[Closed] Dogs and working life

we did it with dog walkers coming in and taking them out for a couple of hours at lunchtime. If you can't get some, don't do it (just having a local person let it out for a pee isn't enough)

Our two are left at home for 2-3 days of the week. We have a dog Walker for 1-2 walks a day depending on my wife’s shifts (I tend to be 7-5 whereas she works varied hours).

My sister had a dog walker in at least twice a day when they were working full time. BIL had hoped the dog could come on 'site' with him, but Chester turned out to be a bit of a lunatic (Labrador).

She's at home now. You can't leave the dog in for that long, unless you want a very bored dog, and a destroyed house.

Or is it just not fair on the dog

This, IMO.

Always amazes me how an entire mini-industry of dog walkers has sprung up to cater for people who have bought a companion animal to live in a mostly lonely environment.

Some breeds would cope better than others, I suppose.

Dog Walker comes and takes them for an hour at lunchtime if we’re at work (plus I walk them every morning before work). They’re fine with that and sleep the rest of the day (whether we’re here or not).

I should add, the dog walker has to be 100% reliable, unless you can take a day off if they call in sick (and don't have backup). If there's only one dogwalker in your area, you might want to think about what would happen if they give up, move away etc etc

In hindsight, I think we "got away with it" to some extent..we got lucky when ours were young and found someone who took dogs to her house for the whole day, then moved on to different walkers who were ultra-reliable (except one, who didn't last long) - but I don't think we really thought it through in advance (quite possibly wouldn't have done it if we had!)

oh and we had two dogs, so company for each other in theory....if dogs see it like that

We're really conscious of the quality of life of the dog, that's why we've waited to make this decision and why I'm asking here.
It'd get a walk every morning and every evening from us should be exercised, I just don't want it to be overly bored or lonely.
In terms of breed, we were looking at greyhounds and whippets, so a breed that likes to sleep!

We've been deliberating over a dog for a couple of years now and the fact the wife and I were out at work and the kids at school was the main blocker for us. But now it seems we'll both never return to the office full time after Covid and probably move to a wfh for 2 or 3 days a week thing after Covid then it makes it more feasible so looks like it's back on. The only problem is that I don't want to pay the Covid premium for a dog.

Seems sensible to have waited. However, dogs sleep a lot about 17 hours a day. You’ll notice that when you’re at home with them. Unless you’re on a walk, playing with them or doing something interesting the dog will be asleep.

My Lab seems to cope ok, based on the lack of destruction. She gets left for different amounts of time depending on our work schedule but she has free run of the garden and conservatory when we’re out. She gets 2 or 3 walks a day and even when we’re home she spends a lot of time asleep.

In terms of breed, we were looking at greyhounds and whippets

I know nothing about those particular breeds but...it might be better to factor in how happy a breed is to be left alone at an earlier stage in your choice. No dog will like 3x10hrs a week. Maybe you can make it OK with a dog walker etc (I don't know, we have border collies and we're lucky enough to be around a lot). But if that works, there will still be big variety in how well different breeds adapt to that routine. Start there?

We have a Lurcher, we both work. She stays in the garden with a nice insulated kennel. She only really seems to use it when its raining, preferring to lie on the grass. Neighbours report they never hear her. She just sleeps. If we are at home, she just sleeps on a bed or the sofa. This is apparently the height of cruelty according to a lot of people, dogs have been doing this for centuries though. I would much rather leave her in the garden than the house.

In terms of breed, we were looking at greyhounds and whippets

and lurchers, world sleeping champions, will sleep 22 hours a day given the chance.

Good question.

Think that having a dog and being out all day at work isn't perfect but it can work. Maybe look for a rescue dog that is calm and is used to staying at home by themselves or even better, get a rescue pair. Quite often there are dogs in rescue that have been together before they ended up looking for a new home.

Having a reliable dog walker is another good option and most dogs adore their dog walker (sometimes more than their owners) as evrytime the dog walker appears they go off for a walk.

I think getting a puppy and leaving it alone is a bit unfair on the dog and will result with a frustrated and possibly destructive dog.

We are waiting to see how our jobs work out post covid with wfh before getting a dog for exactly the reasons mentioned above.
Hopefully will work out nicely with us being at home 2-3 days each during the week

Think that having a dog and being out all day at work isn’t perfect but it can work. Maybe look for a rescue dog that is calm and is used to staying at home by themselves or even better, get a rescue pair. Quite often there are dogs in rescue that have been together before they ended up looking for a new home.

This (plus reliable dogwalker)

Don't forget about doggy day care - that could also be an option other than dog walkers.

We did this for a while when my girlfriend at the time was off work with depression and anxiety. We had a border terrier on loan from my parents and as my girlfriend went back to work the dog was alone all day. She was walked before breakfast and in the evenings and was usually asleep when we came home. Never came home to any issues. However she wasn't a puppy. My kids would love a dog but we are so busy we are often out in the evenings too so I've said no. There's a time and a place for dogs, especially a puppy.

interesting post. We have been wanting a dog for years and the change in work pattern brought on by COVID will result in me working from home for at least 3 or 4 days a week moving forward. My wife works 4 days a week, short hours and eldest is often around as he is at college, though probs away to Uni next autumn.

Given that the house will now rarely be empty for more than a few hours and at that only a maximum of a few times a week we have taken the plunge with a cockapoo pup, which we are collecting tomorrow.

we’re likely to be out the house from 8am to 6pm and there’s no-one local who could come round and let said hound out

Try lasting from 8am to 6pm without visiting the toilet.

Our last one ended up going to 'doggy day care' several days a week after life/work patterns changed. Worked OK, but ends up being quite a bit of money over time, and there's the drop-off/pickup time added to your day.

Seems sensible to have waited. However, dogs sleep a lot about 17 hours a day. You’ll notice that when you’re at home with them. Unless you’re on a walk, playing with them or doing something interesting the dog will be asleep.

Finding this at the moment too.

I have wanted a dog since about 8 years old, I finally committed this year aged 42.

I am aware that Covid will not mean forever WFH, but I have done effectively since March and we are set to until at least April, after that, there is a possibility of 2 days a week back in the office, I know of 3 doggy day care places locally I can use and have built a network of other dog owners locally who can work on looking after each others dogs for half days if needed. I completely agree with not getting a dog if you are both out of the house all day 5 days a week and this is why we didn't have a dog till now. I am also lucky enough to know if I need to cover the cost of 2 days daycare a week I can do this, so it's something to consider.

Within the first 2 months (given all the horror stories I've put on other threads around our rescue getting very sick) I did think that perhaps I liked the idea of having a dog more than the reality, it's been a hard few months, but she seems to be settled and on the mend now which is good. I think the type of dog makes a difference too, some are lazier and love a nap, others are driven to work all day.

I guess the thing to bear in mind is that dogs are around for a long time - 10 years+
Will your work pattern still suit then? Will you then restrict your work choices to fit around the dog?

If the dog has access to outside for toilet etc, and plenty water, I see no problem.

One thing you have to do though is a walk in the morning before work. The dog will then happily settle down to a routine of sleeping during the day, but expect to take it for a walk once you get home.

If you are not prepared to put the time into walking a dog, don't get one - or maybe get one of those rat sized ones.

I've always gone for big hounds (Great Danes, Wolfhounds). So long as they get a bit of activity, they're happy to lie around all day. However, when you're home then they want to be with you.

Any dog that doesn't get enough exercise is going to get bored. Then you can expect destruction around the house. They are a commitment and part of the family, not a toy.

BTW a decent sized dog is the best bit of exercise equipment you can ever buy.

You're doing the right thing getting the advice!!

We took the plunge on a GSP pup who is now 8 months old. We figured that our workloads would be dropping, for various reasons rather than just CV19, but it hasn't turned out that way. Even though we both work from home, its proven far more difficult than imagined but partly that is the breed, he certainly doesn't sleep 22 hours a day!

Your choice of breed sound like it will be a better fit for the life style that you mention, they are sprint sleep types!! However, it you have doubt still, then leave it for a little while and reassess in 6/12 months.

Also, if you're neat freaks, be prepared for mess! Our garden is full of mud and holes, the walls are marked everywhere downstairs as he rubs along them and lots of things get eaten!

We have a whippet and a lurcher X and we both work. It can be done as they are both champion sleepers!

Our whippet is 12 years old and has never been a problem, our lurcher is only 2 and she is  getting to grips with the system now.

We both work, I'm 7 till 5 for 4 days then a half day Friday every week. My better half works 8 till 8 for 3 days, but random days so not a completely routine week, but it sounds a bit like the op's suggested pattern.

Of the max 3 days per week that we are both at work, I take them both out for a walk before breakfast. They can then both happily go for most of the day curled up in their beds! We are lucky that I work close to home so I pop back at dinner time to let them out for 15mins for a pee, but no more than that (if I need to work away from the office then we have a dog walker come round and let them out, but only in the garden for half an hour). I then take them both out for a walk when I get back home from work.

It can be challenging with a puppy, both for you and the pup, but once they are older is not a problem. If they can sleep for 8 hours a night then it isn't too much of a stretch to settle for that long during the day. Its the active time when you're at home with them that counts. Experience of our previous neighbours with a little dog that didn't ever leave the house has only confirmed that!

Next door has spaniels. Since they recently retired there is now no longer continuous background howling and winging through the day*. (Which never actually bothered me at all on the basis someone else's problem.) Other neighbours, also dog folk, did ask ask about it, to be told they were mistaken. Anyway, my wife wants a dog. I don't. Let's see how that pans out. I think she's just waiting for the cats to die...

*From their dogs. Me, I just let it all out.

It depends...

We both work. I'll walk Bella for an hour before work, she gets at least an hour every day with the dog walker and the wife will walk her after work. We have 3 dig walkers and rotate through them so we have a good chance of emergency cover.

Bella is totally bombproof and a pleasure to walk so this works.

We currently have a foster with us from the rescue kennel. He's a total sweetheart and a massive cuddle monkey. We'd love to keep him but he's reactive to other dogs (except our Bella). He's bright and food focused so we're sure we could sort this, just not in the time scale available as the wife goes back to the office in the new year.

It's all about marching the dog with the situation. For this reason, older rescue dogs can be a better choice.

It is going to depend on what type of dog you get and then how the actual dog is when you get one.

I have Chihuahua's so walks are not a big requirement although they like to get out for 30 minutes every evening. The rest of the time they are asleep (whether I am in the house or not) and tend to get lively from around 4 till 8 in the evening.
When in the office I came home for lunch for 30 minutes and they went outside, had some food etc,.
However, that was down to luck as they could have just as easily spent the whole time whining until I got back. I know they didn't as I installed a camera.

You may or may not be so lucky.

I haven't read all of the replies.

I used to use a walker once or twice a week but no longer need to.

If you get a decent dog walker your dog will get a much better run than if you have someone popping home at lunchtime. My walker picks the dog up at 10am, dog gets off lead run with other dogs in the woods for about two hours and is delivered home again around 2pm. She is knackered in the evening. Everyday the walker shares photos and videos on FB of the adventures the dogs are having. My dog absolutely loves going out with her walker and doggy mates. I fell more guilty about her no longer going out with the walker than I did about sending her in the first place

The trick is to get a decent dog walker.

Get two. This way they don't get as lonely. Two dogs are easier than one except in terms of food and insurance costs. It's been my experience that the only dogs that ever howl when their owners are away are those where there is only one dog in the house.

Dog walkers and doggy daycare work, but they will be happier going for longer periods if they have a companion. Also, as Drac said - dogs sleep loads, some breeds are lazier than others (eg whippets).

Couple of things, remember that working from home isnt quite the same as looking after a dog at home.

What's your wife going to do when the dog wakes up mid zoom presentation, gets the zoomies and starts running arround with her favourite pair of slippers?

2nd, dog walkers might be a good option. As long as your dog has excelent recall (to someone else not you) and is OK with other dogs. A lot of dogs really dont like other dogs, especially neutered males (imagine your confidence levels with zero testosterone) either becoming affraid of them or overcompensating with jumping and barking. Rescue dogs might need more work as someone else has potentially not done enough. Same with puppies, most rescue dogs were once puppies owned with the best intentions, you can control the nurture side of things but nature is still going to be a dice roll.

What’s your wife going to do when the dog wakes up mid zoom presentation, gets the zoomies and starts running arround with her favourite pair of slippers?

Mine sleep at my feet or my wifes feet all day - and like clockwork do zoomies at lunchtime and at 17:45.

I imagine the dog walking / daycare business is going to go through the roof when all the people who've bought lockdown dogs realise that perhaps their WFH lifestyle is not going to = their dogs life span.

It's also a shame the COVID price rocketing will have prevented people from alleviating the oncoming cruelty-fest to some degree by buying two dogs to keep each other company.

I'm not quite as pessimistic, it's not just the workers in various industries who have bought dogs and expect a slightly different lifestyle now but also upper management. I don't think anyone at my wifes company ever wants to do more than three days a week in the office, including the CEO. Most are talking about 2.5 days in the office. These are bankers etc who have lost the desire to be commuting 5 days a week into London and living the rat race, the motivation for it has just evaporated.

Doggy daycares will be a booming post-covid industry, there will be so many closed retail spaces that they'll pop up everywhere where there are offices.

Good time to be setting up a business tbh

I must admit i am struggling to see the point of having a dog with some of these regimes. 10 hours by themselves each day. Other people being paid to walk and feed the dogs. I am waiting for someone to suggest paying to send the dog off to boarding school so you can just see them in the school holidays.

Walking the dog is the fun part of ownership. Paying someone should be a last resort. Feeding the dog is a part of you showing them you are the provider and happy to look after them. Building up a relationship when you are spending hardly any time with the dog must be really difficult. Then there is socializing and the general mental well being of the dog. I have seen some rather horrible dogs result from poor owners.

I wanted dogs for decades. I fought the urge even when family members in much worse position time wise than me made the mistake of getting dogs. I would sit their and question wether i should have one. I waited until i had teenage kids, a wife working part time and me quite flexible before i even considered a dog. Even then its difficult and i would say we working on 5.5hrs x 4 days a week away from them.

Everyone is different but i feel if more had my attitude we wouldnt have so many breeders about and there would be much happier dogs around

Not sure about that.....

You can get shy and introverted dogs who just want to be with their owner all day but part of this is down to socialisation. Mine got passed around like parcels at pubs, social gatherings, parties etc etc when they were puppies.

My dogs love other people - the Bedlingtons idea of a roaring day is to throw himself at some random strangers or get dropped off at a friends.

It comes down to how your approach it, me and the wife treated it like having kids. We moved closer to family again once I stopped working a shift pattern and covid brought in flexible working for the wife, as she can just commute to London for two days a week and the dogs can see my family and their dogs. Which they love.

I'm also glad we had a dog before we had children as well, as I think it's taught us some responsibility and brought lifestyle changes that would have shocked us if we had jumped straight in to having children.

Retired greyhounds are lazy sods, used to hanging around in kennels most of the day. As full time workers we had them for 20 years but I did pop home to let them out for a wee at lunchtime.

But ofc any "dog door" for them is a burglar door! so you would need a dog walker if you can't pop back yourself. They shouldn't come with the covid premium though as there are always a lot looking to be rehomed.

Thanks for all the comments.
As I said at the top, the reason we've not taken the plunge yet is that irrelevant of the fact that we want a dog, if we can't provide one with the right home and environment then we're not getting one, it's that simple. It's not fair on the dog or indeed our neighbours.
However, there are plenty of people who work full time and own a dog so it's interesting to hear how it's done.
A retired greyhound (or 2?!) is definitely a consideration, they seem like a sensible option and (if we do go for it) we'll definitely be going for a rescue or similar anyway.

Great that you've asked, and a great range of experience in the replies.

Not had dogs since leaving home 30 years ago for the same reasons. I think your scenario would work better with a rescue than a puppy, possibly a pair, and a dog walker. A good rehoming place will be able to discuss options and breeds with you.

A friend did this in first lockdown, with a retired greyhound. From Strava, they walk the dog 2 miles in the morning, a mile at lunchtime if they are at home (or dog walker) and 2+ miles after work. They reckon it's working well for them.

As others may have said, do not get a puppy if you wanna do this.

You'll need a re-homed dog which is used to a similar set-up.

We have a whippet and he could probably cope with such an arrangement, but I'd still prefer not to.

Unless you make me a really good offer, obvs. 😉

We have a lazy dalmation now he's old, before he was quite active. Still cant leave him for 10 hours though. He'd go to OH's mums during the day before lockdown.

I'm still at home working but busy so quite lucky he's lazy. I'd recommend a lazy dog.
He still likes a walk though.

It's tricky and I wonder if it's too easy to think 'they'll be fine on their own' - yes they probably will be 'OK', but that's not a 'great life' really. Speaking from a Spaniel perspective and 20+ years of having them, I'd say no to dogs (or spaniels) being left on their own for extended periods (i.e. >2-3 hrs). It's not just exercise or toilet stuff, but mental activity - my dogs would be very sad if neglected for 8am-6pm.

Personally I wouldn’t have a dog/s if no-one was around all day. I only committed to dogs cause between our shifts we almost always have someone in. Dogs alone few hrs maybe once a fortnight at most.

As mentioned maybe some breeds may be fine all day alone but it’s not ideal.

I love spending time with my dogs and genuinely miss them when at work.

It’s a big decision!

and lurchers, world sleeping champions, will sleep 22 hours a day given the chance

In true stw style I Will recommend what I’ve got. A lurcher. He will certainly sleep 22 hours a day. But still we try not to leave him more than 5-6 hours at a time. Luckily we work different days so only need the dog Walker 2 days a week. On the days when we walk him he can by a right lazy sod. Sometimes turns round and starts walking home or back to the car if he’s had enough. He rips up plastic bags if we leave him too long.
But he still needs to go round the block every evening just after we’ve sat down to watch something on tv after eating. I think the music to university challenge makes him need a dump.
This is the same whether he’s had 2 hours or 20 minutes prior to that in the day.
The other week I walked him 12 miles in one day. He didn’t get off the sofa for a day and a half!

We have used friends, neighbours, and dog walkers. Most of our dogs have been rescues, some from centres but most from friends of friends who just got in over their heads. Can I suggest you go and get an ex racing greyhound. We got one from the trust that re homes them. Merlin 18 to 24 months old, mad as a hatter when playing and a fantastic temperament with my Son when he was younger. They were inseparable. Nobbled the other dogs when racing so had 2 strikes and he was out. What ever you can offer them is a dam sight better than being kept in a crate for hours on end whilst racing and being kennelled for ours on end. They don’t get a lot of socialisation when racing in case it hampers their racing career. I wouldn’t get a puppy unless I was at home to train it, but a rescue is another matter all together. One of the most stressful things for a dog to cope with is being in a kennel with hundreds of other dogs that they can hear and smell but not interact with.

We’ve had retired greyhounds. Brilliant dogs and as others have said they are lazy sods. They are rightly known as the 45mph couch potato.

We sometimes left them 8hrs or so, usually once a week max and has someone come round and let them out and spend a bit of time with them and they were perfectly content.

We now have a cockerpoo and more recently a labradoodle and occasionally they get left 6 hours. We have a dog monitor app using iPads and iPhones and I can confirm they just sleep all day except when the postman comes.

As for the two dogs being as easy as one dog. With the hounds the second one proved to be very hard work. We loved her to bits but compared to hound 1 she didn’t travel well at all, was very difficult to house train and generally made life quite difficult. She definitely was way more work than just having the one.

With the c’poo and l‘doodle though the c’poo is definitely happier and more settled with a around and I am very happy to have a pair :).

The other way to go at it is day care for the dog. That will be the evening that the hound sleeps like a log due to lots of mental and physical activity during the day.

Your male dog will need to be neutered and females will not be admitted while in season.