Leaving Dog Home Alone

[greydad92]

I'm a single guy and live alone in my own house in a nice quiet suburban town. I had a rhodesian ridgeback / shepherd mix as my previous dog (Echo). He was my best friend, by brother, my son and my soulmate. He died three months ago and now I'm out looking for a new dog. I work 30 - 45 minutes away from home and work 8 hour/day. Echo did great being home 10 hours per day by himself. He had a couple picture frame windows to look out of (doggie TV) and I think he slept a lot of the time as well. He never peed in my house and only pooped in the basement when he had diarrhea which only happened a few times the entire time I owned him (6 years). When I got home from work, Echo was fine. He was happy and wasn't dieing to get out the door to expolde. I spent all my other time with Echo and made the best of it. We went for lots of walks and had a lot of happy memories together. FYI, my vet said Echo died of most likely a brain embolism because he died very quickly. We were playing Frisbee and he just laid down and died. It was very tragic for me because he died right in front of me. He was eight years and three months old.

 

I would like to adopt a Greyhound as my next dog, but am not 100% yet. Every Greyhound I've met has been great and I haven't heard any bad stories about them. They are very mild tempered, soft, friendly and overall great dogs from what I can see. When I first get a Greyhound I plan on crating it for short periods of time (slowly building up the time) and spending several days at home with it so it gets used to my home. When I go back to work I plan on crating it for four hours at a time and eventually weaning him off the crate.

 

Does anyone see a problem with eventually leaving my new dog at home alone for ten hours per day if I plan on spending quality time with him when I'm with him? I guess it all depends on the dog and his bladder size. I just wanted to get an opinion for the Greayhound community out there.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Sincerely,

Tony

[BootsyCollins]

You will get a variety of opinions here. I can tell you that my hound is alone for about 9 hours per day, and it has gone longer many times. He does just fine. A nice long walk in the morning before you go will help ensure that he's tired and his bladder is empty, and he should do just fine. We walk from 7am-8am every day, and we are home anytime between 5pm-6pm.

 

I say go for it - and welcome to GT!

[Guest Greytminds]

Tony,

I have a pack of six 4 greys, a golden and spitz mix. They all do great on a 10 hour shift. Your plans for your new pet sounds pretty much on target. The first few times he is alone in the house you may want to have a racing muzzle of for any on forseen chewing. Males may need a belly band. These suggestions are only percautionary and may not be necessary depeding on the hound that chooses you. 3 of mine was on step from the door , no issues. My senior Shane a farm male when we adopted him benefited from both.

 

Good Luck with what ever you decide.

 

Paul

[Guest Harry702]

I think you can definitely work towards that schedule, as long as you realize that it may take time to achieve, depending on the dog. Some dogs can and do hold it for 8-10 hours (ours is able to do this without trouble), while other dogs need a turnout more frequently. Overall, I'd say it all depends on your ability to have patience and work on it, if need be.

 

Greyhounds are amazing creatures. You won't be sorry.

[GeorgeofNE]

Hi!

 

I am in a similar position to you--I work about 40 minutes from home, so it's not realistic for me to come home at lunch and walk my dog, and around here (Boston) a dog walker is $16. Which on its own is nothing, but on a daily basis is more than I can afford. George stays home with my cats, and since dealing with a mysterious, persistent, undetectible by normal means infection of some sort that made it IMPOSSIBLE for him to hold it all day, he's done fantastic!!

 

If you hire a dog walker at least for the first couple of months, I think that helps. Bear in mind that while a healthy adult dog can hold it all day while you're at work, Greyhounds are typically turned out every four hours at the track--and it's not fair to expect a dog to go from only having to hold it for 4 hours to holding it for 10 all in one fell swoop!

 

Once they're comfortable in your home (and that length of time that takes seems to vary from about 20 minutes to 6 months or longer--depends on the dog), a dog left to his own devices will typically just sleep all day. When they sleep, their bladders seem to conk out too, and while no one can ever promise you the dog you pick will be one of the dogs who does terrific alone, there are plenty of them that do!

 

Having said that, George gave me a really rough time of it. Not his fault, but he was EXTREMELY unhappy to be crated and alone after the first couple of weeks. When I finally accepted that the crate wasn't going to be a "safe haven" for him and put it away, I had trouble with peeing. Turned out to be a medical issue--we still don't know what--but a very expensive and long course of antibiotics, and he's been dry for a long time now--knock on wood! And as quiet as a mouse!

 

I think having cats help keep him company too.

Edited September 17, 2008 by JumpingGeorge

[Guest Jennifer4719]

 

Very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. I am sure that was very devastating.

 

There are many folks on this board, me being one of them that leave their dogs home alone for 8-10+ hours. It will just depend on the dog and whether or not they have any separation anxiety issues. Hopefully whatever group you get involved with will help you find the right dog for your situation. Maybe a bounced dog that has already lived in a home would be easier for you than a dog straight from the track, but maybe not. It sounds like you are doing your research, which is really most important! So, I say go for it too!

[Guest TBSFlame]

My males seem to be able to hold it longer than my females. Flame can hold it a long time.

[Guest koolaidnconner]

Both my dogs were well trained before I got them. Kool Aid was with the rescue agency for 6 months before we adopted him so he was out of a crate already and well potty trained, where Conner was a bounce and for him if I am gone anymore more than 7-8 hours he wont hold it, Kool Aid I swear has a bladder of steal...lol...Luckily for me I have always been either A) close to home from work to go home at lunch and let them out or B which is the now situation, i only work 9-2 during the day so they are home no more than 6 hours before I am home.

 

So it could be either way. But you have an excellant plan in place, just don't go to fast.

 

So sorry about your loss!

 

Welcome to GT!!

Edited September 15, 2008 by koolaidnconner

[Guest HeatherDemps]

Sorry about your loss....

 

I think you've gotten some great advice so far. I would just say that it would be important to have a backup in place in case of emergencies- car troubles, work problem and you can't get out on time, etc so that your hound wouldn't have to wait longer than what you are anticipating. Same thing in the case of UTIs or reactions to meds- two different medications made my boy have to pee multiple times during the work day alone...

[Guest giantsfan]

I'm so sorry about Echo - that must have been so heartbreaking!

 

I just wanted to let you know that it sounds like you have a great plan for adopting a greyhound. DH and I also work away from home, so we needed a dog who would be fine alone for about 10 hours. Our first, a male, did fine after one week of our coming home at lunch...he would actually be able to hold it much longer if we needed him to (sometimes when I get home, he will want to play in the yard and "forget" to go to the bathroom until after he's eaten and lounged around a bit). Our second, a female, also adapted after a week of lunch time visits, but then had a couple accidents - which turned out to be a UTI. She's fine now, but we know that 10 hours is her limit. We only crated for about a week - and then worked up to babygating in certain rooms.

 

 

[Guest Redpack]

I'd just like to add that mine would never play frisbee with you...or catch. They'd watch you throw it and look a you like "What did you do that for?" I know some of the dogs here on GT do, but I don't think it's a common trait....?

[dante2zoe]

First and foremost - my condolences to your loss. That scenario is one of the toughest. Mine do just fine being home alone for 10 hours. I have two a male and female. The male won't even bother to get up and go outside sometimes when we come home. Must be in the middle of a dream or something! As for interactive play, however, they both looked at us as if we were crazy. Once in a while they will chase a stuffy that was thrown but then drop it and wander off. They absolutely LOVE going for walks to different places and exploring on their own terms and time frames. Those are some of the best times that we have together. Welcome!

[Guest lizmego]

You'll get a range of opinions with your question, and I'll advise that a dog door should be researched for you. We have 3 greyhounds and a secure backyard that can be entered through a dog door from the kitchen. None of my three are crated; however, I will say that our squirrels are smart and the three have never caught anything and brought it into the house. Plus we have a wood privacy fence and both gates are padlocked. If I had rambunctious dogs (mine are 12, 11 and 10 years old - they don't go outside together and they are not active players with each other) then I might reconsider the dog door use, but for my pack currently, it is a good option. Good luck!

[greydad92]

Hi All,

 

Thanks so much for your responses, they are really helpful.

 

-Tony

[Hubcitypam]

I agree with Liz. Look into a dog door. Ours in in the kitchen door and is the best thing that rver happened to us. As at her house none of mine are active players. A dog door will also help with the boredom while you are gone. My foster spends most of her time in the yard by choice and I think it because she can see the birds, squirrels, etc. You will find the world is divided about dog doors, but we love ours.

 

When I worked long shifts pre dog door I paid a stay at home neighbor $20 a week to come over once during my shift and just let them out to potty. Not as much as a dog walker and it was no big real for her to walk acros the street for 10 minutes.

 

So sorry about Echo.

[Guest SabrinaInDE]

It definitely depends on the dog. My male couldn't do it. 6-7 hours seems to be his max. My female, on the other hand, has held it for 16 hours when it was pouring rain (her choice, she refused to go! she's since gotten over her hatred of rain). I have a dog walker come mid-day to let them out because I am gone around 11 hours a day, 3 days a week (my dog walker is $15/day; but I don't actually have her walk the dogs, she takes them out in the yard and plays and hangs out with them for 30 mins). Even though I think Sassy could hold it, even if I had just her I would still have a dog walker. I think that's a pretty long time to expect anyone to hold it. I agree that if you have the right situation, a dog door would be great. I wouldn't do it with anything less than a 6 ft fence, though, but that's just me.

[carronstar]

I tend to agree with everyone else. I've had greys for 17 years now and there have been no issues. I had my first girl for 13 1/2 years and until the very last few months, she never made a mistake in the house. I got a walker for my second girl but that was mainly because she had severe SA at first and needed the human contact. She, too, died suddenly in front of me, and my walker/friend of what may have been an aneurysm (her father died that way) but my vet said it was status. It is heartbreaking and I'm sorry you had to see that. My third girl inherited the walker/friend but she easily goes 10 hours if something comes up.

 

Go for it. Get yourself a grey love.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Tony,

First, welcome. You sound like a very responsible dog owner that would make a (or a few) greyhounds very happy. I dont think there would be an issue with getting your hound to hold it for 10 hours. I do hope you choose to adopt a greyhound, they are very special dogs.

 

Chad

[Guest giantsfan]

I think you'll also get varying opinions on how playful greyhounds are, as they all have their own personalities. I have one who thinks he's a lab - will chase any ball you throw, for however long you are willing to throw it. The other one will play catch for a little while, then take the ball and go lay down. And they both love to play with their stuffies, which I think is fairly common. They get beaten and tossed and squeaked to several times a day.

[MerlinsMum]

Tony, I'm so sorry for your loss of Echo. Sounds like he was an amazing dog. The manner of his death must have been very hard to deal with

 

Merlin can hold it for longer than I ask of him. However, I have always driven home at lunchtime and when we bought a house recently, one of the prerequisites for the house when we were looking was that it had to be no more than 15 minutes' drive from my office. I don't like the idea of a dog having to hold his or her bladder for 10 hours. Many dogs learn to do it just fine - and I am pretty sure Merlin could too (once I had the flu and felt so awful that I couldn't even get up, and he held it from 6.30am to 3.30pm, and didn't appear in a hurry to go out at that time). I just wonder what those last few hours must be like for a dog who is holding it. But, as I said, many dogs seem to be fine and actually develop bladders of steel

 

To be honest, one of the reasons I started to go home at lunchtime every day was also that we used to crate Merlin, and I think that 10 hours in a crate is definitely too much.

 

He is now loose in the house, but if I weren't able to go home at lunchtime I would definitely invest in a dog-door so that he could go into the backyard to relieve himself.

 

You seem to be doing a lot of advance research and asking all the right questions - good for you! Good luck with whatever you decide!

[3greys2cats]

Tony, so sorry to here about your loss of your beloved friend Echo. You have come to the right place for advice on this wonderful breed. Having been a former cat lady, I researched a lot before making this decision to adopt a grey and it sounds like you understand the concept of building up to time alone and crating. With my 1st grey, I crated while I was away and spent the 1st 2 weeks leaving for short periods of time and letting him get used to it, he was fostered 1st and did not have a problem w/crating. At the time I had a varied schedule and could come back home often to check on him, within 2 weeks he adjusted to being left out in entire house, never had any accidents, only twice in 4 years, diarhea in basement(sick). I agree w/many that it depends on the Greyhound, they are all different but one thing for sure, they are all gentle souls just waiting for someone to love them, always appreciative of what they get. I hope you do choose to adopt one of these beauties and stay connected to this forum, great people and greyt dogs!!!

[jenn8]

When I got my first grey, I was away from home 12 hours a day. I actually left the decision up to my adoption group, whether or not a greyhound would be happy in my home. I had a very secure yard and a doggy door but probably the most compelling reason they said yes was that my long work schedule was only temporary and would be getting back to normal within a month. By normal, I mean 8 hours away. So there you are right in the middle! Not much help, am I?

 

Anyway, I cannot stress how important it is to lay it all out on the line during the application process, just like you have here with us. It's always tempting to fudge a little here or there when you know a certain answer will not be in your favor but honestly, these groups want to make things work out for the most part and only need your honest input to find the right dog for you. They have so many different personalities to choose from.

 

From what you have said, I think a greyhound should work out in your home but may require some extra effort up front. I am not sure about building up crate time and then weaning off again. My personal preference is to get them acclimated to their new home without a crate if they don't show a particular fondness or need for it..... which none of mine have and they all did very well. (Had to get my 2 cents in there). Well, okay, my point being that things are more likely to work out, the more flexible you are on issues like this as the greys can differ like night and day on how they handle crate time alone. You would definitely want one who seemed the best suited and don't let your group ignore this fact or tell them to come see me!

 

Greyhounds are wonderful dogs and the perfect choice for a best friend, brother, son and soulmate. So sorry to hear about Echo. Losing them is the worst.

 

Good luck,

 

Jenn

[Guest rubysdad]

I think you should consider adopting 2 greyhounds so they keep each other company during the day. Both my dogs stay in the crate while I am at work.