#DogOwners Dilemma: Balancing Work and Pet Care 🐶
#HowToCareForDogs #WorkLifeBalance #DogOwnersStruggle
Are you a dog lover who is constantly torn between your love for your furry friend and your demanding job? If so, you’re not alone. Many people face the challenge of balancing work and pet care, especially when it comes to owning a dog. So, how do so many people have dogs if they’re at work all day? Let’s dive into some strategies and solutions to help you provide the best care for your beloved pup while juggling your work responsibilities.
##1. Hiring a Dog Walker 🚶♂️
One popular solution for busy dog owners is hiring a dog walker to take their furry friend out for a walk during the day. This can help alleviate your dog’s need to use the bathroom and get some much-needed exercise while you’re away at work. Here are some benefits of hiring a dog walker:
– Regular potty breaks for your dog
– Socialization opportunities with other dogs
– Exercise and mental stimulation
– Peace of mind for you knowing your dog is taken care of
##2. Doggy Daycare 🏠
Another option for dog owners who work long hours is enrolling their pup in a doggy daycare. This provides your dog with a stimulating and interactive environment while you’re at work. Here are some advantages of sending your dog to daycare:
– Supervised playtime with other dogs
– Professional staff to monitor your dog’s behavior
– Mental stimulation and socialization
– Exhausted and content pup at the end of the day
##3. Working from Home 🏡
If your job allows for remote work or flexible hours, consider working from home a few days a week to spend more time with your dog. This can help create a better work-life balance and ensure that your dog gets the attention and care they need throughout the day. Some benefits of working from home include:
– Bonding time with your dog
– Ability to monitor your dog’s behavior and needs
– Reduced stress and guilt about leaving your dog alone
– Increased productivity with your furry companion by your side
##4. Dog Cameras and Interactive Toys 📹
For those who can’t work from home or use doggy daycare, investing in dog cameras and interactive toys can help keep your dog entertained and engaged while you’re away. These devices allow you to monitor your dog’s behavior, interact with them remotely, and provide mental stimulation throughout the day. Some advantages of using dog cameras and interactive toys include:
– Peace of mind knowing your dog is safe and happy
– Ability to check in on your dog during breaks or lunchtime
– Interactive playtime to keep your dog entertained
– Remote training and positive reinforcement for good behavior
##5. Enlist the Help of Family and Friends 🤝
If you have family or friends who live nearby, consider enlisting their help to care for your dog while you’re at work. This can be a cost-effective and personal solution to ensure that your dog receives the attention and care they need throughout the day. Some benefits of involving family and friends in your dog’s care routine include:
– Trusted and familiar caregivers for your dog
– Flexibility and personalized care based on your dog’s needs
– Opportunity for socialization with loved ones
– Shared responsibility and support network for your furry friend
In conclusion, owning a dog while working full-time is definitely a challenge, but it’s not impossible with the right strategies and solutions in place. Whether you hire a dog walker, utilize doggy daycare, work from home, invest in dog cameras and interactive toys, or enlist the help of family and friends, there are plenty of options to ensure that your dog receives the love, attention, and care they deserve. Remember, being a responsible dog owner means prioritizing your dog’s well-being while also fulfilling your work obligations. With a little creativity and effort, you can successfully balance work and pet care for your beloved pup. 🐾
So, how do so many people have dogs if they’re at work all day? By implementing these tips and tricks, you can enjoy the companionship and joy of owning a dog while navigating the demands of your busy work schedule. Cheers to happy dogs and happy owners! 🐶👩💼
Spouses or SOs that work different hours.
Kids that come home after school / before the parents.
Friends who live nearby & are trusted to have keys.
.. all these folks can walk & feed the dog before we get home from our day at work.
Dogs can hold it. Going on a walk/letting them out is basically the first thing that happens when we get home.
My dog is trained to do his business on a mat made for that purpose. It absorbs everything and he never misses.
My wife works from home 3 days per week. I don’t work from home. On the 2 days per week that we are both out. He simply stays home alone. We don’t keep him in a cage (I personally find that cruel). We have cameras setup in the house and he seems pretty chill about it. He just lounges around, drinks water, plays with his ball, barks at the window… He doesn’t seem that sad at all. Also, keep in mind that dogs on average require a bit more sleep than humans, so there’s no harm in them just sleeping during a chunk of the afternoon.
When we get home he’s super happy and it’s business as usual.
In the country I live in, it’s very common to leave their dogs to a pet daycare. So the pets interact with other pets and their bathroom breaks and walks are taken care of by the staff. I’ve seen more pet daycare around our place than children‘s daycare.
Daycare, drop in services.
I used to drive home on my lunch break to walk him. If I got too busy to take a lunch break, fortunately I had a coworker who was a close friend that my dog loved. He would fill in.
First off, dogs are crepuscular. It’s means that sleep throughout the day and night and are active only at early morning and evenings.
So as long as they’re potty trained and have food, water and toys nearby, they’re perfectly content to sleep through the day.
In fact, most animals sleep a lot of time. Only in this modern age, humans are enslaved to our work and sleep for less than 8 hours a day.
My dog just goes outside. Occasionally he pisses on the curtains if he is mad about being left alone. But usually he just sleeps most of the day.
Mine goes to work with me, and then proceeds to sleep the entire time.
My brother and sister-in-law both work full-time. However, they sometimes work from home.
They got a puppy back in late 2020. Although he tends to have attachment issues, he’s gotten WAY better at being left alone at home. They’ve trained him to last 6-8 hours, with breakfast at 8am and dinner at 4:30-5pm. They then take him out for a long walk. The dog is acclimated/ used to the routine, so it enables them to focus on their work.
My dog is fine not going to the bathroom for 8-9 hours while I work. I let her out before I go to work and as soon as I get home. Very rarely, she’ll have diarrhea or vomit in the house if she’s sick. Besides that, she’s potty trained and simply waits until I’m home to go outside.
The two digs in my house are fine being alone with each other and the cat all day. It’s pretty unusual for there to be no one home for more than a few hrs at a time, but it does happen that they are alone for 8-9 hrs on occasion. I suspect they do the same thing that they do when we are home. One of them gets a toy and taunts the other with it. The other cases the first around the first floor of the house. Then they both stop and play tug-of-war. Possession changes, and the chase begins again. After a half hr of this, they lay down for 2 hours and then start again.
It’s a fallacy that all cats are content alone all day. Many breeds hate it.
My husband ans I both work. We take him out for a walk and poop before work and again as soon as we get home. He is not caged and is completely housebroken. I believe he generally sleeps while we’re at work because he sleeps when we’re home on the weekend (when we’re not playing with him).
We have a doggy door, they let themselves out when needed
Dog CAN adapt to your schedule but I don’t think it’s far to leave them along 8-10 hours a day (traffic/overtime/unexpected delays) with just one potty break. Most people can’t go that long with just one break during the day.
Most homeowners have access doors or hire a pet walker, when I had dogs my retired neighbor would “dog sit” she enjoyed there company “protection “ and they go to run around her yard.
Doggy door
Dogs are perfectly fine chilling at home
My door to the backyard is always open. The dogs can go out any time they want.
I have an 11 month old puppy. I work from 4am to 12pm. I let my puppy out at 2:30. She then goes out at 5:30 when my daughter puts her out. At 9am, my next door neighbour and her husband come over to let her out, and play with her. My neighbour is 89, her husband is 88. My puppy adores them and they adore her. Her husband has dementia, and every morning wakes up asking to go see “his puppy”.
If I didn’t have them then I would have dog walkers come in, which I have had to use.
I have two dogs. Large breed. Typically, unless the dog is very young, or very old, they don’t have an issue holding their bladder for 8-9 hours. I wish i could see my buddies during lunch, but they seem ok.
I genuinely don’t think people should leave their dogs home alone for a long period of time. There’s so much that can go wrong between emergencies and accidents (either for the dog, or if a fight breaks out between two or more pets), but crating for a long time can cause behavioral issues. Doggy daycare is one place to send them, or if someone is at home during the day, or you have someone come over to check on them like a pet sitter or neighbor. A few hours at most is fine, but a whole day is hard on a dog, *especially* if they’re in a crate. Crating can be used in short situations, especially if a dog finds comfort in sitting in there alone while under stress, but it shouldn’t the majority of a dog’s time. I also don’t think people should have large breeds (especially working breeds) that require a ton of exercise in small apartments with no yards unless they plan on walking them extensively every day. A lot of people are far less equipped to own a dog than they think.
Oh! I see the confusion. The dogs aren’t going to work. So they have plenty of time to do those things at home.
I live close to work and come home for lunch every day! I toss the ball for my shepherd, socialize with my husky, offer them a puzzle feeder to keep them busy. I also walk 5-6km with them after work every day.
Well when the dogs come home after a long day of accounting, they just want to be pet. Also they release us out of our crates.
I’m home with my dog all day long and she completely ignores me between 9am-6pm even if I try to give her attention. She is totally fine on her own when the house is empty. As long as they’re house trained they’re happy to just sleep all day until you come home.
Doggie Day Care
I live on three acres and my dogs spend the day outside.
Dog walkers and sitters. It’s expensive.
Stable, trained dogs can be fine if left for 6-8 hours. This includes a potty routine that doesn’t get broken.
My son got his dog a dog. They play and interact with each other.
I work in the office a few days a week and send my dog to daycare on those days. Costs money but ultimately it’s worth it. She’s perfectly socialised and has lots of wonderful little doggy friends in our neighbourhood, and it means that when I go on holiday or if I have an emergency, I can leave her with someone I know and trust and who she is familiar with. It also means she gets nice long, varied walks on those days. I live in a flat so walk her multiple times a day but only short walks in the morning and evening.
Doggie Daycares are so great!
You dog runs and plays with other dogs ALL DAY LONG.
When you pick them up they are *dog gone tired.* If you are too worn out to take them for a walk, its okay, they pottied a million times at daycare.
Offset work times and a kid who is 17.
So that means only people without job should have dogs?
Doggie daycares exist for a reason. Dogs need socialization and exercise just like little kids need it.
I’m fortunate: my dog is perfectly happy to spend my working hours sleeping on the couch or the bed. Before I leave or after I get home, I take him to the local dog park where he has friends (and I have friends, too). Usually he then ends up going to bed before I do.
For those folks who have high energy dogs…I have no idea how they manage that energy.
Mr. WineAndDogs2020 and I often have offset schedules, so the pup isn’t home alone long enough to have an accident.
Dog walkers, dog hotels, family members, doggy doors, bladders that can hold it for 8 hours, pee pads, etc.