Re-homing To Full Time Workers

[cheryl33]

I think if rescues were to say no to all full time workers then I reckon there would be thousands more dogs looking for homes.

 

I was refused by 3 rescues before I got Henry for working full time (even though I worked a mile down the road and came home for an hour) so I went out and bought him and its the best thing I ever did.

 

When I split up with ex-OH, Henry got used to being left on his own fora few hours whilst I was at work and now he is fine. We had a few issues before Xmas and he has a crate now which he goes in if I pop out for an hour or so. When I am work, he has full run of the house and I go home at dinner.

 

[Laurel n Hardy]

To me it depends on the person, the circumstances and the dog in question and if they

already have dogs/cats or anything else in the home while out at work.

 

Cheryl, similar for me too, I got turned down from a rescue because

I was going to be out of the house for 3 hours at a time.

 

Now I wouldn't have minded being turned down for that straight away,

but after 3 or 4 phone conversations with them, a home visit and interrogation

(i kid you not, 2 of the rudest people I have had the misfortune to meet),. then

I got turned down.

 

Never mind I was home every lunch time, never mind my neighbour would go in

mid afternoon and let them out, never mind that I used to work from home 2 days

a week. They refused full stop.

 

So I went to another rescue (for the same breed) got home checked with dog in question

(who got on with my mini daxi immediately), one week later I had my soul dog Archie boy turn up

 

Now I do home checks and transport for them and the other rescue lost themselves a homechecker

and transporter/supporter.

[JACKYSIAN]

See when I rehomed Cromwell I worked full-time, Tiz I worked 4 days in an office 1 day at home, and Sidney I didn't work for 6 months..then worked nights.(Otherwise I'd never of taken on a puppy) I was fostering then as well. Now I work full time, I don't get home in the day as I live to far away, and can't afford someone to go to them, but they have a dog flap into a secure garden. So does it make me a bad owner? My dogs get 2 very long walks a day and appear to be extreamly happy, they don't bark or howl (well Sidney did one day last week but that was exceptional and for a reason) and they are bouncy healthy mutts. I have 4 dogs and of them I have no doubt 3 would of been PTS without me, so I see my home as the best place for them...working or not.

[Maria]

Friends of mine, a married couple in settled professional occupations, were turned down by the RSPCA as potential rehomers because they both work full time. The RSPCA - rightly or wrongly - ignored the fact that their shift patterns/other factors meant that the dog would only be left alone once in a blue moon for a maximum of 30 mins. One of the other factors was that the wife's sprightly retired mother lives with them and very much wanted a dog too.

 

Shame they didn't live near a branch I know of, who have just agreed to home an ex breeding bitch, who has never lived in a home,been without other doggy company, walked onlead, or been housetrained (so is basically like a 9 year old puppy) to a couple who are both out of the house at least 11 - 12 hours a day (long working hours which don't overlap and long commutes). If she doesn't cope with a dog walker popping in, she'll be put in a kennel in the garden too.........

 

I agree that it's horses for courses otherwise. My 2 don't like being left for too long and Smudge's bladder can't cope with more than about 3 hours or she'll have an 'accident'.

[cody]

I think it depends on the dog & what the 'full time workers' can offer

 

I work full time & have 4 dogs, its too far for me to come home at lunch but when hubby was working (he's out of work at the mo) he came home at lunch time. It works out just fine for us.

 

I had neighbours who had 2 collies they were both not working & I can honestly say I never saw them even walk the dogs

 

I home check for my local RSPCA & think that each dog is an individual & also each home.

[EGAR]

Quite a few rescues do not rehome to full time workers which is why I asked. I do rehome adult dogs to full time workers (depending on the circumstances) but would not rehome a pup.

[clare1976]

Both me and my husband are full time workers but I am lucky enough to get home at lunch times to take Lady out for a walk, and even then I usually have to wake her up. I don't think that working full time it would have been fair to have had a puppy as they require far more attention than an oldie.

[Whizzie]

I do rehome adult dogs to full time workers (depending on the circumstances) but would not rehome a pup.

 

Even then there are exceptions to "rules". We always said ourselves that we were not the right home for a pup - we both work, but partly different hours, already had 2 dogs at that time & have a friend who dog walks - however back in 2001 we fostered a pup in need when there were no better offers on the table.

 

3 or 4 weeks later nobody had come forward to adopt her so we did. We hadn't planned to but she'd fitted in perfectly and nobody could say it wasn't working out. Since then we've fostered more dogs of all ages.

 

I'm sure the fact that we had dogs already made all the difference.

[wickychoo]

When we first got Tyler-whuupet OH worked late shifts so he was never alone for more than 2 hours before I was back from work in the evening and he got a walk morning and evening (one from each of us). Now OH is back on 9-5 we take it in turns to pop home and let him out/give him a quick walk/surprise him as-he's-so-fast-asleep-he-hasn't-heard-us-come-in at lunches.

 

There are the odd days when something unexpected happens and neither of us can get back to him til 5 and I spend all afternoon fretting about him, so one day I set up the webcam to record him and what does he do - sleep! All day.

 

*I* feel better about coming home and seeing him in the day, playing with him and walking him etc but sometimes I do wonder which is likely to stress *him* more: being alone all day or someone leaving him twice.

[wickychoo]

Bloody thing ate my edit! *Grr* What I was adding was that as others have said, it should be horses for courses, of course a pup is more difficult to place with working families but with rescues having a blanket "no" on rehoming adult dogs to full time workers they are likely to discourage a lot of people from rescue dog, perhaps missing out on fantastic forever homes for their dogs too. I mean, how many people are there that can afford to not work full time? And of those that do, most that are serious about wanting a dog will have made arrangements for the dogs care when they're at work.

[Fee]

There are plenty of dogs who are quite happy to be alone through a working day with a lunchtime loo break, so long as they get the attention and exercise they need outside of working hours.

 

Also not everybody who works does standard 9-5 Monday to Friday away from home, but some rescues (mainly the larger ones) don't seem to recognise this.

 

My OH and I both work, I work partly from home, David has a job with very flexible arrangements so he can be at home for a good part of the day when I have to go into the office. In fact our dogs are rarely left for more than 2-3 hours a few times a week but we still had one of the large national rescues refuse to even processs our application a few years back because we were both 'full time workers'. That just seems daft.

[Red Rotties]

I dont work but am involved in a lot of things, my dogs for instance were left for 12 hours on Thursday... boy do I know it too, Elle rottie has only just started speaking to me again and the smell from the oldies room is finally fading!

[Shazzy]

My dogs are left for 5 hours 3 times a week. If for any reason OH pops back home they are all fast asleep on my bed. Only Flynn bothers to come down stairs and see who has come in We leave our back door open all the time we are out and of course leave the heating on

 

Ive not had any signs of unhappiness or stress from any of them.

 

When I work from home - they all go upstairs on my bed at their set times to sleep - I could set a watch by them

[Nettie]

Depends on the dog, obviously one wouldn't rehome a dog inclined to seperation anxiety to a home where someone worked full time. Puppies also need someone around most of the time too so that would be out but a settled adult dog shouldn't be a problem as long as someone came in halfway through the day to let him/her out and perhaps walk them.

[redditchlady]

I think my views have been covered.

 

Basically I say it all depends upon the dogs needs. Some dogs can cope with being left. Max my old GSD came to me at 7 weeks old. I was working, but I had a really good neighbour at the time that he went to in the day when I was working. A bit like kids going to a childminder. But just next door.

 

 

I think you have to take every potential home on it's own merit so to speak.

 

 

I am one of the fortunate ones that works at home. Dave goes on site doing electrical design stuff and I answer the phone, do accounts, invoicing etc.

 

I also do E Plan and RS wire modifications and Remote for people with software PC problems which brings in an additional wage for our company.

 

That enables me to foster pups/ oldies on occasions and adopt the doglets that are elderly that need the toilet more often than the younger ones.

 

I do feel that "some" rescues could end up shooting themselves in the foot unless they take each adoption case on it's own merit.

 

If we all said we wouldn't let workers adopt a dog, or people with kids under 14 etc etc, then there would be an awful lot of dogs in kennels.

 

Like I say we can't have blanket rules. Sorry I have waffled a bit. But at least it is on topic this time.

 

Kazz xx