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Getting a dog and working

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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
I've been planning on getting a dog (rescue around a year old, not a puppy) in the near future, but one major concern is what to do with the dog while I'm at work from 6:30-3 monday-friday. however, i live a very active lifestyle outside of that, and was thinking a short walk before i leave in the morning and then tons of hiking/biking/running/etc. in the afternoon would work. basically, what do the other dog owners of ns do?

my roommate is still figuring out his plans, but he might be around for a bit of the summer, so he can probably help out some days, ill try to get (read: bribe) friends to stop by if they don't have to work during that time, or even a dog walker (but that $ will add up fast). but would it be a bad idea to leave a dog alone for 8 hours (with food/water/toys/etc) if i need to?
Apr 20 2016 12:26PM
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russsavokskis
Posts: 699 - Karma: 1,264
Do you get a break at work? If so why not go check on it on your break?
Apr 20 2016 12:37PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
russsavokskisDo you get a break at work? If so why not go check on it on your break?


30 minutes for lunch. I'm not entirely sure where I'm working (i do turf care for the Boulder parks dept., i don't know what parks I'm at though). one other job i interviewed for in the parks dept. said people in the forestry department lump all breaks and lunch together to take an hour off, so i wish i got that job. i might still see if i can do that at this one, but idk if it will be possible (would be up to my supervisor, whom i haven't met). i guess being home for 5-10 minutes over my lunch is better than nothing though if it comes to that
Apr 20 2016 12:45PM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
I was in the same boat when I got my dog. I'd walk her in the morning before work and then crate her while I was away (no food or water in the crate) and then a big time walk or play time at the park after work. I also work close enough to home that I was able to head back there during my lunch and take her out but I only did that for a few months and then she was in there the entire day. I never had any issues with the crate either because she loved it. It was like her little den AND she wouldn't eat shoes and whatnot that were lying around.
Apr 20 2016 12:47PM
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RICK_ROSS
Posts: 6983 - Karma: 3,343
dude dogs are fine for 8/9 hours as long as they dont suck. millions of people work all day and have dogs. just walk it before and after work. /endthread
Apr 20 2016 12:53PM
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lgward
Posts: 301 - Karma: 404
it really depends on the breed, but eight hours straight every weekday could be pushing it. if you're looking for a dog athletic enough to accompany you on all of your excursions away from work, then they are certainly not going to be happy sitting inside all day even if they get a lot of exercise anyway. however, if you are careful to get them outside before and after work enough to tire them out, then you may be able to make it work.

also keep in mind that not all rescues are house trained from the start and some may be very uncomfortable at first around a new place, so leaving them for long might freak them out. some dogs also like to chew and eat a lot of things, which is extremely dangerous, so be mindful of that.

i'm no expert, but i've grown up with flat-coated retrievers my entire life (very energetic, outgoing gun dog) and i don't like leaving them for more than five hours a day if i can help it. once in a while they can tolerate eight or so, but they get outside and run around before and after i leave them. it's not ideal, but if i have to go away for the day they are usually okay about it.

but you really should have a good idea of what type of dog you want (size, weight, temperament, energy level) and a well thought-out plan of how you are going to care for them. many people don't realize that taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility, and can be a financial burden as well. (if the dog is large they're going to eat a LOT and all dogs require vaccinations and other veterinarian care, which is expensive.)

sorry that was long as fuck haha. but what type of dog are you looking for?
Apr 20 2016 12:56PM
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LukasSchroeder
Posts: 1460 - Karma: 2,683
my friend's dog is 5 months old and some days of the week no one is home from 8am-4. he walks her in the morning, after school, and then at around 9pm. although just the other day she was sick and had diarrhea in her kennel.
basically as long as they shit in the morning and in the afternoon and night they'll be good. i dont really know about big dogs since they eat more and i have a small dog but i'm sure the situation isn't very different
Apr 20 2016 1:04PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
daxtonit really depends on the breed, but eight hours straight every weekday could be pushing it. if you're looking for a dog athletic enough to accompany you on all of your excursions away from work, then they are certainly not going to be happy sitting inside all day even if they get a lot of exercise anyway. however, if you are careful to get them outside before and after work enough to tire them out, then you may be able to make it work.

also keep in mind that not all rescues are house trained from the start and some may be very uncomfortable at first around a new place, so leaving them for long might freak them out. some dogs also like to chew and eat a lot of things, which is extremely dangerous, so be mindful of that.

but you really should have a good idea of what type of dog you want (size, weight, temperament, energy level) and a well thought-out plan of how you are going to care for them. many people don't realize that taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility, and can be a financial burden as well. (if the dog is large they're going to eat a LOT and all dogs require vaccinations and other veterinarian care, which is expensive.)

sorry that was long as fuck haha. but what type of dog are you looking for?


thinking border collie/aussie/shepherd or some mix with those in it. i have everything figured out because of this, enough money to cover upfront costs, decent amount in an emergency savings, stable job that i can easily budget pay to cover expenses, frankly most of my paychecks will be going into savings. I've had dogs in my family (golden retrievers) my whole life growing up until i went to college, so i know how to care for a dog and the commitment that it means. definitely gonna get one that is house trained, frankly that's a decent part of the reason i don't want to get a young puppy. as far as chewing stuff, gonna look for a dog that doesn't have issues with that (according to shelter descriptions), then dog-proof my room (where it would stay during the day) as much as possible (cover all exposed cables/extension chords, put things up high or in a closed closet, then put out toys/mentally stimulating activities to keep it busy). most shelters have higher fees but make sure it is spayed/neutered, up to date on all it shots, vaccines, heart worm, etc. so i will go that route to make sure all of that is taken care of for the time being. honestly, I've had dogs in my family my whole life, and a couple of my close friends have dogs in college (whom i take care of fairly frequently if they need help), so i know what I'm getting into
Apr 20 2016 1:13PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
My dachshunds sleep literally the entire day thats all they want to do and get mad if you wake them up when they are sleeping.

Walk them / hang out with them early than we all go to work and then come back and they're active before bed. Even when we are home between like 7 am - 3 pm all they do is sleep
Apr 20 2016 1:17PM
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JGWI
Posts: 2842 - Karma: 7,812
We had a German Shepard that was home for about 7 hours a day 5 days a week. She stayed in the house and was free to roam wherever she pleased. We had some problems when she was a pup with going to the bathroom on the floor but after about a year she stopped and we never had any problems there after, however we don't have any carpet so cleaning up hair was never really an issue. Dogs that are to left alone and not kenneled need to be the right breed and more importantly be trained well to the point that they know they are going to get in trouble if they do something wrong.
Apr 20 2016 1:19PM
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snowdon
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 391
My older dog (she'll be 8 this summer) is fine roaming the house all day. My other dog is a year and a half and though she's housetrained, she won't hold her bladder for more than like 5 hours max. I'm not sure she's physically capable of holding it for 8-9 hours yet, but regardless of whether she can or can't, she won't. So she goes in her crate while I'm at work. She pees on her blankets in there so I just wash and change them daily - she's a little mini dachshund so it's not a lot of pee (and she never poops in her crate, thank god).

I live with my bf and if he's around he'll take them out for me, so the crate is only used when he's out of town.

I know some people do doggie daycare which I honestly don't recommend. It's suuuuuper expensive and frankly having a ton of loose unfamiliar dogs running around a play area is unsafe. In my opinion a better option is paying someone to come by the house midday for a walk and potty break if you don't want to make him wait.
Apr 20 2016 1:31PM
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russsavokskis
Posts: 699 - Karma: 1,264
Blake.P30 minutes for lunch. I'm not entirely sure where I'm working (i do turf care for the Boulder parks dept., i don't know what parks I'm at though). one other job i interviewed for in the parks dept. said people in the forestry department lump all breaks and lunch together to take an hour off, so i wish i got that job. i might still see if i can do that at this one, but idk if it will be possible (would be up to my supervisor, whom i haven't met). i guess being home for 5-10 minutes over my lunch is better than nothing though if it comes to that


Yeah man good luck with your jobs I just suggested that because that's what boss does but she has an hour long break so I dunno if it would work out with a 30
Apr 20 2016 1:36PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
russsavokskisYeah man good luck with your jobs I just suggested that because that's what boss does but she has an hour long break so I dunno if it would work out with a 30


if I'm close by, 30 should be enough to run home and quickly let it out. i wouldn't have time to walk it or anything but at least it can use the bathroom. plus frankly (and this pains me to say because i have a good work ethic but its true), its government work. I've been working for the university of colorado for the past year (still government, public institution), and our breaks have never been exact, and always go a bit longer (30 minute lunch generally hovers at around 40 minutes, more sometimes if there's nothing to do)
Apr 20 2016 1:47PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
snowdonMy older dog (she'll be 8 this summer) is fine roaming the house all day. My other dog is a year and a half and though she's housetrained, she won't hold her bladder for more than like 5 hours max. I'm not sure she's physically capable of holding it for 8-9 hours yet

I know some people do doggie daycare which I honestly don't recommend. It's suuuuuper expensive and frankly having a ton of loose unfamiliar dogs running around a play area is unsafe. In my opinion a better option is paying someone to come by the house midday for a walk and potty break if you don't want to make him wait.


yeah my family golden at my parents house is 12 now, and is left alone for hours on end and never has any issues in the past like 8 years, my memory is a bit fuzzy beyond that, but i don't remember any issues with that in the past 10-11 years. at this point, if my parents go out of town for a couple days, they just leave her home alone and pay the neighbors to come feed her/let her out twice a day and possibly once more to go on a short walk, but idk about that (it might just happen when they feed her). its never been an issue but she's also super mellow/low key.

i don't really want to crate train, but i might just so it has a kinda "personal space", but leave the door open all the time. also during the day, ill invest in some of those pee pads or dog litter box things. i know its not the best (kinda weird imo) but its a solution.

plus, at least initially until I've tested the waters a lot more, it will be confined to my room during the day, so that any damages/accidents/whatever are only my issue
Apr 20 2016 1:51PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
Blake.Pyeah my family golden at my parents house is 12 now, and is left alone for hours on end and never has any issues in the past like 8 years, my memory is a bit fuzzy beyond that, but i don't remember any issues with that in the past 10-11 years. at this point, if my parents go out of town for a couple days, they just leave her home alone and pay the neighbors to come feed her/let her out twice a day and possibly once more to go on a short walk, but idk about that (it might just happen when they feed her). its never been an issue but she's also super mellow/low key.

i don't really want to crate train, but i might just so it has a kinda "personal space", but leave the door open all the time. also during the day, ill invest in some of those pee pads or dog litter box things. i know its not the best (kinda weird imo) but its a solution.

plus, at least initially until I've tested the waters a lot more, it will be confined to my room during the day, so that any damages/accidents/whatever are only my issue


you seem like you have a really good grasp on how to handle this. i say go for it. build up to more and more time being away from the dog, and you should be fine. as others have said, a ton of people have dogs and work 9-5s and do just fine. you get out at 3PM, meaning you have tons of time before it gets dark to go mess around with your dog.
Apr 20 2016 3:17PM
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e.littt
Posts: 414 - Karma: 2,348
My dog is three and shes pretty fine being left at the house for majority of the day, we leave her alone for ~6 hours everyday and she gets a walk when everyone gets back. Although it helps that my family has a decent sized backyard with some toys to keep her occupied. I'm pretty sure my dog just sleeps for most of the time.
Apr 20 2016 4:29PM
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appa
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,739
you can bribe me to hang with your dog during the day
Apr 20 2016 4:42PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
and yeah, worst case scenario you can have a friend walk him or do the doggy day care/dog walker route a few times a week
Apr 20 2016 4:44PM
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Rparr
Posts: 5602 - Karma: 46,291
I have a standard poodle, he has a fucking iron bladder. I think big dogs do better with this than tiny dogs. My folks have two tiny dogs and they can't hold their bladders nearly as long as my big one can.

Also, standard poodles are absolutely amazing. You can get them cut so they don't look like a foo-foo shit, they don't shed, and they are incredibly intelligent. I can't go back.
Apr 20 2016 4:52PM
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Lé.Skiing
Posts: 10035 - Karma: 8,128
I have a Lab/ Cougar hound cross dog and I am lucky I can bring him to work every day. Also just got a boston terrrier puppy from my brother recently and they both just chill in the shop I work at all day except for when they need to go out. I feel this is the best option if you can get away with it.

If not doggy daycare would be second best. If you can't afford that, then I think leaving them at home is fine just would be best if you can take them out between the 8 hours you're at work.
Apr 20 2016 5:09PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,488
Youre gonna work for the city? That 30 min break is more like 90 min. Youll have plenty if time to go home
Apr 20 2016 5:28PM
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mike759
Posts: 884 - Karma: 1,978
My dog stays home for that long, sometimes longer. We feed her at 6:30 and again at like 5:30 and play with her after school/work
Apr 20 2016 6:02PM
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lgward
Posts: 301 - Karma: 404
Blake.Pthinking border collie/aussie/shepherd or some mix with those in it. i have everything figured out because of this, enough money to cover upfront costs, decent amount in an emergency savings, stable job that i can easily budget pay to cover expenses, frankly most of my paychecks will be going into savings. I've had dogs in my family (golden retrievers) my whole life growing up until i went to college, so i know how to care for a dog and the commitment that it means. definitely gonna get one that is house trained, frankly that's a decent part of the reason i don't want to get a young puppy. as far as chewing stuff, gonna look for a dog that doesn't have issues with that (according to shelter descriptions), then dog-proof my room (where it would stay during the day) as much as possible (cover all exposed cables/extension chords, put things up high or in a closed closet, then put out toys/mentally stimulating activities to keep it busy). most shelters have higher fees but make sure it is spayed/neutered, up to date on all it shots, vaccines, heart worm, etc. so i will go that route to make sure all of that is taken care of for the time being. honestly, I've had dogs in my family my whole life, and a couple of my close friends have dogs in college (whom i take care of fairly frequently if they need help), so i know what I'm getting into


my bad man, didn't mean to sound like a smartass, haha. didn't know if you'd had dogs before or not.
collies and shepherds have a ton of energy and are extremely intelligent, so being left alone for a long time is likely to drive them into some pretty severe boredom; this can actually lead to behavioral problems.
however, you seem to live a very active lifestyle so i think as long as you're attentive, they will be happy.

hope this helps, good luck
Apr 20 2016 6:43PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
I really want to get a dog but I'm often gone 4-5 days at a time. Roommate has a similar schedule to mine. Really love having a dog though.
Apr 20 2016 6:52PM
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Swaggy_P
Posts: 130 - Karma: 361
I had the same situation this past summer. I worked 5 days a week, 7am - 3pm. I had no problem with walking our dog (who was a rescue as well) before I went to work and then leaving her in the apartment all alone for the day. When I would return from work I would then take her for either a long walk, a hike, or a swim somewhere and this seemed to work great for our dog.

The dog should be fine if you get it on a set schedule, so the first week might be hard but once the dog knows when you are coming home it will just wait for you return. Its pretty awesome actually walking into the house after a long day of work and seeing your dog getting so excited to see you.

I say, get the dog as long as you're going to take care of it. A lot of work but the end result is well worth it.
Apr 20 2016 7:02PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Have you talked to your landlord about getting a dog?
Apr 21 2016 8:11AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
I want to get one in the next year or two and I'm dealing with the same issues, but mostly because I'll probably be living in a city so I can't go take my dog for a 3 hour mountain bike ride after work and give it the exercise it needs to make up for being in the apartment all day. As incredible as it is to have a dog my first priority is to make sure I can give it a perfect life
Apr 21 2016 10:35AM
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