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Advice please?

Pretty Flamingo

New member
Hi, my daughter lives overseas in an apartment. Strangely she was given advice by the dog rescue centre that as she worked all day and therefore was away from her home for 9 hours, it is ok to have a small dog. Personally I was against it but of course I can't tell her anything - she is stubborn and an adult! She spends all her time with the dog, it wants for nothing, and she loves it to bits obviously. Stanley is his name, a Yorkshire Terrier.

He is about two years old and was rescued from a house with nineteen other dogs and is very timid, terrified of people and hides under her bed when a visitor drops by. He won't play with other dogs and just sits by her side when out. Neither will he play with toys. He is by all accounts lovely, and is happy but she wants him to get company and exercise, of course, mid-way through the day when she is at work. He won't accept the dog walker coming to collect him even though he has had an opportunity to get to know him from a visit and even though no other dogs would be walked at the same time.

My daughter is frustrated as she knows it is no good for Stanley to be alone.

Again let me say I tried to persuade her not to get a dog but she went ahead knowing that a dog walker could be used if she found one she trusted.

I suppose in a way I am just sounding-off, a bit of a rant as it were. I gather a lot of you may have good experience with dogs, or even use them as working dogs, but provided a dog is ok at being alone for 9 hours in a day and doesn't have an accident, what are your views on leaving a dog for that length of time if the dog simply will not accept being taken out by a dog-walker?

Thanking you in advance for any replies.
 

mak2

Active member
A lot of people who work 8-10 days have dogs, they probably sleep 16 hours a day anyway. My wife and I have never worked exactly the same schedule and we have 4 children so someone has been coming in or going out every couple of hours for most of hte time we have had dogs. I would not worry about the ones I have now if I had to work 10 hour day and didnt let them out the whole time, but they would be standing by the back door when I got home. I think the little dog will be fine and is lucky he fuond your daughter.
 

Pretty Flamingo

New member
A lot of people who work 8-10 days have dogs, they probably sleep 16 hours a day anyway. My wife and I have never worked exactly the same schedule and we have 4 children so someone has been coming in or going out every couple of hours for most of hte time we have had dogs. I would not worry about the ones I have now if I had to work 10 hour day and didnt let them out the whole time, but they would be standing by the back door when I got home. I think the little dog will be fine and is lucky he fuond your daughter.

Thank you. I simply wanted someone to put my mind at rest. I just had it in my mind that a dog left alone without seeing anyone for 9 hours during the day is not a good thing for the dog. As I say there are no puddles etc., and she walks him immediately before leaving for work and again immediately on returning. Yes, he is really excited to see her each evening on her return. Thank you very much for replying mak2.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
No problem when a regiment is established, making sure the dog is "empty" before leaving would be part of that regiment. Our dogs have no difficulty with that amount of time without visiting the outdoors with no mistakes.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
No problem when a regiment is established, making sure the dog is "empty" before leaving would be part of that regiment. Our dogs have no difficulty with that amount of time without visiting the outdoors with no mistakes.
Same here. No problem at all. As long as the yorkie is not tearing things up when left alone and not having accidents then I see no problem with leaving it for that amount of time.
 

Pretty Flamingo

New member
Thanks for your replies Big Dog and Doc. It was more the 'loneliness' I assume the dog will suffer more than holding in his bladder. I suppose I care too much seeing as he had a dreadful start in life and is therefore so timid. Here he is:
 

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Pretty Flamingo

New member
Rent or buy the Dog Whisperer series. It should help her understand the basics of dog and pack psychology.

http://www.cesarsway.com/

Thank you. I have seen him on tv a few times. I will pass it on to my daughter. Of course a walk with a dog walker would be good for him although it is not the end of the world, but it would be great if Stanley didn't hide from visitors and was a bit less timid with other dogs.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
The most important thing with dogs is establishing a routine. Once they have that down and know what's expected of them then it's not a problem.

We've always been a multidog household until the past year where we only have one. She routinely gets left left alone for 5 or 6 hours without a problem. I don't see leaving her for 9 hours on her own causing any problems either. Dogs will sleep 16 or 20 hours a day. When we leave, ours goes into the sunroom or the library where she can see the front gate and plonks herself down until we return, then she's at the back door waiting for us to come in.

Ours is funny. She can tell the difference between me putting on working clothes and going to town clothes. Working clothes, she hardly bats an eyelid. Going to town clothes and she is at the back door waiting because she knows she is going for a ride in the van.

As far as the timidity thing goes, some dogs are just naturally more timid than others. About all you can do is take them for walks where there are lots of people and perhaps other dogs and as long as your daughter is there as his "safe haven" he will eventually become more at ease. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Dogs are just strange. My S-I-L has one rescue dog that was obviously abused. He's the friendliest thing to all people unless you are male, have a beard and wear a baseball cap. Unfortunately, that just describes me. When I'd go over there he used to becomes totally submissive, widdle and take off and hide. It took a long time and many "wipe ups" before he accepted me. His body language is still totally submissive but no more hiding or widdling, thank God.

On the whole I'd say that your daughter has a pretty good deal.
 

mak2

Active member
Dogs are just strange. My S-I-L has one rescue dog that was obviously abused. He's the friendliest thing to all people unless you are male, have a beard and wear a baseball cap. Unfortunately, that just describes me. When I'd go over there he used to becomes totally submissive, widdle and take off and hide. It took a long time and many "wipe ups" before he accepted me. His body language is still totally submissive but no more hiding or widdling, thank God.

On the whole I'd say that your daughter has a pretty good deal.


Several years ago a friend of mine's sister gave him her dog because her husband beat the hell out of it (and her) all the time. It was a big Chow and I bet he did not get too close to it or let it off its chain when he beat it. Anyway my friend did not have a fence around his yard so when he was outside he hooked the dog to the chain and it pretty much went whereever he did, but he was always in the house, on a leash or chain. I had been around this dog all summer, it was a great, friendly nice dog I never even heard growl. I wore short and t shirts and stuff all summer. One day in the fall it was cold and I came over in my jeans, boots, jacket and cap. I stepped around the car where the dog could see me and it attacked. Full speed, slobbering, growling appearlently gonna eat me. Luckly for me it hit the end of its chain about a foot from my thigh. I dont think I have ever seen a dog that vicious. My friend said I looked just like his B-I-L when I dressed like that. Guess the dog didnt like him very much. came back dressed differnet the dog was fine.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i wouldn't worry my dogs are left alone too but i try to spend as much time as i can with them. our newest is sarge he is a multease dochound mix he's a smart dog and gets a long well with macarther he is quite a bit moer timed than the late daisy but he is comming around.
 

Galvatron

Spock and Galvatron < one and the same
We can leave ours for hours no problem,plenty of water and a big bone and they won't even miss you.:wink:
 
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