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Leaving your pet at home alone?

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  • May 26th, 2010 3:47 pm
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Deal Expert
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May 8, 2005
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Beachdown wrote:
My dog is alone 9 hours a day.

She seems okay with it. She gets a half hour walk in the morning and another hour at night. While she's alone at home, she chases/stalks the Roomba.

Having someone come in to walk her or let her out in the yard to play is $20/day minimum.

Pretty big ***** of change when it's really not necessaryl.
Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.
Deal Guru
Dec 31, 2005
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Since we both work, we wouldn't get a dog (I am not a dog person anyway). Our cats have no problems being at home during the day...and we are comforatble leaving them in the house if we go on a week's vacation.
Deal Fanatic
Apr 23, 2009
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South of Ottawa
poedua wrote: Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.
To each his own opinion.

She ambles off to her bed to sleep when I leave. She's happy to see me when I get home. Nothing's broken, chewed up or destroyed, she's not barking her head off while I'm gone (sometimes she gets up and looks out the window if she hears a noise outside - webcam). She pretty much sleeps all day.

These aren't human beings, you know. While they do need socialization with people and animals, they (for the most part, there are some exceptions) are prefectly fine on their own for 9 hours a day if they're getting enough exercise and mental stimulation.
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Sep 13, 2005
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poedua wrote: Depends on your point of view I guess.

As for me , I would think it IS necessary NOT to let a dog sit in the house for 9+ hours a day...that's just a cruel thing to do to a dog....at least in my books.

So, if it meant paying someone $400 a month - or more - so my dog could get out each day...I'd gladly pay it.
I'm curious, do you find it cruel if you sit at home for 9 hours a day without going outside? That's what we generally do on the weekends to relax from the work week. If we're ok with being home for the day I don't see how my dog isn't. I can't speak for others but my dog don't sit for 9hrs straight, he spends his time looking out the window, sleeping, lounging around, play with his toys etc. I don't think it's all that terrible of a life as he gets lots of love and attention after work. Since I use pee pads my dog has full access to his pee pads for the 9 hrs. When I take my dog out (on good weather days ie no rain, snow storms, extreme wind chills etc.) it's at least an hour walk/run outside which I consider plenty for a 9.6lb dog. Since I live by a park we run up and down hills a lot. I doubt a dog walker will run with my dog the way I will as all the local dog walkers I've seen got a lot of dogs with them at the same time. My dog is a spoiled brat and is an attention hog.
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May 8, 2005
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setell wrote: I'm curious, do you find it cruel if you sit at home for 9 hours a day without going outside?
Not if it was my choice - a dog has no choice.

Not if i had a chance to socialize with other people via phone / internet - most dogs have no chance to socialize with other dogs for those 9 hours.

And if it wasn't my choice and I was forced to stay in a house 9 hours a day, 20 days out of every month...then yes....... I'd consider that cruel.
setell wrote: That's what we generally do on the weekends to relax from the work week.
That's your choice....and that is 8 days out of 30 in a month....not 20.
setell wrote: If we're ok with being home for the day I don't see how my dog isn't.
See above.
setell wrote: I can't speak for others but my dog don't sit for 9hrs straight, he spends his time looking out the window, sleeping, lounging around, play with his toys etc. I don't think it's all that terrible of a life as he gets lots of love and attention after work.
Guess we'll have to disagree on this point, as I happen to think it is a pretty lousy existence for a dog to be locked up in a house for 9 hours straight for 5 consecutive days, 20 days each month.

But that's just me.
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May 8, 2005
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Beachdown wrote: To each his own opinion.

She ambles off to her bed to sleep when I leave. She's happy to see me when I get home. Nothing's broken, chewed up or destroyed, she's not barking her head off while I'm gone (sometimes she gets up and looks out the window if she hears a noise outside - webcam). She pretty much sleeps all day.

These aren't human beings, you know.

While they do need socialization with people and animals, they (for the most part, there are some exceptions) are prefectly fine on their own for 9 hours a day if they're getting enough exercise and mental stimulation.
Again, to each their own i suppose.

If you're O.K. leaving your dog locked up in the house for 9 hours a day, for 5 consecutive days, 20 days a month.........fine.......then that is your choice.

As for me, I'd never do that to a dog...I'd consider it a cruel thing to do.

But that's just me.
Newbie
Jul 24, 2007
17 posts
I leave my dog at home for 9 hours during the week because me and my husband have to work. I would prefer to have someone come over and take him out in the yard, but they are extremely expensive in my area. I do feel very guilty though. He is a 5 months now and he is trained to go do his business outside, but when we are out leave him in the kitchen. Right now we have pee pads out for him, but I find he always poos on them as well. Does any one else's dog poo in the house as well? I would eventually like to not have a pee pad out at all and for him to be hopefully able to hold it in. How long can a dog hold in his business? I know it depends on the size of you dog too. I have a boxer.
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Apr 23, 2009
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My dog is a 70lb mixed hound. She holds it for 9+ hours during the week. Sometimes when I get home, she runs down the deck stairs to pee, other times she wanders around the yard for half an hour before she goes.

I know she doesn`t eat while I`m gone. She usually drinks maybe half her bowl of water. She`s around 8 years old now...she's been like this since I got her when she was 4. I would never expect a 5 month old puppy to hold it in for more than a couple of hours at a time.
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Feb 16, 2010
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I agree with poedua. A dog left in the house on its own without human interaction for a 9 hour stretch 5 days a week is a bit much. I think there's alot to be said for the petcare/dogwalking business. I'd gladly pay whatever is needed to see that my dog received human companionship during the day. I have friends whose dogs are walked while they're at work and it is so endearing and comforting to witness the excitement in their dogs as the dogwalkers arrive to pick them up for their mid-day stroll. They will actually sit in the foyer or on the stairs waiting for them to arrive.

Dogwalking is available on a private basis as well. There's no need to include them in a group walk unless you're hoping to save some money. Most dogwalkers are also passionate animal lovers. I've used them myself for home visits.
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May 4, 2010
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toronto
nalababe wrote: Since we both work, we wouldn't get a dog (I am not a dog person anyway). Our cats have no problems being at home during the day...and we are comforatble leaving them in the house if we go on a week's vacation.
do you leave your cats alone for the whole week? or does someone come in midweek to change the litter and water?
Jr. Member
Feb 29, 2004
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On the topic of leaving your dog home alone during the day I think it depends on the dog. Some dogs become bored and get destructive if they're alone for a long time and some don't.
When my dog was younger I had to come at lunch every day to take her for a walk but now that she's older she's fine at home all day. We put her on her own doggie bed before we leave for work and she doesn't move from that spot until we get home. The downstairs tenant used to wonder what we did with her during day cuz they didn't hear her walking around.
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Jun 8, 2003
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TifaLockhart wrote: On the topic of leaving your dog home alone during the day I think it depends on the dog. Some dogs become bored and get destructive if they're alone for a long time and some don't.
When my dog was younger I had to come at lunch every day to take her for a walk but now that she's older she's fine at home all day. We put her on her own doggie bed before we leave for work and she doesn't move from that spot until we get home. The downstairs tenant used to wonder what we did with her during day cuz they didn't hear her walking around.
do you have a beagle? my beagle is like that too. lazy.
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May 6, 2005
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I have a dog walker to take my lab for a 30 minute walk on Tuesday, Wed, Thursday, and sometimes Fridays. For the weekdays, she doesn't come, either my dad or my father in law drops by to give our dog a decent walk.

As an fyi, this is my second dog walker.
We found out our first one that we were paying for a half hour walk, was really only walking the dog as far as it would pee/poo and then bringing him back. I actually did a stake out to confirm and fired the a$$ on the spot.

I couldn't be happier with my new walker.
We get alot of compliments on the health, appearance, and look of our lab.
I totally believe the two leash free runs (morning and evening), with his mid day walk help keep our boy in great shape....Labs are known for putting on the pounds....

Anyways, my 2 cents

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