merledogs Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) I have five collie-types and work full time. I live close to work so get home for between 45 minutes and an hour every day. If I have to travel to meetings, then I have a dogsitter who comes in once or twice a day (depending how long I'm away) and lets the dogs out and fusses them. I did stick a webcam on them at one stage and they mostly slept all day I tend to leave home around 8.30 and get back home about 4 ish most days, sometimes earlier, then I do a bit of work from home. I don't have a social life but especially wouldn't go out weeknights because I don't think it's fair. I then spend all day Sat/Sun with them. If I only had one dog (especially if it was young) I wouldn't think it was fair to leave them that length of time without company. Would you consider taking on a bonded pair? They do sometimes come up in rescue and are difficult to place because they need to go together. Alternatively have you considered an old-ish dog? The one thing I would advise is to start as you mean to go on - I wouldn't personally take time off work to settle the dog in, get it used to your routine as soon as possible. Edited June 12, 2008 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I work full time from home. The dogs think I spend far too much time looking at the computer rather than tickling their tummies. Actually, the cats think that too. When I worked in Liverpool and lived in Cheshire, I was usually out of the house from 8am to at least 6pm, and got home tired. I didn't have a dog at that time, and I don't think I would have had the energy to look after one properly, to be honest. But I'm sure some people manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Would you consider taking on a bonded pair? They do sometimes come up in rescue and are difficult to place because they need to go together. Alternatively have you considered an old-ish dog? The OP is fostering* Bouncer, a 16 yr old lab cross, for the OC *at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boosboss Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I'm employed full time (I think calling it work is stretching the truth a bit ) I do shiftwork and the shifts can range from 4hrs - 8hrs, so depending on the length of shift depends on whether they're left the whole shift or not and the shift times play a part too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 The OP is fostering* Bouncer, a 16 yr old lab cross, for the OC *at the moment Don't worry we will still foster . It's just hypothetical really. I like to do things properly, I read the books and research on the internet and then get it stuck in my head that that is the right way to do it. I always like to think that our fosters will go to somewhere better where they will get more company but as you have pretty much all said - they do sleep all day when you are not there. Bouncer certainly does, he looks up guiltily from where he has been snoozing on the sofa and straight after his walk and treats he's fast asleep again. I'm just wandering how proper properly is? Does that make sense ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheryl33 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I work full time, plus another 10hrs a week at weekends and evenings have 1 dog. He gets a walk in the morning, let out for a wee at lunch times and a longer walk in the evening. My weekend job is usually at night, so he will be out in the day. He is used to the routine and we stick to it like glue I'd love another dog to keep him company but financially this is not viable. When we move into the new house we will have a dog flap which I hope he will learn to use but I will ne putting in him day care again prob twice a week x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 From next week on I will be working full time again - after having been "inbetween jobs" for 5 weeks. I've got 12 year old Malcolm and 4 1/2 year old Kiera, who is a collie X. Up until November of last year I had a flatmate who worked from home a lot of the time, which was ideal. Since she's left the guys have been on their own during the day, with a neighbour taking them out for a quick walk at lunch time. They're walked before I go to work, and first thing when I come back, and get a quick walk round the block just before bed. If at all possible, I take them to the local nature reserve or something after work, where they have more than an hour and I have just started agility with Kiera, to have a bit extra one on one. I hardly ever go out, and most of my weekends are completely centred around "my guys". They seem happy enough with this arrangement, certainly Mal would be more upset if he got separated from his sofa than from me! As for wanting to do things "properly"; "properly" IMHO would be what is suitable to the individual dog. My lifestyle wouldn't be "proper" for a dog with separation anxiety, but neither would it be for a dog who doesn't like going for long walks, as I like spending time interacting with my dogs, and although a dog who just wants to sleep all day would be perfectly happy with me watching him doing just that, I have to say that it would be a bit less satisfactory for me. At the moment I really have the best of both worlds, as both Mal and Kiera seem to be happy to chill for hours on end, but are both ready to go out for 'walkies' whenever I am Good luck with your decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I'm just wandering how proper properly is? Does that make sense ? I think 'properly' probably depends on personality, both of the dog and the owner. Although my dogs sleep most of the time I am here, often in a different room, none the less, one of them. Az, was rehomed to me because he could not cope with being left regularly. You can see it in him if for some reason I have to go out and leave him with just animal company, he can cope if it's just one day, even if I leave him for quite a long time - but if I leave him several days in succession, you can just see the tension and stress building up, he starts to whine and pace and stress, and he becomes clingy. For some reason, it doesn't count if HE decides to go off and snooze upstairs, only if I go out and leave him. I have no idea what the difference is, but obviously there is one for him. I suspect that there are actually quite a lot of dogs that don't cope terribly well with being left on their own regularly. But that said, there are so many dogs that are quite happy with it, that I think it has to be one of those things that is 'proper' for the right animal. I don't think I could have a dog and do what Billy and Jacky do. I just don't think I would have the energy to walk the dogs, commute, work, then come home and walk again and train and so on. I'd start slipping up and the dog would not be happy. So that would not fit me, but if it fits you and you find a dog that it fits too, then why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LurcherGirl Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I work full-time leaving the house at 8.30 am and coming home at 6.30 pm. My husband however doesn't leave until 3.30 pm (coming home at 11 pm). So there is no problem for us. We used to both work full-time during the day. I can't see a problem with that as long as the dogs are happy with it and someone can pop in to let them out for toilet some time during the day. Vera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LurcherGirl Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I work full-time leaving the house at 8.30 am and coming home at 6.30 pm. My husband however doesn't leave until 3.30 pm (coming home at 11 pm). So there is no problem for us. We used to both work full-time during the day. I can't see a problem with that as long as the dogs are happy with it and someone can pop in to let them out for toilet some time during the day. The two lurchers and our acs are walked in the morning before I go to work, our pyrenees is either walked by my husband (though that is slipping down to twice or three times a week max these days... ) or by myself when I come home from work. Our dogs also all go to training classes (except for Troy), two on Tuesday (Jesse and Flash), one on Thursday (Jesse) and one on Sunday morning (Dylan). So they are all mentally kept busy that way too. At week-ends we sometimes go to obedience competitions too (once a month or so). Vera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estweyn Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I think they honestly do adjust, but its me who feels really guilty. I am lucky that my father in law calls every lunchtime and plays with them and lets them out for me. He sits and reads his paper and does the crossword. I have been off work since end of Jan due to back probs and its amazing really, Josh just dozes all day and about 3.30 the time I used to get home, he suddenly perks up, wants a walk, wants to play, wants some fuss! I used to leave a stuffed kong, I had two dogs then though and it does worry me how Josh will cope when I return to work after I have had the operation. He will probably just doze but if probs occur I will have to re assess the situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I work full time but Sol comes to the office with me. He's actually on the payroll as "Chief of Security". He is paid in tripe sticks, which believe it or not are tax deductable in this context HMRC visited just this very day and confirmed that this is legitimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 OMG, Az must become our company Chief of Security, he would love to be paid in tripe sticks! I will have to get Mark to look into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 We both work full time. I work close enough by to walk/be with the dogs in my lunch break, and due to the way our days off are arranged, they have one or both of us at home with them 3 days a week. They mainly sleep during the days anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenOldie Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I think it very much depends on the dog(s) , lifestyle and length of time they are left. My mother lived with me for many years when I worked full time so there was always someone in the house; I had to continue to work full time after she died and had 3 old dogs then who adjusted well although I was able to get home some days in the middle of the day and always walked them morning and evening. I now work part time and for 2 days can be out of the house from 8-5, although I do some work from home. My daughter pops in one day a week to let them out at lunchtime but quite often they are sound asleep and happily settle down again after a wee, snack and cuddle - they are 12 and 13! They are walked morning and evening and occasionally are left all day but seem quite settled. On the days my daughter works her 2 young dogs are left from 9-3.30 when I collect the children from school. They have free access to a 140foot garden through a dog flap and on the one day neither she nor I are there until evening she pays a dog walker; her dogs are walked daily by her or her partner. I don't think I would have a younger dog now as I and my 2 happily manage a nice gentle stroll up to the local farm , arthtritis allowing, daily,and I would struggle to give a young dog the exercise commitment needed. Even working full time dogs can be given a good quality of life and it's just a question of making the right match for the dog and for you, however, I have never had a single dogs and have always kept 2+. Good luck! Sally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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