Guest MaineLobstah Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hi everyone, One topic I'd like more information on is how long greyhounds can be left home alone during the day without bathroom access? We have a regular work schedule (8:30-5:30). We don't have a doggie door to allow for a greyhound to let himself out during the day. I'm concerned about the greyhound needing bathroom breaks. Do people usually hire a dog walker to stop by during the day? Or are greyhounds OK staying indoors for 8-9 hours? Seems like a long stretch. Any thoughts? Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 If I couldn't let her out every 4 hours, I would have someone do it for me. Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallyp Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm regularly gone 9-10 hours a day and my dog has no problems. There are a lot of people who do this with no issues. If your dog is new to you and hasn't been used to being left that long, it's a good idea to gradually work up to that length of time though. Quote Lima Bean (formerly Cold B Hi Fi) and her enabler, Rally. ☜We're moving West! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm home all day, and most of mine don't need to go out more than 2 or 3 times per day. I make the oldies and the babies go out more frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAJ2010 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I try not to let them go longer than 6-7 hours, but some work days I just don't get a lunch break and they have to go 9 hours. They even held it perfectly one day for 14 hours when I had a funeral to attend and got stuck in traffic. Really expected to break out the carpet cleaner that night! If we do have accidents it's usually as a result of an illness or uti. I think it depends on the pup. Some are great at holding it and others need to be let out every few hours. I bet if you tell your rescue group that you want to make sure you have a pup that can last all day they will find you one who has proven their pee holdability in a foster home. Quote ------ Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm regularly gone 9-10 hours a day and my dog has no problems. There are a lot of people who do this with no issues. If your dog is new to you and hasn't been used to being left that long, it's a good idea to gradually work up to that length of time though. Exactly--but if you spend enough time on Greytalk, you'll find LOTS of people horrified by the notion! Dogs that are home alone, specially greyhounds, tend to SLEEP all day. Assuming you're willing to get your dog regular exercise in the morning before you leave it, it should be fine, although you might want to build up to all day. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snakes Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I walk mine well before i leave and when i get back and yet another walk in the morning, i am gone for work from 2:30pm-11:45pm (sometimes 12 or 1215) which is 9 hours and the only time it has ever been a problem is when we had a short stint on prednisone which makes you pee and drink more. Otherwise they sleep the whole time and are fine. I've had 3 of my own and 3 fosters all come through the house and all were fine. I do confine them to the bedroom and kitchen only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BootsyCollins Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Bootsy is alone every day from 8am-6pm and has never had an accident in the 3 years that we've had him. Our greyhound before Bootsy was alone the same amount of time, also with no issues. We do at least a 30 minute walk at 6am, with a quick pee break at 8am right before we leave. Then he gets walked at 6pm when we return. Quote Christie and Bootsy (Turt McGurt and Gil too) Loving and missing Argos & Likky, forever and ever. ~Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to. ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidisMum Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm regularly gone 9-10 hours a day and my dog has no problems. There are a lot of people who do this with no issues. If your dog is new to you and hasn't been used to being left that long, it's a good idea to gradually work up to that length of time though. Exactly--but if you spend enough time on Greytalk, you'll find LOTS of people horrified by the notion! Dogs that are home alone, specially greyhounds, tend to SLEEP all day. My two girls are fine being at home 9-10 hours a day on a regular basis. We are occasionally gone 12 hours and there is no problem. We let them out as soon as we get home, but they are never running for the door as if they couldn't hold it any longer. I often have a webcam on and watch them during the day. Greyhounds really do sleep ALL day. I look at the time between bathroom breaks when we aren't home as being a lot like going all night without a break. They happily go out at 8pm and don't go back out until 6am (or later on the weekends). They sleep all night and sleep all day when we are gone. As said above- you will find a lot of people horrified by the idea of leaving them all day without a break, but there are a lot of us that have hounds that are fine with it. Just do whatever works for your hound and all will be good. Quote Christine- Mum to Betty (Nitro Ugly Betty), Hannah (Rj Have I Told U) and missing Heidi (Sendahl Eve) 04/21/2005-06/19/2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sunset123 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Mine can go a long time, but she also doesn't like to drink a lot of water during the day (of course, it's always available). On a normal day Arrisa drinks most of her water with her breakfast (which is after her wake-up pee but a few hours before her morning walk), and with her dinner (after her afternoon pee but before her evening pee). We're usually gone about 8 hours, but she can certainly go a couple hours longer if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerilyn Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Lila often chooses to go 12 hours between potties. I put her out and just goes to lay down. Quote Jerilyn, missing Lila (Good Looking), new Mistress to Wiki (PJ Wicked). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Much of the answer to this depends on getting the pup into a regular routine that works for both of you.. DW and I have worked from home the entire time that Rocket has been with us. This means that his routine includes going out after breakfast, at least one walk mid-day, another pee break around 4 or right after his dinner at 5 PM and either a quick outing or a walk before bedtime. If for some reason we are gone longer than a few hours during the day, we have someone come in to walk him mid-day just in case he needs to go and to stick with the routine to get his exercise.. On the flip side, this is also the same dog who can go out to pee at 5 PM and not go back out until noon the next day if he gets hard-headed about it or he decides that he doesn't like the weather. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest june Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Dogs, like people vary in what they need. My general rule of thumb is 6 hours. They can go longer than that I, personally, just don't think they should have to. On the other hand I live close enough to work that I come home for lunch and let them out. If I can't I have a neighbor who will do it for me. I'm not going to say they haven't gone longer or can't go longer, but rather this is what I prefer. june Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarabz Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Agree with many of the above! When we first got Bella, DH and I would trade off in those first couple of weeks to come home at lunch and take her out (we both work close enough to walk to our respective offices). By the end of the second week, we were having to wake Bella up to take her out and promptly decided that was enough. Typically she goes 8 am to 6 pm most days. A decent walk in the morning with DH, a quick potty stop before the last one of us leaves, and then the first one home takes her on a walk (quick potty to a long walk, depending on the weather, Bella's inclination and other factors). She gets one last walk/potty break before we all go to bed, usually between 10 and 11 pm. There have been nights, though, where she's gone on a good walk at about 6 pm and refuses to get up to go out later in the evening, so doesn't go out again until 6 or 7 am. I think the last potty stop in the morning is because she thinks that's the only way she's going to get her Kong. She'll beeline out, pee and beeline right back into the building. Funny girl. Quote Dave (GLS DeviousDavid) - 6/27/18 Gracie (AMF Saying Grace) - 10/21/12 Bella (KT Britta) - 4/29/05 to 2/13/20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HHHounds Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 It seems to depend upon the hound... My old guy needs to go out more often to avoid crate accidents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MaineLobstah Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Thanks for the helpful feedback everyone! As anticipated, sounds like it'll just depend on the dog's needs. I'd love to continue to hear input if folks want to chip in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Whistle Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I have had 5 greyhounds and have fostered more than I could count. I would say most would be/have been fine building up to going 8 or 9 hours home alone without a break. I do have one hound now who will pee in the floor (or crate) if he's left longer than 6 hours or so, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NJgrey Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Building up to 8-9 hrs should be fine. Our girl is golden up to ~8, anything around 9 or more is hit and miss. Her last walk in the morning ends at 8:30, and by the time we get home from work in the evening it's around 6. If we're both out that long, I like to come home at lunch to give her a quick pee break. There are a couple benefits for me: 1.) it's actually cheaper to pay bus fare home and back again and eat at home than it is to buy a decent lunch in midtown NYC where I work, 2.) I don't have to worry about me or my wife working late some days if she has that break around 12-1pm and 3.) work is stressful enough, it's nice to get a little hound time in during the middle of the day 2-3 days a week the wife works mostly from home so it's not an issue. It really depends on the dog. I know it isn't the most comfortable thing for our girl to go 9 hrs so we try not to make her, unless it's an emergency. Others in our adoption group have dogs that will hold it for 12-14 hrs or more if the weather is bad (bad being rain, snow, too cold, too hot etc... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldNELLIE Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Nellie also only goes out before and after work. We take he on a 30-40 min walk in the morning to stretch her legs, sniff, and do all her business and then she sleeps all day. My husband worked next door to our condo for a while and would come home for lunch...Nellie wouldn't even wake up. I would ask if he took her out and he would tell me he couldn't get her off the couch . If we were going to be later than 5-6 he would force her, but otherwise...didn't seem necessary. We also take her on a walk after work, not as long, but enough so that she gets some stimulation. We have noticed that she drinks a lot more water with her dinner than with her breakfast, so she goes out at 8 and then again at 10-11. I think she self regulates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest burgerandfrey Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Do people usually hire a dog walker to stop by during the day? Or are greyhounds OK staying indoors for 8-9 hours? Seems like a long stretch. Any thoughts? Thanks all! Some are okay with it, but even dogs that seem to have bladders of steel have days when they drink too much, or didn't pee enough in the morning, or have a mild illness that is making them need to go more frequently. These days my wife stays home with our baby and our hounds, so the dogs are very happy that they usually get lots of yard time plus a long walk during the day. When we both worked we hired a dog walker, but we usually couldn't afford one five days a week. So we usually had the dog walker visit two or three days a week, and then we (or at least one of us) would come home for lunch the other two or three days to let them out and maybe take them on a quick walk. It's nice for the dog and sometimes it's also nice to go home in the middle of the day even for a short visit. Of course that may not be an option if you have a long commute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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