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Labs for me every time.
I have had Monty since he was a few months old.
My best pal, pain in the a$$ all rolled into one.
He has swam in every bit of water he see's.
Done 20 odd munros (5 in one day a few years ago)
Trashed more christmas trees, raided more bins than I care to imagine.
But I would not change anything
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As others have said, a lurcher can be left on their own, but I would never advocate a working day, in my book that is too long. With regards to them accompanying you on the bike you need to be careful of the mix of that lurcher. We have had 4 so far (all rescue) and some have been great over a distance others not as they are much more sprint based.
Forget it if your going to leave a dog alone all day,everyady.Thats just being completely selfish.Dogs are very social animals and thrive on companionship.Left along most dogs will take on antisocial inclinations and get up to mischief.There will always b those that dont agree but in general this is something to be taken in to consideration by anyone that loves dogs.
We've got a Lab. Ronnie, got him 7 months ago from a rescue center ( aged 4 or 5)as his previous owner was single and working 12 hours a day so sadly didn't have time for him. he was left alone when she went to work.
When we got him he was fat and I mean fat and very unfit. His paws were quite soft so he didn't like walking on rough things or walking far.
Now he comes with me on little (up to the park or round the block) bike rides and he's lost loads of weight. He comes to work with me most days and cos he's so gentle quiet and placid he's welcomed into the office by my colleagues.
I think he'd have been the runt of the litter - the quiet one at the back of the cage being trampled on the other more boisterous puppies. Because of this though he's our perfect dog even though his breath smells.
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I strongly advise you visit your nearest Dogs' Trust, and be honest with them about your living arrangements (ie, dog being left alone all day).
They'll point you in the right direction.
If you are planning on leaving any exercise loving dog at home all day be prepaired for it to want constant attention when you are home and lots and lots of exercies. To be honest if its going to be more than four hours a day I would actually advise you not to have a dog unless it has access to outside and a warm kennel to retreat to. I use a 'dog door' into the kitchen so the dogs have the run of inside and out and much of the outside comes in and it will always be wet and muddy. My two Cockers are at the age now that I am having to ease off on the exercise or they just flake out and sleep all day and all night and the bitch tends to develop sore pads and gets a bit creaky (saddly a poor immune system). Oh and dont forget spaniels tend to suffer from ear problems on and off no matter how rigid the ear cleaning practices are.
My only bug bear with foilk running their dogs alongside their bikes is -DONT FORGET THE DOGS FLUIDS!!!!!
Hmmm...
I have a dog (half-husky, half-shepherd) aged 10 that we got from the Dogs Trust in Leeds. I'm a teacher and he gets left all day with the radio on and he's fine...but I specifically looked for a dog that had lived in that kind of environment prior to us getting him. In principle I agree with those who suggest that leaving a dog all day is wrong, especially a young dog. Aside from the fact that it will be destructive, seperation anxiety may manifest in other ways; sh*tting, barking all day, aggression towards other dogs etc.
If you want a loyal dog that'll run all day and love you to bits, go to your local Dogs Trust or rescue centre and get a older fit mongrel. None of the health problems that pedegree dogs suffer with, but all the fun. Spaniel/Terrier/Lab crosses are good for running all day. Greyhounds are sprinters and no good for riding alongside.
My dog is useless for anything cycling-related. Actually, my dog is useless for most things. Wouldn't trade him for anything though...
Personally I wouldn't have a dog if it were to be left alone for too long. Mine gets left for around five hours per day and if it looks like I will be late home I get stressed out. Ask yourself, can you give a dog a good home and good life? It is amazing just how much of your time they can take up.
Some people leave their dogs at home for a full days work, come home and then go out all evening, then to bed, repeat. Must be a very lonely life for a dog in those circumstances. Also consider what will happen when you go on holiday etc
Get yourself down the dog pound, plenty of dogs that need a loving home. Muts are great, you dont need a particular breed - you will know which one is right for you - its a very rewarding experience taking a broken dog into your home and seeing it develop evolve over the next months/years.
We would never have got a dog at all if we both worked full time. I agree with others that its not fair to leave them alone that long.
As for the "relentless pressure" bit - you do know that having a dog isn't easy? They can be a total pain, making a mess, wrecking stuff, shitting on the carpet, stealing food and need to be taken out every day.
You wouldn't want to get any feeling of resentment towards your partner or the dog.