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Possible new owners

1K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  Lacie's Mom 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello,

My wife and I are thinking about getting a Maltese. However we would like some feedback from some current owners about a question that we really cant answer. We both work full days, leaving at about 8:30 each morning and returning 6:30 and 7 each night. Is this fair to the dog, we were thinking of getting one that is 5-6 months old. Any input is appreciated.

Meg and Jim
 
#2 ·
Hi Jim & Meg,

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like you are doing your research well.

And I get the impression that you sort of know the answer to the question, about "Is it fair?" But are looking for a way to make it work.

You have LOADS of options: Find a great pet sitter, take your dog to work if possible, or wait until one of you is retired or working from home to adopt a dog.

The unrealistic option is leaving the puppy at home alone for that period of time.

As you like dogs but are debating about your schedules...If you find that you do not have enough time to be a full time puppy parent, then maybe look into volunteering. Perhaps a local humane society or rescue needs some help, like walking dogs on your weekend?
 
#3 ·
You will get two different answers to this question. And honestly, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, altho some will say that it is not fair to any dog. IMO, what I think it really depends on is the temperament of the dog. Some maltese have a more clingy/softer temperament and having them alone for that long during the day would not be fair to the dog. Some dogs though can handle being by themselves and would be fine. Getting an older puppy is a good idea. Just take your time and make sure you are working with a breeder that isn't just trying to sell you a dog, but is trying to sell you the RIGHT dog.
 
#4 ·
In my opinion, I do not like the idea of leaving a maltese home alone for 10 hours straight . .Especially this particular breed. They do not do well on their own. This is what I learned about when I was researching on what type of breed to buy. They prefer human interaction and if your leaving them all alone for 10+ hours its not very fair.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the input. We are newly married so waiting until we retired wouldn't be fair to us :biggrin: jk We are looking at dog walkers possibly until the dog is older. I do have the option of taking the dog to work but I cant do that until fully trained.
First let me say: welcome to SM :)

I also think that it is too long for the pup to be all alone without having someone to pop in (dog walker or even dog sitter) for a little while during the day. Taking the malt to work once he/she is a bit older/trained sounds good (will you be able to get anything done at work--lol just kidding, but gotta warn ya, these little ones can be good at distracting you with their cuteness:wub:)

All the best of luck
 
#7 ·
It's a long day for a dog to be alone, although they do sleep most of the day. Do you have a way to come home at lunch time? If not, then I really think you should consider getting a dog walker to stop by mid-day to play with him and just make sure all is well.

One reason that I like to stop in at lunch time is to be sure everyone is OK. If they were to get sick, vomit, have diarrhea, etc. ... I would hate for them to be alone for hours and hours waiting for help from me. I try not to leave mine for more than 5 hours and even that is longer than my ideal.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I do think that they sleep most of the time while we're away although Maltese really need to be around people. I do leave mine for up to 8 hours sometimes..not everyday (or even every week) though.

Another option is to maybe put the dog in a doggie day care type place (for small dogs)- maybe for part of the day. I would either do that or arrange to come during lunch to break up the day for her/him. Is that possible?

I got mine when she was 7 months old and luckily she doesn't have any separation anxiety when I leave the house- maybe that has to do with her personality and maybe a little with the age that I got her. Also she was already pad trained- and she bonded with me immediately..so maybe that is another option for you..to get a slightly older pup. Either way- Good luck!!
 
#9 ·
Dogs are pack animals by nature. They don't like being alone, even though they sleep when we are gone. When dogs are alone for long periods of time, behavioral problems might arise due to separation anxiety and boredom.

Everyone here has their opinions on this.

I personally would not own a dog if I had to leave it alone for 10 hours a day. But that's just my opinion, and everyone has theirs. You have to do what is right for you.
 
#12 ·
In my own opinion I do not think it's a great idea to own a dog if you are going to be gone all day and into the evening hours. It is hard for me to understand why anyone would want a dog if they are only around it during sleeping hours & for an hour or two in the morning (besides weekends).

It can be done, but the temperament of the specific dog is very important to know beforehand, and you would certainly need a dog walker/sitter to stop in and look after the dog for a minimum of 30 minutes each day. What about a doggy daycare? Several members take their dogs to one. If you do get a dog, with you and your husband both working full-time, it would need to be pad-trained which can take some time.

I'm glad you are really thinking this through, as it is a tough decision with you both working full-time. I am a housewife (no children) and we have two Maltese. My husband works full-time, and we never leave them for more than 4-5 hours at a time. There have been MANY times where we are at an event or gathering and have to leave early to check on the dogs...they are like having children at home and require a lot of responsibility.

Let us know what you decide! :)
 
#13 ·
I do work 9 - 10 hours a day and always have during the almost 20 years that I've owned Maltese. I have a dog walker come in around lunchtime to play with the girls. She says she usually has to wake them up to play! :) I spend lots of time playing with them before and after work so that they are very tired at bed time and are also ready for naps when I leave in the morning. The also go to doggy day care one day a week.

The bigger question is - what about evening activities? My evenings revolve around the girls with play dates, obedience classes, and other activities. Very seldom do I schedule something in the evening that doesn't in some way involve the dogs. It would really not be fair if you work all day and then are off to some function in the evening and they really only see you for sleeping.

Good luck - they are wonderful companions!
 
#14 ·
The bigger question is - what about evening activities? My evenings revolve around the girls with play dates, obedience classes, and other activities. Very seldom do I schedule something in the evening that doesn't in some way involve the dogs. It would really not be fair if you work all day and then are off to some function in the evening and they really only see you for sleeping.

Good luck - they are wonderful companions!
I agree. Having a Maltese is doable if you work full time and use pet sitters, but you won't have much of a social life. Being newlyweds, do you really want to be tied down that much?

When I was young (many, many years ago) we waited to get a dog until we were finished having children and the youngest was potty trained. Then we got a breed that was great with kids (Golden Retriever) even though I really, really wanted a small dog. It worked out perfectly.
 
#18 ·
The fact that you are doing your research shows that you will likely be a very good pup parent. You can make this type of situation work but it will cost a lot of money and effort on your part. IMO, doggy daycare is the best option in these circumstances. I don't think a dog walker for 30 minutes during the 9 hours you guys are gone is enough. You want a dog that can add to the joy in your lives not one that will add complications because it develops behavioral problems secondary to being left alone to much. I have been in your shoes, I wanted a dog for years but knew with the hubs and I's work schedule it wouldn't be fair to any dog. Almost two years ago, work let up for the hubs and now we have two beautiful girl pups, they are both rescued dogs and we adopted one at 6 months of age and the other at 6 years of age. I can tell you it was much easier with the older one. Work is back to being crazy but thankfully our schedules are different allowing us to take care of the dogs easier BUT we have TWO doggy daycares and TWO pet sitters/dog walkers which helps a lot. I can tell you it is so much fun to have these two in the evenings, it helps to have two so they keep each other company. Maybe to start you could volunteer for your local rescue group and have a "stayover" for 3 days including a weekend to see how it feels. Rescue groups who have their dogs in a kennels love to have people do this, it helps to socialize their dogs and give them some much loved one on one attention. Good luck with your decision.
 
#19 ·
Welcome to SM!

We adopted our Hunter 6 months after being married. My brother adopted his small breed dog 6 months after being married. To me, a dog is like having a child (but one that you can't take many places with you). Hunter has not slowed us down very much at all. He goes to friends homes with us, goes on vacation with us and when he can't go somewhere we have two 'grandmas' who fight over who gets to watch him.

10 hours a day is a long time but if you can take him to work 2 days a week and have a sitter pop in the other days - it really isn't that difficult. Hunter works with my husband so he's not often home alone. However, my brother's small dog is home alone about 9 hours a day and does really well. They spend most evenings with her and weekends too. The dog loves them and they love having her!

It simply seems that a puppy might not be the best option for you but perhaps a rescue with a calm temperment!
 
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