# Leaving your dog at home all day...



## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

If your dog is beyond the puppy/young adult stage, I'd bet that she spends most of her day sleeping. That's what mine do, even when someone is home with them. How old is Morgan?


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Lucky sleeps. He sleeps so hard that he often never woke up when I came home for lunch.


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## Softykins (Jul 22, 2008)

*Hi Jackson's & Lucky's mom! :wave:*
*Morgan is 5 months old. I know she probably sleeps most of the day but I was hoping there was something more I could do for her while she is awake.*


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

The previous posts are proably right, she most likely sleeps. But you can always have a pet sitter come in during the day and let her out and play with her a little, or find a dog day care a few days a week for her to go play.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Really if she isn't destructive (a sure sign of bordom), then it sounds like she's doing fine. Just give her lots of exercise and attention when you get home.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Ditto what others have said - exercise her before you leave in the AM and be prepared to provide lots of time and exercise when you get home. She's probably sleeping much of the time. You can look into the various food-delivery puzzle toys and leave those for her to work on during the day -- KONG, Buster Cube, Squirrel Dude, Tug a Jug, etc.


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## BIGDAWG (Sep 28, 2008)

You could always get another pup to keep her company and help her rip up her toys.


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## MyBaileyGirl (Jun 11, 2008)

Bailey is 6 and I know she sleeps ALLLLL day! I was so excited to be able to work from home one day last week and I wanted to hang out with her...no way! She pushed me away with her paw whenever I came near. She was sleeping on the couch of course  She likes her quiet time  I don't know as much about a 5 month old, but like everyone else said, if she's not chewing things up I bet she's snoozing all day!


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## Softykins (Jul 22, 2008)

BIGDAWG said:


> You could always get another pup to keep her company and help her rip up her toys.


 
*Oh I want to - you have no idea!! But my husband says we have to wait a year before that will happen.* :doh:


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

I think plenty of exercise both before and after work is the only way to keep a dog happy when they are left for that long. Although I don't leave my dogs regularly for that long, even if I leave them for a just a few hours I make sure they have had an hour running in the fields before they are left...if you think about it your dog will only just have woken up from a full nights sleep then is expected to sleep for a further 8 hours so you really need to tire out the dog before you go to work else he will be bored stiff on his own for that long. It also depends on what type of dog you have. There are some that would be fine with that amount of 'sleep time' but some would be very unhappy as they need stimulation and company. Im sure my GR would be fine but my crossbreed would not.


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## *~Pry&Kasper~* (Dec 25, 2008)

I also come home after 8 hours and Kasper will sleep in his crate until my sister takes em out at 3pm but it makes me feel sooooo bad leaving him in his crate but if I don't I am scared he might get hurt in the house.....but he has his water botle and I always leave some food in his crate and his toys....when I come home I play with em and take em outside for atleast an hour ..


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## tannernoodle (Mar 19, 2008)

I'd say that's fine enough...I've always left my dog(s) home while we both work 8 hours a day. I can run home if I need to though. But he either sleeps by my bed all day or steals loaves of banana bread off the counter or whatever he can get at...butter...candy...he stays busy. Hee hee...


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## MorgansMommy (Dec 29, 2008)

*Hi everyone! This is Softykins - I just changed my username.*
*I wanted to thank everyone for their input. It really helped.*
*You guys rock!*

:You_Rock_ :thanks:


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## FishinBuddy (Nov 20, 2008)

My pup sleeps all day.....even when I am home...He sleeps for two hours up for an hour sleeps for two up for one...When he is us he trains hard and plays hard...Exercise is key....


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## WLR (May 11, 2008)

You could give her roam of the house with an old chair by a widow so she can see outside. I guess the other thing to consider is how much mischief if any she would get into.


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

I used to feel guilty about it when they were young, too. But they rarely got more than 3-4 hours of crate time and they slept it away. Now I know they sleep (they do move to follow the sun coming in the windows, it's funny) much of the day, since I worked at home on and off this month.

Neither of mine got full roam of the house until at least 15 months.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Lucy sleeps all day. If we're home, she just wants us to cuddle up with her. Today we're having a rare, pretty day, and she's getting some much-needed zoomie time in the backyard. When we both left for work this morning we caught her already just running up and down the fence line. She has needed some outside time. She doesn't mind staying in and sleeping on the couch or bed, but loves to be able to play. I love it too, she'll be a little more tired tonight.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

FishinBuddy said:


> My pup sleeps all day.....even when I am home...He sleeps for two hours up for an hour sleeps for two up for one...When he is us he trains hard and plays hard...Exercise is key....


Sometimes I don't think Lucy wakes up for real until about 5 PM.


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## KiwiD (Jan 14, 2008)

Hello MorgansMommy. I live in Winnipeg as well. Have you thought about doggie daycare say one day a week, maybe on a Wednesday to break up her week? There's a few around the city to choose from depending on where you live.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I am home with mine, but they sleep all day... Sketch is the only one who really doesn't, but if I have to go somewhere, he sleeps in his crate with bones and toys to amuse him.


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## MrsTaylor (Nov 23, 2015)

our 22 month old is home all day also, and it stressed me out initially, even though i go home at lunchtime to take her a walk or give her some outdoor time. she always is waking up when i come in and rarely is there destruction, today I went home and she'd torn up a newspaper all over the floor and lay all guilty when i came in, but usually she just sleeps or plays with her kong toy. She must've been a little bored this morning. i do still feel guilty although i've noticed when we're home perhaps a day she sleeps anyhow


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## Jim and Hank (Jun 29, 2011)

They sleep, sleep and sleep some more. Hopefully your year goes fast so you can another dog quick. Dogs need other dogs. This is a lesson I wish I had learned 30 years ago!


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## Softykins (Jul 22, 2008)

Wow! This post was written 8 years ago!
Well, I've an update LOL
Morgan is doing well and is 8 now! I did end up getting a chocolate lab as well, who is now 3 and Morgan doesn't want much to do with him  She's more of an independent dog.
There is no destruction to be had, so I guess they sleep all day.
We walk them in the morning and leave them with kongs filled with treats.
I actually take them to a daycare once a week.


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## MrsTaylor (Nov 23, 2015)

our Annie is 2 now, and we installed a wee camera on our wall so that we can check on her but all I see is a sleeping dog who gets up every so often to get a drink, or wander around. she's most active after I leave as I feed her and leave her kong toy, they she lies to sleep until I'm home at lunch when i walk her.

I still feel guilty even though she always gets a visitor (me or my dad) and a walk for at least an hour in the middle of the day and i'm home by 4.45pm. Fridays my husband finishes half day so today shes only on her own until lunchtime


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## MrsTaylor (Nov 23, 2015)

Just adding on to this.. the guilt of leaving her hit me today as i looked at Annie on the camera and she was lying looking round but then she moved to sunroom to lie in the sun and seems content. We were set to get Annie's half brother whose 5 months old as company but our landlord won't allow us a second dog sadly after all that... so she's a lone dog until we can get a house deposit saved up!... funny thing was when we did a meet with her 1/2 bro she wasn't bothered. she is quite independent and does prefer bigger dogs but that may change once we can get her company
Annie goes to daycare once a week now. Sadly daycares here in NI are few and far between. The one i take her to she adores... but its 40mins from our house (1/2 hour from my work) and affordability wise we send her once a week although i'm going to up it to twice a week every fortnight.

she hates car journeys and shakes the entire time but runs right into daycare when we arrive

our aim is to exercise her as much as we can as shes quite a lazy dog. we've started taking her to the beach at the weekend for a long walk and a change of scenery. she gets long forest walks on fridays and at the weekend too and when the light nights come in again for us this month we can take her to the forest in the evenings which she much prefers as we can allow her off lead.

being a doggy mum can be as stressful as a real parent i'd imagine.. but i'm happy just with my doggy for now


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## Adijay (Feb 22, 2017)

How they manage pee /poop inside for 8 hrs? Do u train them inside house too ?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Adijay said:


> How they manage pee /poop inside for 8 hrs? Do u train them inside house too ?


They are taught to wait to go pee/poop until they are taken outside. Adult dogs can hold it that long.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

We have never been in a position to have to leave our dogs everyday for work. Jake was left for about 4 hours before my mom quit to watch my nephew. But just remember even during the day when your home they can tend to sleep a lot. Chloe is so lazy and won't play with my mom at all. I think she just isn't exciting enough to get Chloe to play. So she ends up laying around a lot until my dad gets home and they go for a walk. Once summer hits though she enjoys alot more stuff outside. So I think they sleep alot during the day no matter if your there or not. Unless you had lots of stuff planned with your dog.


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