i have an 18 month ckcs bitch. I am thinking about retraining to be a classroom assistant. i would leave home a 8.30am after walking her and then pop back at lunch 1215pm for another walk and then i would leave at 1.15pm and be home for 4pm. i am thinking about putting a dog flap in so she could go in the secure yard part of the garden where we have two rabbits in a hutch who she loves to pinch straw and hay from.  She will have the full kitchen and small utility room to herself whilst i am out.  is this too long to leave her. she usually falls asleep after her walks.  I will also be off for all the school holidays. I'm torn, career or its a dogs life!!!!!

I think its good you have the gap in the middle to come home and walk her a dog flap sounds a great idea so she can go out and do her buisness when nessasary. Do you have a neighbour that could pop round and check on her at any point or if they hear her barking etc. In the holidays and weekends make sure you spend loads of time with her training her and aslong as she doesnt get to stressed by being leeft you should be ok.

I feel this would be Ok except i would worry about having the dog in the garden, as so many dogs are getting stolen these days :(

Also introduce her slowly to being left for longer, and use childgates in the house to leave her on her own for a few minutes (maybe with a new toy or stuffed kong). That way she will be used to being on her own and able to cope much better.

Lindsay
x

Hi, we have two CKCS aged 3 years and the other 18 months.  When we had our first CKCS who is now 3 years of age, my partner came home at lunch around 12.15 pm for an hour and as he also works in a school comes home about 4.00 pm.  We have had no problems whatsover with leaving him but decided to get another CKCS to keep him company whilst we were out.  Again, we have had no problems with the second one and even got him house trained quite quickly.  We do like to spend quality time with them in the evenings and also at weekends when they get plenty of walks and play! 

What I also tend to do as well is leave them a stuffed kong each which keeps them occupied for a while and then for the rest of they day they just sleep.

I can't see the problem!  Hours are left up to 6 hours some days ( :( bad I know) but I don't think they notic.  I can walk for the door after being gone ages and they might lift their head just to see who it is, other times I can go up to the post box, come back, and you'd think I left them for days!!!!!!

Normally though mine are all asleep.  During school hours in holidays they tend to be asleep anyway.  I personally don't like leaving kongs etc about, just in case, but its personal.

As long as you don't necleat your baby there will be no problem