Hi everybody,

I'm new here and am looking for some advice from all of you dog lovers. :-) I am thinking about buying a puppy, but my dilemma is that both myself and my partner work full time. Now, I know everybody (particularly the breeders amongst you) will immediately say that I shouldn't get a dog under such circumstances, but please let me give details as to why I have been considering this at all!

We have lived in a first floor flat in Edinburgh for the last 10 years, and as I grew up with a dog and have always loved them, I wanted to buy/adopt a dog when my partner and I moved in together. However, common sense prevailed, and I thought that it wasn't really fair to keep a dog in a flat. Lots of the people in this area do have dogs - out of the four flats on the ground floor below us, half have dogs. One chap has a collie, and another couple have a staffordshire bull terrier. In the next block, one flat houses THREE staffies! Despite this, I have always decided against getting a dog, until a few days ago, when I started to consider it again.

The reason for the reconsideration is that we went on a short break to Amsterdam (a city where people predominantly live in small apartments) and there were lots of dogs all over the place. Mainly small breeds such as Dachshunds (which I love) and many of them being carried in baskets on the front of bicycles! This made me think "well, maybe it isn't so cruel to keep a dog in a flat if the breed is small/inactive enough, and it gets out for plenty of walks..." We also have a shared garden at the rear, which I alone have maintained for the last decade, and there are two or three parks close at hand for enjoyable walks.

So that changed my mind about the city flat dilemma. However, the big problem, as I said, is that my partner and I both work full time. I usually get days off during the week, and he gets the weekends off. This means the dog wouldn't be left alone for 5 days a week, but possibly 3. I know this isn't an ideal situation, but how many couples can afford to have one of them stay home nowadays? There must be many people who have dogs and go out to work. I am trying to justify this to myself, I know, but I have wanted a dog for such a long time, and I am doing all the research I can before I make any decision. I don't want to buy a dog only for the poor creature to be miserable at being left. Surely some breeds can adapt to the situation? I would most definately make up for the periods it is left when I got home.

Can anybody give me advice as to how the situation is workable? This would be a very loving home for a dog - a luxury which I'm sure many dogs don't have. Sorry for the rambling, but any help would be much appreciated! :-)

Fiona

Hi Fiona,

I also work full time and like you, had wanted a dog for a LONG time but because of my situation, hadnt done anything about it. (I also live in Edinburgh!!) When I started studying Canine Psychology, I wanted a dog even more so spoke to my vet, the NCDL, a dog behaviourist and some breeders about what situation I WOULD have to be in before I could get a dog and to my surprise, they all said that if I made a strong commitment to exercise my dog, then they didnt see a problem with a dog being left for up to 3.5hrs during the day. I am able to pop home at lunchtime so my pup has some company during the day otherwise, no, I wouldnt have got a pup. I dont know if you are within travelling distance that you could visit a dog during the day??

Im also hoping that my circumstances change in the near future and Im looking to give up my office job to become a dog walker - if you have your heart set on getting a dog then a walker that could visit and play with your pup during the day would be a possible solution but not a cheap on as the going rate in Edinburgh seems to be around £7 per hour.

After getting my pup, he is SO well behaved compared to some of the horror stories Ive heard that Im WELL aware that a big part of my success is down to luck that my boy has taken to his situation so well and that another dog could well be spending every spare minute tearing my home to pieces while Im out. I think you need to prepare yourself for the worst case scenario and if youre happy that you might get a dog that barks the place down as soon as you leave it, tears your sofa to bits, eats through your stereo cable and pees on your bed and you will still love him and put in the time it takes to get him settled (and your neighbours need to be considered too ask mine certainly werent slow to complain after my pup barked for 2 days) then yea, go for it!! :)

Im sure others on here will have a different opinion and Im not sure that with what I know now, Id take the risk of taking on a pup not knowing how they will take to a situation...but if you do go for it, my tip would be to take some time off work for AT LEAST a week to get your pup used to being left for short periods of time before you go back to work.

So...still considering it??

Hi Isla :-)

Nice to meet you! Thanks for all the info, it's a big help. It's been pretty depressing so far with a couple of breeders I've spoken to - I got my hopes all built up then dashed down again. What breed of puppy did you get?

I live about ten minutes walk from my work, but unfortunately my boss isn't happy with me leaving at lunchtime. We don't really get a lunchbreak as such, just eat on the go! A dog walker could be the best scenario, though expensive. It would only be three days a week...

Where are you in Edinburgh? If you change career to become a dog walker perhaps I could hire you for the job?!

Dog walkers neednt be too expensive, i used to walk an OES for £5, i cant be the only person who needed a fiver a couple of times a week, adn was prepared to walk for a couple of hours for it. Proffessional dog walkers would charge a little more, BUT they should be covered by insurance, in case your dog does damage to something, or whatever.

Have a look in dog magazines, ur local vets, groomers etc, and see how much a dog walker would be.

A lot of the smaller rescues will accept offers of homes from ppl who work, if they are willing to make the commitment to hire someone to walk the dog. How about a retired Greyhound? Not gonna fit in a bicycle basket i know, but curls up small, doesnt need or want vast quantities of exercise, very much enjoys sleeping!!!!!

Em

Just a word of advice - there is apparently a group of females in Edinburgh who walk dogs for a living but have no insurance, no formal training or knowledge and have never owned a dog in their lives. Ive yet to find out what name they go by but goes to show that its good to shop around or at least ask questions!! :)

Hi - I got a Weimaraner who's a lovely little boy...most of the time!! :) What breed are you looking into getting? Id tell your boss to take a hike!! But then I guess we dont all have jobs that can be left behind when we leave the office...I know where my priorities lie though. I was meant to be down in Birmingham this week and had to say I wouldnt go because it left my pup on his own. My manager wasnt impressed but it was my choice.

I live on Murrayfield Avenue - where abouts are you?? Would love to help out if possible, and if nothing else, its nice to have other puppy owners to meet up with - it gives my hooligan a chance to expend some of his energy!! :D

Thanks for the advice, Em. A greyhound was a bit bigger than I was thinking of - I'd feel cruel keeping it in a flat this size. A friend of mine who is a vet nurse actually wants one, but I think she has the same dilemma as me - and a boyfriend to convince! :-)

Isla, you lucky thing! Weimaraners are beautiful dogs. Big though! I grew up with a rescue dog that was a black Lab cross. She had some socialisation problems from being badly treated as a pup, but she was a fantastic dog, very intelligent. I'd like to have a fairly large breed, but really don't have the room, so was looking at little breeds like miniature Schnauzers, Dachshunds, Scottish terriers etc. Murrayfield Ave? Very nice! I stay in Gorgie, just down from Saughton Park? We must be about 15 minutes walk away from each other!

I really miss having a dog, as all of you owners will understand. I am hoping that with the right research, preparation and arrangements, I could create an environment that is beneficial for both the dog and my partner and I. Dogs are a big responsibility but also a great pleasure, and I'd like to make the dog as happy as it would make me. Sounds tacky but it's true!

Know what you mean - Logan is growing so quickly but Im lucky that my flat is quite big. We're not far from each other at all - if you ever want to pop round and visit either to spend some time with a pup to see what youre getting yourself into or to chat about stuff then feel free to mail me - youll find my email address against my profile. :)

Hi Fiona,
My partner and I both work full time and we lived in a flat up until about a year ago now and we both desperately wanted a dog and researched on practically every breed based on their temperment, suitability of living in our flat at the time, etc, etc. We finally decided on a Bichon Frise. As we did not have access to a shared garden we had to give him plenty of walks - in the morning, at lunchtimes (I was fortunate enough to be able to come home everyday at lunchtimes to walk the dog) and again in the evenings - he learnt quite quickly to hold on until his walks!! There were obviously some mishaps, but for a puppy learning its almost inevitable.
Having our bichon bode very well for us and we have had no problems, he is never destructive, (he has the whole run of the house), he has plenty of toys and chews to occupy him during the day whilst we were out at work, although he does sleep most of the day, lazy thing that he is! I feel as long as your committed to walking the dog before you go off to work and after you come home then I'm sure that it would be fine, and having plenty of toys to play during the day (or like mine sleeps most of the day anyway!) and plenty of attention in the evenings there should be no real problems.
My personal advice would be to obviously consider every option in regards to what breed of dog would be suitable for a flat environment, and if you feel that there are still doubts about having a dog living in your flat then its not the right thing, but I personally never had any problems with owning a dog whilst working full time and at that time living in a flat (it was for approx. 2½ years) until we moved to a house last year.
I'm sure you will create a loving home for any dog, which is the most important thing.
Good luck
Regards
Sheree

Isla -thanks again, your help is much appreciated. I'm going to do a lot more research and make a decision. If I do get a puppy I'll let you know! By the way, is the "75" part of your user name your year of birth?

Sheree - thanks for your reply, it's very heartening to hear from people who manage to combine full time work and dog ownership! It looks like the ideal for our situation would be to convince the boss to let me go home at lunchtimes, after all it's probably part of statutory employment law that you get at least half an hour for lunch!

If I find an appropriate breed, the next problem would be convincing a breeder to let me buy a pup! Did either of you have problems with this?

Cheers, Fiona :-)

Yup, just a pup myself at the ripe old age of 28!! :D

And it is statutory that you get a lunch break - I know youre entitled to 20 mins in the morning and afternoon but cant remember the time for lunch - I have a feeling it was a full hour though! The company I work for encourages you to get your "work-life balance" correct but then get the hump when you go home!! Cant win! :)

Ive been really lucky with Logan - he howled the house down the first 2 days and nights. There was no crying, whining or whimpering - it was full blown, ear drum shattering, howling and barking, all through the night and the day. How he had any vocal chords left, I dont know! I took time off work to get him settled and spend a day leaving him on his own for short periods of time and he was fine after that. Hes good as gold now...well...hes chewed one of the legs of my bed, and the wood at the top, and eaten a pen on my duvet, and had a poo, stood in it, then got up on my bed, eaten a much loved teddy's nose off, raided my bin, stolen food and lots of other stuff but in the great scheme of things, he is an angel!! If you read about other peoples problems on here and put yourself in their position, its a good test of whether youd be able to cope with working a full day and coming home at lunch to clean up, walk and feed before doing it all over again in the evening! :D

Heheheheheh! Logans exploits make entertaining reading, but probably were less than entertaining for you at the time! I'm 28 as well, by the way.

Think I'll check out some employment law as well so I have a quick comeback if my boss argues with me! ;-) At your company, have you tried saying "I was attempting to become a model employee by getting my work/life balance correct"? Can't see it working, mind you...

1975 was a vintage year!! :D

I remember 1975 well!! And yes, it was a good year.
:)

Thats the year I had my first baby :D

I cant say I REMEMBER it well but it seems it was a bit of a milestone in a few people's lives!! :D

And youre beginning to sound like my parents JG!!

Then I'm sure your parents are wonderful people! ;) :D

Aside from not doing a bad job on me, theyre fantastic people! :)

Hi Fiona,
I think we were very lucky with our Bichon, we contacted a breeder and she only had one Bichon left who unfortunately due to a timewaster was still available although sixteen weeks old. It took us 4½ hours later to get to the breeders home but worth the wait he was the loveliest thing ever, the breeder asked us lots of questions about us and our home life, we saw the mother and father and then an hour and half talking later laddened with KC registered forms/puppy pack and of course our new addition to our family we were able to go home. The breeder was very helpful and very tearful I might add when we were leaving I suppose considering she had him a little while longer than the other puppies. All in all it worked out great for us.
Breeders obviously are cautious about having their 'babies' go with whoever naturally and I'm sure they will no doubt ask countless questions, and possibly have followups? I'm sure lots of other people on the forum who are breeders can advise on this. But please be aware of puppy farms, its such a shame that these 'people' (use the term loosely) exist, but they do - very heartbreaking. Traders advertising their puppies in local papers I would have to be wary about, although I'm sure not all are bad. Kennel Club have breeders details with new puppies listed on their website, so might be worth a look at when you know what breed you have in mind and enquire about it with the breeder more that way. Thorough researching of a particular breed is advisable first off, then communication with a breeder and hopefully a new addition to your family!
Good luck
Sheree

hi
I just want to say that I came very close to getting a Bischon because of all the mentioned qualitie's..They sound like such an easygoing, easy to own dog.....ended up getting a Jack Russel instead :D

Fiona

I work in Employment Law and it is a statutory requirement that you take a minimum break of thirty minutes if you work for a continuous period of six hours or more. Therefore if you are full time you should be entitled to at least that each day. Are your hours not set in your Contract of Employment? Surely your boss isn't so mean he won't let you out for at least half an hour if you explain why? Family members (and that includes the four legged variety) are much more important than mean bosses.

Hi I also work full time and have a young labrador.

Justa warning for you, you have to be prepared to give up your social life completley, you cant do anything un dog related in the evenings or weekends. it just wouldnt be fair to leave them all day and then some of the evening and I think its important to make the weekend their quality time rather than just another working day for them!!!

It is possible but is a massive commitment and lots of hard work!

God Luck though

Would also reccommend a rescue dog rather than a puppy, having a puppy makes it ten times harder believe me
I had to have 3 weeks off work when we first got ours to settle her in. Then you have to have someone there to let them out for wees on a regular basis becasue their bladders are so tiny. Very time consuming and expensive, of course I think she was worth it now but if i had to do it again...............................

Hi Fiona another Edinburgh person great! I live in West Edinburgh and had my dream come true the day after Mothers Day when we brought Morse home from Seafield. He was 4-6 months when we got him and I was studying at university full time but managed to juggle classes. He was older than most pups but young enough not to have issues I couldnt deal with as a first time dog owner. I felt we had the best of both worlds with him and would reccomend a rescue to anybody who really wants a dog. Morse has a pal called Marley who is also a Seafield old boy, literally as hes about 7, and his mum and dad both work full time. Marley gives them so much joy and they just love him to bits - I think the older dogs have so much to give they deserve a chance of a loving home - Marleys first owner died suddenly.

Hi Alison, didnt realise Morse was from Seafield!! I know the guy that runs the home down there and theres a show on at the Cat & Dog Home on the 7th of September that myself and Logan are taking part in - its an open day so would be great to see you along! :)

Hey its a date - the staff were asking me to bring Morse aka Charlie back to visit the last time I phoned to bug them. Looking forward to meeting Logan:)

Hi - (new to the site) - I also live in Edinburgh. I have always wanted a dog but because I lived in a flat it wasn't practical. A year ago we moved into our new house and are picking our puppy up on Sunday. We now feel we can offer a dog a suitable home as well as the time and commitment she will need - we have researched the breed thoroughly and met a fantastic breeder and can't wait till Sunday!!! I guess if you love dogs you will know in your heart whether you can offer a dog a good life or not.

Good to hear from you Skye - what breed are you going for and what part of Edinburgh are you in?? :) Congrats on the new arrival - are you getting him/her from a breeder at Ingliston by any chance??

Hi Isla - we live in Cramond. Our lovely little girl is a Weimaraner, we are getting her from a fantastic breeder in Dumfrieshire. Am really looking forward to it, but am beginning to get a bit nervous about how she'll settle in with us.

Im in Murrayfield...with my 17wk old Weimaraner!! Cant really comment on how your girl will settle in as I only have my experience to go by - Logan went from one extreme to the other as he was exceedingly distressed for the first 2 nights and the first day I left him on his own then has settled in like a dream. I go to a puppy class down in Portobello (will happily give you contact details if youre looking for a good class or want to tag along one week) and there are 3 other Weimaraners there. 2 are owned by one family and they seem to be settled fine although the owners said because they have each other to play with, they can be very boisterous. And the other one seems to be a lot more fiesty, is quite vocal and has had to be restrained for biting. I think a lot has to do with the start the breeder has given the dog and the knowledge that the new owners have. Hope it all works out for you and let us know how you get on! :)

Yes I heard there were good classes in Portobello - at what age did you start classes? I know that my pup has had a fab start with the breeder - so fingers crossed. Did you leave Logan on his own the first night?

I had my place on the classes booked before Id even picked my pup up and he started there a week after his final vaccinations. He was 13 weeks old then. As for leaving him on his own, I bought a crate which was in my room, nice comfy bed, towel that smelled of his littermates and big blankets over thet top to make him feel cozy and tried to get him used to going in and out before it was bed time but despite all this, he howled the house down as soon as the light went out. I got around 1 hours sleep the first night and the second night I couldnt take it and move him to another room where he carried on howling. The following night, one of my neighbours across the road and 4 doors down who runs a B&B and complained that Logan was keeping his guests awake! So the next night I tried him back in my room, bought a DAP Diffuser and left the light on all night so he could see me and he slept like a baby...probably just knackered from 3 nights of howling but whatever worked, Im glad it did!! Would highly recommend the diffuser as I think it made a big difference for my situation but you might find you dont have that problem. Fingers crossed! :)

We have a crate and have left a blanket with the breeder so it will smell like his mum. Not heard of a diffuser though?? Can you explain.

Just to say hi !

Another Edinburgh board member here, we live in Davidson's Mains / Blackhall & have two yellow 10mth old Labradors "Bailey" & "Tia" a brother and sister.

We often walk at Cammo Estate or Cramond .... come & say hello if you ever see us about . :)

By the way I think you are being very responsible about finding out about keeping a dog in a flat & I hope it all works out for you.

Hi thanks for getting in touch - we live in house with a large backgarden on the banks of the River Almond and 5 mins walk from Cramond beach. We used to live in flat which is why we couldn't have a dog - we've been in our house for a year now and feel the time is now right for a puppy, I also work from home so am around all day, (the person who started this thread lives in flat).

Can't wait for walks along the river and will hopefully bump into you :-)

Hello, lucky you getting a house on the river. Have you chosen a name for your Weim yet?

Yes she's called Skye, we are lucky and I think it's a fab place to bring up a dog. We're not right on the very edge of the river, the backgarden looks down to it. I've been jealous watching all the dog walkers.

Hi Fablab what beautiful pups love the snow scenes! Welive at East Craigs with our 10 month pointer and are at Cammo every day nearly. Its a great place for running about. Will look out for you all.:)

The diffuser mimicks the pheromones that are released by a lactating bitch - in other words, it smells like the pups mother. I think this will also work on older dogs because the smell reminds them of a time they were safe. If you search on google for DAP Diffuser, youll find out more about it. I got mine from Oaktree Vets on Queensferry Road - theyre about £22.

hi
i also work full time and have a boxer puppy,lets face it you have to work to be able to afford to have a dog in the first place. Any way i nip home at lunch time and let her out ,shes always seems fine and when the bad weather she probaly wanna stay indoors anyway ,well thats what my previous dog preferred. I leave her with plenty to do ie:boxes,loves ripping them to pieces,Kong ,spends ages licking the cream cheese out! teddybear,plays with it as if its another puppy, old plastic coke bottle ,well i'll stop now cos i'im probably boring you,but all i can say is its fine to work full time so long as you can go home at lunch and take her out after work and join a puppy group,but i do agree you have to kiss goodbye to your social life in the evenings just for the time being anyway but what the hell!!

jag

Hi

Nothing to do with this post really but may as well join in to say that I was born and bred in Edinburgh too!! Used to live on Buckingham Terrace, went to Broughton High School :) Left to go to college at 17 though and didnt go back to live there.

By the way, if you do get a pup, I recommend leaving LOADS of toys out when you are out! My pup ate my setee (literally!) and several other things. She is alot better now though as I put a few drops of clove oil on the setee which seems to stop her chewing it. Also a stuffed KONG toy and carboard boxes to chew up will keep her busy for ages.

I also leave the tv or radio on for her (but remember to hide the cable) as the sound seems to soothe her, as ours is a pretty noisy house and I think the sudden silence when everyone is out must have been strange to her. Another thing you could try is a crate? I dont have one myself, but alot of people on here seem to swear by them, could be worth a try :)

When I lived in Edinburgh we had a lab and he was fine when we were out :) So long as he gots loads of fuss and walks the other times.

I realise you may not have meant for all day use but I feel I must say that whilst I find a crate very helpful when the pup is left for an hour or two I feel quite strongly that for full time workers it would be cruelly restrictive even if someone was returning for a spell at lunchtime. Crates should only be used when the dog is ready to settle down anyway.

just to add to the suggestion about a rescue dog, these CAN be as hard work as a pup. Even though they may have previously been housetrained etc you do need to be prepared to start from scratch with them. They also need to be settled into the house in the same way you wouldn't just leave a new pup on its own all day the same would be said for an older rescue dog.

Good luck whatever you decide to do, I'm sure that if you want a dog badly enough you'll find a way to make it work for you.

Fair point Isabel, I quite agree :)

helen

Hi Isla - have been busy with Skye all week,we got the diffuser, (amongst other things), and she's now sleeping on her own downstairs in her crate. She still whines a little during the night but it's not much and nothing compared to the first night!!! We are starting to leave her on her own for short periods of time, after crying for a short time she soon settles - thanks for the tip :-)

K

Good news - Im glad it worked well for you. I was back at Oaktree at the end of last week and when I walked in they said that I should be earning commission from selling their diffusers!! I wasnt sure what they were talking about at first but when they said it was a Weim called Skye, the penny dropped. Hope your little bundle of fun is keeping you busy and email me if you want to meet up for a walk sometime! :)