Over many discussions between me and the wife over the last year we are on the verge of getting a Labrador but we have hit a sticking point... My wife works part-time so for three days a week for five and a half hours (I'm at home one of these days every other week) the dog will be at home alone. We would obviously get a family member to come in and let it out or even possibly get a dog walker in. We were considering a Hungarian Vizla or Pointer and after speaking to five or six breeders most of them were put off by the fact that somebody is not at home all the time. We realise they are working dogs but we were surprised by there answers and after more discussions we are now possibly looking at a Labrador. We are a family of four (two children 12 and 9) and it would get plenty of fuss, walks and love and having a dog in the family would possibly put me down the pecking order. My question to you experienced owners and breeders, is this a problem leaving it on it's own for this period of time? Many Thanks in advance!
Hello there, and a very warm welcome It is a problem leaving a very young puppy for that period of time - even though people do. It's not a problem leaving a adult dog for 5.5 hours (so long as that includes commuting time...), particularly if you have a dog walker, or someone in to give him/her a break. It does depend on the personality of the dog. Some are fine being left longer, others not. Ideally, you should plan to be at home full time for as long as possible when you bring a new puppy home, spend a decent amount of time slowly getting him/her used to being left, and at around 4 or 5 months you dog should do fine being left on his own for 5.5 hours, with a break if you can manage it, but with lots of activity either side, and lots of kongs etc. if not. My own adult dog does up to 5 hours alone 2 or 3 times a week - 2.5 hours, a dog walker takes him out for an hour, then another 2.5hours. He sleeps with humans though, so he has company the whole of the rest of the 24 hour period. Having said all of that about being at home when the puppy is tiny, I wasn't. But I mobilised an entire army of puppy creche, future dog walker doing pop in visits and daycare, OH at home, and in the end my old Dad came to stay with us until puppy was old enough to be left! Best of luck with it.
Hi and welcome, nothing much to add to Julie T's post except expect to be cross examined by Labrador breeders on work schedules and how long a puppy would be left alone for each day. As Julie T says puppy ownership and working can work and does for many people but it takes a lot of organisation for some months, together with the potential cost of puppy walkers.
Hi. I work 25 hours a week and have no problems with Harley (now 2 years old). I spent the first 2 weeks at home with her full time, then spent the next 2 weeks doing 2 hours at work, home for an hour then back to work for 1-2 hours. I now work a max of 4 hours (including commuting) at a time. 2 days a week I work 9.30am - 2.30pm - I have a dog walker who takes her out from 11am-12.30/1pm so breaks up the day for her. It is possible to have a dog and work as long as you have things in place for them when they are younger and for periods over 4/5 hours when older.
My hubby and I work full time (well, I work 9 days a fortnight) and we just make use of daycare. Just dropped our dog Obi there actually! I think the routine you describe sounds fine for beyond the 4-5 month stage. Just gotta get through the baby stage. Basically agree with Jule! I hope you find a breeder who understands that working people can make dog ownership work and can provide a high standard of care for their dog. I'm sure you will. Have your management plan all mapped out and ready to explain. And don't forget the whole health check angle for the doggie parents
Hi and welcome to the forum. I can't advise you on this, because I work from home, so defer to the advice above. Since you're going to be away from your dog for a chunk of the day, it's worth taking your time and finding the right dog. Not only on health grounds, which is hugely important, but also looking at temperament. You should look for a litter from parents that are very laid back, to reduce the chances of you ending up with a whirling dervish. Labradors have a reputation of being chilled out dogs, but spend any time on this forum and you'll see that it's not always the case! Whatever you do, don't choose a dog from very successful working lines (lots of Field Trial Champions in the recent pedigree), because you're more likely to have a dog that just has to be doing something every minute of the day - and if you're not around to entertain him/her, they'll find their own entertainment, which is normally bad news for your house and sanity! Here's more information on choosing the right Labrador puppy: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/8-steps-to-buying-a-healthy-labrador-puppy/
Actually, I cant quite agree with Snowbunny there (sorry Fiona! ) as my dog comes from very successful working lines, but is perfectly chilled on the occasions both OH and I are away from home. If she is going to be left on her own for a full working day, then I have at least one person come and take her out for an hour at lunchtime. Usually two different people come to take her out though, if she is going to be alone for more than about six hours. I don't think it necessarily depends on whether the dog is from show lines or from working lines; it depends on the character of the particular dog and the parent dogs. There are plenty of nutty show line dogs who can suffer badly from separation anxiety and can become destructive in the house, just as there are working line dogs. Yes, of course it can work very well, working and owning a labrador. You just need to go about it the right way, and not expect to be able to leave a young puppy alone for hours. Crate training your puppy will mean that he/she is safe for the time you are not there, and even small puppies (once they are used to the crate and accept it as their safe place) can be left for an hour or two. By the time your dog is six months old, you should be able to up that time alone to around four hours. Personally, I wouldn't feel happy leaving a dog alone (even an adult) for longer than four hours, but as long as someone comes to take him/her out and give some company, it usually works out fine.
You're perfectly allowed to disagree and have far more experience than me . I believe you're right, the parents are the biggest indicator and there's definitely more to it than just show vs working lines. My two have plenty of FTChs in their pedigree, although none in the last two generations, and are very chilled out (most of the time!). I just think that, if you're looking for nothing more than a pet, choosing a puppy that has been bred from a succession of very high-drive dogs isn't the most sensible option. Again, you'd probably see warning signs in the parents' temperaments to indicate they wouldn't make perfect pets, if that were the case. I've heard lots of cases of that type of breeder not letting their pups go to pet homes, anyway, as the OP seems to have found with other breeds. There are plenty of people breeding dogs that are absolutely perfectly suited for normal working families; both on show lines and working lines - as well as mixtures of the two. A good breeder will always be honest about the parents' personalities, because they'll generally be interviewing you about whether you are suitable to take one of their puppies, rather than it just being a simple financial transaction.
Puppies from any litter vary a lot.... My first dog (100% show lines) was as easy, steady, calm and quiet as they come (my Dad used to call him 'The Gentleman Dog'), while his litter sister (who lived with us for 6 months) was high energy, constantly hungry for attention and very anxious when left alone. Another litter brother who went to our dog club for a while was a cheerful, outgoing chap who never stopped flinging himself about and bouncing on the spot. Same parents, totally different dogs.
