Keeping a dog at home if you work all day

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  • HogzillaHogzilla Posts: 24,116
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    More likely to be destroyed though! I don't think I've ever met an owner that doesn't go to work and the leave the dog for at least some of the day. If the law was you had to be at home with the dog all the time then I would say that a significant majority of dogs would never be rehomed.

    I thought it was a daft and disingenuous question, TBH.

    I am an owner who stays at home all day. My neighbour has a dog he actually takes to work with him, all day. People over the road are farmers, etc so have working dogs. They are with them all day. I know a couple of people with dogs who have teenage kids at college p/t and they themselves work p/t and that seems fair enough as the mums' hours don't coincide with the kids' so nine times out of ten, someone is in. My niece works a full time job and has an hour and a half commute either side of that.

    But I do think it is an actual cruelty issue. Better rescues - including some breed rescues - will not re-home a dog to people who are out all day. If that is best practice, then better to follow it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,163
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    jmclaugh wrote: »
    No one who is out all day at work should own a dog that is left on its own, get a cat they won't care less though they should be able to get in and out.

    That's not true regarding all cats. Our cat gets stressed and very lonely and her behaviour changes when we've leave her on her Iwn.It's cruel to her and she doesn't eat. Some cats might not mind but you'd have to have 2 brothers or sisters who got on.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    Hogzilla wrote: »
    I thought it was a daft and disingenuous question, TBH.

    I am an owner who stays at home all day. My neighbour has a dog he actually takes to work with him, all day. People over the road are farmers, etc so have working dogs. They are with them all day. I know a couple of people with dogs who have teenage kids at college p/t and they themselves work p/t and that seems fair enough as the mums' hours don't coincide with the kids' so nine times out of ten, someone is in. My niece works a full time job and has an hour and a half commute either side of that.

    But I do think it is an actual cruelty issue. Better rescues - including some breed rescues - will not re-home a dog to people who are out all day. If that is best practice, then better to follow it.

    I respect your opinion. My views are already posted on the thread so I wont bore you or others with a repeat! :);)
  • JulesFJulesF Posts: 6,461
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    Osusana wrote: »
    I keep bringing it up because some posters keep stating that it is cruel to leave a dog at home for 8 hours.
    If that is their definition of cruelty they must have led very sheltered lives.

    There are many shades of grey between black and white. In the same vein, there isn't just 'cruel' and 'not cruel'.
  • JulesFJulesF Posts: 6,461
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    That's not true regarding all cats. Our cat gets stressed and very lonely and her behaviour changes when we've leave her on her Iwn.It's cruel to her and she doesn't eat. Some cats might not mind but you'd have to have 2 brothers or sisters who got on.

    Exactly. I have a Maine **** cross, a very sociable breed, as has been mentioned in this thread. Whenthe OH and I both worked full-time, he was alone all day, and would be sitting at the door waiting for us when we came in. He'd go completely bonkers with joy when he saw us, so we knew he was most likely rather miserable on his own. I felt SO guilty about leaving him. I work from home now, and he is a much more content boy than he used to be.

    In short, I would feel guilty leaving a (house) cat alone all day, let alone a dog.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    JulesF wrote: »
    There are many shades of grey between black and white. In the same vein, there isn't just 'cruel' and 'not cruel'.

    But not cruel enough for a charity or authorities to remove or prosecute!

    I think the term cruel in this context is entirely subjective and why noone will ever agree middle ground. Some will suggest leaving a dog alone for 5 minutes is cruel, Thats their opinion and they are entitled to it!
  • JulesFJulesF Posts: 6,461
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    But not cruel enough for a charity or authorities to remove or prosecute!

    I think the term cruel in this context is entirely subjective and why noone will ever agree middle ground. Some will suggest leaving a dog alone for 5 minutes is cruel, Thats their opinion and they are entitled to it!

    Only an idiot would suggest such a ludicrous thing - certainly nobody here has done so.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    JulesF wrote: »
    Only an idiot would suggest such a ludicrous thing - certainly nobody here has done so.

    I was simply illustrating my point of view with an extreme example. I wasn't suggesting anyone has said this, BUT I bet you that there are people out there that think this!!

    Dog ownership, or even pet ownership generally, is very emotive and peoples feelings about their pet tends to rule what they consider to be cruel or not!

    Some people think that putting a muzzle on a dog is cruel where as others will argue it is responsible, people will argue keeping a dog outside it cruel where others think its perfectly reasonable etc etc
  • HogzillaHogzilla Posts: 24,116
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    Yes, agreed - the term cruel is very subjective. I think it is cruel to leave a dog along from 7 am - 7pm but clearly, others don't. My point was, the better rescues always seem to ask whether at least one person is at home in the day, so this must represent some kind of ideal we should aim for.

    It is my view that my niece is being (unintentionally) cruel, and I was disappointed not so much that she, as a naive young person who has always wanted a dog but never had one, had the idea to do this but that her mum didn't at least say something. And on FB she is being congratulated - not a single person has dared say what I suspect quite a few are thinking...

    I wonder what is a polite way of saying "If it gets too much for you, or the dog is too upset at being alone all day - I'll take it, rather than you have to re-home it." which is what I should be saying. She has the sort of personality that steam-rollers everyone else. Had I seen her before she went ahead, I was have used the word "cruel" in the hope it would pull her up short...
  • benjaminibenjamini Posts: 32,066
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    Hogzilla wrote: »
    Yes, agreed - the term cruel is very subjective. I think it is cruel to leave a dog along from 7 am - 7pm but clearly, others don't. My point was, the better rescues always seem to ask whether at least one person is at home in the day, so this must represent some kind of ideal we should aim for.

    It is my view that my niece is being (unintentionally) cruel, and I was disappointed not so much that she, as a naive young person who has always wanted a dog but never had one, had the idea to do this but that her mum didn't at least say something. And on FB she is being congratulated - not a single person has dared say what I suspect quite a few are thinking...

    I wonder what is a polite way of saying "If it gets too much for you, or the dog is too upset at being alone all day - I'll take it, rather than you have to re-home it." which is what I should be saying. She has the sort of personality that steam-rollers everyone else. Had I seen her before she went ahead, I was have used the word "cruel" in the hope it would pull her up short...

    I agree with you. Rescue centres I suspect would not release a dog to a home where it would be left for very long periods, bearing in mind many rescue dogs have already suffered trauma and distress already.
    Also, as you pointed out illness. My 8 year old dog became very ill with Cushings and had to have the door left open at all times as he lost control of his bladder. That is all quite apart from the points I raised in previous post.
    Is it cruel to leave a dog alone for 8 hours a day? Perhaps cruel is too emotive, but its not in the dogs best interest to be left alone for what is in essence 17/18 hours in order to provide companionship for 5 or 6 hours.
  • CroctacusCroctacus Posts: 18,216
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    Our local racing greyhound rescue place happily become ex racers in homes where they are left all day while owners are at work.
  • sadmuppetsadmuppet Posts: 8,222
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    I think it depends on the cats personality really. I've heard Ragdolls are really laid back. They cannot leave the house at all however. I am not sure any cat is totally low maintenance as most seem to shed quite a lot! Personally if I was choosing a cat it would be the Maine **** :)

    I have a ragdoll, and she does go out! She would drive us mad with her wailing if we kept her in all the time! She's not particularly laid back either - gets stressed quite easily and throws up a lot!!! She's also VERY high maintenance with grooming - in fact we have to have her shaved every year to stop her getting tennis ball sized knots everywhere (despite regular brushing!) She is VERY beautiful though...

    I have also had a Maine Coone and she was very laid back and intelligent but also roamed quite a large area. Long haired but she didn't need any grooming! Lovely friendly cat - they can be VERY big...
  • Terry WigonTerry Wigon Posts: 6,831
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    Osusana wrote: »
    I agree with the person challenging those saying that it is cruel, it is not - you could raise an argument for neglectful I suppose?

    I'm a community nurse, a colleague visits one lady who is at home all day (with a disabled husband) she got a puppy which is now 18 months old and spends it's life in a cage. Never gets taken out for walks, is not house trained and when let out of it's cage it behaves dreadfully, leaping up and going crazy. That is definitely cruel.
    During my career I have seen many animals, mainly dogs treated appallingly - tethered to a chain outside in all weathers, confined to a downstairs toilet the size of a wardrobe etc. I have reported to the RSPCA on occasions who frankly don't seem to care at all.
    Being at home with a dog all day is no guarantee that a dog will be treated well.

    Very cruel. Have you reported these instances of neglect/cruelty? Anonymously if need be?

    With regard to the OP's question. No, you should not get a dog if you are out all day. As others have said, a dog needs company, stimulation, training, socialisation and exercise. It is a living creature not a toy to be turned off when a person leaves for work in the morning and turned back on at 5-6pm.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 80
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    Personally don't think it's "cruel" in some circumstances but it does depend on the dog. Leaving a young dog or puppy alone that long isn't fair at all, but if you have a rather calm / placid, lower energy dog that has plenty of toys to occupy itself with during the day with background noise (tv, radio) & walked before you go to work and after then I think it's alright.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 507
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    I dont think its cruel if you set up proper arrangements for them, like getting a dog walker to either come in and give them a toilet break or getting someone to come take them for a walk throughout the day, expecting a dog to hold their bladder for 8 hours could be quite harsh so coming home to accidents would be quite a issue I suppose.

    What about phoning some local dog rescues and asking if they need dog walkers? You could get your dog fix that way!
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