[sneezer]

Hi I would like your opinions on how long you can leave a dog for whilst at work, I would love a dog but I think 7 hours is too long to be left alone, either in the house or teathered outside with a dog house...how long do others leave theirs?

[8doubles]

Imo, if you cannot be with the dog do not get one ,dogs are pack animals and do not like being on their own at all , two dogs you can leave all day as they have each other for company.

[Aunt Sally]

and they need to be able to have a wee at least half way through the day.

[tosca100]

I would think very carefully about a dog unless you know someone who can let it out and give it a cuddle at least once a day, I know it's hard when you really want one, but it's worth the wait! Some dogs will quite happily sleep away a working day, but you don't know if a dog would cope till you have it, then it's too late and you may have a very stressed dog on your hands. We delayed getting a dog till our work patterns suited, I was working nights and OH worked days. Now we have two dogs and I work 5-1 twice a week and 5-8.45 three times, then OH walks the girls in the park before going to work 7.30-4, so they are never alone for long.
It might be a good idea to wait a bit till you can work something out to break the day up, it will be worth the wait to get it right.

[codheadred]

I wouldnt advise getting any dog which you were to leave for 7 hours or so, even if you paired it with another animal and kept it in a run, you may get lots of other advice and material saying that it can but in my experience it doesnt work.

There are a number of other factors not least breed and the energy levels of the dog, I ended up having my dogs walked during the working day by a dog walking service to break up the day whilst I work full time, but even that didnt work.

I agree with tosca100 in that a few hours are all they should be left for and it does vary from dog to dog I wouldnt want you (or the dog) to have the same experiences as myself wait until you have the time.

[sneezer]

thanks for your replies I thought it would be too long Well i will wait till I can give them a proper home with more time, such a shame as there are so many lovely walks around where I live, maybe I can convince the other half that I should be a lady of leisure!!!!!

[tosca100]

thanks for your replies I thought it would be too long Well i will wait till I can give them a proper home with more time, such a shame as there are so many lovely walks around where I live, maybe I can convince the other half that I should be a lady of leisure!!!!!

Hope you have more luck than me!!!! But to be fair, I have recently dropped two half days, so might be worth a try........