Can i own a dog and work a 9-5 job?

Me %26amp; my partner have found a dog at a local rehoming centre, he's 3 %26amp; has been left by his owners due to a baby...sad story. Is it fair for us to get the dog? He will be extremely loved %26amp; taken out on walks in the mornings, evenings %26amp; all weekend but will be left to his own devices in the day (mon-fri). In the summer months we have a yard with a kennel %26amp; a garden. But in winter he would be left in the house.

Can i own a dog and work a 9-5 job?
This sounds like a good life for a dog. I work similar hours to you and have 2 dogs that sleep all day while I am out. They get half an hour walk in the morning and an hour plus in the evening and are fit and healthy and don't show any signs of distress.





However, you need to be aware of the following things: a dog that is not accustomed to being left alone for long hours will initially be very distressed. They may relieve their anxiety and boredom by weeing and pooing indoors, destroying your furniture, howling etc. In contrast, a dog that is used to being left will relax and sleep most of the day. Leaving interesting chewing toys for him will also help keep him occupied. Some people also find that leaving the radio on or crate training works best.





It can be hard work to get your dog to the point where he is happy with being left so you will need to take on board the advice of the resuce centre staff. If he is used to a similar pattern from before - you will probably find he will settle in well.





If you decide to go ahead and take him on (this is a good age by the way) I suggest you take about 3 weeks off work to settle him in. If you can't manage that then you can take off 1.5 weeks and your partner 1.5 weeks etc. Stay with him all the time for the first few days until he is settled in and confident. Then start building up the time periods he is left for. Start with really short time blocks like 20 minutes and then build up by half hour increments. If you find he makes a fuss, increase the time periods more gradually.





Make sure that his walks are really interesting and tiring so that he focuses his energies on them. Don't give him too much attention at home - try and leave him to his own devices. If you make too much fuss over him he will become too dependant on your attentions and it will be harder for him to cope when you aren't there. Instead, give him quiet praise when he is lying down and relaxing to encourage that kind of behaviour in the house.





Final tip - when you are home with him, don't let him out for frequent toilet breaks. He will need to learn to hold his toilet during the day. To help with this feed him once a day to get him into the right routine.





Hope it goes well what ever you decide!!
Reply:Its nice that you want a dog. As long as you find the time to love him go for it. x
Reply:you could but it would be very unfair to the dog. it'll get very lonely while you are out during the day, which could lead to it making excessive noise while pining for company.
Reply:Yes provided you still provide for all its needs. If it's a dog that needs a lot of exercise make sure he has this before you go to work. Do the same again as soon as you get home from work. If you can't persuade a dog friendly neighbour to take him out in the day make sure you leave him lots of things to do - put treats in an activity ball for him to roll around - get a kong and fill it with cream cheese or something else exciting - leave his favourite toys for him to play with and always leave the radio on for company. Also leave one of your well worn jumpers/sweatshirt with your smell on in his basket for comfort.





I do all these things for my dog and she seems quite happy - no reports from neighbours of crying or howling and she does not chew or destroy anything. Incidentally, she is a rescue dog (whippet x beagle) so very high energy.





You giving the dog a loving home is better than the poor thing being stuck in kennels.





If you do decide to take him on remember it is a lifetime commitment and be patient with him. I have owned several rescue dogs and I think it takes at least three months for the dog to settle and for you to get to know the dog. I wish you all the very best.
Reply:Sounds like he will have a good home and do quit well. As long as he has a place out side he can be at times you are gone,he will do fine.My labs stay in house for long periods of time while I have to be somewhere and they do great. Just so long as he is house trained you should be OK.
Reply:Unfortunatly most of us have to work ... lol It is fine to own a dog too, as long as he gets the attention he needs when you are home from work.
Reply:Can you not get anyone to give him a walk in the middle of the day? Its not right that he will be left for so long.
Reply:You could, maybe. Try a dog breed selector to find a more independent dog. If nothing fits your needs, try a cat.
Reply:It depends on the particular dog involved.





Speak to the rescue if you have any concerns. Most rescues will tend to err on the side of caution, so will not rehome to somebody if there is even the slightest doubt about their capability to provide for the dog. If they let you take the dog, I wouldn't worry.





My dog is left from 8am until 5:15pm and copes really well with that. That would not however be suitable for all dogs. He's walked last thing before I leave for work and first thing when I return.





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A few extra things to consider. Do you have a friend or neighbour who could let your dog out at lunchtime? Alternatively, there may be professional dog walkers in the area. Ask your local vet for recommendations.





Another rule to go by: If in doubt, train. Keep training your dog to keep his mind active and stop him from getting bored.





When you are out - KONG toys are pretty good. You hide little dog treats in there, and the dog has to work to get them out.





I wish you the best of luck.
Reply:Im in the same boat with my yorkie cross me and my fiance are buying a house so she will be in on her own 9-5 shes normally fine she gets lots of walks in the morning, night and weekend sjust make sure you leave plenty of water and food etc and a nice bed thats what im going to do im sure she will be fine
Reply:It took me 12yrs to buy our dog. cos I kept saying that we worked and it wouldn't be fair for it to stay at home alone. But you know what dogs adapt to your environment and they will learn from a young age. We got our Jack Russell at 7weeks and we trained him from day one.He didn't sleep in the same room as us and at first we didn't give him the run of the house, but that changed the older he got and once he became house trained. I work part time but I;m out the house from 8.30am til 4pm and you know what...he's fine, he has a comfortable bed and i leave him his food and water and his chewy bones, and when I get back in from work. I take him out for his walk, and he knows that because he goes and gets his lead! So he's happy and very loved at home. I wished I didn't wait so long to have got one, but if I didn't I wouldn't of ended up with our super Jr!





If you feel that you are able to home a dog and give him all the love and attention that it needs, it wont mind you leaving him alone during the day, because he'll just be excited to see you when you get home. Go on do it!
Reply:Absolutely!!!!





I think that it sounds like a great new home!!! You need to know that dogs are like kids. Being left alone 9-5 is fine as long as the dog is kept in a safe area. However, if you tend to go out a lot, it is not a good idea. The dog deserves a lot of attention, just like a child. Also, if you like to go out a lot, you might find that you resent the fact that you need to let the dog out first.
Reply:It will be fine for you to get the dog. I have a dog (Miniature Dachshund) and both my husband and I work full time. We spend as much time as possible with him when we are home. He is very much loved, and well taken care of. He sleeps most of the day while we are at work anyway. He is like one of our kids... spoiled rotten.





Get it if you want it. Love and enjoy the dog. It will brighten your lives.
Reply:yes but i have a dog and when we leave him alone he is fine but we have our neighbors let him out and give him some food and water if he needs it
Reply:Depends on the size of your house and the size of the dog.... and how long he can keep his little doggy legs crossed for :)
Reply:Yes
Reply:Most dogs are quite happy with being left alone during the day so don;t worry about it
Reply:sorry but its not much fun for the dog,perhaps later would be better.you may find the re-homing centre would not let you take this dog any way as they do a home check.they do not like this much either
Reply:I think from what you have said, daily walks and lots of love, I think you should get him. There are too many dogs who need loving homes and if you can give one i'd go for it! If it works out, you could always get another for company in the day. Having said all this our dog hates being left alone, but only since in her old age.
Reply:If you can get a dog walker in midday you might get away with it, but some dogs just can't tolerate being left alone for hours on end.


You can teach a dog to tolerate being left for a few hours, you basically settle them in their bed, relax and watch tv, and just ignore the dog. You can practice leaving it for a few minutes at a time. They learn not to panic when you leave.


But some get lonely and bark, even with a radio on for 'company'. Plus if anyone knocks at the door they can learn to bark endlessly because you're not there to tell them when to stop.
Reply:Get him another dog to play with. We always had two at a time.
Reply:That should be ok, i think many people leave there dogs at home through the day. I am house sitting for my boss at the mo and he knows I'm eaving his dog in throughout the day. Sounds like you are really gonna love this dog, you go for it.
Reply:I've wanted a dog for ages but have the same problem but personally I dont think its right to keep the dog in all day but if you can find someone to take it out for a walk at lunchtimes then I don't see why you shouldnt
Reply:Out of experience, I own 2 dogs, both that have to stay outside all day while we're away. This dog needs a loving home, and yours sounds perfect. If you feed it in the morning and evening, just make sure on days that are supposed to be hot or muggy that you leave your dog LOTS of water. During the winter, just be sure to let him out to do his business before you leave for work, because, unless you are very good at training animals, don't expect him to use the toilet; you would be cleaning it up yourself. Also, restrict him to a certain part of the house so that he doesn't get into things that you don't want him in, like the toilet and breakable objects. Good Luck!
Reply:What a sad but familiar story...





You do need to think about it carefully and perhaps talk it over with the rescue home.





I work full time but my dog comes to work with me - as long as he is with me he is happy. He hates to be separated from me for any time at all. If I have to go out on business even though he has the other members of staff for company they say he is still miserable and waits by the door for me. He is not destructive - just sad - so I hardly ever leave him.





Your dog might be sad to be left alone all day and lonely especially if he or she has just been abandoned by the first owners - the dog may be insecure and may be destructive as a result or mess in the house because of the stress.





I do think that you will need to take time off work to settle the dog in, get some training for him and get him used gradually to being left (it would have been a good idea if I'd done that!!) then if he is happy that you will always come back he should be ok.





Good luck
Reply:yes
Reply:Yeah, go for it!





There are so many dogs out there with no-one to love them and you are offering a loving family who will care for it.





Maybe get a dogwalker to come in at lunchtime in the winter if you can afford it but otherwise I would say the dog will be a hell of a lot better off with you than at a rehoming centre.





Good luck!
Reply:Well I appreciate ur good nature, but a dog needs attention most of the day. They can get bored and stressed, and if this dog has had a poor background then it may become destructful.


I work full time but my mum looks after my dog at her house, he has a huge back garden to play in.
Reply:Sure you can. Lots of people do. You will have to housebreak the pet and then adjust your schedule to be home before it poops on your sofa.
Reply:my dog barks all day when hes left i used to work 7 - 12 and my partner worked 7- 4 so the dog was only left till about half 12 when i got in but my neighbours said that he constantly barked we bought him lots of toys to keep him occupied but it was companionship he missed not entertainment so i think it depends on the dog ask the rehoming centre if he is ok on his own if not then i think it would be unfair on the dog i dont like to be left alone all day so its not fair to expect a dog to mine is used to my company now since i left work but i still get told when i nip to town that he is barking for me and it can make him naughty as he has nothing to do so he might go through the bins or climb up on the side so instead of being praised for being good while we are out he gets told off for making a mess which is why he doesnt like us going out but if you can find a dog that is ok to be left alone then i cant see why not but remember dogs are hard work they are always there and if you go on holiday you have to organise kennels and have extra injections so it can cost a lot if you want to stay over at friends for the night you cant because of the dog it is like having kids lol
Reply:although you sound like loving people I dont think it would be fair to leave it all day on its own. If you could even get home at lunchtime it would help break up his day. I hope this is possible because as I said before you seem like you would give him a good home.