I’m a first time dog owner, got a covid puppy, and would appreciate some advice around what to do with my dog, if I have to return to the office 3 days a week. I imagine I’ll be gone for about 9 hours. Do people just pay the $20-30 for a dog walker in Toronto? Isn’t that a lot of money? My dog’s breed doesn’t actually need much walking but he definitely would get bored by himself for so long. I am so torn, between taking a work from home 4/5 days job vs intense hybrid corporate work.

I have two dogs, an 8 year old hound mix and an 18-month old Aussie, so both high energy although obviously the Aussie more so. For a 2 year-old dog do you NEED the dog walker no, but it will definitely give you some peace of mind and that’s a small price to pay for that.

Pre-COVID, my hound would get an hour walk before work, a toy she hadn’t played with in a while when I left, and some off-leash play and another walk when I got home. She also did go to play group twice a week. Now that I have the 2 dogs and still remote, the young one goes to daycare once a week. This is my older dogs favorite day of the week because she gets to sleep all day like when I used to go to the office.

My advice, get a dog walking service now so they can get used to it, one of the on demand services like rover or wag and that gives you flexibility for when you have to work late, go to happy hour, etc. Also, get a code lock for your door if you can (or maybe a lockbox if you can’t change the lock?) mine alerts me every time someone unlocks the door so I know exactly how long they were there, and I can add/ delete codes on demand. Much better for me than having copies of my keys floating around.

This all 100% depends on the type of dog.

Big lazy dog that is older and has less energy? Yeah it’s probably fine for a long time.

2 year old Border Collie or Australian Shepard? Yeah it’s going to be a problem.

In general I have a problem with people getting energetic dogs in big cities where they can’t spend time off leash. Herding and Sporting group dogs need backyards and fields and open space.

If you have an energetic dog breed you need to put it in day care at minimum 3 days a week. If you can’t do that and it is tearing up the house because you leave it alone then you need to come back for an hour a day at lunch or figure out something else.

If you can’t come home and can’t afford daycare then yeah…. You shouldn’t have gotten the dog

Probably should have thought about that before getting a dog. This is why so many pets get given up.

I’d recommend looking into dog daycare. It’s expensive, but owning a dog is just expensive. Depends on your dog’s personality and needs, but I wouldn’t leave my 4 year old lab home alone for 9 hours. She would be lonely and she would definitely need to go out during that time. Pre-covid we would bring her to daycare on any day that we’d be gone longer than six hours, and she loves it there. Could she last longer alone without something horrible happening? Sure, but I love her and I want her to be happy and comfortable.

Idk about you but I walk my dog first thing in the morning and then he pretty much sleeps until 5, when I walk him again. I had him before covid and left him for about 9 hours and he was fine.

When your pup is full grown, 9 hours is totally fine to be gone. You likely want to have someone pop in at least one of those 3 days though to keep things interesting. It’s also good for the dog to have socialization with other dogs, so someone coming to take your dog to playgroup is great.

If you think $20-30 is a lot… welcome to dog ownership.

Dogs are social and pack animals who need human and or animal companionship. Example - my dog is a rescue who had a rough start to her life, and she will never love other dogs, but she loves us her human pack. It’s unfair and wrong to leave a dog alone for 8-9 hours a day. How would you feel if you couldn’t go to the bathroom or have a snack, etc, with nothing to do? You need to pay for a dog walker and/or dog daycare if daycare is a fit for your dogs personality.

🙄 me reading this post

Yes, that is what we did pre-COVID with our dog for a walker in that price range.

I would balance hiring a dog walker and doggy day care. Know it will be an adjustment period for your dog. I’ve heard from good dog day care facilities that 3 or more consistent days of doggy day care may be too much for dogs. If your dog is still a puppy they may need additional care. Also pre- Covid I purchased a furbo highly recommended it!

I would consider a walker to come in the afternoon or doggy day care.

Our dog hated day care, and so we ended up using a walker. It’s true that some dogs can manage without needing a potty break in the middle of the day, but you’ll be in a bind to make after work plans / work late for emergencies as your pup will really need to go at that point without the lunch time break.

Strongly recommend a dog walker and possibly even day care until bladder control is better when the dog is older. I have no RTO but I take my 3-month old puppy out every three hours. Leaving a puppy alone for 9 hours is inhumane. Work on separation anxiety now, if it exists

I had a German shepherd for 12 years and this was our schedule:

Before work walk (45-60 mins)
Go to work
After work walk (60+ mins) - this would typically also include catch at the park of sorts.

If you’re worried about the dog being home alone, transition them before you go back full time by extending the time they are alone. Get toys, bones, and other things that can play with while gone.

Trust me, dogs are fine alone at home as long as you make sure they are getting the 2 hours of exercise during the day.

You’re supposed to walk your dog?

You can mix it up because dogs do need a lot of sleep. This is all pre pandemic but I had young lab so he is very high energy. But Monday and Wednesday I’ll get a dog walker to come in mid day. The rest of the week days he stays home happily and I worked from home sometimes on fridays. He honestly doesn’t NEED the dog walker but I like to think it breaks up the monotony for him. As long as he gets a good walk in the morning and something to chew on / play with, he will be fine. I also always take him out for long play time when I get home and he is exhausted and sleeps until morning.

If you’re only going to be gone 3 days a week I would start with just doing one day with a dog walker and seeing how he reacts.

For the past 10 years, my dog has not needed to be let out during the workday. When I get home, he’s still not begging to go out.

He’s a smaller, lap dog, type dog though. Maybe bigger dogs need to go out more.

Point is, you will probably be fine. I don’t think most dog owners have what would essentially be a dog nanny—most Americans certainly couldn’t afford that.

You need a walker or doggy daycare. It would be highly irresponsible and cruel to leave a dog alone for that long.

You just need to eat the cost. That’s what you signed up for when you got a dog.

Walk them in the morning, get someone to walk them at noon, walk them when you return home. Set up a doggie camera. If you haven’t trained your dog for you being away, expect separation anxiety. Start training asap. Whatever you do, don’t give away your dog. Too many young pups in shelters who were adopted during COVID. Don’t be that person. Work with your dog to make it work for them, because your dog deserves that as a member of your family.

Following… having the same question, if I need to start going to the office

We have a doggy door so she lets herself out when she needs to go :^)

I take mine to a dog day care it’s just $29 for a full day.