Prospective owner advice needed please!

[Cino]

Hello I don't have a dog yet but I have decided on a cocker after doing some research. The thing is I could really do with some advice from owners before I take the plunge. I have not had a dog for many years (I've had a succession of cats) but would like to get one again. I know all about the training and exercise demands etc. and that's fine. We live in the country so plenty of opportunities for walking.

The only thing that concerns me reading other threads on here is that me & the missus both work full-time at the moment. We are teachers so have more holidays than many (we could get the puppy in the summer for instance and spend 6 weeks with him). When we are at work it would still involve being away from the house for around 7 hours. It is not possible to come back at lunch and we don't have any friends or family who could come in who don't also work all day. Can dogs adapt to this kind of time spent alone? We have a conservatory which could be his room and can put in a dog flap for access to the garden. The other option would be to get 2, but reading other posts it seems like this may create more problems than it solves and would make training hard. Could a cat be company for a cocker? A Maine coon would be almost as big as a female cocker! The cat would go out but not all day. We have the opportunity to bring them up together so would be friends.

Any advice from owners who have come across this problem would be appreciated. I've seached past threads but not found an answer to these questions. I don't want to get a dog if he is going to be miserable but surely most people who have a dog go to work don't they?

Thanks

[Beth]

I wouldn't think there's many puppies who would cope with being left for 7 hours. You say no friends or family could pop in, but if you paid a local dog walker to pop in and play with/walk the pup for an hour in the middle of the day then i think that would probably be okay. I haven't got any personal experience of working with dogs, but i'm sure someone who has will be along soon.

[stuffster]

The short answer that you will get from most of the people on here is No, you shouldnt get a dog if you are going to be out all day!

Most of us here dont work or only work a few hours. Some people make it work by going home at lunchtime, others have friends or dogwalkers taking the dog out during the day.

Could you find a dogwalker, or a dog day care centre where you could take the dog?

Most dogs will not be very happy being left alone, as they are pack animals, and could become very stressed, or very destructive left for 7 hours!

[sox]

I was in that situation too, I worked all day and my dog used to be left on his own from 8.30am to 5.30 when I got in, however he did have a companion in another dog, this suited Sox and he was fine with it however like you had nobody to help with doggy care etc and could not afford for him at the time to go to doggy day care, as I lived in the country I had the front doors open all day so that he could go in and out whenever he wanted, not a brilliant idea but thats what i had to do, now that I have moved the neighbour who is the Farm Manager lets Sox out at lunch for an hour and a half and he excercises him with his dog.  Happy doggies all round.

How about a kennel with a secure run? Im sure you will have a few more replies that have better ideas, but im sure alot of other people will say that she should not get a dog until you have sitters or something arranged, some dogs can cope with time alone but tbh its stressful enough for yourself to be worrying about how your dog is etc etc.

[GillSarge]

We had the same dilema when getting our first cocker, we got a dog walker in, and managed to come home lunch times, there were days when we could not make it lunch time, and the dog walker would either take the dog the whole day which was nice for him, or come twice a day.  We don't have that problem now, as I don't work.  If you are thinking of getting 2 dogs, then do it one at at time, get one trained well, then the next one, but either way, you will not be able to leave a dog for that length of time, they will become bored, which we all know what bored dogs do! they chew! and it's not fair on them, coz you'll end up telling them off.

[jarbaha]

for a puppy to be left 7 hours ..
this is not fair..as they will still be a baby..you would'nt leave a baby for 7 hour while you went out working..so why should it be any different for a puppy...puppies need someone around so show him / her what is expected of them..and also a puppy would be on 4 meals a day,so would need someone there to feed your puppy..and a bored puppy can become a very destructive puppyand also a very stressed puppy with no contact for 7 hours....not to mention all the toilet accidents from being left for 7 hours..this would not be puppys fault..they would need to be let of for toilet visits on a very regular basis..as a young puppy would not be able to hold his bladder/bowels for that length of time...
what a shame you don't have freinds or family to help out and dog sit for you..or like others have said maybe look into a doggie sitter...

i'd be surprised if a breeder would allow you to have a puppy if you both work full time..i know personally for myself i would be somewhat concerned...

hope your circumstances change in the future..and good luck..

[Jane S]

Would you consider an older dog rather than a puppy? You would still need to get someone to come in to break up the day a bit (as 7 hours is still a long time to be alone for an adult dog) but an adult dog used to spending reasonable time alone would cope better with your situation than a puppy. Yes you will find people who have a puppy and work and leave them all day without employing a dog walker or getting someone else to help but it's not recommended - young puppies really need someone at home for a good part of the day to train and socialise them (they won't train themselves and the whole process can take months not a few weeks).

Here are a couple more threads which might help you :-

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=2018.0

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=54918.0

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=44829.0

[mcphee]

This is a tricky one. I do know people who have had a dog successfully on this basis. In fact Rufus's mother was absolutely fine. I was worried when I got Rufus, because he would be alone from 8.30 to 12.00 when I came home to be with him for an hour of walks, fuss and play, and then the lady who looked after the children in the pm came in at 2.30. I was made redundant and chose not to work again when he was 1 and now try no to leave him for longer than 3-4 hours. Even when my son is here asleep in that student way, he tells me he hears him looking for me when he wakes from a snooze.
I suppose it depends on the dog, but I would imagine that most rescue centres, and a lot of breeders would not be happy with a 7 hour period. Cockers are so loyal and attach so closely to their special people, that you might want to think about ways of shortening the period, such as by a dog walker, or doggy day care (where you leave your dog with a minder). This works well for a beautiful cocker bitch near here. Hope you find a solution. I could not be with out my cocker!

[Karma]

This is always a subject that will arose a lot of discussion - all I can do is relate my experiences!

We do both work - and when we got Honey we both worked very busy jobs (but my job was primarily shift work).  My job has changed, and I think to be honest we would have struggled for the first year had my job not changed.  While my work is more during the day, I get home just about every lunchtime - if I can't get home, we do have a friend who will look in on her.  We have had one day where this wasn't possible, and she was left for just over 6 hours with no ill effects, but I genuinely feel she wouldn't cope with that on a regular basis.  She doesn't need much from her lunchtime visit - if the weather is nice, she likes a potter around in the garden, or often she just sleeps on the sofa, but she does need this extra bit of companionship from us through the day - some days it's only 1/2 hr, others it's nearer 2... However she does need to have a good walk in the morning, and she also gets another one in the evening.  Even as a young pup, she was left up to 4 hours now and then, but we were careful to build this up from the day we got her!  Today she hates me as I'm off sick, so she's currently sulking in her bed...  

You would definately need to get someone to visit one way or another - a dog walker would take the pressure off trying to fit in an evening walk, or if you would prefer, I'm sure they could just visit and play for the session.  It may be once the dog was older they are a personality that does cope with long periods left alone (my Dad's Border Collie is left 8-9 hrs since Mum died, but I have witnessed that she really does cope fine with this - if not Dad would have had to have rehomed her - but she is 9 years old!), but I wouldn't rely on this... and it certainly isn't going to happen in the first 18 months, I would imagine.

Working and dog ownership does work, but you have to have some back up - our friend offering his help was the point when our dreams of owning a dog actually became plans, as without this, we couldn't have considered it.  

Hope this helps - dog walkers aren't hugely expensive, so hope this may be a solution for you!  I really wouldn't recommend giving a pup unsupervised access to your garden, as you may have lots and lots of holes dug!!  

[Cob-Web]

Any advice from owners who have come across this problem would be appreciated. I've seached past threads but not found an answer to these questions. I don't want to get a dog if he is going to be miserable but surely most people who have a dog go to work don't they?

Both OH and I work full time - I had to wait until I changed jobs to one where I could come home for lunch before we could get a puppy ; even then, we paid a professional *walker* to come in and visit Molo for the first few months - we began by having two visits a day by the sitter and both OH and I staggering our lunch-breaks so that he wasn't left for more than an hour or so, and gradually increased the time between visits  by the sitter and us

Yes, it cost a lot to start with - but we factored it into our saving for the pup and so had the money set aside; the breeder also checked out that we had arrangements in place before she committed to letting us have one of her puppies because no responsible breeder would allow a puppy to go to a home where it was going to be left all day 

[Cino]

Many thanks everyone for your helpful replies. Anyone had any experience with having 2 dogs but leaving them in the day - does this help? Or a cat? Any rough idea of how much dog walkers charge? I haven't got a clue. I wonder about security issues with you being at work all day and leaving the keys with a comparitive stranger - any advice on this?

[Cob-Web]

I wonder about security issues with you being at work all day and leaving the keys with a comparitive stranger - any advice on this?

Professional dog walkers are insured, CRB checked and have training in the safe and secure storage of keys and client information  They are also trained in first aid and some have dog behaviour training, too 
These professionals obviously charge more than the more informal arrangements with neighbours or friends - but imo, it is worth it for the peace of mind 

Costs do vary from place to place and I paid £10 per visit for Molo, but that was some years ago, so I imagine it is a bit more, now 

[Karma]

A second dog, or a cat, really isn't the answer - and to be honest the costs of a second dog would be more than the costs of a dog walker.... 

While 2 dogs at the same time can be more rewarding, they actually take more time, as they need individual training and also need to learn to be apart from their pal as well as learn to be apart from their human.  While a cat wouldn't need this additional training time, they are unlikley to provide any real stimulation for a dog...

[GillSarge]

We use to do a deal with our dog walker, he would give us one day free walking. he charges £10 per hr  We had 2 puppies at the same time, and I can't count how many times i've said "never again!'  I'm not a novice dog owner either. We thought (OH) would train a puppy each, but it does not work out like that. and remember it's double the trouble  .  I fully sympahtise with you, owning a dog is so rewarding I can understand why your exploring every avenue. 

[Oliver21508]

We don't work, and someone is home nearly all day, just leaving him for 2 hours at the most. I would not think it's fair at all for any dog to be left for 7 hours. I also don't like doggy day cares or a dog walker. You do not get to create that bond and training with your dog and a dog walker is only there for a few hours, leaving the puppy for the rest of the time. My relative has a puppy that goes to doggy day care every day, and he is not trained, destructive etc, which I think would be avoided if they were at home most of the time and they created a bond and trained it.