Getting a dog when both parents WOH

[Anonymous]

My husband and I have always wanted to get a dog. Would have gotten one pre-kids but lived in a building that didn't permit pets. We've lived in a house for several years but I have been reluctant to get a dog because our children were young and I was concerned that we could not dedicate the energy to a dog that I think it deserves. I'm now feeling that we can devote the necessary time and energy to a dog, when we are there. And that's where the problem lies. My husband and I both WOH. I am able to telecommute one day every two weeks and my husband (for now) can work from home more often. However, he will not be in this position long term. We leave the house around 8:30 and return between 5:30 and 6 (and I am home by 4 a couple times a week).

I am interested in hearing from other dog owners who are not there during the day. I grew up with a golden retriever and a stay at home mom, so this is just not an issue we dealt with growing up. My dog owner friends, for the most part, either work at home or have a stay at home parent. My feeling is that we would try to select a medium energy breed (or mix, as we'd likely adopt a rescue). If you aren't there for most of the day, did you crate train? Is that humane? Is a dog walker a good idea/worth the expense? It's important to me to be a responsible, caring dog owner, so we won't get a dog if we can't meet the dog's needs. However, I really want one so would love to hear how others manage to be good dog owners while working out of the home.

[Anonymous]

Get a dog walker during the day, at least until dog is a bit older, make a schedule for your kids to help (my DS takes the bus home and is home at 3:30 alone and he has to walk the dog then), someone else can feed etc.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I should have said that my children are still young so are in daycare/aftercare. We all come home together so having them walk the dog is not an option for several years.

[Anonymous]

Definitely get a dog walker to take the pup out mid-day. Some dogs can hold it all day but some can't so you shouldn't plan on it at first. I think it's really worth the expense especially at first.

Also, if you're planning on getting a puppy, they have to go out way, way more often so just a walk at lunch won't necessarily be enough. You might want to plan on sending them to doggie daycare when they're younger once they get their shots so you don't have to worry about it (and they'll get a great workout/socialization all day).

Crate training can be great or it can be awful. Some dogs love their crates, some view them as torture devices. Puppies generally adapt to crates really well, if you adopt an adult dog, they may have issues with a crate. You may have to play it by ear. We have a dog that is terrified of the crate so we gate him in a portion of the house where he won't have access to anything he shouldn't when we're gone.

[Anonymous]

We have a dog and WOH. Dog is 10 and roams the house freely. Never, ever gets into trouble. He has routines and will hang out by the front windows when kids start getting home from school to watch and in the morning he likes to watch the bird feeder. He easily goes 9 hours a day without a pee (I think he drinks less when we're gone). We used to have a dog walker but it really upset my dog having someone come and then "abandon" him again in the middle of the day. It upsets him emotionally lol. He's a small dog so doesn't like long walks and gets over tired from them.

But if I had to do it over again, I would pee pad or litter box train my dog (only really works with small breeds). I would crate train for the first 6 months so they understand that there is no peeing in the house. And I'd get a dog walker in the middle of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely get a dog walker to take the pup out mid-day. Some dogs can hold it all day but some can't so you shouldn't plan on it at first. I think it's really worth the expense especially at first.

Also, if you're planning on getting a puppy, they have to go out way, way more often so just a walk at lunch won't necessarily be enough. You might want to plan on sending them to doggie daycare when they're younger once they get their shots so you don't have to worry about it (and they'll get a great workout/socialization all day).

Crate training can be great or it can be awful. Some dogs love their crates, some view them as torture devices. Puppies generally adapt to crates really well, if you adopt an adult dog, they may have issues with a crate. You may have to play it by ear. We have a dog that is terrified of the crate so we gate him in a portion of the house where he won't have access to anything he shouldn't when we're gone.

Yeah when we were training our dog, they went out every 30 minutes and then every hour. We praised profusely when they peed and then promptly came back inside (so they associated outside with pee, not fun. Fun outside is easily learned later).

[Anonymous]

If you get a slightly older dog who's been fostered in a home like yours - young kids, parents working outside the home - you'll know they can handle their routine.

Dog walkers are also a great option.

Good luck with the new addition - dogs are so great, you're going to love having one.

[Anonymous]

Why would you do this to an animal? You are not yet at a station in life to bring in a new pet. I think people who do this are thinking more about themselves and wanting it to be blessed by others who do it, rather than putting the best interests of the animal first. Just ask yourself a simple question. Is it in the dog's best interests to be home alone, all day, in a crate or not, for 4 out of 7 days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you do this to an animal? You are not yet at a station in life to bring in a new pet. I think people who do this are thinking more about themselves and wanting it to be blessed by others who do it, rather than putting the best interests of the animal first. Just ask yourself a simple question. Is it in the dog's best interests to be home alone, all day, in a crate or not, for 4 out of 7 days?

NP and I see what you're saying. But my dog LOVES his life. I'm sure he loves the 5:30-11:30 pm hours the most, but he has a full, enjoyable life. WOH is not a reason to not have a dog. It's a mutually beneficial relationship for the dog and the humans.

[Anonymous]

My dog sleeps during the day. I see it on my telework days. So, if you find a dog in from a rescue you may be able to find one that sleeps a lot during the day. You can also get dog doors with electronic collars that will let the dog in and out during the day. We had one in our sliding glass door for our previous dog with a congenital bladder problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you do this to an animal? You are not yet at a station in life to bring in a new pet. I think people who do this are thinking more about themselves and wanting it to be blessed by others who do it, rather than putting the best interests of the animal first. Just ask yourself a simple question. Is it in the dog's best interests to be home alone, all day, in a crate or not, for 4 out of 7 days?

Dogs sleep most of the day. Many, many working families have very happy dogs.

I don't like the idea of crating a dog all day, personally, so that's not what I would choose - but at the end of the day, even with crating, most dogs would rather be in a family that works full time, than in a shelter. So, consider the alternatives.

[Anonymous]

A) don't get a puppy, b) don't get a high energy breed like a husky, c) hire a dog walker to come halfway through the day, d) take it on a long walk/run/fetch session when you get home each night. If you do these things you'll be fine!

[Anonymous]

Yes, 10:48 has it right. Most rescues aren't puppies anyway (you can find them, sure, but the waitlist is usually longer).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you do this to an animal? You are not yet at a station in life to bring in a new pet. I think people who do this are thinking more about themselves and wanting it to be blessed by others who do it, rather than putting the best interests of the animal first. Just ask yourself a simple question. Is it in the dog's best interests to be home alone, all day, in a crate or not, for 4 out of 7 days?

Dogs sleep most of the day. Many, many working families have very happy dogs.

I don't like the idea of crating a dog all day, personally, so that's not what I would choose - but at the end of the day, even with crating, most dogs would rather be in a family that works full time, than in a shelter. So, consider the alternatives.

I work from home every day and you know what my dogs do all day? Sleep. Sleep some more. Stand up and stretch. Maybe go look out the window at the birds. Go back and sleep. Scratch 3 times. Sniff their butts. Sleep.

My being home has very little impact on their day, other than I walk them a bit at lunch. Their lives are not significantly improved by my being around.

[Anonymous]

We have a dog and a busy life with work and kids activities. We leave the house at 7:15 a.m. Before we leave, the dog is fed and goes for a short walk with my daughter. We put pee pads down in case he needs to pee before we get home. He spends most of the day sleeping in a dog bed in a window seat. When he's up, he checking out the scene outside. I usually stop by the house around 3:30/4:00, if I know it will be a long day, to let him out and give him a treat or something he likes. He does fine. When I work from home, he's asleep most of the day but does go out a bit more since I'm there. It's doable if you can make time to check on your dog. I don't like people in my house, who I don't know so would not hire a dog walkers or pet sitter. Dog seems content with the routine.