Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Talk to me about getting a dog
  • edward2000
    Free Member

    Me and the Mrs both agree we would love to have a dog. It feels like a step in responsibility which I would relish. But before we make the decision, I have a few questions.

    How do dogs cope with being left at home for periods of time? I don’t think this is such an issue, as I work from home, albeit I do leave the house to do my sales visits 4 days out of 5. What other things come with having a dog, like vet fees, dog turtles in the house, extra costs etc?

    What else do I need to consider before obtaining said dog? Any advice would be great.

    Thanks.

    LHS
    Free Member

    A lot of it depends on the dog, they are all very individual and behave in very different ways. Can only speak from experience of having Labradors who in the most part are very similar in their personalities.

    First, try and get a rescue dog. There are far too many homeless dogs out there. Second, house training is very simple and straight forward, if the dog is a puppy get some advice and stick to it, but it will only take a couple of weeks.

    All dogs need a lot of exercise and stimulation, the bigger the dog, the more it needs. In general ours gets a minimum of two long walks a day (as a minimum). More normally though it is out running with me, or longer walks, going to shops etc. A dog that’s not properly exercised will exhibit more behavioural issues in the house.

    Saying the above, however, a dog will quite happily sit in the house and sleep on its own for long periods of time, so as long as it is balanced you will not have a problem.

    Vet bills – again these vary, usually it will be the odd £60 here and there for vacinnations and worming etc then they’ll go and do something like tear there paw pad outside of vet hours and you’ll have a bill for £750 for stitches and anti-biotics. If its a concern and you want to avoid the risk, look at pet insurance.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    commitment for life, think carefully because as cute as they are as puppies you will picking up their droppings in later life because you cannot bear to take them to the vets to get put to sleep. Consider that you will be coming down in the morning and coming home in the evening to a collection of dog eegs, can you be a****? if you can then great go ahead, you will have a great life with them before then.

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    jambalaya
    Free Member

    If you’ll be leaving the dog unattended then that’s a big factor is whether to get a dog at all and what breed. We had a Lab and she could be left for 4 hours. When you have a puppy you should not leave then at all for more than an hour. If you are out all day 4 out of 5 days I don’t see how you could have a dog without having a dog walker come in at lunchtime everyday.

    BeardedDave
    Free Member

    Research the breeds/characteristics that you like. Different dog breeds can have very different characteristics. I’m not a big fan of the idea of getting a dog and leaving it alone all day. Some cope with this better than others, but dogs are pack animals and prefer to have company. Be aware that dogs need exercise and they need it whatever the weather and whether or not you feel like going out. Again, different breeds need different amounts of exercise, but if you want a calm, well behaved dog, the best way of getting it is keeping it exercised and stimulated. Come rain or shine, our dog gets at least two hours of walking every day and then spends most of her time at home sleeping.
    Dogs are great fun and I couldn’t live without one, but be aware of the impact they have on your lives, free time and wallet. It’s more than worth it, in my opinion, but it’s not for everyone.
    I would strongly recommend getting a rescue dog, rather than buying a puppy. Just because a dog is in a rescue home, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad dog. Our last two have come from rescue homes and we’ve never had a moment of trouble from either. You almost get the feeling that they know you’ve done them a favour and they appreciate you even more!

    brassneck
    Full Member

    Alone all day for 4 out of 5 days I personally don’t think is fair on the dog. We only got one because somebody is there everyday, and that was only because the wife was desperate to have a dog again – I would have left it myself.
    Think about anything spontaneous you do and factor in catering for the dog. Holidays in particular can be troublesome.

    I’m being negative, but I see plenty of dogs people seem to have got to complete the household in someway that weren’t properly considered. If you want to make it work I’m sure you will though.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Is it just me or did anyone else hear OP’s request in a Swiss Tony voice?

    edward2000
    Free Member

    I’m not Swiss Tony im the Banter King

    vondally
    Free Member

    How do dogs cope with being left at home for periods of time?

    generally they do not……breeds do differ all will be bored with out exercise and stimulation……
    as a Dalmatian and collie owner simply the Dally slept in the house but had 3 hours exercise a day, the collie never slept during the day I am sure, was awake all day.
    Some dogs will tear the place apart, literally

    You will hear lots of things around dog crates for them to sleep in whilst you are not there, some will say dogs sleep 80% of the time…this is only true if they are exercised

    I don’t think this is such an issue, as I work from home,

    no the same being around is nice but it is the exercise and time spent with the dog as a pack………….saying that worked in plenty of places where the dogs wandered in a slept under the table everything from lawyers offices to outdoor ed places BUT it is not the same as quality time.

    albeit I do leave the house to do my sales visits 4 days out

    so you are not at home then

    What other things come with having a dog, like vet fees, dog turtles in the house, extra costs etc?

    vet fees can be huge
    dog [pooing in the house if properly trained and socialised should not happen BUT when they eat dead sheep/rotten kebab be prepared for accidents
    extra cost food..buy the best you can and less ‘turtles’ more is digested

    and as above prepare for good times and inevitable bereavement of a family member.

    Dogs like routine and are you prepared for aMOUNT OFD TIME AND COMMITMENT THAT GOES INTO IT. looking after one, altering your life or adapting to accommodate?

    Be harsh with yourself and say are you really ready for a dog?

    good luck

    MrsToast
    Free Member

    Some dogs are fine being left alone all day, as long as you give them a massive walk before you leave them, and a massive walk and lots of attention when you get back. Some are fine as long as you go back during lunch. Others will howl and bark the house down if they’re left for more than an hour. Some breeds are more prone to separation anxiety than others, for some it’ll depend on their background and previous training, or the training you give them if you’re getting one from a pup.

    I’d always recommend rescue dog first, but if you are getting one from a puppy, then you need to have someone about a lot for the first few months to do house training, preventing destructive habits from forming, etc. Make sure that you start taking it to training classes/down the park as soon as all of its vaccinations are done, so it can get socialised with a variety of other dogs as soon as possible.

    You have to be able to work holidays and events around it – do you have someone who can take care of your dog, or can you find kennels that both you and your dog are happy with, or are you planning on going on holidays within the UK and going to find dog friendly accommodation? If you’re going to Europe, consider the cost of getting a dog passport, and how you’re going to get there. If your dog is nervous around fireworks, not only can you not take it to displays, but it’s also unfair to leave it alone in the house if there’s a display near you.

    Vets fees are expensive, and sometimes there’s stuff you don’t think about. If you don’t regularly brush your dog’s teeth and have a breed prone to gum disease/dental issues, then your dog might need knocking out every now and again for a proper scale and polish. Your dog might be one of those unlucky types who doesn’t express its own anal glands efficiently, requiring them to be manually expressed on a regular basis. There’s the cost of regular worming and flea preventative treatment. You might want to look into the cost of insurance, or start a savings account where you put in what you’d normally be putting into insurance. Certain breeds are more prone to certain ailments, so be aware of that (labradors with their hips, Westies with their skin, spaniels with ear infections, etc).

    Different coat types have different benefits. Our dog has hair rather than fur, doesn’t shed and is hypoallergenic. Yay! But because he has hair, it also doesn’t stop growing, and requires a bath every two weeks, and brushing every other day once it grows past a certain point, otherwise it matts and gets knotted. We normally keep him clipped in a puppy cut though… which is done by a groomer. Other coat types have their quirks – short haired jack russells seem to shed at an enormous rate, wiry haired breeds have their own regime according to when they moult (sure the border terrier owners could tell you more).

    Dogs are brilliant, and we wouldn’t be without Benny for all the world, and when he does shuffle off this mortal coil, we’ll be devastated. But they are a huge commitment in terms of time, emotion and money!

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Our Lurcher, is happy to be left from 9ish to 4-5ish. she has the run of the garden and a kennel. We had her from a puppy, it takes time to build up to being left for long periods and its not easy to leave them for even an hour when they are young she was around 6 to nine months before she got left all day. Routine is key IMO she gets walked and fed in the morning, then we give her some dried tripe as a treat when she’s left then walked again when we get back. She gets left 2 or 3 days a week. I’m at home today and she is around somewhere (on our bed I think).

    Training is hard work and takes a lot of effort but pays off millions of times over when you have a dog that walks on a lead without pulling, is happy running about off lead and comes back when called. None of this is hard to achieve but does take time and consistency. Go to a good puppy training class and take the family. A good class will train you not the dog.

    Never have dog eggs or pee’s in the house past the first month or so.

    ampthill
    Full Member

    It would be handy to know how long you are out for on your days out of the house

    Puppies need huge work and certainly can’t be left

    One solution if you can afford it is to pay some one to walk it during the day

    This worked well for our Spaniel when we were both working. But she was older and still got walked before we went to work and when we got in

    mrmonkfinger
    Free Member

    How do dogs cope with being left at home for periods of time?

    Our staffie/lab is happy to be left while we’re both out at work BUT he always gets a walk or run as soon as we get up, and attention when we get back in.

    If possible, mrsmonkfinger will spend lunchtime with the dog, another short walk, to break up the day a bit, as she works close enough.

    However. Our dog is a complete lazy sausage and spends his entire day flopped out on his blanket whether we are there or not.

    As usual, every dog is different etc etc.

    it takes time to build up to being left for long periods and its not easy to leave them for even an hour when they are young she was around 6 to nine months before she got left all day

    ^ definitely that.

    BTW I’d say we spend £100 on the dog every month on average, time you’ve added up food and vets and insurance and whatnot.

    Sundayjumper
    Full Member

    Our two are both rescues and have been very good all told. Small problem with house training with one of them, just anxiety due to new surroundings, it would still happen whenever we stayed at my M&D even after she was fine at home. The other had a habit of eating his bedding at first, but again he grew out of it. Neither of them have ever damaged the furniture or crapped on the bed (unlike the cat). They were both fine with being left for half a day right from the start. We were very lucky there.

    We love them very much but when they’re gone I’m not planning on replacing them. Having to always get home at a sensible time, paying for kennels when we go on holiday, trudging round the park in the dark and the hissing rain. I won’t miss any of that.

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    In your circumstances I’d think about a greyhound, oddly enough despite being so fast they are massively lazy and like kipping. Great dogs and loads up for adoption who need a good home. They aren’t all that needy and like about an hour a day then seem to kip for the other 23.

    I’d not leave any dog for more than 3 hours or so as they are sociable animals get two and they amuse each other.

    House training is easy, damage is minimal and short haired breeds aren’t too messy. For our two (a lab and a doodle) we spend around 60 quid a month on dried bulk food and insurance.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    this whole not leaving a dog for more than a few hours, is it a modern thing? I had dogs as a kid terriers and labs and they were fine left all day, worked on farms that saw dogs kenneled for most of the day and they were happy enough and our current lurcher is more than happy with a good 8 hour kip.
    Most greyhounds will have spent their lives in kennels so cannot imagine they would care much about being home alone.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    @aa, its because I think most will be left at home indoors. Greyhounds can be good as after a decent walk they sleep and sleep but I do think as the OP will be out 4 of 5 days a dog is not a good idea and as we have all posted a puppy cannot be left.

    redwoods
    Free Member

    Dogs are ace but there’s also no denying they are a heck of a commitment / tie / bind, which is why so many end up in rescue because people underestimate the amount of time and attention they require.

    Maybe borrow a friends dog for a week or weekend if you can or sign up to something like Borrow My Doggy and look after one part time without the full time commitment?

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