I want a pet but work all day - I could drop it off at a pet creche though - ideas please?

Question

I want a dog really!

ragapple - such an interesting point - yes loads of people drop their kids off and work all day yet object to us treating dogs the same - weird!!!!!

Answer 1

no dog for you.

have a goldfish instead.

Answer 2

You realy shouldnt get a dog with working all day if you worked part time maybe you could get an older dog as it may like the time to itself but if no one is at home then it is not fair also dropping a dog off at a pet creche is awkward your dog could get fleas kennel cough or any kind of illness caught off another dog and there isnt many pet creches around
i hope you come to the right desicion good luck

Answer 3

Dogs need to have a homelife really, get a cat, theyre much more independant. A pet creche? Good lord. See, if you could get home for an hour in the day, just to walk it and whatnot, it'd probably be okay, or get a small dog like a jack russell (females are less yappy) and have a large catflap put in, thats presuming you have a house and garden, obviously this wouldnt work in a flat.

Answer 4

Well, you don't really need to drop it off anywhere. I would say, depending on how old the dog is, for instance, a puppy (not potty trained) get a dog travelling kennel and put a little dish of water in there, possibly food to, and it should be fine for the day in any room of your house.. Make sure there is a blanket or something in there with it like a toy and something to lay on. As for a potty trained dog like 2 years or so old, you should be fine leaving it in a room for a day with water and a pet bed. Just make sure there is a fan or cool air with the animal.

Answer 5

I have to disagree that taking the dog to a doggie day care ( I assume that is what a pet creche is) or to a "sitter" is fine. How many people do you know that have a baby when they do not have time to take care of it and the child is raised in daycare?

But that being said there are a wide range of pets to own. Somethings to think about is what do you want to do with your pet. Cuddle on the couch? Go for walks? Watch it in a tank?

Starting out small Cockatiels or Budgeries are cute little birds. They can be very playful and sit on your shoulder while you watch tv. They are smart and can be taught many tricks. Larger birds demand mor attention.

Small rodants. Rats and almost like dogs that don't need to be walk. They are very friendly and smart. They like to sit on your lap and again can be trained. Guinea pigs are cute and easy to take care of.

Cats are really wonderful pets. If you go to a shelter you will find that many like to follow you around, some have even been known to play fetch. They can be very playful and you don't have to walk them.

If you really do have your heart set on a dog th ough. There are a lot of older dogs that need to be adopted. In your situation an older dog may be the ticket. They are already potty trained and many times their every levels are lower. They sleep most of the day while you are gone, and while a younger dog would require you help them burn off a lot of energy, an older will just need a short walk and some love.

If a senior dog is not of interest to you. At least try an adult dog that is house training. Make sure that you get one that will meet your energy level. You don't want something like a boarder collie that was born to work all day. A Great Dane or Greyhound are low energy levels dogs. They also like to go biking with you.
Some what smaller would be a mutt, Basset Hound, Boston Terrier, Bichon Frise, Dachshund,
Here is a great site that can help you find a dog that will meet all your needs.
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do
Once you find that breed look for a rescue or those mixes at the animal shelter.
A puppy really is not going to be a good idea for your situation because they need to be house broken and that is very difficult to do when you are not around to do it.

Answer 6

If you get a dog then you should research the different breeds temperaments to find the best match for your living arrangements and life style. I have been given unwanted dogs and found a Siberian husky was too hyper-and the dog escaped and was not found though I checked shelters for months. Then I rescued a small black Labrador mix and she is the best dog I have ever had and I love her dearly. Educate yourself first for what is best for you and for a contented dog. Since you work all day try to get the dog while on a work vacation to have time for becoming acquainted. Also a young dog (age one year or more) from a good home is much easier to care for then a puppy which, like babies, need lots of attention, supervision and are messy.

Answer 7

Good God. What, dog owners can't have jobs or go to school anymore? Well . . . guess I should go inform every dog owner I know that we need to give up our dogs because we work and/or attend school!! What a darn shame too, I was just gettin' the hang of treating 'em creully by leaving 'em home. Honestly people. I've never heard so much crap.

If you're only working eight or nine hours, I say go for it!! Make a personal inventory (your personality, hours of exercise, what you want in a dog, ect), go out on the net, find a couple breeds you like, research the heck out of them, decided which is best for you, and go about finding one avaliable from a breeder or avaliable for adoption. Take a couple days off to spend with the new dog and prepare to go home for lunch (if possible) or get someone you trust to let the dog out for a potty break once or twice. And get a crate. If the dog's going to be home alone for such amount of time, it's best for everyone (yeah, dog included) to crate train him/her. Be prepared to spend most of your time home interacting with the dog.

Personally - I work in the summer, go to school the rest of the year. And I'll be damned before I let others say my four dogs are unhappy because of it. Or that I should have never added them to my home, ignoring the fact I have a wonderful relationship with them and that outside the seven - eight on a bad day - hours alone they are constantly with someone.

Don't get a dog because you work . . . . Honestly!! What's the world coming to?

Answer 8

I think anyone that gets a dog knowning full well that they are out at work all day everyday I selfish, unless of course there is someone else in the house to take the dog out etc....

I work from home and that is the single and only reason I allowed our family to get a dog... He is with me all day every day unless I have togo out for meetings, and then he is left, but never for very long... Its just not fair on them...

How about a cat, they are very self reliant yet will still come when called and let you pet them?

Answer 9

Doggie day care is expensive... Dog walking is more reasonable, you could hire someone to come mid-day while you are at work to walk and play with your dog...

Just think the decision over VERY carefully.

A dog is a HUGE commitment...

It's a lifelong commitment.

Is it fair to the dog to be alone for most of the day? And then for another 8hrs you'll be sleeping... So that doesn't leave you with much time to spend with the dog... I'm sure you want to go out with friends or do things other than sit at the house...

Are you committed to properly exercising, playing with, and training your dog? This takes LOTS of time!!!!!!!!

Think the decision over very carefully.

Good luck.

Answer 10

A dog is not a good idea if you work all day, it will feel awful to be left alone, even in a creche, and there will be problems in your relationship. A cat would be OK, and especially 2 cats are in fact less trouble than 1 cat and they keep each other company, so I'd go for that.

Answer 11

i dont think it is ideal to leave a dog alone all day but sometimes you have to. we already had a dog and then both of us went out to work full time so we got another dog to keep the first one company.

but another suggestion is rats. they are brilliant pets and if you spend some time with them when you are in i say they are almost as good as dogs, they come running when you call them, greet you when you come in from work, learn tricks to get treats and can be absolutely hilarious.