Hello everybody!!

[willowstar]

Hello! I am finally a member yay!!
i have been looking at this website for ages but only just been able to sign up ( due to no internet conncetion at home!!) I have had fun looking at all your lovely pics of your pooches!
My husband and I should be getting our puppy sometime in the spring, we have done loads of research and can't wait to get our dog!
However we are troubled about what others think of us leaving our pup at home while we are both working. I live about 5 mins away from where I work so will be going home every lunchtime, and we have read lots about what to do when your puppy is left alone, but would still love to hear peoples views! please let me know what you think! Thanks 

[Sian P]

Hi and welcome! I guess it depends on how long puppy will be left each day and for how many days. I am lucky enough to be at home for most of the time except for the school run and odd shopping trip. When we got our puppy Murphy in the summer last year we planned it in time for school hols and my partner's work hols so we could devote a lot of time to settling in and training as it was and still is a huge change in all our lives let alone Murphy's. The longest I have had to leave him for is 4hrs and make sure he gets plenty of stimulation/exercise before and after. Not sure I would have got a dog if we both worked full time especially now I know how much he needs from me but that's just me and not to say I would be judgmental towards others doing so. Either way I wish you well, it's so rewarding!

[jakesmum]

I'm in a similar position to you - I work but only live a few minutes away and so am home every lunchtime. Jake is absolutely fine - I think he uses the time mostly to sleep and I'm not away long enough for him to get really bored and start wrecking and chewing everything (although I do occasionally come home to find the contents of the pots on my terrace strewn across the living room - soil and plants!).

[Elmo]

Me and OH work full time but we are lucky where we own our own business and Elmo comes with us. I work 4 days so me and Elmo have 3 days off to relax and play together/go adventuring as being stuck in an office is boring enough for me never mind a young pup. He gets a walk in the morning, play in the park around lunch tme and another walk in the evening so is very settled at work. Personallly i couldnt live wth my concience if we both worked full time and Elmo was left at home for hours at a time even with a visit at luch time Its a long time for a pup to be on there own. I took a week and a half off when Elmo first came home for him to get used to me and the new things around him.

[jobyhere]

Hi there, I am new to the board and in the middle of getting our puppy used to being left for short periods.  I have to say its not easy - although I work from home I want to be confident to leave Izzy for shopping trips and of course the usual daily school runs etc.  So far she is not impressed with me leaving but she is getting better - bit by bit.  The children have been coached to do the no big fuss leaving and returning ( which is very hard when pup is wiggling all around your feet)  and also we have used a baby gate for the kitchen so we can have periods of time alone but she can still see out.    The good news for us is night times are now sorted - phew its taken two weeks but last night she slept in her crate from 11pm  she got up for toilet at 6am and then thank the lord we got another hour until the alarm went off! we are now counting down to d day when we get to go walkies Jo

[GailyK81]

Hello and welcome, Our puppy is nearly six months old and I was fortunate to be able to work from home.  (until this week that is) I am back now being office based and work full time so a big chnage for all or us. Monday so far so good left Shadow with his kong full of his biscuits (dry food) half of his allowance for the day and left for work 4 and half hours later i returned during my lunch hour and the Kong had not been touched and it looked like he had just slept the whole time.  Once I had my usual cocker greeting he enthusiatically demolished the Knong and all its contents we went for a walk and time to go back home.  I was apprehensive at leaving him again so soon but as i was getting my shoes on he was settling for a sleep again so off i went when we returned it was the same so hopefully he is adapting well.  PS this is not going to happen everyday my OH only works 4 days on a spilt rota and family are going to help so we are lucky but I think they adapt really well and I think we humans worry far to much LOL well I do anyway.

[*sammy*]

i have only worked bits and pieces since we've had sam but start work next week. i'll be working 6 1/2 hours a day but will be able to get home at least 1 or 2 times throughout the day and if i can't OH will be able to. sam is 91/2 months now and used to being left. whilst i haven't been working i have still be building up the time he spends alone so i know that he's fine for 4 hours on his own. even during the summer when me and son were off we would make a point of going to my mother or to the park alone so sam didn't get used to us being there all the time.
i would suggest you take time off when pup first comes on and build up the time you leave him-although in my experience sam has only been able to hold in his wee (for 4 hours during the day) for the past month or so so toilet training could be very slow as he would have no choice but to pee indoors as he would be so small.

anyway welcome to the site, i'm sure you'll enjoy it here

[Karma]

Hi and Welcome!!

Having a pup when you both work is hard work, but can work if you are prepared to put in the effort - both me and OH work.  OH took a week off when we first got Honey, to settle her in, but she has been left during the day (with a good lunchtime visit) regularly since then.  Yes - toilet training is slow, but we are making good progress.  The key is putting in the effort the rest of the time.  We have dramatically changed the rest of our routines to ensure she gets lots of play time, plenty of training and two walks a day.... she is progressing well in all aspects, is quite happy when we leave her (in fact gets over-tired if we are in all day!!). 

Good luck and enjoy your new addition!!!

 

[*Theresa*]

Hi both me and my OH work full time but I am lucky enough to have a job where I pretty much choose my own hours so I rarely work morning and usually go in about lunchtime and then my two are only left for the afternoon. On the odd occasion I have a meeting or something scheduled for the morning I nip home when I can and they survive.

The only major difference is how hyper they can be a night. If left all day with just a lunch visit they are bouncing off walls at night time and just can't settle as they have spent most of the day sleeping.   

[barb]

Hi and welcome, we both work but luckily I work a split shift (I'm a school bus driver) and am home for around 4 hours during the day and my OH is home a couple of hours after I leave in the afternoon. So the longest Pippa will be left is 4 hours in the morning (6am - 10am)
We've had Pippa since late Nov last year, I was hoping to get her at the beginning of the school hols (early Dec) but it didn't work out that way! So when we got her my OH took a week off to get her settled and I 'm now on holidays until Feb.
She was more than ready for a big play when I got home that's for sure!
I think she sleeps most of the time I'm out, if I leave her treats they're usually not touched. We have her in a playpen when we're out and at night with her bed, toys, water and newspaper (which is usually dry now!)
A bonus for us is that I also have lots of holidays too, I don't know how she'll go when I do go back to work but she's fine when I go out shopping at the moment. Fingers crossed!
 From what I've read on the posts here cockers seem to have a "mad half-hour" in the early evening, Pippa does, she just goes crazy racing about like a complete nutter!
Enjoy your new baby!
Barb and Pippa, who is fast asleep at my feet!

[GailyK81]

is quite happy when we leave her (in fact gets over-tired if we are in all day!!). 

Exactly like shadow does not want to miss anything when we in so going out does him good because he will sleep