Do our working hours mean we shouldn't have dogs?

Myself & Himself are looking into the possibility of adopting pets at the moment. We both had small indoor/outdoor dogs when we lived with our respective Mammies, so there would have been someone in the house most of the day [even though the dogs would usually be out the back playing with each other and didn't seem fussed whether The Mammies were there or not!] and I would definitely consider myself to be a dog person.

However, we would both be out of the house M-F from 7am to about 6.30pm. I'm not getting a doggie [or two] if it would be lonely without us being there.

Would two dogs be sufficient company for each other while we're at work? Obviously they would be getting their walks every evening and would have the run of the [decent sized suburban] back garden and possibly the kitchen/dining room during the day [with dog flap].

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions, thanks

Hi Lynnie,
Mr Bear got me two pups as a xmass pressie last year, we are out of the house from 6.45 and back at 5.30 - 6pm ...

I was worried initially about them, but a neighbour of mine who was sick at the time used to watch them, and they have a ball of a time...

If you are going to get a dog and are away most of the day get two, preferably male and female.
Our two (both male) are inseperable - at the same time they can kill each other!!!

I must say they are the best pressie I ever got - great fun ....

I leave my house at 6.45 return at 7.30. I own 3 dogs. They play and play and play some more. Would not allow them inside while you are not there as they will chew, break, move anything they can!!!

Would not allow them inside while you are not there as they will chew, break, move anything they can!!!

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Would agree with whistler - if you have a large garden - they'll be grand outside...

Ah thanks for that folks, have to say I am so relieved!!! Himself is dying for some pets and had me looking at cats over the weekend... although we did see two nice ones looking to be rehomed together I just couldn't see them in the house to be honest! Aaaand now I feel a bit guilty for saying that, they were cute.

pinkyBear, do you mean get one of each sex or either two bitches or two dogs..?

def get two dogs, they are pack animals, and one in a suburban garden will be bored out of its mind and very unstimulated - at least two can interact.

whistler said:

I leave my house at 6.45 return at 7.30. I own 3 dogs. They play and play and play some more. Would not allow them inside while you are not there as they will chew, break, move anything they can!!!

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Good advice about leaving them outside but perhaps you should consider getting them a shelter of some kind?

pat127 said:

Good advice about leaving them outside but perhaps you should consider getting them a shelter of some kind?

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Oh God yeh - wouldn't dream of leaving them out without shelter, food and water

You really need to get at leats two dogs, the best combination is one male one female. As you can have issues with "Top Dog" with a pair of males, and a pair of females I have been told will fight more than a pair of males.

On saying that we have two male dogs (neutered) , they are step brothers - 90% of the time they are great friends - but there is that 10% when the do fight.

The neutering has calmed them (ever so slightly) .... You'll have a ball, I must say it is an absolute joy to get up in the am's to feed them ( they wait outside our bedroom door in the morning for us to get up!!) and getting home is great fun, you completely forget work when your home..

And no matter how bad the day goes for us, we will always bring them for a walk which gets us out of the house.... Oh I could soooo go on....

I have 2 male neutered dogs and am gone for 9+ hours a day and they have a great time playing together. I had one dog for a few years and then got the 2nd for company and it was the best thing ever. Just make sure you walk them every night no matter how tired you are! I live in the States at the moment and have a doggie door and would like to do same when I move back to Ireland (with the 2 dogs) this summer. Does anybody know if having a doggy door is a problem with your house insurance? My dogs are really big so I can actually get through the door myself. I thought I read somewhere (can't remember where) that if your house is broken into and you have a doggy door the insurance company won't pay. Also, is theft of dogs from garden a problem in Ireland? My 2 dogs are Huskies which I think are a little rare in Ireland and am worried that somebody might see them in the back garden and decide to take them.

colorado said:

Does anybody know if having a doggy door is a problem with your house insurance? My dogs are really big so I can actually get through the door myself. I thought I read somewhere (can't remember where) that if your house is broken into and you have a doggy door the insurance company won't pay

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You better believe it. Surely this is the case everywhere.

colorado said:

Also, is theft of dogs from garden a problem in Ireland? My 2 dogs are Huskies which I think are a little rare in Ireland and am worried that somebody might see them in the back garden and decide to take them.

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I have heard some horror stories from a friend who works with animals about this type of theft. There is/was a problem with puppy farms but this may be resolved eventually as legislation has been introduced.

Don't want to be an alarmist but if it were me I wouldn't let them out of my sight.

Sue Ellen,
Dog mad

Now I am worried as I both my husband & I both have to work (in order to be able to afford to live in Ireland!) so we will have to leave the dogs while we are at work. I am crazy about our 2 dogs and just could not bear not to bring them back to Ireland (even though it is costing almost $4,000!!!!!). We will be living in Cavan or Leitrim, probably a housing estate with of course a fenced/walled back garden but now you have me really worried that when we come home from work our dogs will be gone. To leave them inside the house all day - well they would not damage the house as they don't chew etc. but it would be hard for them not to be able to go to the toilet or run around. But maybe that would be safer than having them in the garden? They are both fixed so useless to puppy mills. So don't laugh at me but are there any doggie daycares in Ireland? There are a ton of them in the States and you basically drop your dog off when you are at work and they get to spend the day with other dogs in a supervised indoor/outdoor facility. You can even keep on eye on them via webcam.

Doggie doors are O.K. in the States for insurance purposes, at least with my company anyway, it made no difference to our policy.

To be honest I think it is selfish, I had a dog same sort of thing as you and decided to put dog first so I found him a better home , someone who was there all day, just me I never put myself first maybe I should more in life but there you go

Just because somebody is home all day does not mean it is a better home for dogs. I have seen so often families with a stay at home Mom or Dad that are so busy with housework, children etc. that the poor dogs don't get a look in. Just like people who think if they live on a few acres they don't have to walk their dogs as they have enough space to run around in. And often people think if they are home all day then that is enough for the dogs where as if you are at work you will probably make more of an effort to spend quality time with your dogs. Personally, I think if you can give a home to a dog from a pound or resuce (which is where I got both dogs) you are not being selfish at all as you are giving that animal a good home even if you are not there 24 hours a day. I think I do put my dogs first by walking them 3 times a day, playing with them, twice yearly physicals, only going on pet friendly holidays etc. There are good and bad dog owners and I don't think it is determined by whether you work or not. But that's just my opinion.

I posted a similar question on boards.ie and was rapidly excoriated for even thinking of doing such a terribly selfish thing!
I may just push the candidates coming to my door for tax relief on doggy day care. Surely in the era of DINKIES and civil partnerships, we should be open to all varients of families, not just subsidising those with human babies!
After all, a pooper scooper has much less environmental impact than a disposable nappy.

a dog

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- dodo if you are away all day a dog is cruel, when a dog has company its not cruel or selfish to leave them during the day...

Colorado, to be honest with respect to dog nappings I live in Dublin and it's rare enough, we have neighbours with huskies as well - really lovely dogs...

There have been stories of dogs being taken by travelers - but to be honest I have never come accross it personaly, so as not to offend it could be just hear say..

Doggie Day Care - great idea - mr. bears cousin uses them aswell all the time, great if you only have one dog...

This might be a good starting point to look for Kennels that also do Day Care.

[broken link removed]

I think theft is more of an issue with puppies. From my own experience dogs become very territorial as they get older and will bark (and probably scare) if strangers try and come into your garden.

My 2 dogs don't bark but sometimes their silence is even more scary! They have those pale blue eyes and will stare anybody down! If you did not know any better you would think they would eat you, especially as one looks like a wolf and the other (which is a Husky/Black Lab mix) looks like a bear! They wouldn't hurt a fly but hopefully their looks will be enough to scare people off. And the big one will growl if someone is around the fence (only to then lick that person's face if they come in!). So am feeling a little better now that the dogs will be O.K in a secure back yard.

I think I have been in the States too long as I don't even think that doggie daycare is strange!!! There are even doggie swimming pools over here, doggie taxi services, doggie icecream and many of the swanky hotels will accept dogs and leave a dog biscuit on their bed instead of a mint!!!! Even McDonlads drive throughs have biscuits to give to any dog in the car! And some new homes have a doggie shower in the utility room! Thanks Polaris for that link for kennels, I will check those out. Or mabe I have a new buisness idea and will open doggie daycares in Ireland!!!!!

If you are getting two dogs, make sure they aren't siblings as they for sure will fight all the time to establish dominance. So says the missus who's family had two brother dogs when she was young.

Also, I'm not sure I'd buy from a puppy farm either, we lived next to one for about six months and the dogs and puppies barked from dawn until dusk - unsurprisingly since they were locked in all the time.