How Do Working People Keep Dogs.......? (labrador, skin, train, rescues)

[Timing2012]

Can dogs be trained to no pee for 12 hours? If not, how do working people keep dogs?

Why 12 hours? 9 hour work day, plus slight over an hour commute each way can easily equal to close to 12 hours.

[TinaMcG]

IMO, it's a rough thing to do to a dog, and to the owner, who comes home from work all tired out and is greeted by a hyperactive dog. I don't work anymore and we have two puppies, one an older pup and the other a tiny one. I am totally worn out, couldn't even get dressed until 3pm today, and our house looks like a bomb went off in it. Still, I love the situation I'm in, but I never wanted to get a dog until I worked from home or didn't work at all.

[sparrowmint]

Not every house has a working couple that keep the exact same hours (or they have kids who are home sooner), or they hire a dogwalker, or they keep their dogs in a yard during the day, or yes, some dogs can just hold it for a long time. I have a nurse friend who, for better or worse, has a dog who can hold it for 13 hours as she works 12 hour night shifts and doesn't have another option for him (she's older, single, and he's all she has). It really varies depending on the household.

[maciesmom]

Not everyone has long workdays or commutes. Some couples have staggered hours, some work from home or close enough to come home for lunch, or have older children at home. If I were in a situation where no one would be home for 12 hour stretches on a regular basis, I would not get a dog.

[Hopes]

Our dogs can definitely last that long if necessary. That only happened a few times due to an emergency delaying our arrival home. Two spouses working doesn't necessarily mean they're gone at the same time. My husband left the house earlier in the morning than I did, and he returned earlier then me. As a result, the dogs were only alone from when I left (8:30) and hubby got home (4:30). That's 8 hours. I had some jobs where I left two hours earlier, which meant the dogs were alone 10 hours tops. Then we started working different shifts for many years. There was a period of years where hubby traveled for days each week, which meant the dogs were alone as if I were a "single owner" while I worked.

It was never cruel. My dogs were never left alone in a cage. They had each other for company. If they were truly tortured by having to "go" they most certainly were physically capable of doing it in the house. They never did. That tells me they weren't uncomfortable, especially since they proved they were capable of accidents if they were ill or on medication and that happened right in front of us so our not going home had nothing to do with it. As a result, I KNOW my dogs would not have held it in if they were uncomfortable while we worked. But they always did so that proves that dogs can easily endure a workday inside.

It's important to acknowledge that lives change throughout the lifespan of a dog. Our Labrador lived 16 years. He watched our children graduate and move out to college. Hubby and I both had different jobs. Someone can easily have a dog and their life changes. The dog adjusts. The alternative would be getting rid of the dog and everyone disapproves of that so let's give working dog owners a break with judging them.

[steelstress]

I installed a dog door that leads out to my patio. Teach them all to use it. Not a problem.

[rere900]

I think 12 hours daily is too long. I have a five year old beagle that I adopted when he was 9 weeks old. In the beginning when he was a puppy it was much harder to train and get him adjusted. We crate trained him for a little over a year and now he free roams the house while we are at work, which is usually 7-8 hours and is fine. I start getting worried if we are away any longer, because I know how I would feel if I did not use the bathroom for that long. I just get worried about UTI's and things like that when they hold urine for too long.

[mic111]

12 hrs is too long. If you are away that long you need a dog door or a pet sitter to come over and let the dog out. If your away that long on a regular basis it probably isn't a good idea to get a dog because they need more companionship than your schedule allows. Maybe fish or a cat who can use a cat box would be a better idea.

[golfmonk]

I would love to know the answer to this as well.

I really love dogs and would love to have one of my own (either a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound, two of my favorite breeds), but I work such erratic and messed up hours (read: long hours/travel) that I would not be able to give the love and affection that a dog most certainly deserves.

So, I get my dog fix while I can. I'll volunteer to walk friends and neighbors dogs, play with the family mutt and sometimes get to pet an adorable dog at a nearby park (asking the owners if it is OK to do so of course).

I know it is not much, but I really do enjoy the company of a pet when the opportunity allows.

[k9coach]

Yeah a dog just isn't the right pet for someone who needs to be gone 12 hours a day every work day. Maybe try a hermit crab instead of a dog.

I'd also love to see the owner hold his bladder for 12 daytime hours 5 days a week. Hurts my kidneys just thinking about it.

Certainly if someone gone for 12 hours a day insisted on owning dogs, a network of helpers would be essential (friends and family stopping by, pet sitters, etc.) Perhaps the most humane solution would be to have a transportation service drop off and pick up the dog at daycare while the owner is at work (many pet sitter companies provide this service) but daycare is not appropriate for all dogs and this would be a very expensive solution as well.

I swear half the dog owners in America really don't have any business owning dogs between the bizzy bizzy bizzy schedules and the lack of dog knowledge. But the shelters and rescues are overflowing so I can't very well discourage dog ownership too much. The sad reality is there simply aren't enough good homes for all the dogs out there.