Dog Owners. Anyone here own a dog and work long shifts?

[Dmoney]

Hey.
I went to a Cat rehoming place at the weekend with some friends. It made me really want to step up with regard looking into keeping a pet. I grew up around cats and dogs and I'd love a dog. I think I could house a cat, especially an older one or one with FIV, but the fact staffies are getting put down all the time upsets me. I'd take one, but I currently work 10hours shifts. The bonus is I get whole days off as regularly as I work, so I could spend a lot of time with a dog. And I could walk one before and after work. But the time away is somethings I'd be concerned about.

anyone else in a situation like that? how does it work for you?

[Elliot]

Personally (and from painful experience) the two don't go together and if one is going to be fair to the dog, it is best not to take on the responsibility if you are going to lock it up for hours of the day whilst you are at work.  I had to give my beloved dog away to a family who could care for him because he was just not getting the attention from me that he needed to remain well and mentally healthy.

[Dmoney]

That is basically how I feel about it, but prowling the internet I've read varying opinions. Hiring a walker for the days I'm in work was an idea, but it just doesn't feel right. I'm going to go to Battersea tomorrow and walk around, maybe ask some questions. Doubt I'll be getting a dog in the near future though. cheers for the input.

[38thBeatle]

Like you I'd really love a dog-I have owned two in my time.I would, however, echo what has been said and you seem to agree.They are social animals and it just is not fair to leave them for hours on end. It isn't just about them getting a walk, important as that might be, they are pack animals and cannot distinguish between being left for ten minutes from being left for 5 hours. These hard facts have prevented me from getting another. I also love Staffies -both mine were Staffie bitches and were both wonderful pets and companions. Sorry if I am stating the bleeding obvious.
Instead, we have three cats- all rescued by Cats Protection and adopted by the Missus and me. They are far easier to look after. I help out an elderly friend who has a dog by taking her for walks so I get my canine fix that way. Why not see if there are folks nearby who have dogs who might welcome you taking them out (the dogs I mean!) as you will build a relationship with the dog. Mr friend's dog escaped from his house about 4 months ago and she came straight to my house and my Son, who knows her well, managed to catch her and took her back.
My views for what they are worth. 

[Dmoney]

Ta.
Originally I planned on a cat. It was a cats protection place that I went to in Haywards Heath at the weekend. Some of the cats in there are HUGE! I had no idea cats get so big.
I'm going to try and get to Battersea tomorrow, explain my situation and see what they say. See if they have any that don't need gardens or for whatever reason can't go outside.

[Frank]

If you think dogs and cats need a lot of attention, try owning one of these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjr-EpEv2aQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=72s

[Dmoney]

ha! amazing. does he/she play through that rig in the background?

[Frank]

I shudder to think how that would sound, he's noisy enough as it is. His first squawks of the morning regularly damage what's left of my high frequency hearing.

[gwEm]

I'm about to be in a similar situation. Ideally, I'd prefer a dog.. but I've seen how sad dogs get if they are left alone even for a few minutes.

My girlfriends parents' dog howled the house down within minutes when they left to go out. Once the dog realised I was still about she calmed down instantly. She was quite a cool c--ker spaniel, and not what I would call a "needy" dog.

Living alone though, I think its good to have a pet.. so will go for a cat when the time comes.

I worry about a rescue cat, since some mates have had them and they've been a bit "weird" personality wise

[Dmoney]

I think I'd have to get a very particular cat. I couldn't have really small kittens because of the problem with being out a lot I guess, and I couldn't really keep anything semi-feral locked up in my flat. A cat with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus would have to stay indoors anyway and I know there is a deaf cat on the battersea website that needs to be indoors. I'll just see what happens. I need to chase my landlady for permission. 

A friend suggested I get 2 cats to keep each other company.

[gwEm]

A friend suggested I get 2 cats to keep each other company.

A friend suggested that to me as well. This can get smelly in a small flat though.

[Dmoney]

A friend suggested I get 2 cats to keep each other company.

A friend suggested that to me as well. This can get smelly in a small flat though.

thats what I was thinking. I know a couple who have two cats and a staffie. the place stinks of ammonia. so bad.

[gwEm]

I looked after a friends cat for a week last Christmas.

It was amazing. She learnt the sound of my alarm and would be waiting outside my room every morning. Eventually I just let her sleep on my bed.

She'd be waiting every evening when I got home from work for strokes. Later when I got home from the pub we used to play with a toy mouse I'd rigged up on a bit of elastic. Not too much smell to speak of either - though a bit sometimes of course.

We watched Fast And Furious 5 together. Amazing times.

[38thBeatle]

That place at Haywards Heath is where our three came from though the acquisition was incremental.We picked two of ours as they were very nervous and hid every time anyone looked at the pen and so as a result, there was not a lot of interest in them. Mrs 38th and I are both suckers when it comes to underdogs ( see what I did there?) so we took them on and then we got a "normal" one thereafter. All three are now bonkers and fit in perfectly. We recently cat proofed the garden to stop cats straying into our garden and ours from straying out ( having lost our beloved Russian Blue a few years back when she was knocked down by a car).

[Philly Q]

I went to a Cat rehoming place at the weekend with some friends. It made me really want to step up with regard looking into keeping a pet.

There's no way I could ever visit a cats/dogs home - I'd want to take the whole lot of them home!

On the question of leaving a pet (especially a dog) on their own all day, I think they can get used to it, but you wouldn't want to do it with a puppy.  My brother "adopted" my sister's Springer, who'd been treated fairly badly to be honest, so he was used to being left alone.  He was fine being left in the house during the day (with the radio for company!), so long as he got plenty of walks and attention in the morning and evening.

When that dog died, he (my brother that is) got a Springer puppy, who needed a lot more attention!  Fortunately he was able to go home from work at lunchtimes to quickly visit the dog, but not everyone can do that of course.  I don't think it's an ideal situation.

Personally, although I love cats and dogs, I wouldn't get one because I am out for 11 hours a day and there's no-one else who could help out with walks/feeding etc.  Maybe when I retire (or get made redundant...)