't have considered it if we'd both worked those sort of hours.

Not sure how looking after your parents gets you interested in dogs.. ❓

Avoid for now – that just won't be fair on any breed of dog.

Get a cat instead, a poor substitute I know

Probably not a good idea. You could get 2 (small) dogs to combat loneliness but they're not going to want to spend that much time stuck inside (without being able to go to the toilet!), nor will they want to be outside for that long, especially in the cold winter / wet days.

As everone above

sorry but it would not be fair

Not sure how looking after your parents gets you interested in dogs..

lol, you haven't met her parents!

erm, think I left out the word dog. oops

I don't see why you need to ask. Both of you are out for the majority of the day, and as such have thought that it would be unfair on the dog. Well here's a news flash, it would.

we got a pup while my wife wasn't working
now she has gone back to work we thought we would have to send the pup to a dog carer each day but my boss said "why don't you bring her to work?" so i do

i wouldn't recommend a dog with the hours you two work unless perhaps you get an older rescue dog at the start of the school hols so you/your g/f can get it used to its ne routine

Quite a few people where my mrs works take their dogs in during the day but that's out in the sticks.

There are professional dog walkers and daykennels available for people who have full time jobs. If you are prepared to pay for these services then why not get a dog? A dog is a wonderful thing to have and I ended up changing my career completely because of ours and haven't looked back since!

I'd say leave it a while until you consider starting a family.

It honestly tears your heart when you close the door on your dog as you leave the house knowing its sat there bored shitless all day.

Bingo sometimes comes to work with me and is only alone for 6hrs max.

Thats too much IMO unless you use the dog for guarding and don't show him any affection (conditioned then). Show him/her affection and expect them to be a working dog would be awful.

yeh probably not viable. Gotta be around more.

Don't underestimate the merits of the Standard Poodle either. Wonderful dogs.

Get a greyhound it'll just sleep all day anyway, our lurcher is fine left in the back yard all day, she doesnt care she just sleeps. Its not everyday of the week but a couple of times a week she gest left from 7.30 till 4.30 with no problems. When I was off sick she just sat on the sofa asleep instead, she hardly stirs.

Get a hound.

Hounds are usually quite happy to lounge around all day so long as they get a good run at some stage.

We both work and have a Labrador but he does come to work with me 2 or 3 times a week. He's a really mellow lab and was 4 when we got him. His previous owner ended up working 12 and 13 hour shifts and so eventually (after he got really fat and lost the ability to walk far) gave him up for re-homing to the RSPCA

We do have to leave him in the house probably 2 days a week on average but wife is normally home around 2.30 (leaves at 8.00) but as the re-homing folk said on the home check, 6 or 7 hours will be fine for him as he's been used to being left for far longer.

He's now capable of proper length walks and has lost about 7 or 8 Kg's and looks much better for it.

Don't rule out the rescue centers. You may just be surprised what you find.

playing with his mate the Bedlington terrier – about 6 months ago

he is thinner than this now BTW.

As above unless you can employ a dog walker for a couple of hours or have a day kennel (dog kindergarten) nearby then def not suitable work hours for the type of dog you want, esp if you then disappear off out after work.

I see lots of overweight bored dogs with behaviour problems from unsuitable lifestyles.

I had to wait 10 years till I was in a suitable job to take my dog to work and know I was going to stay there for years too.

Get a Siamese/Burmese type cat instead.

I’ve got two dogs, both from the Dogs Trust, the youngest of whom was 14 months when we got her. Dogs Trust were great in trying to find dogs that fitted our family’s lifestyle. They recommended us a trailhound, a breed that’s great with kids & cats, hugely friendly, and happy to snooze for large chunks of the day.

I leave for work at 7am, usually get back c.7.30pm, though my daughter is home from about 5pm. We could leave the dogs all day, but it seemed unfair, so we have a dogwalker, who costs £15/day for the two, though they get a 2 hour walk for that. That still means that I have to be up at 5am to walk them. That’s EVERY morning, not just when the weather’s nice. Pissing down rain, sub-zero temperatures? Still have to get up. When I get home they get an hour’s walk as well. This is a serious commitment of time, and you have to accept that some things need to give; if you have a lot of extra-curricular activities, maybe now is not the right time to get a dog.

Then there are the bills. You need insurance (about £15/month, with usually a £70 excess), and the annual vaccinations etc aren’t cheap. If you want to take your dogs abroad, there’s a not inconsiderable cost of the pet passport, and if you leave them when you’re away, think of kennelling fees. There’s also food; not massively pricy, but reckon on £20/month.

There’s the mess to consider; we have to vacuum all the time, as our dogs, though short-haired, do drop a lot of hair. There’s the occasional unfortunate mess to clear up from the younger dog (she wasn’t house-trained when we got here), but that’s thankfully a rarity. You also need to recognise that from time to time your dog will tip the bin over and forage for scraps, or will eat a favourite pair of slippers.

Overall, it works for us; we have two very happy, healthy and well-exercised dogs, but the monthly cost is something like £400. That’s a horrific amount, but if I waited until I had a less stressed lifestyle that’d be another decade and I was not prepared to wait until I was in my mid-50s before I got a dog.

£400 a month?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flipping eck!

Our lab (pedigree working stock – both her parents work on pheasant shoots locally) cost about a quarter (or less) than that!

We trained her thoroughly when she was young – never chewed anything, never whined, can be left outside a pub/cafe without issues, only barks at strangers, was a complete godsend when we lost a baby at 37 weeks, runs with us, super obedient, super fit, swims with us – basically a massive life enhancer. We work from home which helps a lot.

How about a cat?

Surf-Mat

£400 is a lot, sure, but £300 of that is for dog-walking. It's unfortunate, but it's the only way I could have the dogs and treat them fairly.

Don't do it… it wouldn't be fair on the dog or you..

getting home tired and then having the issue of training, walking and playing.. great in the summer but in the middle of winter when it's dark at 4 walking the mutt stops being a pleasure and starts being a chore..

I'm not sure somewhere like a rehoming centre would approve you either given the amount of time the dog would be alone

For the sake of any neighbours, don't get any dogs please. They really aren't mans best friend and their excited barking is a royal PITA that spoils other peoples enjoyment of their quiet home life.

Get a Siamese/Burmese type cat instead.

Yes, agree – they actively don't want you around and prefer to sleep all the time!

In addition if young dogs are alone they tend to destroy things. Yes you could lock them in a specific room cell but what sort of life is that for a dog? It'll have behavioural problems- be needy, etc etc.

Even for relatively short periods our bingo ate through the tv power cable (TV was on standby on time), both hoses on my bike (the brake fluid inside was the evil stuff), laptop cable, etc etc. I've no idea why he isn't dead.

Don't do it.

Surf-Mat

£400 is a lot, sure, but £300 of that is for dog-walking. It's unfortunate, but it's the only way I could have the dogs and treat them fairly.

Oops- missed the dog walking bit…!

For the sake of any neighbours, don't get any dogs please. They really aren't mans best friend and their excited barking is a royal PITA that spoils other peoples enjoyment of their quiet home life.

Please don't have kids, a stereo, TV or friends either?

+1 for not leaving it alone all day. Ours is now old so sleeps 20 hours a day so couldnt care elss if we're in or out. But when he was younger it was a case of get home from school 4 ish, walk the dog for an hour. As well as needing a walk at lunchtime followed by some playing and lunch, (Dad works nexdoor/downstairs from the flat), and he's need a good half hour/40 min walk first thing in the morning.

Weekends, everything has to be planned arround the dog. No more hotels, no more restaurants. The next 10 years will be spent eating/drinking out in the beer garden with the smokers, even if its raining. And it will still expect a 3 hour walk every day, and just becasue its been for a walk in the morning it doesnt mean it'l be happy in the house for the afternoon while you go out. Nope, you've got to take it with you again…….

I wouldnt get one unless either me or the missus was working/staying at home. They're essentialy kids that never get past 3 years old, but with more energy and teath.

Weekends, everything has to be planned arround the dog. No more hotels, no more restaurants. The next 10 years will be spent eating/drinking out in the beer garden with the smokers, even if its raining. And it will still expect a 3 hour walk every day, and just becasue its been for a walk in the morning it doesnt mean it'l be happy in the house for the afternoon while you go out. Nope, you've got to take it with you again…….

So very very true!!!!! 😆

Plus, remember Rick Stein when he used to sneak his dog into hotels on his programmes? how much fun would it be ringing hotels up and saying 'do you take pets'? It isn't at all- even in the Lake district etc you are restricted.

it is unfair on thw dowg?

I've had dogs since 8, I work from home and at present have two, 4 legged companions.

You already know the answer. No.

For all the naysayers, I’d say this: getting the dogs was the best thing that we, as a family, could have done. That said, a puppy would be a no-no in your current circumstances. Rehoming an adult dog may well be the right choice for you, but beware the fact that many are in rehoming centres because they have behavioural difficulties, so they may well have problems settling in.

The rehoming people are a mixed bag: the RSPCA simply didn’t want to know (children under 10, both adults working, no previous dog experience), but the Dogs Trust couldn’t have been more different. Their view was that there was definitely a dog for us, but we had to be sensible about the breed. Getting a dog that needs constant attention would clearly be a bad idea, so they recommended a trailhound, which is a very independent and self-reliant breed, and which would be fine being left for much of the day. Ours were being rehomed because they were retired racers, so no behavioural problems there, thank goodness.

I’d say do it IF you’ve thought about all of the downsides and are prepared for the teething troubles. There’s no point blaming the dog for having a dump on the carpet if you’re not prepared to get up and walk it, and if you don’t train it properly (training classes are essential, I’d say, as much for you as for the dog) you’ll have a hard time. You’ll be taking on a big commitment for a long time.

The only real downside (apart from the cost, but I can afford that so it’s not really an issue) is that I’m really tired by the end of the week. Getting up at 5am every day when you also work a 60 hour week is not that easy, and when it’s blowing a gale outside in a wet November, you do question your sanity from time to time.

eekends, everything has to be planned arround the dog. No more hotels, no more restaurants. The next 10 years will be spent eating/drinking out in the beer garden with the smokers, even if its raining. And it will still expect a 3 hour walk every day, and just becasue its been for a walk in the morning it doesnt mean it'l be happy in the house for the afternoon while you go out. Nope, you've got to take it with you again…….

Eh? We've stayed in some lovely hotels that allow and encourage dogs. Hotel Endsleigh, Tresanton, some of the Malmaison hotels, etc. Yes you need to call ahead but that's not an issue.

Almost every pub down here lets dogs in. 3 hour walk? Half hour run is fine.

Someone's had a bad experience methinks.

Owning a dog is a huge life enhancer if done sensibly.

TBH if you get it as a puppy any breed of dog will accept its 'life', some obviously take a bit more to handle than others.

We've a Sporting/Working Cocker and he will quite happily sleep/snooze all day if you'd let him, a bit like a teenager.

It all depends on work as to whether, and how long he gets left – no problem. Luckily we've a retired neighbour who'll take him for a walk if neither car is in, on a non-raining afternoon.

I wouldn't get too tied up on what others do.

Dogs are pretty flexible and there are so many that need a loving home from the rescue.
Go to any decent rescue and they will help you choose the right dog for your circumstances.

They really are a mans best friend. 😛

I agree with Surf mat, hasn't stopped us doing anything really. I wouldn't want to go in a Pub that does not allow dogs as its bound to be some awful chain anyway.

Please don't have kids, a stereo, TV or friends either?

None of the above should be every night and loud enough to hear through averagely thick walls, no. If you live somewhere where other people can be annoyed by your TV/stereo/kids it's your responsibility to keep the volume down below the level that would annoy. Seems like common sense to me? Dog bark volume cannot be kept down, only trained well not to bark or untrained and barks when it likes, so its a yes or no scenario.

Like brattish annoying kids, dogs are mans best friend when they're yours and you're oblivious to their noise and annoyance. Otherwise they're a pain in the arse that someone should do something about.

TBH if you get it as a puppy any breed of dog will accept its 'life',

Try telling that to a bored border collie, lol.

Farmland, lady came out with two collies. I stopped my bike and held my hand out (to stroke)- one of them jumped straight up and into my arms (bloody ell!!!) 😆

Border collies = one of the most re-homed dogs due to aggression. Which nearly always comes from boredom and lack of stimulation. It can be difficult to give a collie the stimulation it needs even if you are at home all day.

No sheep, no collie is the general rule of thumb.

Great dogs — the best — but approach with caution! A border collie is about the only dog I would never approach out and about, whereas I'm happy to make friends with almost any other breed. Border collies generally don't like strangers and can be quite happy to express themselves with teeth which means that, generally, they don't tend to make ideal pets.

Of course there are plenty of exceptions. But having seen both sides of the collie-owning coin, unfortunately, I would heed the advice you'll see on any collie specialist website.