Hi,

I recently came across this site and it seems excellent.  I have a 10 month old lab puppy.  He is a lovely boy.  Very gentle and clam, very laid back.  I have two children who live with me (father elsewhere) and he is great with them and they adore him.  I work full time but this hasn't been a problem as I have a dog walker who comes in 3 or 4 time a week to walk him and then the other days of the week he goes to the dog sitter which he loves as he plays with the other dogs all day.  This arrangement has been hard work but it has been working and he seems content.  However I do feel bad leaving him on the days he is at home as I leave the house at around 8.30 and do not return until 6.00 (he has an hour of company in this time).  My problem is work have recently asked me to start doing extra hours which I really could do with doing to help with money.  At the moment though I couldn't possible leave my boy any longer so at the moment I have said no to them.  Then recently my parents came over to visit from Spain where they live.  They fell in love with my boy and wanted to take him back to Spain with them.  I thought they were joking but it turns out they weren't.  They already have a lab over there and this means my pup would have company all day every day and would be outside and would have a wonderful life.  I dismissed it at first but it has been nagging at me over the last few months.  Sometimes my boy will be lying down and I swear he looks bored. :(  I don't know what to do for the best.  I feel the best for him would be a wonderful life in Spain, but I love him to bits and it would also break my kids hearts.  I'm torn between what to do.  Please can somebody help with some constructive advise?  Thank you.

Hi guest, i think sometimes in these type of situations you have to follow your head not your heart, and your head is telling you that your dog going to live in spain is whats best for him, dogs need company and its sad to think that a lot are left alone through no fault of there own for hours on end, as you say in spain he will be with another dog and have constant human company not to mention the lovely weather, if i was you i would let him go, its not like you will never see him again is it? you will feel better and not be worrying about him being alone and he will be happier too, good luck in what you decide but do think of him and not how you and the children will feel, they will understand if you tell them the truth..i have just been through a similar thing with my children and after a few days they never really noticed wether the dog was there or not, kids get over things quicker than us, do whats best for the dog :)
take care :)

Yes, it is heartbreaking when things dont maybe work out but deep down I think you know its an ideal solution in the long term .
Pup will be getting all the attention he deserves and at least you will know where he is and can keep an eye on his progress with photos etc . Its not like he is being sent into unknown home with unknown owners .
Good luck- I hope everything works out well for all concerned :)
Lesley

Hi

Well I have a different appinion than the other answer. Maybe because I have a 9 months old chocolate labrador bitch, Luna. She is alone 10 hours everyday, when I'm at work - and I don't have anyone walk her or babysit her. I'm trying to find a job closer to home - I'm travelling 1-1½ hours each way.

I don't feel good about this, but I make sure that from the time I come home and till we go to bed, we are together. And I make sure she is exercised brainwise as well. A lab will get bored even if it isn't alone home at all.

We have to exercise their brains, because they are genetically bred working dogs!

My best friend has a German Shepherd puppy, Bella, she is 7 months old, and Lunas best friend. They play almost every day. And I've started training Luna going tracks, using either treats or her food. Thisa will make her tired.

She is a very happy and content dog. And hopefully I'll soon be able to get another job closer to home. But she will still have to be home alone for at least 8 hours a day. She has a kitten to keep her company.

Jeanette and Luna

so what is your different opinion Jeanette? that dogs are ok to be left for 10 hours a day? at 9months old your dog is still a puppy and needs to be with people NOT stuck in the house all alone! most dogs are bought to be a companion, they are not a toy and have feelings too, your lab should be having daily walks and meeting other people and dogs to be socialised, i think you may well have problems with this dog in the future :( i feel sorry for it, 10hrs! wow long time for a puppy in my opinion

Hi Jacki

As I also wrote I think 10 hours is to long. And I'm trying to find another job. Even if it means going down in salary.

My dog gets 4 walks a day, and each walk is not less than 15 minutes. The walk she gets when I come home, is for and hour together with other dogs.
My friend takes her every wednesday, her weekly day of.

And Luna is NEVER alone in the weekends, she is with me all the time.

I know its to long, but I don't think I'll get problems with her in the future. When I was 16 we had a dog at home, she was 11 years when she died in 1997, she was alone home 9-10 hours a day, and we never had any problems with her.

Here in Denmark, most dogs are alone at home every day, and a normal workday is 7½ hours. It's very few families, who have someone at home all day. It's simply not possible money wise.

I've considered finding someone to walk her in the middle of the day, and I had one in the beginning until she was 5 months old. But when she was left after the walk, she started making trouble - biting in my closet and her basket. She doesn't do that now.

I would really like it if I could get her a babysitter, but we don't have the fenomenon (wrong spelling) dogsitters in Denmark.

I would do it myself, become a dogsitter, if I could make enough money to pay my rent and bills, but people here in Denmark are not willing to pay a lot of money for having someone walk their dog.

We have a forum kind of like this in Denmark, and I have posted a topic aboout dogsitters, but didn't get any response at all.

Jeanette

Sometimes it's not the length of time the dog is left alone which is so important as the amount of time the owner is willing to give the dog when they ARE there. Some people often have so many other demands on their time: ferrying kids, shopping, social life etc. etc.
Guest - only you can decide & know what is really best for your dog. It's not often you will get a chance of a home where you can be 100% certain of his welfare like this.
Glad I haven't got the decision to make, good luck to you all.

I'd let him go where he will have a chance of a happier life.I have 3 labs and they aren't happy with being left alone at all really, I have had to cut my working hours down to fit in with them, and they are happier for it.I know this is not an option for you at the moment but he would love the company of another dog in a warmer climate!!The lucky boy!!

Hi Anwen

Thank you.

That is exactly my point.

I'm spending every minute I'm at home with Luna, and takes her with me, if I go anywhere.

I love my little girl!

Jeanette