How long do you leave your cocker for?

[vixen]

It may be worth saying where you are located    There may be another COLer in the area who would willingly take your girl out with their dog/dogs.
I know that if there was a cocker in my area in the same position, I would readily step in to help. 

[Sheepscheeks]

Freddie is left from 8.30 til 3.15 two or maybe three days a week (sometimes OH works from home) which is almost 8 hours. He is 15 months old. Until October, when he was 1, I came home at lunchtime for him on those days and spent half an hour with him. He has an hours walk in the morning then me or my daughter takes him out when she gets in from school. He is obviously very excited to see us but seems to cope with it OK as he has built up to it. I wouldn't have left him that long at 6 months, though. Why not contact a local dog club of some sort and ask to have a little announcement made there? Either that or friends and neighbours. I know my OH wouldn't want someone he didn't know coming into our house so wouldn't let me advertise in a shop window or anything. Good luck. 

[ali2010]

We are lucky in that my retired parent walk our dog most days when we are at work but 2 days a week we pay a dog walker - to be honest I feel like I leave Albert too long on his own when the dog walker takes him out as hes on his own from 8.30 til 12 then from 12.30 til 5.30.  Saying that though he seems to cope with it well.  Yesterday we had to leave him home alone from 8.30am til 3pm and he was fine, we made sure though that he had an hour and half walk last night and he slept upstairs with us - so as he wasn't on his own for too long

I feel for you though as its really expensive to pay a dog walker every day

[henryjack1dogs]

This isn't ideal but can work.  I for one with my first two cockers used to leave them for 8 hours a day - They got a walk before work, I used to nip home for a walk at lunchtime and then a walk as soon as I came home from work  - We never really left them in the week in the evenings and they often got another walk later on.  They were full on in the evenings but I don't think unhappy - weekends were all about them - The last five years I have worked from home and three years earlier children came along so plenty of maternity leave.  Sometimes it isn't ideal but my boys were solid, sound boys and had a routine.  They were my world but in the early years I had to work.  When you consider the life what some dogs have out there and see the results on the rescues sites.  If you can break the day up with a walk/visit that would be great.  You obviously care alot to be considering/thinking about the situation.

[Cockertime Blues]

I understand this is hard for you and changes in circumstances are impossible to predict, but I feel the need to be brutally honest here.  Eight hours alone, 5 days a week, IMHO, is just not right  for a 6 month old working cocker.  If it were me, I would have to make arrangements for doggie day care or day kennels, regardless of cost, in the same way I'd have to make arrangements for childcare.  I'm sorry to be harsh.

We have a worker and a show x worker, both aged 5, and we're lucky enough to be home all day with them (we're retired).  I can tell you that they do NOT sleep, except maybe half an hour after their dinner at midday.  Granted we don't spend all day training, walking or mentally stimulating them, but they're out in the garden puttering, or watching interfering with what we're doing, or going in and out, or whatever, between their a.m. and p.m. walks mad runs which take 2 hours or so. 

We used to work full-time and we had 2 dogs but they weren't working cockers, they were aged 10 to 13, and they had each other for company.  I think that was still too long and I felt guilty.  I also found winters difficult because their morning and evening walks were in the dark and they could never get off leash except for weekends.

Sorry, I'm now off to hide  and really hope things work out well for you and Cassie.

[mooching]

This isn't ideal but can work.  I for one with my first two cockers used to leave them for 8 hours a day - They got a walk before work, I used to nip home for a walk at lunchtime and then a walk as soon as I came home from work 

That's the difference though - you came home at lunchtime to walk them, so their 8 hours wasn't constant, it was broken up into two parts.

[Chris_J]

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

We're going to do our best to arrange for someone to come in more often and break up the time for Cassie.

I must say, I'm not a huge fan of these doggy day care places. Although in principal they are a good idea, most of them are asking for over £10 a day and it just gets silly.

We're going to start by asking around the neighbours, as I know of at least two who are retired and have had dogs in the past. We are friendly with many of our neighbours, so I hold hope for this. Pretty much all of our friends work full time during day hours, so that's not really going to be an option.

I'd be over the moon if a fellow COLer was in my local area (Manchester) and could help. At least then it would be someone I could trust and would be better than letting any old stranger into the house!

[Jan/Billy]

Due to a change in my personal circumstances I have to leave my cocker all day whilst I'm at work. It's not something I'm happy with but I don't have much of a choice right now.

That said, he does have a good walk before work. I feed his breakfast kibble in a pyramid ball so he has to work for his food, this usually keeps him occupied for twenty minutes ( I put some big bits in there that he really has to work for to get them out of the pyramid  ), I also leave him with a frozen kong which keeps him occupied for approx 20-30 mins. When I get home he goes for another long walk and I never ever go out at night and leave him alone if he's been alone all day. If I a going out at night I book half a day off work.

Its hard work as before and after a hard days slog at work I have to ensure Billy is kept occupied. He has to be my priority even when I just want to curl up on the sofa and chill, or when I get home and its pouring with rain I still have to take him out.
 
Billy has the run of the house whilst I am out and he has a dog flap so has full access to the secure garden all day. I would never expect him to go 8 hrs without access to the toilet, that is just not fair.  I also leave a radio on timer ( not sure if it actually makes any difference!  )

I discussed this with Billys behaviourist at the time. The best piece of advice she gave me was to introduce it to him gradually. Slowly build up the time time he spends alone and look out for any signs of stress or unhappiness. Billy was used to being alone for 4 hrs each day so it didn't actually take that long to build up. I always leave him with some kind of treat when I leave so he actually gets really excited when I put my coat on 

He is fine, at the moment, but he is 7 years old and is a show type. He has an iffy temperament so dog walker/day care and rehoming isn't an option. If however I had a young worker pup then it would be a different story . If a dog walker wasn't an option I would have to "consider" rehoming 

Good luck with whatever happens 

[Jan/Billy]

I must say, I'm not a huge fan of these doggy day care places. Although in principal they are a good idea, most of them are asking for over £10 a day and it just gets silly.

Yes it works out expensive for a 5 day week doesn't it.

Even one day a week at day care is better than nothing 


Where in Manchester are you? 

[Miadanu]

This is a really interesting thread for me as I will be returning to work after a long period of sick leave soon (start of March I think) and we are trying to work out how best to ensure that Merlin is okay whilst we work (I hope to go back on a part-time rather than full-time basis which would made things better for all of us though).  Asking the neighbours is a possibility and we do have a friend who loves dogs that is recently retired so may be an option also...

Chris, I found this comment curious.

At least then it would be someone I could trust and would be better than letting any old stranger into the house!

I can see already that this is a great forum with lots of great people who love their dogs which is why I joined up.  However, I would ask you to remember that we are all still 'strangers' that you don't really know from adam as it were.   Do take appropriate precautions in the same way you would as if you were inviting a child minder from a toddler forum to babysit for you

[Chris_J]

I'm in Burnage, South Manchester, which is fairly close to Stockport.

Miadanu, you're right. I guess we are still all strangers. But, I would just feel happier if it was someone from here rather than sticking an advert in the shop window, if you know what I mean.

[mooching]

Someone is asking in the Meet Up folder to see if there's any interest for another get together in the near future. You could always post there and see if anything comes of it. If you met any members there, at least you'd know them from Adam 

Here's a link to a photo thread from their last meet:

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=66014.0

[Jan/Billy]

I'm in Burnage, South Manchester, which is fairly close to Stockport.

http://www.mypetstop.com/quote_form.html


Not cheap but even if its just one day per week it breaks the week up 

[saffysmum]

I just wanted to continue on the insurance theme.  If you are sticking an ad in the local chop or whatever, you can be sure their will be no insurance which also means that during the time your dog is with this person, they are not insured at all.  A local girl here advertises dog walking for £5.  She is not registered or insured so basically this is a bucky.  Not that I mind but for and extra £2 per day, you could get an insured, checked-put, dog walker that is registered(so has some regulators).  You get what you pay for.

IMO, 8 hours is way too much for a 6 month old pup.  Would you go al day without a bathroom break?  And you are an adult with a full sized bladder!  I think that the dog allready sleeps approx 8 hours at night so expecting them to snooze all day is a bit much.  I have trouble finding the energy every day to walk my lot but I need to and I work from home so they have company all day too.  I'm sorry but if it were me I would either pay for a dog walker every other day at least or considering re-homing. 

Just give it a go one day.  Stay home in the one room with no TV, PC and stick the radio on low.  Have a bit to eat and a couple of drinks sitting there and see how long it is before you feel a bit uncomfortable and bored.  I have a litter of pups atm(not advertising as a different breed & sold) but I have turned down people who work that haven't considered what they were going to do.  I've nothing against working as everyone needs to but you wouldn't take a job without thinking of what you were going to do with your kid. How's your dog different?

[Chris_J]

saffysmum, I appreciate your comments but I think you should read my question again. You appear to be suggesting that I haven't properly considered my lifestyle when choosing to have a pup, which is simply not the case. Myself and my partner thought long and hard before getting Cassie, but it is unfortunate that our circumstances have now changed, which was something we could never foresee.

Can I make it clear to you that we channel every ounce of energy we have into her and we're not the sort of family that treats their dog as some kind of toy that you can toss to one side when you're bored. Cassie is part of the family and allways will be.

I have come on here to discuss what viable options I have to break the day up for Cassie. I never once suggested that I propose to leave her for the entire time. As I say, I want to do what's best for Cassie. In my opinion, re-homing would cause her much more stress and anxiety, so I'm afraid I disagree with you there.