Only Unemployed Dog Lovers Need Apply...

[McGehee1]

VTbxrFan...ditto! Thanks for saying it for all of us...I'm sure it would have been over kill otherwise! Would be REALLY nice to stay home and be with my babies all day or take them to work with me, but alas, not all have those luxuries.

Agree with the puppies not being home for long hours...hence our choice in a rescue adoption that has been just perfect! Believe me, I am rushing home most times to get them out and they're more interesting in sniffing out the yard to see what new scents might be out there than doing their business most times.

 

[KC]

Since I'm being clobbered anyway . . .

Quote: "I do agree with you that it is unfair to leave a dog that is not able to hold his bladder in a situation where he has to go in his crate and lie in all day, but I do not see a problem with a dog that is capable and comfortable being left. "

How do you know it's comfortable? That's my point - I don't think the dog could possibly be comfortable. Would you be? Only if you had little or nothing to drink that day - the #1 cause of bladder/urinary tract infections. If doggie is going out after you get home and only "sniffing around," I'd hazard a guess that it is dehydrated, not without the need to go. The dog has likely learned to not hydrate too much because of being crated or left in.

And as for the "luxury" of being able to stay home or take my doggies to work - I don't live in that world either. My dogs stay in a fenced in yard during the day hours, except when the weather is extreme, with more-than-adequate shelter and some level of supervision (the friendly neighbor glances in when she can).

Furthermore, my girls, (and most boxers I don't hesitate to say) while they do nap periodically during the day, little lazy bums, are very active for a good portion of the day, as well. My youngest would EXPLODE if I left her crated for 8 or more hours. She gets restless if she has to stay inside the house for a whole day because of bad weather - she paces and whines! Boxers are simply not lethargic dogs - they have a painful need to RUNRUNRUNRUN!! A brisk morning and evening walk would, by no stretch of the imagination, suffice for either of my dogs.

However, before I am clobbered any further, or subjected to any unnecessary "overkill," I'd appreciate everyone remembering that my opinion is not a personal attack on your puppy parenting - it is simply that: my opinion on what is best for our favorite breed - to which I am entitled and entitled to share. Let's not lose focus on the one thing we can certainly agree on - HOW GREAT OUR BABIES ARE!!!! :D

 

[VTbxrFan]

From your first post:

Originally posted by KC
I believe it borders on abuse and is taking advantage of a very well behaved animal to make them hold it all day and I think it is dangerous to their health.

If you do want to be clobbered, you should avoid statements like this one. You are basically telling a sizable group of posters on this board that our treatment of our beloved pets borders on abuse just because we leave our dogs alone during the day. Show me some evidence of the dangerous health effects. Is being home alone during the day more dangerous than being caged permanently in a shelter? Or neglected in someone's backyard? That's where a lot of these dogs would be without us. I've had boxers for years growing up and now my own -- I work and my parents worked. Not one of our dogs ever had a bladder/urinary tract infection -- not one! And as I said in my first post, this was an issue discussed at length with several vets who had no problem with it.

I'll admit that I cannot speak for all dogs, but I do know that my boxer does sleep for a good part of the day. If he's sleeping, he has no need to drink lots of water. I sleep all night -- I don't drink a lot of water and I don't have to pee until I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night for some other reason and guess what -- I don't have to get up and pee. So I do not think that my dog is dehydrated when he doesn't pee during lunch time. The point I was trying to make is that he does not urgently have to pee when I get home at the end of the day. I take him out right away, and he does go, but he takes his time about deciding when and where he wants to go. If he were uncomfortable, he would be running to the door the minute I walk in begging to go out. In fact, on one of his recent vet visits, the report from the exam included the statement "Dallas is very well hydrated." My dog does not like to be outside by himself -- he would not be happy in a yard by himself all day -- he likes to play with me or other dogs outside, but when he can't do that, he would rather be snoozing on one of the many doggy beds scattered in my apartment. And I am quite certain that my foster girl is much happier in my home than she was in the shelter she came from.

I'm not trying to get nasty -- I'm simply trying to convey the point that you really shouldn't use the term "abuse" in connection with those of us who leave our dogs home alone. Many would say exactly the same thing about a dog left alone in a yard all day. There are more diplomatic ways to express your opinion.

 

[KC]

I will happily avoid strong language in the future.

 

[KC]

Oops, wasn't finished when I posted that last one.

Just wanted to clear two things up:

1) My "health effects" discussion was per conversations I have had with my own vet;

and

I don't base my standard on what is better than a shelter or abusive home - I base my standard on my view of what is best for boxers.

I stand by my views, but apoligize if the way I have expressed them has been offensive.

 

[Peggy G]

Originally posted by johnson99
Based on the views of some (both on this board and in out in the non-cyber world), working people like myself shouldn't be able to have a dog - unless we are able to afford $400 a month for a dog walker (which is what it costs in my neck of the woods). I don't know about most, but I could lease a pretty decent car for $400 and while I love dogs, $400 a month is a bit steep for someone to spend 15 minutes walking the dog.

WOW!!! I'm in the wrong business! Thats almost $100.00 per hour (15 min per day = 1 hr.15min per wk or 5 hours per month at $400.00 per month) to let a dog out once per day PER CUSTOMER. Let's check the math....An 8 hour day at approx. $100 per hour; that's approx. $800.00 per day. For a 5 day week...that's $4000.00 per week and there's 52 wks in a year...Hot Damn!!! thats $208,000.oo per year! I'm moving to your neck of the woods on the next bus!

 

[VTbxrFan]

Originally posted by KC
I don't base my standard on what is better than a shelter or abusive home - I base my standard on my view of what is best for boxers.

I certainly can't argue you with your here -- I didn't mean to imply that we should be satisfied with the the lesser of two evils -- all boxers deserve the very best home they can have. Unfortunately there are many boxers in need of a good home and no home is "perfect" because all homes involve imperfect people, so those of us involved in rescue or breeding have to make some difficult decisions about what home is best for each individual dog. Getting back to the original subject of this thread, I fully support the right of each individual breeder to decide where their pups will go. They made the decision to bring a life into the world and it is not only their right, but their responsibility to be sure they are comfortable with the home.

I stand by my views, but apoligize if the way I have expressed them has been offensive.

No problem here either. As we've obviously shown, this is touchy issue about which people have very strong feelings. It's not likely any of us will successfully change other's view on this topic.

 

[Tam319]

Originally posted by Peggy G


WOW!!! I'm in the wrong business! Thats almost $100.00 per hour (15 min per day = 1 hr.15min per wk or 5 hours per month at $400.00 per month) to let a dog out once per day PER CUSTOMER. Let's check the math....An 8 hour day at approx. $100 per hour; that's approx. $800.00 per day. For a 5 day week...that's $4000.00 per week and there's 52 wks in a year...Hot Damn!!! thats $208,000.oo per year! I'm moving to your neck of the woods on the next bus!

Good point Peggy G! I'm on my way as well. Sounds like a great employment oppurtunity! I'd even settle for $50/hour.

Tam

 

[johnson99]

I couldn't believe it, the 4 dog walkers I contacted all charged between $14 - $18 a day to walk and feed the dog - and puppy day care is $20 for half a day. Like I said, I love my dog - but $4800 a year for the dog to be walked and played with is a pretty big bill if you ask me!

 

[brandi's mom]

Ii am a stay at home mom (lucky me), i will tell you i have two boxers. They have been sleeping for the past 4 hours. My youngest is in his kennel in the kitchen with the door open, (i am also in the kitchen) he is just lounging.. My older one is laying on her bed with some toys in the living room. I am home with these two all the time and i will say that 80% of the day they sleep. On a normal day my female (she 15 mos) will only potty three times. In the morning, after supper, and at night before bed. She does not need to go out during the day to pee.. My dogs normal active time is after my kids get home from school, we take our walks then and play out in the yard then. They are used to lounging during the day while i clean etc... So i guess my point is this... If you have to work, your are not missing much by not being home.. Except for some zzzz'sss...