I have just been offered a part time job and the hours are 9-5 two days a week and 12-5 one other day a week.  I really want to accept the position and the good thing is that it is a 1 minute walk literally up the road from where I live.  Problem is that I can't bear to leave Desi at home on her own for the two full days.  I can take her out in the morning before work and can come back at lunch time for a full hour and then would be home a few hours later but would she be alright????  They also said at the interview that I might be able to take her to work with me eventually but I am not sure if they were serious about this or not.

The other thing is that if I take the job and have to leave her is it best to put her in her cage I figured that she would be in it from 9-12.30 and then 1.30-5.00 a total of 7 hours broken up at lunch time when I come back for her.  I know that a lot of people do this but somehow I would feel bad.  The alternative is to let her have free run of the place which she has not had up to now as she has been crate trained and is happy in there for up to 4-5 hours at a time.  If I give her free run of the place what would be the best way to start her with this and how will I know that she will be alright????

I would be desparately grateful for any advice about this as I really don't quite know what to do for the best.

Thanks

Van

Van - I have 6 dogs and work full time.  All but 1 has free reign of the house and I'm able to come home 4 hours into my shift to let everyone out.  There is a general feeling, it seems, that people that work shouldn't have dogs.  I find that ridiculous...dogs are very adaptable.  If you need or want this job, take it.  Desi will adapt.

It's up to you if you crate her or let her loose in the house.  Is she trained?  Are you worried that she'll eat something and make herself sick while you're gone? 

Either way you go, little trips out of the house are best.  Leave her alone for 20 minutes for a couple days.  If she does well, bump it up to 45...and so on.  Leave a couple good toys around for her or any special treat that you have for her.  :)

Hi Van,
At the moment I work very similar hours to the ones you are considering - but also have long (teachers') holidays. I was working just a couple of mornings when I first got Sparky, but at certain times of year have extra hours to do, which sometimes leaves me out of the house for two or even three whole days a week. The dogs get a good long morning walk around 6.30, and luckily the kids don't leave til 8.30 so they have company til then - I'm home for lunch about 12.10, when they have another shorter walk, and we do a bit of training. The kids are then home by 3.45 so they are walked again then, and I can usually get home for 4.30, at which point we go off to the park again now the nights are light.

My boys are in the routine now, and as long as they're left with a good stuffed kong, it seems that they spend the rest of the time asleep, they always have a good yawn and stretch when I get home, anyway; I've asked the neighbours if they make a fuss and they don't. The winter months are a bit more difficult, as it can be dark when I get back, even at 4.30, but luckily the two full days I work fall on our agility and obedience evenings.

At the end of the day the choice has to be yours, but I wouldn't worry too much. The very fact you are worrying probably means that you are bound to make up for the time away from your dog when you get home.

HTH Tracy :)

Leo comes to work with my B/F and with me in the uni holidays. however we used to have 2 dogs when i lived with my parents, my mum worked 9-5, i was at school all day and my dad worked shifts and so they were often left to their own devices all day and they were fine, we couldnt even give them a break in the middle most times but they really didnt seem to care, they had a biggish kitchen with their beds and plenty of water and were fine. Then we spent loads of time with them at nights.

Leo might come to work with us but he is the most adaptable dog ive seen, he is sometimes at work, sometimes with my parents, sometimes at home with me, sometimes we go to b/f's parents etc etc He loves being in his car and hes never quite sure where we are off too each day but he doesnt care, hes an angel when left and just sleeps so of course when you get back he wants to play and play and play bute hes great.
On the occasions when he does get left we have one of those treat ball things that we fill with doggy choc drops or other doggy treats, make it as hard as possible for him to get them out and it amuses him for hours on end!

I work the same hours as your job and our dog has no problems with this, he is a very well balanced dog. When we are at home all day Tyler has time out from us in the kitchen so he doesn't get used to being with us all the time, i don't think in my opinion that it's a good idea to be with your dog 24/7 as they may become to dependant. Tyler knows that when we go out we are always coming back and so far he has not been a destructive dog, we have a crate but i prefer not to use it, he stays in the kitchen which is what he is used to.

I really do want to accept and it is reassuring to see that other people work similar hours/full days I am sure she will adapt but I just don't know whether to crate her during this time or not.  I would love to let her have the run of the place and I am not worried about her chewing or anything more that she might have an accident and then how will I teach her that she has to wait.  She is toilet trained from crate training so I am sure she will be ok I think perhaps like you all suggest the best thing would be to start leaving her out of the crate and build up the time and make sure she has plenty of toys.  She sleeps in her crate at night and I lock the door should I start leaving it open now also?
Thanks
Van

Van -

Just depends where you want her to sleep. Mine sleep with me in the bed but that's not for everyone.  If you feel she's housetrained there's nothing wrong with leaving her out of the crate at night. 

I work four days a week and my dog is left from 8.30 to 6.30 with the full run of the house. He is walked for an hour before I go to work. My mum comes round whilst I am at work and spends two hours there with him to give him company and takes him for a short walk.  Then I take him out for another walk when I get home but in the three days that I am off he is rarely on his own and try and spend as much time as I can with him.  He is fine and a very well balanced dog so im sure your dog will be just fine.  Just build it up if you can over time the amount of time you spend away from him.  I do feel guilty sometimes but then I think he has a much better life than most other dogs out there. 

2 of my girls are caged 8:20 till 1:20 when I have a full morning at school.  If I am only at scholl for less then 3 hours they get run of hall and landing with the two dogs, but any longer they get board and chew, not only ruining the house and stuff, but theres always a chance they might hurt themselves.  They are all happy with this arrangement, I'm sure if they wern't they wouldn't dive into their cage as soon as I head to the utility room where it is!

All of ours are adapted to this lifestyle, I just am not able to spend all day at school and always come home at lunch or my free periods!

I have an 11 month old Weimaraner and im out from 8.40 til 2.10pm and i put him in the crate, he cant wait to get in it! He loves it. But when i come home, obviously he cant wait to get out of it! Its never done him any harm, in his eyes its his own little den. If i didnt put him in it the house would be in shreds, so the crate is a godsend and its a BIG bonus that he likes it.

I think the key is that you still have quality time to spend with them for fun and walks morning and evening.

hi van,
i work for up to 4-5 hours every day  from school dropping off to lunchtime. max is fine at home most of the time but i stopped shutting him in his crate as i felt it was too long for him to be cooped up and he much prefers the sofa. we have had a few casualties like the odd video and newspaper but mainly our fault for leaving them in his reach. he seems to sleep most of the time we are out and as long as he gets a walk before i go to work he is happy.

Although my dog is no longer crated he is shut in the kitchen, with his bed in the morning then allowed free run downstairs for the afternoon.

When left free all day he got up to mischief after my husband went back to work at lunch time.

When we split the day up he was fine.

Yes Desi will be fine, I work 9 till 6 , 5 on 5 off, and my dog is fine, he has the run of the house and I make sure that he is never alone in the evenings. I pop home at lunchtime for an hour. They are very adaptable and soon get used to it, it is ridiculous in this day and age to say you cant have a dog and a job!
Go for it !

Completely agree go for it!

i think you should go for it i have 3 dogs and work 3hrs a day 5 days aweek i dont crate my dogs but i lock them out of the rooms and just let them have the run of the hall and landing and they are very happy with that i leave some chew toys and a stuffed kong and has long as they get there walk before i go to work and when i come back i hardly ever come back to mess :) good luck with youre decision and keep us posted on how you go :)

I think you should definitely take it. Is there any way you can separate off part of your house so as to allow a bit more space without free run of the whole thing? We seem to have a similar arrangement to Saffie - I put a lock on our living room door and we already had a baby gate on the stairs which means if we are out Leon has the hallway and the kitchen. He is really happy with this and I feel much happier than leaving him in his crate (he prob wouldn't even fit in it now anyway and its the biggest one I could find!!!) We tested him to see if he would behave by clearing everything from the kitchen including the bin, veggie rack, butchers block etc and most things off the kitchen surfaces then left him for the first couple of nights with his crate door open and the kitchen door closed. Once we had got through the first week like that we opened the kitchen door and he had the hallway too. Then we went out and left him for short periods of time with that much space, bit like you would with a crate really! Fingers crossed he has always been very well behaved! Would that be a possibility for you?

I would take the job. My dog has a good walk/run in the morning about 8.30, I come home at lunch to let him out and then back home by 5.30 for another walk, and he is very content with that.
I wouldn't personally leave a dog in a cage, but thats really up to you. Mine has the full run of the house and probably has fun chasing the cats all day. I want to get him another friend as I found that 2 dogs at home alone is nicer for the dog (but he is a little older now and sleeps all day.
Good luck with the job.

hi
wow i didn't check the site for a few days and then I found my post - thank you all so much for answering and for the positive responses.
Well just an update - I did accept the job and I am very exited to start.  I don't start till 4th May and I think that this will give me plenty of time to try leaving Desi out the cage.  I will shut off the rooms I don't want her to go in and see what happens but will try to build the time up.
She likes the sofa so I think she may just sleep there in the lounge most of the time.
It is very reassuring to read how adaptable dogs can be.  I will be back every lunch time also so I hope she will be ok.  The only thing I did wonder is whether to get her a larger cage as she has a 36 and I wondered whether to up the ante to a 42 inch.  She is quite big for 10 months and although she can curl up nicely in the cage she has, she can't stretch out.
Van

congrats on youre job hope all goes well :)

Congratulations on the new job, hope it goes well.
I leave the radio or TV on for my dog. I would not put a dog in a cage all day, they have to learn the boundries so shutting the doors of the rooms you don't want her in is a good idea.
Good luck

Take the job and good luck.

The main thing I think is to make it a very special time with Desi when you do come home.

Think you will find that she will be very pleased to see you on your return.

The hardest bit I find with mine is when you go.

She looks at me as if to say leaving me again.But as the others say she nips upstairs and goes sleep.
Sometimes thinks that is all she does do.Sleep & Eat.

Tried training here to do the housework while I went out to work but it did'nt work.

Still its great when I do get home she welcomes me more than the old man does.

If you are very worried may I suggest a trial run.

Go out for a couple of hours then go back then 4 hours and see.If you have time before you start your new job.

All the best
Alexis

Hi I didn't realise I had more responses to the post.  thank you all so much.
Alexis your post was funny lol I am sure you oh is pleased to see you when you come home!!! :-)
I like your suggestion of a trial run and I have a bit of time before I start on May 4th so I will close rooms off that I don't want Desi to go in and leave her for a time and then come back.
I am sure it will be fine she is a very good dog (usually!!!)
Van