i'm desperate for a dog and am aware of all the consiquences, but can i leave it alone from 8 till 3.30 ?

Question

We all as a family are sure of having a dog but we have ne slight problem. I am at home all day everyday until September but from then on i'll have to leave it from 8 a.m till 3.30pm most weekdays. Is there a dog suitable or will i have to live without? Please help!

Answer 1

Millions of people have pets they have to leave alone during the day. They usually do just fine. Be sure to talk to a vet about crate training and behavior training. That way they won't take to chewing up your stuff in your absence. What breed of dog should you select? That depends.....if you want an inside dog, a smaller breed would be best, as long as it's not a "nervous" "yippy" breed. If it will be an outside dog, a larger one would be fine. And, you might consider getting two litter mates so they can keep each other company. Two together are an endless source of amusement for the owners as well....it's great fun watching them interact and play with each other.

Answer 2

7.5 hours is too long for a dog that hasn't been housetrained, or for a dog uder 6 months as they cannot pysically hold on that long.
The problem with a second hand dog is you don't know why it was dumped. If it was destructive when the owners were out, you'll have a problem.
Having the owner around all day, then suddenly not can cause seperation anxiety. The time to train for this is when you are there all day. You have to spend a random part of each day ignoring your dog, leaving him for short periods, etc. If you try it and find he panics and becomes destructive, you'll be able to get help retraining before September from a competant behavioural trainer.
But how will you cope if the problem isn't fixed by then? Would you rehome him?
Can you get a reliable dog walker to visit him after 4 hours to break up the day?
Lots of people get away with doing this, but I'm afraid that dog homes are stuffed full of dogs that just can't cope with being left alone.
So my advice is this; carry on learning as much as you can, and be very. very careful about the dog you adopt. Be patient and wait to find the right dog.
In the meantime, you may be the ideal family to offer short term fostering to the local dogs home. Sometimes people have to go into hospital for a while, some dogs don't like kennels, for whatever reason foster homes are becoming increasingly used by pet charities to take the strain off kennels. You never know, you might find the right dog and click.

Answer 3

Yes, you can leave a big dog alone that long while you are at work. Little dogs need to go out more often and will often bark more when you're gone. You've got all summer to housebreak the pup, but get him used to a crate and being alone for a while on a regular schedule when he's little. Otherwise, it'll be a big shock when you're suddenly gone all day.

Get a dog from a good local breeder where you can see at least one of the parents. Look on www.akc.org for dog shows and breeders and breed clubs. Don't be DESPERATE! You're going to have the dog for 10-12 years; take the time to get a GOOD one!!!

You didn't say whether you have a house or an apartment or kids or how much exercise you're willing to give a dog. My all-time favorite mid-sized dog for kids is the English (or Welsh) Springer Spaniel. They require some grooming, but don't shed too much, are generally great with kids and easy to train. English Setters and Golden Retrievers are usually great with kids and easy to train. Irish Setters and Vizslas and Brittany Spaniels are great too, but they need more strenuous exercise. All of these breed are fairly quiet.

I'd also suggest reading some really good books on training. Try not to do it randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also! These are some of my favorites:
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan

Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.

Answer 4

It's a long time especially for the call of nature. Dogs tend to leave a mess in more ways than one when bored. They chew furniture etc and you'll have something to clean up from both ends!! If you really intend to get a dog then go for a small breed thats house trained and don't over pamper it so that it becomes too dependent on human company. Some breeds are less excitable and more independent than others. With training and routine and regular walks and toilet stops it should settle. Like anything else the best laid plans can go wrong and you may have some problems to come home to. Get some proper advice first.

Answer 5

many people leave their dogs for longer, but if your that desperate i'd go for a rescue dog like a greyhound as they sleep most of the day. Over the summer you will have to gradually build up the time you leave the dog for and then it will become adjusted to this. If there is any way you get home at lunch time to let the dog out and have a play, that would be even better. Alot of people will say you can't have a dog if it's gonna be left, but many people manage, and have happy dogs. Go rescue some poor dog and be grateful its going to a family where its gonna be loved rather than in a kennels for the rest of its life.

Answer 6

You can get pretty much any dog. You can leave it at home for a whole day if it is an outdoor dog. Just leave plenty of food and water for it. If it is basically an indoor dog, let it out to go to the bathroom in the morning and again in the evening when you come home. I wouldn't leave it alone for an entire day though. 8 to 3:30 should be fine. If you are planning a vacation then be sure to hire a house-sitter.

Answer 7

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/nycqQ

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 8

You should be able to make that work, but get an adult, not a puppy. Many adult dogs are used to that kind of arrangement already. Perhaps talk to a dog shelter about a dog that would be suitable for that.

It's not too long and it's quite common (I think) for dogs to be home alone for quite some hours while everybody else is out working.

Look into different breed descriptions to find one that might be suitable. Most dogs will cope, some better than others, it depends what kind of dog you want really...

Answer 9

There are dog breeds more suitable for confinement. We had a Golden Retriever who had no problem being left alone all day - she slept most of the time. We now have a mutt not much bigger than a chiuacha that ripped apart our blinds and the side vent of an airconditioner the first time we left her alone; we crate her before leaving the house. She still will try to tear apart her water bowl and any non-metal bowls in the cage.

Contact a couple of reliable breeders (go to the AKC site, link below for referrals) and see what they think.

Answer 10

I guess the worst issue is a potty break for the dog. Any family members able to run home for lunch? Or do you have a neighbor you trust that could let the dog out or could be a dog sitter for part of the day? The other issue is loneliness. Maybe you need 2 dogs? Sometimes a sad or bored dog will chew up everything including the couch.