Dog Walking (How Long Can They Be Left?!)

[StevieP87]

Hi, my partner and I have 2 Labradors and we both work weekdays Monday to Friday apart from Wednesday which is my day off. We are both out the house between 9 and 10 hours in total. We have a dog Walker who comes and takes them both out for an hour around midday. This is costing us nearly £300 per month and isn’t financially feasible anymore.
If we walk then for a good hour in the morning and as soon as we get home, would a 10 hour gap be comfortable for them? Or is it too long to leave them alone in the house?
Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks!!

[davebro]

10 hours seems a long time. I'm not a doggy person/expert but I wouldn't keep them if I couldn't give them the attention they need. Sorry!

[pixie374]

Does seem a long time. Mine are left a maximum of 2/3 hours every other day, with a 1.5 hour off-lead run and a shorter one later. With someone at home most of that time.
If anything, I think you should increase it.

[wolf63]

I used to leave my dogs for 7/8 hours on their own - I am not sure I would do that again. I felt guilty for leaving them all alone - I had one dog at a time.

Ten hours is a lot, not just for toilet purposes. I know that bored animals get up to no good. That includes cats and humans too.

What about Doggy Day Care? Would that be cheaper?

[pixie374]

Mine also always come to the stables with us. But they need company too. Better with two, than one, at least.

[pixie374]

Cross-posted, wolf x

[naomi24]

Walking them morning and night is good, but ten hours is a long time to leave them without them going outside. Do you perhaps have a neighbour who might let them into the garden for ten minutes in the middle of the day?

[Gromit]

You are being charged £10 for walking each dog 16 days a month. Sounds like a bargain.
If you cannot afford that, the alternative is to re-home them and get a budgie.

[AuntPG]

Have you got a garden or yard? Could you build them a kennel with a covered run?

[naomi24]

That's not helpful, gromit.

[Redhelen72]

Mine are left for 8 hours when I am back in the office and they were used to it but now when I go back to the office I get a dog walker in for the 2 days at work.
There is a scheme where people who don’t have dogs but want to walk them can sign up to a scheme see if there is something like that in your area

[Gromit]

naomi24

Clearly leaving dogs unattended for 10 hours is not acceptable. They should not have dogs if they are unable to look after them properly. If they cannot afford £10 for a dog to be walked, not sure what the point of them having dogs is ?

[bednobs]

you'll get some people who berate you for leaving your dogs at all. What i would say is that it depends on the dog (s).
I used to leave our dogs for 9 hrs at a time, and they were fine. They used to mainly lounge around on the sofa or in their crates. We also had to make sure we didnt leave anything out.

[Redhelen72]

The OP didn’t come on here asking to be judged gromit

[bednobs]

see it didnt take long :)
Redhelen's idea is called borrow my doggie

[naomi24]

Gromit, people who love their dogs don't just flippantly get rid of them when circumstances change. They try to find a solution - which is what the OP is doing.

[Gromit]

// they were fine for 9 hrs at a time, in their crates. //

That is wrong.

[AuntPG]

I don't think bednobs meant that they were locked in their crates for 9 hours!. I think personally 4 hours is enough for any animal to be on its own, but at least you have two to keep each other company, and I think an outside kennel with a run would be the best idea.

[bednobs]

nice quote. it would be wrong gromit, if i'd have said that. You need to learn to read perhaps?

[riptide]

The Dog Rescue Groups recommend no longer than 6 hours daily. You must continue to have them walked while you are away from home, 10 hours is far too long.

[Buenchico]

The RSPCA says that the maximum time a dog should be left home alone is four hours:
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rspca-issues-advice-how-long-17318060