Does anyone have any thoughts about the consequences of leaving a dog with other people while at work? I have read the Home Alone postings but would really like some ideas on whether it is possible to test the emotional well being of a dog who is not always with his owners.

My husband and I [no kids] both work Mon-Fri. We have an 8 month old Pembroke Corgi male. We do not leave him at home all day on his own when we go to work. For each day of the week he has a routine which involves being with different people depending on the day.

e.g. MOndays home alone with toys for 4 hours then cleaner comes for a few hours and takes him for walk.
Tuesdays- he goes to friend's house all day where he gets affection etc but I don't think he is getting out much beyond the garden.
Wed and Fridays - goes to dog sitter who always has other friendly dogs around for him to play with
Thursday - home alone for a few hours; in laws visit and walk him for a few hours.

In the evenings and weekends, he is with us pretty much all the time unless we go out for a few hours to non-dog places. We've also relented on his sleeping arrangements since he moved out of his crate and discovered a sheepskin rug in our room. He is a real sweetie and has been well socialised with kids, other dogs, uniforms etc. He loves everyone he meets and does not seem to exhibit any unusual behavioural problems. Recently he has started barking at the slightest noise outside the house at whatever time of day/night [but not so much when he is tired] He is very confident at puppy classes and would prefer to play the whole time so we have to do our best to take charge.

I believe he has a good time with everyone he spends time with but I am unsure as to whether he sees them as an extended pack or whether he is distressed that he is not with us all the time. When he IS with us he seems happy when we go for walks [tail held high in air etc.]. If we are at home he will hang out in the same room, sitting on his mat chewing on rawhides etc. He will probably follow me around a bit, watch me cook dinner etc but he is not surgically attached to my heels everytime I leave the room. He will usually come and sit close to one of us but again, he will also sit at the other end of the room with his toys when he wants to.

However, I am growing troubled by his sad looking facial expressions which he has adopted more and more when he sees us getting ready for work. He has not been a whimperer but recently he has started whimpering when my husband has left the house [he goes before me]. I am also not sure if his barking at noises is some kind of attempt to show he is taking on the burden of looking after the house. When we come home to him he is usually asleep, then he'll stretch and plod slowly towards us; however, when we pick him up from the sitter's house he is full of beans, tail wagging etc.

Is this dog perfectly normal? Should I be looking for signs that he is unhappy and what are they? I have read many dog books and all of them say that if dog owners work, then it is advisable to provide the dog with company. However, while we are doing our best to accomodate the dog I cannot find any advice on whether he will suffer long term from spending hours with others.

I know all dogs vary but perhaps someone can help?

thanks
Cizzy

Hi,

It's hard when we have to leave our dogs to work, but you seem to have great care arrangements and are a loving doggy parent. I have 4 dogs. 3 stay with me all the time and are let out at lunchtime by my sister whilst me and my hubby work to bring home the bonio. The other a rescue Staffie cross does not do "home alone" and goes to my mum through the week and stays with me Friday to Sunday and when I am on holidays. She seems to see the rest of the family as her "pack" and is equally settled at either home. This has been her long term arrangement for 5 years and seems to have no drawbacks.

I go by the fact that my dogs are always happy to see their carers and show pleasure at visiting/ being visited by the extended pack. In some ways it is good if they are not "Klingons" whose owners cannot move for them and I think that especially for a single dog, the extra contact, especially with the dog sitters dogs, could be of benefit in keeping them socialised.

With your pup, I might wonder if his routine is too varied, with too many changes, if he seems a bit upset? Some dogs thrive on change and others prefer a set daily routine. I have some of each! At 8 months he will also be coming up for adolescence and maybe this could be having an effect on him? Hence the barking and stuff "I'm a big buch boy dog, don't mess with my space"!

In general though I'd say he is luckier than many as he has plenty of company and you have done far more to arrange care than a lot of owners ever do. I think they all throw sad eyes and whines when coats go on and they are excluded, so I wouldn't feel too guilty. Enjoy the quality time you have avaiable with your lad and if he seems happy in himself don't stress too much!

Sheilagh

Hi all i want to say is well done to you its nice to hear that even though you have to work you still think of your dog sound like a great arrangement for you all so as long as dogs happy and so are you carry on.
Alex, Norfolk

I think your dog is a very lucky boy and I'm sure he's quite happy. Dogs often get those 'sad' looks and if you're feeling a bit guilty about going out you probably interpret them as 'he's not happy', then you make a fuss of him and re-inforce the behaviour. Same with the wimpering. I think the last poster is right about the barking, he's getting a shot of big boy hormones.
I take Thistle to a dog minder when I'm working for more than 4 hours and I think it does her good.
You're doing a great job, my only advice would be to ignore 'sad' behaviour, difficult I know!
Jane

I have two dogs and whilst out on our daily walks, meet LOTS of people who say "this is my daughter/sons dog. I look after him during the week whilst they work". There are very loving dog owners who also have to work. I think your dog is very lucky as you obviously care very much for him and I bet he has a great time with so much socialising. I recently heard of someone who had a dobe and left it from about 7.00 in the morning until 7.00 at night!

I sold a puppy 3 years ago to live in two homes. Retired parents had always had a dog, but were worried about the responsibility in case of illness or death, and Daughter with husband and kids who wanted a family dog, but both adults had to work.

dog gets taken to parents house each morning before work, and picked up on way home. His feeding and maintenance are the responsibility of the young family, and walks are shared. It has worked brilliantly.

I have often wondered if a scheme of dog aunts wouldn't help a lot of working owners, and older people who are missing a dog of their own.

I meat so many older people on walks who say with deep sadness in their voices that they no longer feel they can have a dog, as it will outlive them, or they cannot manage to walk it, and then lots of dogs spend hours with no company while owners are at work.

A dating Agency for Dogs and Minders!

I am very grateful for all the positive replies. I feel much better now as a few months ago I was criticised by some dog owners about not being at home with the dog - it made me a little upset that they were firing at me rather than all the dog abusers that exist. Anyway, I am very pleased to have found this board - people are generally very polite and more inclined to think before making personal comments than other dogboards I have visited.

I also feel very lucky that the problems I am reading about on the other postings [e.g. dogs going through bins, swiping food from tables and jumping up on couches] don't seem to apply to our corgi - that's a plug for corgis but it could just be the advantage of having a short legged dog!
Cizzy

Dear Brainless
The Dating Agency - what a good idea, I think I'll start a new thread on the General Board, Exchange Dog Minding! I meet lots of my neighbours with their dogs and we chit-chat about looking after each other's dogs but I am a bit shy about being the first to ask- I live in London so have automatic reserve....
Cizzy