Therapy Dogs Give Love

if you have a full-time job?
We are often asked if it is possible to adopt a dog from Dogs Trust if the prospective owners work
full-time and the dog would have to be left alone all day. The answer is usually no. This is because
we do not recommend that a dog should be left alone for longer than four hours at a time.
Why not?
Dogs are social animals and as a general rule, are happiest and content when they are with their
family groups. Because many dogs bond strongly to their owners, they can become very insecure
and anxious when their owners leave them. They can also become very bored, especially if they
are left for long periods of time, and this can lead to all sorts of problems.
Most dogs just need a bit of company and fuss to keep them happy, so leaving them on their own
for a long time is not fair on any of them. Certain types and breeds of dogs require more company
and/or activity than others and find it even harder and more stressful. Not forgetting of course, that
most dogs will need to go to the toilet at least every four hours – if they don’t have outdoor access
they may be forced to have accidents in the home, or hold on too long, risking health problems.
Even if there is a secure outdoors area where a dog could spend the day, many dogs will become
very bored, distressed, noisy and possibly destructive. This is also not an option during very hot or
cold periods for many breeds of dog. Your dog is also at risk of being stolen. If he’s very noisy you
could find yourself very unpopular with the neighbours and even subject to a noise abatement
order from your local Environmental Health Office.
The potential problems can be even worse if you are considering taking on a puppy rather than an
older dog. Housetraining a puppy needs constant supervision for the process to be successful, so
leaving a puppy or young dog for a long period is asking for trouble. Puppies particularly must have
human company during the first year so that they can be socialised correctly to avoid future
problems of aggression and/or fear (see our factsheet on Socialisation for more information).
Setting aside time for some good basic training is also very important; to make sure that your
puppy becomes a well-behaved canine citizen. All too often, puppies whose owners have not taken
the time to do these things end up being abandoned as young adults in our Rehoming Centres
because their owners cannot cope with them any longer.
Two dogs for company?
If you are lucky enough to find two dogs who are very close, then these dogs may be less
distressed at being left without human company. However, you will still have to ensure that they do
not become bored and make sure that they are able to get out for ‘toilet breaks’. In many cases it
makes no difference if your dog has the company of another dog, as it is you, the owner that he
misses – and you may end up with two very unhappy dogs instead of one!