What do dogs do all day?
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Anonymous
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Most dogs do not play by themselves. If you have 2 or more they might play together.
My 3yo lab mix has had 2 hour long walks on the leash today. Then I took him to the dog park for 45 mins because it’s only a 5 min drive from my kids soccer practice. He whined in the car the whole way there and back. He is finally now conked out on my bed. I’ll let him out shortly for his last pee but then I’m pretty sure he’ll go right back to bed. Tomorrow I work 12 hours. My kid will throw the ball for him in the yard for 10 mins before school… then 10-20 mins after school. He will be wired and in my face from 7-9pm because he’ll have slept most of the day. He does well on his own and is not destructive at all, but we’ve only had him since June and we’re figuring each other out still. He needs exercise during the day or he’s bonkers for those 2 hours at night. |
Anonymous
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Our dog sleeps most of the day. Some time she’ll wander the house briefly find a new sleeping spot and take a nap. We leave her home alone with free rein of the house and have never had a problem. She’s not destructive. We’ve left her up to 8 hours but not on a weekly basis. She’s a Boston Terrier so not a super high energy dog.
She is a people dog and list wants to be in the same room as people. She loses her ever loving mind when we get home whether we’ve been gone 5 minutes or 5 hours. I take her to drop and pick the kids up from school but don’t take her on errands. She loves the car. |
Anonymous
This. Get a dog that matches your lifestyle. We got a cavachon. He’s a little crazy now because he’s a puppy, but they are generally dogs that are good for first-time dog owners. I knew our limits going in to this. I could not have handled a dog that needed to burn off a lot of energy every day. |
Anonymous
The dog's age and breed will dramatically shift responses to your questions, OP. Some breeds (pugs, most pitties, and, somewhat surprisingly, greyhounds) are all great snoozers. Aussies, heelers, weimeraners, not so much (they'll need significant physical and mental stimulation). Some dogs will entertain themselves, most will entertain each other (if they get along). You'll definitely want a sitter for that day, if your dog is accustomed to being with a person all day. Either that, or two walks. Do not take your dog to run simple errands unless you're going to a pet store, and even then, it's probably better to not. Most places people shop are for humans, not dogs. Pet stores are common sites for dog incidents, as many people don't properly train/attend to their pets. Don't be one of them. Crate train your dog and leave them home. Once they're older, maybe you can leave them loose in a secured room or space and see how that goes. Personally, I prefer crating my dogs so I know they're not getting in trouble while I'm out. It's easier on my mind than coming home to shredded furniture, and keeps my dog out of the vet's office. As for what they do all day, that's up to you. The happiest dogs have jobs, even if that job is "lap blanket while I watch my shows" or "moral support while I work from home". They do well with structured routines; some of them will let you know when you're late for walkies, and most of them will alert you to mealtimes! Your kids are old enough that a puppy might be a viable option, but as newer dog owners, you'd probably be just as happy with an older dog someone has already fostered and started housetraining. The puppy phase for most breeds is intense. They are cute, but most adult dogs are still cute, and they don't wake you up 2-4 times a night to pretend they need to pee and then go on sniff missions. 
That's a general overview. Like I said, it can vary a LOT by breed. Let us know what you're looking for in a dog and we can suggest breeds that might be a good fit for you and your family. |
Anonymous
| Don’t do it. You’re too busy.z |
Anonymous
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Most animals sleep a lot if they are well fed.
Exercise it a lot when you are home (strenuous walk and play) and it will rest when you are gone. |
Anonymous
| It’s really weird that some lady from the Pacific Northwest with a Tesla is posting on this of all websites asking about dogs. Really really weird. |
Anonymous
| Mine are 2+ years, so out of puppy stages, and spend it seems like 1/2 of the day napping or laying awake at our feet, and the other half playing with each other outside, sniffing the entire acre of a yard, chasing things, coming to the door to be let in and then going back to the door to be let out, chewing bones and toys inside, eating meals. We have an acre property that they have free reign of so they kind of just occupy themselves as far as when they want to be outside or inside. They've come to learn inside is for being chill, outside is for running around being crazy. When they were younger, there was a lot of training time. |
Anonymous
| Sleep, look out of the upstairs window, sleep some more, eat, walks, exploring across the street, i take him in the car for school drop offs/pick ups, sitter once a week so he can socialize with other dogs. Some training and tug of war. |
Anonymous
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Yes they pretty much sleep all day.
Mine goes on a nice long walk in the morning and naps until 4pm. During that time he likes to go outside nap in the sun, sniff around, etc. My kids come home at 4pm and the household becomes active and he likes to play, follow us around, try to eat food we drop. He’s easy. |
Anonymous
Op here. We used to live in the DC area but now we’ve moved and there isn’t any similar parenting message boards that compare to DCUM. |
Anonymous
It’s the internet, not a local newsletter, granny. Plus, people move. |
Anonymous
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We have a 14 year old terrier and a 2 year old lab.
They’re most active in the morning and around dinner time. They mostly sleep but also play with each other, run around the backyard, beg for treats, and follow us around. |
Anonymous
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We lucked out and our shelter mutt is chill--she loves walks and playtime but otherwise she likes to just snooze on the porch or next to my while I'm working.
We watched our friend's dog last weekend and it got into EVERYTHING. I couldn't live with a dog like that. |
Anonymous
Really really not. |