How long do you leave your cocker for?

[Chris_J]

Due to a change in circumstances with myself and partner's working schedule, we're having to leave Cassie alone during the day for a little longer. We now both leave the house at the same time in the morning, so unfortunately, she will have to be left for around 8 hours during the day, on weekdays.

I'm a little bit concerned by this, but there's not really much I can do about it. We both still have to work and provide for ourselves and the dog.

We've talked about increasing the frequency that the dog walker comes over, but at £8 a time for an hour's run, it's not something we can readily afford.

Is there anyone else in my situation who leave their cocker during the day?

[seaangler]

If we are going to be that long we would get the neighbors or are own daughters in to let them out for pees and phoos..I think that is just a shade to long 8 hours.We are lucky to have good next door neighbors....

P.S Are Neighbors next door do have a key as we do with them for there pussy cat....

[joanna84]

We have a dog walker for Daisy mon-fri so she is never left more than 4 hours max.....my mums dog is left about the same time as your pooch though and she has a cat flap for him (he's ten and only little) it only works if they have a magnet on their collar to release the door so no other creatures can sneak in......he loves to sit out in the back garden and can relieve himself when he needs the loo  

[Black Red + Yellow]

Oh what a difficult quandry.....are you friendly at all with any neighbour/fellow dog walker who you would trust enough to offer a 'wee' break?

We are lucky enough to have my retired Dad on hand for the days when either myself or hubby are doing a long day....and my daughter is in 6th form so she finishes early a few days a week.......I would say the maximum we leave them without being let out would be 4 hours.

[mooching]

Due to a change in circumstances with myself and partner's working schedule, we're having to leave Cassie alone during the day for a little longer. We now both leave the house at the same time in the morning, so unfortunately, she will have to be left for around 8 hours during the day, on weekdays.

I see from previous posts that she's almost 6 months old, and a working cocker. 8 hours would be a long time for a show cocker, but for a worker I personally would think that's too much without a break, not just for toilet needs, but for mental stimulation and company. When does the dog walker come in?

We've left Alfie once for 5 hours; usually we wouldn't leave him for longer than 3-4 hours. The RSPCA recommendation is no more than 4 hours.

[MaggieR]

You have my sympathy... its a difficult situation, as others have said maybe worth seeing whether your neighbour etc could pop in to let her out/have a little play etc. 
Maggie is left occassionally for 4-5 hours, I aim to keep it to less than four if I can.  On the day I have to go in the office she goes to a dog sitter for the day, but thats only once a week which I can manage financially.  She copes fine with 4-5 as long as I make sure she's had a good walk etc beforehand she will sleep while I'm out. 

[Poppypuppy09]

I feel for you on this one...before my current situation which now means the dogs are never left at all but when we were both working the girls were left for 3 hours every morning. They didnt seem to mind that tbh but I think 8 hours every day is too much if I am honest. Really hope you can come up with a solution 

[B52]

I agree with 'ask the neighbours' if you are friendly with them, AND they love dogs

I work full-time, but a couple of the neighbours are retired, or work part-time.  They love dogs, but don't want the tie of having their own dog, so seem very happy to look after Bracken 1 day a week.

They go in late morning - take her for a walk, or play with her in garden.  My Mum (retired) also pops in whenever she is passing the door

On the days when she doesn't have baby-sitters!!! she comes to work with me...  folk in work have cigarette breaks, I have Bracken Breaks

If its freezing - they allow me to bring her into building - she is very quiet so they don't mind

[Sarah1985]

I own two workers and leave them both for about 6 hours a day (9am, when OH leaves for walk till, 3ish when I get in from work) but they have been known to be left for 8 hours if I get stuck at work   Usually I know before lunch and get my OH to go home at lunch but he only has 10 mins and its a quick wee before he shoots off again. I can think of once of twice when they've been left all day and been fine.  

However OH gives them an hour and a half in the morning and they get between 2 and 3 hours out with me in the evening to ensure they get the exercise and quality time with us that they deserve.

Mentally they can get a bit stir crazy by about mid week due to a lack of mental stimulation. It helps if they have a mid week activity (agility and flyball are both ran in the evenings in the summer) but I have to put alot of effort in privately if theres a week without something going on. We have a training schedule (sad I know) that seems to be working to keep them mentally tired all week long

I know some people dont agree but it works for us. It seems like a long time but I know that I put alot of energy into my dogs outside of work. From talking to people in my area and at training classes I find that Very often I do alot more than people who are at home all day. If Im honest sometimes I think I do so much because of the guilt   .

Only you know if you are commited enough to make it work. Id suggest you and your OH look at what activites you have the time and money to do with her to keep her mentally stimulated and whether you think it will be enough

 Also its worth mentioning that I absolutely dont leave the dog alone in the evening after being alone all day. Its just not fair IMO. So if I want an evening out I have to book the day off work.

I hope that helps

[Lily Freya]

This is a hard one for you.  And, it sounds like you already know it would be difficult for the doggie.

Is there anyone in the area, retired and active who would perhaps like to earn just a little money (to pay for a luxury or something)?  When I worked full time, we had a lovely lady living on the estate aged 67.............I used to give her just £10 a week(and as she said, it paid for her paper each day, and chocolate), and she would just come half way through the day, make herself a cuppa, play with Lily...........then take her to the local field for a run.  Luckily, I didn't work full-time for too long, so I got to do it myself eventually.  Sometimes it not vast amounts of money these people are looking for, but it is nice for them to do something, and to have a bit of spare cash for a luxury too.

I have you find a way to get around the problem.  I feel for you.

[Geordietyke]

I'm a stay at home mum and am forever on the look out for little things like this to do.  My SIL's friend recently moved next to me and I go most days, just for half an hour and she pays me £2.50.  I exercise a lab and a rottie in her garden, and play with them inside/cuddles etc.  Maybe you could also find someone like a stay at home mum who likes dogs??

[Black Red + Yellow]

I'm a stay at home mum and am forever on the look out for little things like this to do.  My SIL's friend recently moved next to me and I go most days, just for half an hour and she pays me £2.50.  I exercise a lab and a rottie in her garden, and play with them inside/cuddles etc.  Maybe you could also find someone like a stay at home mum who likes dogs??

I offered to do things like this when I was made redundant.......maybe an advert in your local village shop?

[Trixie780]

I think it depends on the dog and the dog's age.  Our last cocker was occasionally left for the day (6-8 hours) but only when he was much older and honestly was quite happy to have the house to himself......no running kid, no noise, his soft bed parked right in the best spot for sunshine all day!!  However, our new pup can't be left for any longer than 3-4 hours.  We both work full-time so he is alone for 3 hours in the morning and we come home for lunch (we stagger our lunches so there's someone there for approx. 1-2 hours) and then he's left for another 2-3 hours.  We find that he's fine and well-behaved when we're gone but he's always very happy to have us come home - he's almost two years old and we've only been doing it this way for the last year.  He came to work with me for the first 8-9 months.  We are looking into taking him to a doggie daycare for a couple of mornings a week just because he doesn't get as much exercise during the winter as he normally does (too cold for long walks and runs!). He seems content but we think the stimulation and socialization would be good for him.  It really does depend on the dog and the situation.  If you could get someone to pop in and spend a bit of time with him that would be an ideal solution.  

[6thSense]

Do you have a kennels near you? I only say this as the kennels where I used to work years back did day boarding. You dropped them off each morning and picked them up each night. The dogs had lots of company, plenty to do and where usually worn out when they got home. There are also doggy day cares, which are a similar sort of idea, but perhaps not in a kennel environment. May be worth looking into as I know all our customers where really happy with it and so were the dogs. Just another idea. 

[B52]

Hi

Just one thing to add - I have just renewed Brackens insurance, and one of the exclusions on her Policy (which I hadn't noticed before) is if you pay for someone to look after your dog, it could nullify an Insurance claim.

Is this is a standard exclusion? - may be worth having a look at your policies - or if anything happens then bear this in mind for the Claim Form 

I don't pay the Ladies that look after Bracken, and I assume that most 'professional' dog walkers and kennels have their own insurance cover.