Doggy day-care
If you intend to go back to work full time during your dog’s lifetime, you will need to consider in advance how you will make arrangements for his comfort and welfare.
It is beyond the scope of this book to advise you on whether you should or should not own a dog. But remember that a crate is not a suitable long-term solution for a dog left alone during the day on a regular basis. Other than at night, you cannot crate a small puppy for hours at a time. He will simply become miserable and/or learn to mess in his crate. If you have to leave your puppy on a regular basis, you have two alternatives. You can arrange for someone else to attend to his needs while you are away, or you can provide him with a proper outdoor kennel with a run.
A properly constructed kennel has a place where a dog can stretch his legs, a place where he can relieve himself, and a sleeping area where he has shelter from the wind, sun and rain. There are, however, major drawbacks to kennelling a puppy on his own. Dogs are social animals and may become miserable if left alone for long periods of time. Many dogs take to barking repeatedly in order to keep themselves company. If you want to stay on speaking terms with your neighbours, this needs to be considered. A kennel run also needs to be well screened from public view or you will find your dog developing a passion for barking furiously at everyone who passes by. Kennelling has so many disadvantages for a small puppy that the best option for most families is to find some form of day-care.
As more and more couples work full time, the number of people who look after other people’s dogs during the day while the owners are at work has grown. You can find dog walkers in most areas. These are people whom you pay to come in during the day while you are at work to let your dog out or take him for a walk. You might want to think about booking one of these in advance if you plan to return to work while your puppy is small.
If you live in or near a city or large town, you may also have access to a dog crèche where you can drop your dog off on your way to work and collect him on your way home. Good crèches may get booked up, so it is well worth thinking about this in advance.
Another alternative is an arrangement with a friend, relative or neighbour, but just like childcare, this can work well in some situations and cause bad feeling in others.
It is beyond the scope of this book to advise you on whether you should or should not own a dog. But remember that a crate is not a suitable long-term solution for a dog left alone during the day on a regular basis. Other than at night, you cannot crate a small puppy for hours at a time. He will simply become miserable and/or learn to mess in his crate. If you have to leave your puppy on a regular basis, you have two alternatives. You can arrange for someone else to attend to his needs while you are away, or you can provide him with a proper outdoor kennel with a run.
A properly constructed kennel has a place where a dog can stretch his legs, a place where he can relieve himself, and a sleeping area where he has shelter from the wind, sun and rain. There are, however, major drawbacks to kennelling a puppy on his own. Dogs are social animals and may become miserable if left alone for long periods of time. Many dogs take to barking repeatedly in order to keep themselves company. If you want to stay on speaking terms with your neighbours, this needs to be considered. A kennel run also needs to be well screened from public view or you will find your dog developing a passion for barking furiously at everyone who passes by. Kennelling has so many disadvantages for a small puppy that the best option for most families is to find some form of day-care.
As more and more couples work full time, the number of people who look after other people’s dogs during the day while the owners are at work has grown. You can find dog walkers in most areas. These are people whom you pay to come in during the day while you are at work to let your dog out or take him for a walk. You might want to think about booking one of these in advance if you plan to return to work while your puppy is small.
If you live in or near a city or large town, you may also have access to a dog crèche where you can drop your dog off on your way to work and collect him on your way home. Good crèches may get booked up, so it is well worth thinking about this in advance.
Another alternative is an arrangement with a friend, relative or neighbour, but just like childcare, this can work well in some situations and cause bad feeling in others.
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