Now i know a few on here own pooches and im pretty sure not everyone who does is retired

How long do you guys leave your dogs when out at work?

Can you leave them from say 0800-1600hrs with water, food and toys or do you really need to go back every lunch time to check on them and let them out?

My broth has a Colly-Lab mix (about 4yrs old now) and a (1yr old) Cocker-poodle mix and is adament they cant be left on their own for more than hours.. now i know its not like they are cats and a flap can be fitted but at the moment all that happens is that a member of the family has to stop by theirs during lunch(they both work about 30mins away so couldn't make it home and back during their lunch hours) and just let the dogs out into their garden for a few minutes and then back into the spare room.
They have a dining room sized room to rest in, a sofa thats covered, room is on the north side of the house so never gets direct sunlight and never gets to warm, small windows in the room can be left on the locked but open stage that most double glazing units have to provide ventilation, is laminate floored and also has a radiator for winter and they have their sleeping bag/pad things there as well for them

Am i being too hard and saying they should be fine for the days when they are at work and stop putting burden on family for it and they need to stop being so soft or do the dogs really need that check up after 4hours and no longer. They have had it for so long now they would obviously need to be weened off it, so possibly stop doing it on Wed => Tues/Wed => Mon/Tues/Thurs => Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri then the whole week over the course of say two months.

There is also generally someone in the house till nearly 9am most days so there is someone there where the back door is open and they can run in and out of the garden as they please..

Any Dog specialists or trainers or the like care to advise?  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
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Never liked the idea of leaving mutts on their own. I won't have another dog until I retire... But if they are walked in the morning and have room to move around a house I would have thought they would be ok? I know friends do it.
Could you not rig a webcam up for them Will??

P.s. Worst of all are the arses that leave dogs in work carparks all day. Previously..
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Cheers CB the webcam idea is a good one really

Its the same room they sleep in overnight so its not like a hotel but more than comfortable for them and they can run around in it a little  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
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Most we have left ours for, is about four hours. But we have a quite large dog proof garden, and leave the back door open so he just wanders in and out (when he's not eating our clothes )

if there is nobody in ours will go to the minder (£9 a day) and gets good run with about 6-10 other dogs.
occasionally she may be left for 3-4 hours max and will just sleep as she gets a good walk before she is left.
the windows are left open for her but a burglar would be mad to break in as a fully grown saint bernard does not like to be disturbed on her territory.

Well, we have a large well fenced garden with lockable gates. I do leave them all day on occasions (try not to) but both nextdoor neighbours have keys and will look in on them. I also leave the back door open (gates locked) so they can get to decent shelter if it rains etc.

Mostly I work from home so it's not an issue but if I was having to leave them all day, Monday to Friday then I'd think very seriously about changing jobs. My dogs are part of the family and I wouldn't leave my kids all day on their own, and I really don't see how a dog is any different. I chose to have the dogs, not the other way round.

We choose our path in life and if one chooses to have dogs it is reasonable to assume that the thought process has taken place and sacrifices made as necessary to accommodate those choices.

Just my 2p.

any more than 3 to 4 hours max is a strict no no with us.

We have 3 dogs working strain and any longer they become extremely frustrated.

Springer Spaniels, Cockers, Collies and many terriers are all highly strung any extended period left on their own is asking for trouble. 2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

Ok here we go : we engaged a dog trainer and he told us to ignore the dog every time we come and go - now we can let the dog alone at home without any probs for 7-8 hours we do it not very often since we got our office at home but it helps when you go meet friends who got cats at home

With the Wolfhound in the past, he was in a "daycare for dogs" place near work. He loved it there because some of the dogs there became his "friends" and the people running the place loved him to bits. At times he was alone for extended periods of time, say 5 to 6 hours max. when my ex worked half days. At the same time, I had Friday as my work from home day so it was only for 4 days per week.

Our current fluffy puppy is a lovely little Lhasa Apso-ish doggie (with a very nasty history before we rescued her) and she is fine for extended periods as well (usually also around 5 to 6 hours max). Our steward comes in to walk her when we are away on Sunday to the beach hut (about 8 hours altogether).

Some dogs are fine for a long durations alone but not all dogs. Some just can't be alone for too long and considering dogs are pack animals, that is to be expected. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
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So its worth looking at but not as a long term thing but more of maybe 1 day a week to be ok for them when they are left alone from say about 9am to 4pm or sooner? FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
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we leave our lab for a max 4-5h on the odd occasion. if we do we leave the back door open for her to come and go. no side access and a burglar woild need to get through a farm to get in. we made a decision when she was a pup to not leave her. she ate through a wall as a pup after being left for 2hours. it wasnt her fault so we found a doggie daycare for her to use ss we need. there great and have a key to pick her up etc when we need. [img]http://www.fuelly.com/driver/rob2529/range-rover[img/]
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If something can't be fixed with a hammer....... You have yourself an electrical fault!

My wife is a breed specialist and a show judge and when we were both working our two would be left on there own for up to eight hours, obviously with plenty of ventilation and water and never had any issues but you will always have someone say it is wrong to leave them for whatever period of time.

Everyone has a different opinion with things like this but I cant see a problem with your dogs being left for that time period

But as I cant work anymore due to disability I am at home with them most of the time but there are times when I go out for the day and they could be left for up to eight hours , yet again without issues

I guess its their choice at the end of the day but its a PITA for the rest of us

I guess as they aren't really alone for 8hours most days they could be fine with it, especially if there is enough ventilation and things to keep them busy and walked before and after to help them keep up  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
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Thanks everyone for helping out I guess that dogs are just like us and that their needs vary  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
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the hours would be fine, provided they can get outside.
Fit a flap, and they will be perfectly happy together.
We have this system, with about 20m2 of the garden cordoned off for their use in the day (shared with understanding chickens, they're well trained!).
Give them some dinner on the way out the door, set up a bed outside for them if it is sunny and they'll have no problems at all. J
ust make sure the water levels are topped up before you leave.
We try to check on them each lunchtime, but ours are totally fine if left for a day.