Am I correct in thinking that every dog owner is financially secure and as such does not have to go to work and can spend all day with their dog?  I would love to have a dog, but the fact that I have to work for a living seems to make me an undesirable dog owner

Wish I was 'financially secure'! Do you work full or part-time?
Tis a fact that some breeders won't sell to people who are out all day working, why would you want a dog if it was going to be on its own all day? I work because I have to, part-time,  and I have my lunch break at home. My OH works, self employed, so he can be at home any time during the day and has any day off he chooses. I know a lot of people who work full-time and have dogs, none of them take their dogs on holiday with them leaving them with friends or relatives, ours come with us all the time. I know where my dogs would prefer to live.

Most people have to work for a living, but it depends on the type of work and how long the dog would be left alone which determines whether breeders (or rescue centres) will consider a person a suitable owner. Some people can take their dogs to work with them. Some people work from home. Some people work part-time. Others work different shifts to their partner, so there is usually someone at home.

The important thing is the dog, and its comfort and happiness. An adult housetrained dog can manage fine being left alone for up to 5 hours at a time, though young puppies can't. People choose to own dogs - the dog has no such luxury.

I work full time but employ a dog sitter/walker to visit while i'm at work.  I also get up extra early to give them a good long walk and they are also given lots of attention in the evening and week-ends.  My partner also works shifts so they are not left 9-5 every day.

Its not ideal but I also think some people can go to the other extreme, and the dogs become too 'spoilt'!

I work full time and live on my own.  Took me 30 years to leave home and buy a place of my own.  I'm definitely not financially secure.  But and it's a big but, every hour of which I am away from work is devoted to being with my dogs !!  All of my hobbies are dog orientated.  They adore me and me them.  It's time consuming, it's tiring but it's definitely worth it :d 

Must point out that I have more than one dog, which in some ways makes it easier as they keep each other occupied, but they are all related in some way and have been brought up with each other from a young age.  Don't think that things would be quite the same if I only had one.

Financially secure.....I WISH!!!!!!!!!
I think most of us work but most of us also make sacrifices in order to have our dogs.I work nights....I get home at 6am,go to bed for 2 hours,get up and take the kids to school and then take the boys out for a nice long hike to wear them out.I then spend a bit if time with them and eventually get to bed at about 10.30 in order to get up again at 3 pm to collect the kids from school.If I didn't have the dogs the kids could go to scholl by bus and I could stay in bed all day....
Archer

I'm fortunate enough to be self-employed, so I can limit the time that I work and I also have a husband to do the full-time bit :D I work 4 mornings a week now - was only two when our younger dog was a pup - but had to increase it to keep the work that I was doing. I wouldn't have had the dogs if I had to work full-time and I have turned work down to keep things this way - BUT I am very lucky. I wouldn't want to leave my dogs for longer than I do though.

Daisy

I have been lucky enough to be at home with all my dogs when they were pups, but then I had to go back to work and my dog at the time a weimeraner soon adapted altho he was about 4 by then. Since then I have been able to work part time (evenings, so know what you mean Archer)so I am home during the day and my husband at night, I had a visit from a man tonite to see my SWD's, he works a shift pattern so his dogs have had to get used to a varying degree of excercise and company and have adapted well, I certainly would let him have a puppy, his time off is devoted to his dogs, he has Welsh Springers and they are fit healthy and happy.

I think that we have to be realistic about this and realise that most people have to work these days. Both my wife and I work full time. We have 6 dogs and they have our full attention when we are able to be around - our hobby is showing and agility and all our leisure time is taken up with 'doggy' activities. I am abroad quite a bit but my wife works locally and is able to come home at lunch times so the dogs are left from 8-12 then from 1-4. The 'oldies' have the run of the house and the youngsters have kennels and a large 'dog paddock'. They are walked off lead twice a day and in the evening everyone piles into the house and they all sleep indoors.

I've experienced it from all angles.  I started off working 9-5 and left my two springers, they were fine.  I then was able to get home to them at lunchtime and then I stopped working altogether.  I now work from home, if I get any work and during the summer, I have a 3 month contract which means I am out more but I can get back to the dogs at some point during the day.  I've made it work all ways and it is possible with commitment.  Personally, I couldn't go back to work and leave them all day.  It just wouldn't seem right - for me.  The dogs would probably be fine as they spend most of the day snoozing :-D

Helen

Hi if you decide to go ahead and purchase a dog, please be aware that dog that comes under the hound Group such as Bassets Beagles Dachshund, all crave company as they where breed to live and hunt in packs and will HOWL if left. I have 7 Bassets and 2 Mini Long Dachshunds and i work full time nights and my husband works days to avoid leaving them, but if we do go out and leave them for a long period, they do howl and become stressed ,but not distructive, where other breeds if left and become board will take the house apart.  Hope this is of help Chris