First of all, sorry if this information is repeated already on this forum somewhere.

I am thinking about buying a dog. I would love a Golden Retriever puppy(I always have wanted one). I had a Gordon Setter when I was at my parents and she died just over 4 years ago and I miss her very much. Now I live in my own house and I've begun to think about getting another dog.

The thing is, there are two potential obstacles. One is the lesser one - I have two children, age 4 and 6. They live with me part time (and with their father part time) and are very sensible and have been quite used to dogs in the past - my parents now have a big black lab. But the other possible show stopper is that I work full time and would be out of the house 5 days a week. I could take time off initially to settle it in but apart from the odd day here and there it would mainly be on its own. My neighbour would also be able to pop in now and then to let it out etc.

I love dogs and the last thing I want to do is make one suffer so can you offer me any advice?

Is this really a big problem for Golden Retrievers? Are there any other breeds that might be more suitable for this situation? Or perhaps I should look for an older Retriever from a rescue centre? How about if I got two so they had company?

I'm not going into this lightly - I am aware of the expense and the possibility that my lovely home will be ripped to shreds in the early days but I'm prepared for all that. Any advice would be excellent.

Thank you.

I am so sorry but I really don't think it would be fair on the puppy or any dog to be left all by itself if you work full time. A whole day is a very long time to go without going to the loo. You say you are prepared for your lovely home to be ripped to shreds in the early days but it could very well be go on and on and on to every day your out at work. My advice would be sadly no. What about a cat (or is that a sweary word here lol !). Probably not what you are wanting to read, I'm sorry.

MArgaret

Hello,
I'm sorry but I'm afraid that I have to agree with Margaret. I have a beautiful golden, Baillie, who is now 6 years old. He is brilliant when I'm at work, but when he was a puppy I worked evenings so that way my hubby was home with him and the kids, who were 3 and 8 at the time, and I only work 4 hours a day 3 times a week now! He is wonderful with the kids as he was when he was a puppy.
But as Margaret says, a whole day is a long and boring day for a dog, and he's very likely to be 'bored' and who knows what mischief he will get up to :)
I haven't had any experience of older rescue dogs, but I would still look very carefully into getting a dog, any dog, when you work all day.
Let us know how you get on.
Sharon.

Personally, whilst that IS a long time to be left for, i think it depends entirely on the dog itself, and also how much effort you are prepared to put in.
If you can have a neighbour come in, and play with the dog, and let it out to relieve itself, or even walk it a couple of times during the day, then that will help.
The best thing to do is to see if there is a neighbour who would like a small amount of cash each week to do this. Make sure its going to be a regular thing though, and that if your neighbour changes their mind, you can find someone else.

I presume taking the dog to work with you isnt a possibility?

I think a good rule of thumb is that four hours alone is about the maximum, but then if you can have a neighbour/dog sitter come in for an hour or so, play with the dog, walk it, or just sit and watch telly with it, and let it out for a wee, then thats fine.

You may well be better off from that point of view with an older dog, or even a pair who have to be rehomed together, and are used to being left at home.
There are lots and lots of lovely oldies, and pairs in rescue, and finding homes for them is incredibly difficult.
If i was u, id talk to lots and lots of rescues, admittedly the bigger rescues tend to have very harsh (imho) blanket rules about things like full time work, children, etc, but a lot of the smaller ones seem to take each potential adopter on his or her own merits.
Probably the best kind of rescue to try is one that fosters dogs out rather than keeps them in kennels, as these will have a much better idea of the dogs temperament.

Good luck,
Em

hi

I faced exactly the same dilema as you a few months ago and I now have a lovely 6 month old chocolate lab that I have had since she was 6 weeks old

BUT and its a big BUT that doesnt mean everyone who works full time should get a dog.
I cant stress enough what a commitment it is to keep them happy while you work

WE have a walker for her that spends at least an hour a day with her. Is there perhaps an elderly person or a housewife in your street that might like to earn a bit of extra money (would have to be someone you trusted of course) We pay our next door neighbour £50 a month.
Also we never ever both go out on an weeknight.
It would never work if your puppy was left all day and all night.
OUr weekends are pretty shot as well!! If we absolutely have to go out then we take her to a dog sitter or our friends becasue we see the weekend as her quality time, not ours!!!!

If you've got kids I imagine you might have a lot of after school and weekend activities that keep you pretty busy.
Have you got enough time to spare for a puppy???
Also things like house training are a lot more difficult.

I'm not trying to encourage or discourage really. Just wanted to give you the other side of the coin.
I always think it would be a good idea to borow someone elses young dog for a week or so and see how much time you can make to spend with it.
Not a puppy though cos its easy to make time for a cute puppy!!!
Where abouts do you live. I could do with a break :D

Blimey thats a long speech. Will shut up now

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies so far. I am so looking forward to having a dog again but I'm also so aware that it may not be practical. I'm happy with the kid situation now. It's just the fact that I work full time. I am going to look into finding someone who can let it out for an hour at lunchtime and I will go home myself at lunchtimes when I can. I only have the kids part time so I feel I will have enough time (while not at work). I don't go out in the evenings...(saddo that I am!) and it would be spoilt with love and attention during the evenings and have the garden to run around in. On the days the kids are not there I would walk it twice a day and the same at weekends. I would spend more time at home durning the early weeks. It would be adored by the children who would respect and love the dog too. I'd never want to do anything to hurt a dog.

I have been in touch with a few breeders to get their opinions and I asked about whether getting two might help to solve the problem so that they would be company for each other. One breeder has advised no (and has said she will explain further later) and another one has said yes. What do you think about getting two puppies together?

Again, thanks for the responses.

Every puppy book I've read has said never to get 2 littermates!!!!

They are excellant company for each other but usually at your expense.
They rely on each other for company and arent as close to you as a single puppy would be.

There are also much harder to train as they pay more attention to each other
You have to walk them seperately if you want to train them well and spend time with each one seperately.

Its also 8 little legs instead of 4. and Darcy was a handful enough as it was. I cant begin to imagine 2 puppies running off in different directions doing 2 naughty things when ou ahve only one pair of hands and one set of eyes

Like I said its only what I've read in books, I have no practical experience of it myself.

All I'd say is "DOUBLE TROUBLE" :D

I have two dogs one 13 month akita the other a 7 month black lab and I work full time however either myself of my other half comes home every lunch time with out fail and we will be doing that for at least another year, also we very rarely go out on the weekends now unless it is only for a couple of hours as we see the weekends as the puppies time.

Having two does help as they keep each other company and my two are pretty much inseparable now, however we got one first, trained her and then got the next, seems to have worked for us - but as someone else said each circumstances are different.

Hi Sarah,
Having raised two puppies together, all I can say is DON'T!!! It is a nightmare trying to do it properly. After nearly 4 years, these two are about as well trained as my others were at 9 months. I'm used to having loads of dogs around at the same time, but I'll never have two puppies together again!

A golden retreiver will need walking every day come rain or shine, it will not get enough physical or mental exercise playing in the garden with the kids and I doubt they will want to play out when its raining :) So the reality will be galoshes and raincoats on and all troup out together. Having said that it will be good for them too :)

Yup, have to agree with the majority here.
Definately DONT get two puppies together, no way, it WONT be fun! It will be a nightmare of epic proportions. Yes, they will keep each other amused, however that amusement will be wreaking havoc in your house! Two puppies will egg each oth3er on to do far more damage than you can ever imagine.
Leave alone trying to train two, and housebreak two, etc etc.

My advice still stands, get an older, sensible rescue dog, maybe a pair, what about a cople of rescued greyhounds?

Em

Hi Sarah, it's good to see you're seeking advice wherever possible & I know it's hard to take in when everyone is saying "Don't do it!"

We bought two pups together, different litters, different breeds, it's very hard. One wees on the floor so the other one does too - cos it's just learnt by watching that it must be acceptable. One chews on a table leg, the other starts chewing on your beloved grand piano. Hard habits to break once they've started and you won't be there to supervise. They'll ignore you on walks, busy running off playing & causing chaos with each other.

You sound like a dog lover. If you have to leave your dog/s alone for more than four hours, the guilt will start to eat away at your conscience. The knowledge that they're waiting for your cross legged & whining at home when you've still got an hour left at work, will make you feel awful. You won't be able to reprimand them for destructive chewing & messing on the floor, it's your fault for not being there.

I agree that if you can find someone to let them out & play with them for an hour to break up the day, then you might just get away with a couple of really lazy greyhounds. They are reknowned for sprinting around the garden for half an hour then spending the rest of the day in bed. Two adults together will keep each other company - it wouldn't be much of a life being on your own the majority of the time, would it?. But are you prepared to walk them at 6 or 7am before work? Then walk them again when you're knackered after a hard day at work when it's raining & muddy outside?

One last thing before the sermon is over: what happens when you've got the kids of a weekend? You can't spend a day out with the kids, go away for the night/weekend/or on holiday unless you also afford to have the dog sitter in morning, noon & night or opt to put them in kennels which aren't cheap. It could get very expensive - and that's if you can find someone reliable enough never to let you down.

Keep us updated chick. We want the best for your dog too, but these people are experienced & are worth listening too. (Not me - I'm just a novice!)

Lady G

hi sarah..........two puppies raised together can suffer from ''canine symbiosis''...in other words they are two halves of a whole..that usually scream when separated......if you do get a golden do your homework!!!!..they are plagued with hip/elbow dysplasia and cancer....they are required to have hip elbows eyes heart and thyroid for a cHIC#..in the usa and have high rates of dysplasia and low3.3percent with phenotypical superiority[excellent] in hips and one five shot for a bad elbow.....its depressing

I'm not sure if its as gloomy as all that in the UK, Kelly :), but you are right that she would need to buy from a reputable breeder that does the full range of recommended health check which leads to another problem when you are at work all day will you be restricted to buying only from less reputable breeders? I know I would never sell a puppy to a working person, much as I would love to see everyone having a happy life with a dog to my mind it would always be an experiment in the hope it would work out with what ever arrangements could be made, will willing neighbours move for instance, what happens if dog is ill, will employers give carer's leave for a dog :), no, I'm afraid no-one gets to experiment with my pups :)

Hello

Perhaps they have a breed specific rescue for Golden Retrievers in your area. Perhaps there would be two that need to be rehomed and yours would be the perfect home. As far as puppies I have to say I agree with many of the other people about that. I have had puppies and it is like having a new born human baby. It takes a lot of time to raise a pup properly.

A older dog from a breed specific rescue is good because......you know what your getting all dogs are evaluated and temperment tested with other dogs, children and cats, B. They don't usually need to be potty trained C. They don't go through that chew everything phase that many puppies go through when teething. D. You are giving a home to an animal in need. I could go on and on but I won't

As you can probably tell I do a lot of volunteer work with rescue groups. I also volunteer with a breed specific rescue group called Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue. We have rehomed many dogs many dogs.
Good luck with what ever you decide. :)

Hello

Well, Speaking from experience. We now have two children aged 2 and 6. We recently got a 4 year old Golden Retriever from the RSPCA. He's perfectly behaved, well trained, fantastic with the children, and we're really lucky to have him. However, one of us walks him every day, without fail, at about 6/6.30 in the morning for a quick half hour round the block to get a paper etc.

Then, in the morning, if we have no "toddler groups" on that day, I go out with him and walk him in the countryside (2 year old daughter too) for an hour or two. Or in the afternoon. Then, at night one of us will walk him again, for about half an hour in the evening.

The situation is working perfectly.

But, here's our "puppy" story:

4 years ago, we got a Labrador Puppy. Nightmare. Absolute nightmare. We just did not have the time to train him properly. Honestly, even going to a Toddler group for a couple of hours in the morning, poor little thing was so bored, we would come back to devastation. Bin knocked over, benches in kitchen cleared of things, and a "manic" dog. It just was not fair on him. We had him for about 4 months, and then we contacted the Guide Dogs for the blind and he is now a Guide Dog. It was a nightmare. One day he even broke the glass on the back door trying to jump through.

I would say, think very carefully. If you decide to go ahead with a dog, get an older lab or Retriever. They are such nice natures and would be calmer than a pup. You could try Golden Retirever Rescue centres (find on internet), RSPCA, Animal Welfare Charities, you could also contact the Guide Dogs for the Blind as they have a list of retired dogs and dogs which didn't work out as Guide Dogs. Sometimes you have to wait a while but its worth it.

I can only stress SO much, a puppy is more work and time consuming than having a baby. truthfully. I have two children and I can safely say they were less work than our pup. I love Oscar our dog so much, probably because he's already house trained, obediant etc. When you have children, I don't think its fair on the pup as you probably wouldn't have the time for training etc and your life would become SO hard.

That's my opinion, for what its worth!! Good luck :)
Sarah

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all the responses so far, they've been great.

I've still been trying various avenues and spending a lot of time thinking about this. So I decided that I would pursue the rescue option with a view to rehoming a more mature dog but I have now been told that I would not even be likely to get a rescue dog. So, hmmm, feeling a bit low now...:-( Was looking forward to having a dog about the house again. There must be people out there who work full time and have dogs!! Especially with someone coming in everyday to walk the dog. Well, perhaps I won't give up yet...:-)

You might have more luck with breed specific rescue, with a breed that is fairly laid back and independant. Often mor of their history is known, and a dog used and happy with this kind of lifestyle may becomne available!