Somebody mentioned to me the other day about me and my OH getting a dog but I shrugged her off saying I'd love one but we both work full time. She said she works full time (as does her OH) and they have a run for their dog which has a kennel type thing with blankets for her to lay on etc.

It just got me wondering how many people work full time but still own dogs and how do you do it? Maybe theres a solution for me getting a dog and working full time after all!

There is always ways round things!  I'm going to get on my bandwagon again as I always do when threads like this appear and say that is is possible to work full time and have a happy and healthy dog.  I have a dog walker who comes in and I take my dog for a minimum of 2 walks on top of this.  I have altered my social life to ensure she is never left at night if she has been in the house on her own during the day and my dog is never left outside.  If I didn't work I wouldn't be able to afford to keep a dog!

We have 4 sometimes 5 dogs and work full time :)

I get up early to exercise the dogs, leave them with bones or frozen stuff or kongs some time before half seven - they also have BBC1 to watch.
Get home at about half 3 - let them out but they are rarely desperate for the loo and then we have a brisk road walk and later on its either dog training, running with us on our bikes or slobbing in front of TV :)

Thery are happy, well adjusted and problem free pooches - it is hard work and I give 100% when we are here - all weekends are doggified ;)

Like Julie we have several dogs (10 at present) and both work full time.

We get up early to spend time with them, we spend most evenings with them - either at home or out doing dog related things, but we are extremely lucky to have a friend who has retired and is willing to come and spend a good couple of hours a day with our dogs, and also take some of the younger more energetic ones out for a walk when the weather allows.

The younger dogs have large kennel runs in the garage stuffed with toys, treat balls, bones etch and the radio on (radio 4 - it has a calming effect).  The older dogs are in the house with the run of the kitchen and dining room, but they are at the stage where they sleep during the day, again they have bones and toys if they feel like playing.

I don't think mine have any problem with this set up - even when they are young puppies - they get into the routine very very quickly.

It depends on the individual dog as well as the breed. For example, my breed club recommends that our breed isn't left for longer than 3 hours without company and toilet breaks. I know of several people who take their dogs to work with them; some are shift-workers and one partner is home with the dog when the other's at work. If that's not possible then others employ dog-walkers to come in once or twice during the day. :)

The rule of thumb is never to leave a dog unattended without toilet breaks for longer than you yourself can last without needing the loo! :D

And puppies of course can't be left at all. :)

Absolutely. Puppies need a lot more attention and human input than a housetrained adult dog. :)

Excluding puppies what kind of dogs would you say could be left alone then? I know springers need lots of exercise (which would be brill at weekends because I could take them horse riding with me) but what other breeds of dogs could I leave through the day?

Retired greyhound :)

Lol! perfect :)

A lot depends on how you raise the dog I think - my two adults (a dobe and a rott mix) have been raised with me working, only recently full time tho, so they are used to it and sleep; at a push, I can leave them for 9 hours (tho it rarely happens).  They had a dogflap at my last house for loo breaks, and there'll be one in my new place once I've got a dog run set up.

I get up early to walk them and do a little training, they go out early afternoon then again in the evening, then we play and train.  I don't socialise :D

You will notice that most full time workers here, tend to have multiple dgs, so dogs have company even if not their owners with them.

I think it is a bad idea unless, like those who work full time have mentioned, you can honestly say that you are going to devote your evenings and weekends to the dog.

I work full time; I've just arranged to work from home most of the time. Some days I go into the office in the morning, some days I'm home all day. While he snoozes I work.

I think it's a bad idea to have dogs and work full time unless you have someone who will come in every day WITHOUT FAIL to spend time with them.
A lone dog left all day must be so bored and i think it,s unfair on the dog. They are pack animals and like to have the pack arround them. Horses are out in fields all day but most horse owners will keep more than one together for company as they are herd animals and do not like to be alone. Cats however are loners by nature and are mostly happy to be left alone, either in or out. Dogs suffer seperation anxieties and personally I think 4 hours is long enough to be left alone. I need to work and work nights to suit my girls, OH is home at night and the girls are happy that I am home with them during the day to chill out. Needless to say when I have pups, as at the moment I get very little sleep so arange my nights to be non-consecutive!! My girls have become very good at sleeping alongside me during the days. Mind you Bernese will sleep for a passtime!

Out of interest Merlot, when you havnt got pups how long do you sleep during the day???
Lea :D

Get home about 7am then walk my girls, make OH sandwiches, have brekky, feed girls then bed about 9.30am. Usually up by 1pm then if poss a sleep on the sofa for an hour in the afternoon. I am lucky and don't need much sleep though the Oh said I can sleep on a washing line in a storm!!

I am lucky and don't need much sleep though
Can you bottle it and send some to me!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be like the spinning headed woman if I had that much sleep!!!!!!!!!!
lea :)

I work inan A&E dept and the stange cases that turn up in the middle of the night keep us well amused!!
Like the chap who turned up at 4am after driving for 20 miles and complaned of insomnia!!
You can imagine our whispered replies to that one?

mmm, hope you prescribed a rubber mallet, it would help. Would either releave the insomnia or more hopefully knock some sense into him!!!! :D :D :D
Lea :)

Merlot that's exactly my lifestyle too :)  I could never let one of mine go to someone who worked all day

Debs

A lone dog left all day must be so bored and i think it,s unfair on the dog. They are pack animals and like to have the pack arround them.

Whereas I personally agree it is always best for people not to work full time when they have dogs, I don't agree that dogs see humans as their pack so therefore THAT part doesn't make any difference.

I wasn't nessesarily meaning they see us as the pack but just that as they are basicaly pack animal they like company around them. Mine certanly like the family in sight if at all possible. However they accept the fact that at times we have to be apart. I just think it must be lonely for them.

That's why I have three dogs - if I could only afford one, I wouldn't have any.  I couldn't leave one all alone and work full time, but at least with three they have some company.

I work full time, my boys get a good walk in the morning and a good walk in the evening, weekends we have loads of long walks and evenings we are usually at obedience or agility.  I have had to take up bar work in order to keep my boys in the lifestyle they have become accoustomed to, which means Fridays they are left in the day then in the evening too (obviously with a walk in between) when I get home at 3 in the morning we have a good game before I go to bed, its not ideal but needs must at the moment and they have each other for company.  It really does take a lot of planning and effort to work and also own dogs.  I do have a dog walker who I use when I need to and I also have my parents who will pop in if im going out straight from work.  My boys are high energy but have always settled well and have never really been destructive, I think as long as they have a decent walk and a bit of training for brain work and a kong or something to keep them entertained then they are fine.  It is possible with puppies too, I split with my OH not long after getting Alf, so I had no choice but to leave him.  He was left for 4 hours in the morning, then I took a 2 hour lunch break and then he was left again for 4 hours int he afternoon, he had the run of the kitchen, I never crated him unless it was for short periods or I was home.  He was house trained reasonably quickly but did have the odd accident obviously when I wasnt there.  Again that wasnt an ideal situation but I didnt really have a choice other than to hand him back

I work full time, and I think the secrets of success iare:

Have more than one dog, so you dont have a lonely dog. Your work time is their doggie bonding time.

Ensure that you devote extra evening time to them...I rarely go out in an eveing on a day that I have worked. My dogs also share my bedroom, so have my company all night too.

Give them a good morning exercise...my two are glad to get rid of me for a sleep!

Organise toilet accesss, which could be an outdoor run, a dog flap, or puppy pads if necessary.

Cathy

i do exactly the same as Cathy.  I am a part timer, but recently work have needed me to work for longer hours.  i try to work at home as much as possible, but sometimes I have to go in.  I am sad to say more and more recently (hence the run thread on General that i've just posted :-)) I have had to go in pretty much full time! boo.

I walk them in the morning and provide an array of stuffed treats and activity toys for them in the day.

Arrange toilet access or a dog walker to come in, or puppy pads, which they used for toilet training so they are very used to.  This hasn't had any effect on their toilet habits either, in case you are worried about that!  they still ask EVERY time to go out for a toilet break.

i have no social life really.  My evenings are dedicated to the babies and so are my weekends. I even turn down invites to the pub after work!  You have to be totally committed and have no illusions as to how hard it will be.

It isn't an ideal situation for me, but it does work and I never doubt that my dogs are happy.  They are not clingy when we are in and are happy to amuse themselves, but there are 2 of them, which is the key!

They also sleep in my bedroom in their crate so they have company then.

I think that you can make it work, but you have to be dedicated.  If you live near to your work that makes it much easier.  I live 50 mins away, so it is impossible for me to pop in.  I have to arrange alternatives.

Oh, and choose a calm breed that doesn't need a lot of exercise. That way you will tire them out with a morning walk...

Forget you lie ins though! :-D

My Parents do it with 5 dogs, when I was at home I used to come home during school lunch and lessons off and let all the dogs in the garden whilst I had my lunch and gave them attention (and treats but shhh don't tell the parents that!!!!! :D ) now my brother does that duty and it works fine for the dogs.

When we get a new puppy my parents arrange that most of their annual holiday goes on looking after the puppy and settle in.  They take about 2 weeks off each and then my Dad started working half days or from home when I had lots of lessons one day so that she wasn't left more then 2 hours.

All has been fine with all the dogs.

I work full time but luckily strange hours my OH works from nine to 5 we have had cavaliers now 2 together so they are not left on there own luckily for us our jobs are flexible enough that we can be there if the dogs need us for example when Cindy was the only dog we tried a dog sitter but opted to leave her at home and check on her at lunch if I was doing a long day.

Couldn't afford vet bills if I didn't work:rolleyes:

yep - I work full time and always have - currently have 7 dogs of a high energy breed. You need to be comitted and passionate about your dogs to make this work. Like many on here who own a large number of dogs - they completely dictate they way we live our lives - when we 're not working then we are doing something with the dogs. I am very lucky in that I can pop home at lunch time and get home by 4 pm - I also have very long holidays ( 6 weeks in the summer :D) but irrespective of this - I have managed to keep my dogs and have a career.

Mind you I am taking semi - retirement next month and cutting down to working 3 days a week - it will feel very strange as I have always worked fulltime but I'm SO looking forward to it ;)

Yvonne

it can work ,people manage in all diffrent ways,to suit their indiviual circumstances & their type of dog.

it wont work when people dont try & their dopgs are under stimulated both mentally & physically.

IF all your spare time is devoted to the dogs i cant see the problem

We both work full time but both work too far to go home at lunchtime.  Luckily Jacob goes to my Mum & Dads during the day & I pick him up on the way home.  When they are on holiday he comes to work with me

I used to work full time when we first had a dog - the neighbours came around at lunch time and we had a dog walker every day.  Either me or my OH would take him for a walk in the morning and again in the eveing. I never left him on his own during the eveing as we hadn't been with him all day so I only used to go out at the weekends.

I still work full time but now work from home, so things are very different and I can go out on weekday evenings without feeling guilty, knowing I've been with my doggie all day!

There are ways around it if you really want one! :) :)

I agree that working full time and having dogs can work very well - but you do have to sacrifice a lot and be prepared to spend ALL of your free time with the dog. I never socialise other than dog clubs/shows, if I go visiting my dogs come with me. On the odd occasion I go out for a meal or to the pictures where the dogs can't go I only do that if I'm not working the night before or after, so the dogs have had lots of attention. My lot are very relaxed about me going out to work at night, they go out in the garden for the last time then come in and go straight to their beds - they never seem to pine or get upset. It can also work with a puppy, but requires even more planning, less sleep and a few weeks holiday at first :)  I took 6 weeks off work last year when I had a litter, this combined with help from my brother and neighbour worked out well to raise a litter and house train the pup I kept.

So basically I would say yes you can do it, but think carefully about it first and think about if you could happily give up going out in the evenings etc.

p.s. think the rescue greyhound is a great idea :)

I can think of a few people who don't work, but don't spend much time with their dogs.  It's the quality time as well as practical issues like toileting. 
In a perfect world nobody would leave their children in a nursery either but that's going to open up another whole can of worms.

Full time work and dogs is hard work but can be done in some cases with a high level of commitment.

My son and I have three, and both work full time.  He was at school when we had the first and I didn't work full time then.  On the days I did, the dog went to my parents.  As I have three children, the youngest being 13, there is always someone home after school time which (thanks to continental hours) is 2:45 4 days per week.  The dogs are kennelled during the day and have a run so can come in and out but my experience is that they simply sleep all day.  I now work full time.  All our pups have arrived in the summer so we've had dedicated settling in time during the long break.

The day starts at 6am with nearly an hour of walk.  They are with us then until we leave the house for school/work.  My son works from home several days a week and I can take them individually to work with me although not en masse.  After work they get another 45 mins, then a quick trip into the field before bed. 

Having dogs and working means that they have to be at the forefront of my mind, along with childcare.  I've got good friends and neighbours who support us with both of those.  It means that you can't spend all weekend away, or go to the pub straight from work (my colleagues are probably sick to death of me announcing I can't go as I've got to walk the dogs!), or go off on long late night shopping trips without going home first!

My dogs all work so they spend time out during the week during the shooting season depending on how much time we can get off work.

My view is that nobody HAS to have a dog :) If you choose to have a dog then you should do your very best for that dog. People who say that their dog is fine being left all day are not taking the dog's best interest into consideration - the dog may be fine, but is it having the best life that it could ?? Quality time with the dog is the most important in my view - doing something like agility, training etc A quick walk at either end of the day isn't sufficient, nor a cuddle on the sofa in the evening :D If the dog is going to be left for long periods, then it needs a lot of exercise/brain work to make up for it. Obviously, some people have a change in circumstances and have to fit the dogs into a changed life. Choosing to have a dog and work full-time should be considered very carefully and, although some people manage it very successfully, some of the people that I know who work full-time have dogs that are overweight and take a very third-rate place in the household :(

Daisy

I think the whole crux of the matter is dedicated dog owners will and do make their dogs the first consideration. The problem is that some people will say they are going to make all sorts of arrangements to ensure their dogs aren't left too long even though they work full-time but unfortunately that is just to appease the breeder and the whole thing falls apart when it all comes down to the work involved in caring for a dog and its needs.

That is the trouble, and why I would not let a puppy go to such a home.  The other thing is I think it depends very much on the temperament of the individual dog.  I have personally owned dogs that I think would, perhaps, have adapted to the lifestyle and others, of the same breed, that would have not.  As you do not know just how a puppy will develop, in that way, you are potentially looking at much sadness for you both if it does not work out as you hoped.

Absolutely Isabel which is why some people are better suited to rescue dogs.  One of mine would be ideally suited to be a single dog living a life of luxury but has a very different life to that (which she seems to enjoy).

If we were to get a dog it would be from a rescue home.  We still havent completely decided whether to or not...we've been thinking about it for at least 6 months!

I have a dog and work full time - although my husband does do shifts so is sometimes there during the day or for part of the day and my kids come in at 3.30 - so at the most he is left for six and a half hours.  We have left numerous toys and kongs and chews but he takes them all out and buries them.  He has a really good off lead run and walk in the morning and a bit of training too - he then has his crate and the dog flap until somebody appears.  He seems very happy with this - never annoys the neighbours and you find if you do stay home for the day and try to get him to play in the garden he will give you five minutes of his time then pick his toys up - put them back in there box and go back to his crate for a well earned rest - leaving you in the garden saying come on play!

I really think it just depends on the dog - mine seems to like to have his own space during the day to prepare him for the hustle and bustle of everybody being around in the evening.

But I think most dogs have something they dont like - mine is visitors or dogs running at him, others dont like being left, some dont like cars etc - just a matter of being careful and patient to find a dog that you think would enjoy your lifestyle..... mine came from a rescue home and we went for an older dog - he is fours years old .  But we did read up on the breed and it did say they adapt well on the home side and can adapt to living in flats or whatever but they do like routine...

 
     

ALOT (not all) wont rehome to a home with fulltime workers!:rolleyes:

I work full time and have done so for over 10 years.  In that time I have had 5 dogs (not all together) and it requirs planning, forethought and investment in time and money (for creche/dog walkers/sitters) etc but has proved very successful for me.  I compete with them too very successfully so working full time and being a dog owner are not mutually exclusive but is not for everyone, especially at this time of year when going out with the dogs in horizontal rain before and after a full day at work is not especially appealing!

I had to add to this..............I work full time and have 3 dogs. My husband has been working from home recently but will be starting a full time job soon. Now when he was first at home, the dogs were all over him. That was for 2 days. Since then, they get their run in the morning, watch me get ready for work, as soon as they see me pack up my lunch etc, they go straight to bed, ignore hubby, sleep all day and then wake up as soon as I am home.  We have terrible weather here in Wales at the mo and I am recovering from flu, so their long runs have been halted for this week, but the odd thing is, they have their routine and don't destroy anything when alone. I won't leave them alone in the evenings during the week and we have loads of fun and walks together at the weekends.  I used to feel guilty about it and had some "comments" from people who "know better" - but my lot are better behaved, happier, less stressed and healthier than some people I know who are home all day with their dogs.

It can be difficult - but only as difficult as you want it to be.

Karen

Its 3:37am, I got in from my 2nd job in a bar about 45 mins ago, ive been outside playing with my boys before I go to bed

Must depend on the dogs :) Our dogs will follow us around everywhere, if allowed, when we are home. They love nothing better than to be in the garden 'helping' us and, if lucky, get a game of ball at the same time :) The only time they are quiet is if we ignore them :D

Daisy

Ours dogs are more interested in what we're doing when we're home than sleeping. Wherever we are, they're there too, 'helping'. They settle down when we do - and who's got so little to do in their home during the day that they can just sit and do nothing?

:) Ours have to be shut in the house or the kitchen because they often get in the way (Bramble sometimes tries to climb up the loft ladder :( ) and Tara is mistress of being right behind or in front all the time :) As I speak, Bramble is 'helping' OH set up a new feeding station for the birds. They will, of course, settle quite happily (well, resignedly) if we are not there or doing nothing, but will be on the go all day if we out in the garden, for example, - much better and more stimulating for them :)

Daisy

My Dobe's the same as this. Joins in with pretty much everything and even if I attempt to sit down he bugs me the whole time with toys or pokes me with his nose. He will lay down after a dozen or so failed attempts and/or if completely ignored or shut behind the gate, which doesn't happen often as he is very good during the evening so I like his day to be busy. I'm always amazed that other people's dogs sleep all day even when they are home!