Is a home alone dog a sad dog?

Question

I am very keen to get a dog, and particularly love border collies. The problem is we both work during the day four days a week. At home during school termtime. This means the dog woud be alone from 8.30 until 4pm four days a week. It would not have access to the garden. Ican't afford a dog walker, though a neighbour has offered to take our dog round the block with hers, though she does work part-time and isn't always around at lunch-time. Is it unfair to a dog to take it on under these cirumstances? If the dog was destructive or barked constantly I just couldn't cope.

Answer 1

i know what it feels like we'd love a dog too. but it just isn't fair to get one if you cant be around. dogs need company, the constant howling of my neighbours dog when she's at work proves that to me.
i'd wait till you were in a better situation, especially if it turned out to be quite an active dog.
can you imagine how bad you'd feel if after a couple of months you realised you had to get rid of because you couldn't cope..

heartbreaking
x

Answer 2

Border collies are an active working breed, a farm collie can run for 70 miles a day rounding up sheep. Pet owners just can't walk a dog for 70 miles a day!
Plus that's not just running around; its work. It exercises the dogs brain. They have to think and solve problems.
Border collies are prone to becoming hyperactive and destructive if they're bored. And dogs are pack animals, when left alone they can become anxious. That makes them destructive and noisy. They bark for you to come back and to relieve the anxiety - its like you pacing up and down and chewing your nails.

8 hours is really too long to leave a dog; especially a pup. 4 hours is more reasonable. If your friend can reliably take a dog out at midday you could consider an older dog, maybe a lab x collie.

But the real decider here is that you say you can't cope with mess, destruction or noise; you have no way of preventing it if you're not there, so think carefully or you risk ending up with a dog you can't rehome but don't want.

Answer 3

That is a long time to leave a dog alone. If you have a close by relative or friend that is willing to consistently come check on your dog and take it for a walk at the half way point of your day then things should be fine. If that cannot happen consistently then I wouldn't recommend getting a dog.
The only way to keep a bored dog, that is alone in the house from becoming destructive, is to put it in a crate. It wouldn't be fair to the dog to have it in a crate for 8 straight hours a day.
Remember, taking on the responsibility of being a dog owner means that you make a commitment to take care of the dog it's entire life. A dog's life span is normally 10 to 15 years so make sure your ready to commit before adopting a dog.

Answer 4

A lot depends on the breed. I don't think a border collie would be very good as an alone dog, even with numerous toys because they are so smart and get bored easily. I have to leave my dogs alone three days a week because I go to dialysis.

You might think about a small dog or a cat instead of a working dog.

Answer 5

I would rather have a dog alone and feeling lonely part of the time than to be put down because no one wanted him or her.
I have to leave mine on occasion, long school days, and to be honest, no apparent problems or messes in the house. When it was just the little girl and I, I really felt guilty, but after adopting the boy (neutered). I do not feel guilty at all.
The girl, Abbey, (AKA Little Babe) is no less or more happy to seem me after an extended period than she was before, and Angel, AKA BoyBabe, is happy as well. Neither have ever made a mess, or caused damage in the house.
I would say go or it, and make sure the puppy is secure in a large enough room, and can at least see outside. In addition, you can literally train him to go to a little box, at least others have. From what I know of seeing eye and other helper dogs they go to bog every twelve hours. Abbey and Angel seem to have no problem with 9-10 hours, and I am sure they are happy being alive and loved. No adoptable animal should be murdered for lack of a home!
Charles

Answer 6

I had a beautiful labrador ***** called Shandy. I got her as a seven week old pup when I was pregnant with my first child. She was very rarely left on her own and she grew up with my two children as part of our family. She died at the grand old age of 16 and my children who were 13 and 15 missed her terribly.
I started working full time and my husband and I are hardly ever at home now during the day.
Although I would love to have another dog, it would not be fair to keep one and leave it alone all day.
I also think a Border collie would be the worst kind of dog to be left alone as this breed although lovely natured and good with children are bread for farm work and having open space to run free, so it would be cruel to keep one cooped up.

Answer 7

While I agree with the sentiment behind most of the above answers, I think some of you are being unrealistic. Think of the number of people who own dogs. Now think of the number of people who go to work. Our modern society revolves around careers and long hours, and if it was utterly unworkable to leave a dog at home, hardly any of us would be able to keep dogs. Are you suggesting that 75% of every dog owner you pass on the street is cruel to their dog?

Dogs CAN be accustomed to be left at home during the day, so long as they have something to do. I agree that it's not an ideal situation, but so long as considerations and adjustments are made, there is absolutely no reason why you cannot have a dog.

Good luck.

Answer 8

If a dog only get 5 minutes a day of QUALITY time a day with it's best friend then it is a happy dog. Then to, a dog could spend every minute with that friend without any quality time and be a sad dog. It is up to you to provide a "safe place" (crate or dog run) for your dog while you are gone. When you provide that "den" the dog will simply do what it's instinct's tell it to do in it's den.
There are very few households on this planet where the occupants are not off to school and work every day, if we assumed the position that a household should not have a pet because they function like most families do,,, then there would be no pets on this planet to worry about.

Answer 9

My dog was home alone for the first 6 years of it's life. It had run of the entire house once I could trust her not to destroy everything, that took two years during that time she was confined to a cage.

I now work from home and I rarely see her, she usually sleeps most of the day.

IMO as long as you give the dog plenty of excercise it shouldn't be a problem. I take mine out twice a day, 30mins in the morning and between 1 & 2 hours at night.

Answer 10

It depends on your dog, we have two dogs and sometimes they have to get left on their own but they are fine - they will bark at first but soon will settle down and sleep most of the day. However you may get a dog that does not like being on its own and to do so would be upsetting for them. This sometimes results in them going to the toilet all over the floor! Not good!
I agree with the answer that said about getting two dogs - if they get on they will keep each other company and have a great time while your gone!

Answer 11

Collies are beautiful but need loads of exercise and being left alone they would get SO bored because they are really intelligent. That may cause them to be destructive and chew and stuff. I've just got a pup (not a collie) but I'm really lucky because I can take him to work with me. The first day I left him alone and he cried all day and it was really distressing for me and him 9and our neighbours). Maybe an older dog or a different breed would be easier? I hope you have some luck because it is lovely to have a dog.