Anyone bike to work with a dog at home?

[IowaStache]

.

[AJ]

IMHO, 10.5 hours is a long time to be alone. We got two dogs for that reason (though, I know it's not a replacement for our company). How far is your work? Do you both have to work the exact same hours, or could you stagger by an hour on each end so s/he was only alone 8.5? Do you have a doggy door to a yard?

[GuitarStv]

Love cavalier spaniels, they're really fantastic little dogs!

To get around 1, I'd take your wife out on weekends and evenings for a while so that she has lots of practice and feels confident on her bike before commuting.  Commuting is a little different (grumpier drivers, you may be a bit groggy, there's some pressure to make it to work quickly, often you can't pick an easier route, etc.) and it's more fun if you're very confident in what you're doing.

Regarding sweating . . . this is very person dependent.  I bike about 10 miles each way, and am drenched head to toe in sweat when I get to our building (we have showers).  3 miles may be doable if you are very relaxed about things on your way to work and use panniers (backpacks seem to make you sweat more) to carry your stuff.

More than 10 hours is tough on a little dog.  I try to not go over 9 hours with our beagle myself.

[Cromacster]

My dog stays at home 9 hrs every work day and is fine.  He has gone as long as 11 before.  He is also crate trained which helps prevent any accidents that may occur.  I have a vet friend who will regularly leave her two pits for 12 hrs at a time.  I personally feel anything more than 10 hrs is pushing the limits.  Although days I have gone 11 hrs he behaves just the same as being alone for 9 hrs, so who knows.

I have read small dogs need to pee more frequently.  I do not know the validity to this claim or at what size it starts to matter.  CKC's are medium size dog compared to some ankle biters.

[windawake]

I bike to work and leave my dog at home. She's a 9 month old border collie mix. I leave my house a little after 8 and get home around 5. I have a sweet setup where I only have to be in the office for 8 hours total most days including lunches. My entire day is usually 9 hours or even a little less.

I just started leaving her all day starting at the beginning of March. When I started working full time she was only 5 months old, so I hired a dog walker for three months until I felt comfortable that she would be completely okay with 'holding it' all day. I used to kennel her all day and this week have just started leaving her out of her kennel in my room so she has more room to play and a comfier place to sleep while I'm gone. She does really well out of the kennel, the only side effect being that she likes to unmake the bed. Oh well!

Here are some things to consider:

- Can you and your wife stagger your working hours so your dog wouldn't have to be home for 10.5 hours? Maybe one of you can get to the office earlier than normal and one can go in later, that way pup isn't home for such a long stretch. Do you and your wife work together/carpool? Your post makes it seem like you do. If you're biking it'll be easier to stagger your hours if you currently carpool.

- Do you both take 1 hour lunch breaks? Is there some way to reduce this to half an hour and take some shorter breaks during the rest of the day for at least one of you?

- Are you being as efficient as possible at work, and if you are, can you leave early once all your work is done? Do you have any flexibility with working from home? When I started this job I talked to my supervisor about my dog being so young and we worked out that I could be in the office for 8 hours per day, but would work from home in the evenings if my work load required it. This has very rarely happened, so I get to have a short working day (since I still usually take a lunch and breaks) and my boss still knows that I can be available in the early evenings if required.

Since you're still coming home to let him/her out at lunch, I assume your dog is quite young. I've recently realized that my dog is really not that interested in peeing anymore. This sounds weird, but it's true. I used to take her out 4x per day (early morning walk, right before I left for work, evening walk, and before bed) and in the last couple weeks she clearly does not need the right before work or right before bed pee opportunities. She rarely takes them now, although I'll still be giving her the option for awhile. When I get home from work after 9 hours of being gone, my dog could care less about going outside right away. I take the time to change my clothes, drink some water, go to the bathroom, and play with her a bit before we leave for a walk. Even on the walk she doesn't pee right away which makes me think she'd be fine holding it for longer.

The only way you'll know for sure is if you try it. Do you kennel your dog? They pretty much do anything in their power to prevent peeing in the kennel. I doubt you'd have a problem, but you really won't know unless you give it a shot. I also set up a UStream channel and watched my dog in her kennel on a webcam. Surprise, surprise, she slept all day and spent the hour or so before I got home chewing on a rope.

[Cassie]

Since you have a small dog I would train it to use a pee pad. We did that with ours when we worked.  Put a little human pee from the person of the opposite sex of the dog to give it the right idea. Then whenever it used the pad we did a lot of praise.  I think that big dogs can hold it longer. 

[Wolf_Stache]

Since you have a small dog I would train it to use a pee pad. We did that with ours when we worked.  Put a little human pee from the person of the opposite sex of the dog to give it the right idea. Then whenever it used the pad we did a lot of praise.  I think that big dogs can hold it longer.

This is what I do with my little dog, a min pin. I also bike to work, and leave my dog roaming a few rooms (baby gates keep him confined, and allow the cats to still roam the entire house).

The first couple days I crated him, and biked home at lunch, but that isn't an option now because we are gearing up for the busy season at work.

So far he has been fine.

[mrpress]

We have a cavalier too! He goes from 7:30 to about 4:30 each day alone, with full roam of the house. I agree that 10.5 hours is pushing the limits but if you slowly stretch it out, (s)he would be ok. I'd advise against potty pads, I think they're nasty and wasteful.

[AJ]

Quick break here, will try to answer what I can.

First off, thanks for responses so far.

*Staggering is possible but probably out of the question long term. Wife isn't so gung-ho about biking to save $ that she'd want to come in at separate times and give up home time together
*Yes, we do work together
*Getting done early/working remotely isn't really possible.  Sales organization and we are the management.  Basically, we are here from when the sales floor opens (7:30) until it closes (5:00).  Therefore, a shorter lunch would just be that - a shorter lunch with the same arrival and departure time.

Years from now we may be in a position to hire a sales manager, but for now that is us.  I like the idea of staggering our arrival/departure times for a couple weeks as we gradually increase the time at home.  Still, 10.5 hours might be too much.

Honestly, if it were me, I would just take the car before leaving a dog alone for that long on a regular basis. You may lose mustachian brownie points, but chalk it up to the cost of caring for a canine. Maybe see if wifey would agree to staggering the schedule once or twice a week, and then drive the other days. She doesn't sound keen to bike, so perhaps with the compromise of driving some days she would be more amenable to the staggered schedule?

[jordanread]

Not the most Mustachian of solutions, but may be something that you want to at least leave on the table:

Leave a car at work. This will allow you to enjoy biking to and from work, give you a quick way to get home on that lunch hour to chill with the dog or prepare a lunch, or just to reduce the potential stress new people have of not being able to get somewhere if they absolutely have to. Plus it makes it difficult to just grab that car and do wasteful things on a whim.

I have two large dogs, and they stay in the dog run while I'm at work.

[jasman18]

I leave my dog home for 12 hrs sometimes.
Hes a border collie mix and is too damn smart.
He chooses not to eat when we leave for work. When we get home he starts eating. Cant make him eat.
Works pretty well for him. Only had a few accidents over the years but hes nice enough to go on the tile vs the carpet.
Also nice enough to try to clean it up with a roll of paper towels lol

[Cassie]

Dogs know the difference between the potty pad and floors, etc. You can buy disposable ones or washable ones.  We have always done it & it is awesome because you don't have to worry about rushing home & they don't have to hold it. Obviously it only works for little dogs.  My son's big dogs would never use it which was a fear I had when they lived with us for awhile. However, once one of the big guys got diarrhea while we were at work & did use it for that which was wonderful. Otherwise we would have had a mess to clean up.

[FrugalZony]

Could one of you bike home at lunch?
That's what I do! It's more for me than the pets though ;) I enjoy their company and get to eat a healthy self made lunch ;)

In the summer when it gets to hot, I'll ride to work in the morning and take the car back to work after lunch

You could try to mix up all suggested options to see what works for you:

Stagger times
Only use bikes half of the times, either morning or afternoon commute
One stays at work one rides home (alternate) for lunch, taking a longer lunch every other day
....

[renaite]

We have a cavalier too! He goes from 7:30 to about 4:30 each day alone, with full roam of the house. I agree that 10.5 hours is pushing the limits but if you slowly stretch it out, (s)he would be ok. I'd advise against potty pads, I think they're nasty and wasteful.

Cool!  Ours is King Charles (black and tan).  Yours?

There is no way she'd get full roam of the house.  She is about 8 months old but with the snow melting she's kind of reverted a bit on house breaking.  She's good, but we pretty much keep her with us at all times when we're home.  The biggest problem is she is almost completely silent, so she doesn't give any verbal cues to needing to go out.  We're working with a bell on the door right now.

I have a King Charles mix (with toy poodle) who also was totally silent about asking to go out for her first two years! I basically had to stare at her 100% of the time for 6 months straight and watch for her unique "I'm standing in a random doorway and tilting my head" which meant she had to pee. Finally I guess I rewarded her for it so much she took to scratching a doorframe, and now she will utter one small bark, almost a whisper, if she needs to go out and I didn't catch the scratch.

I do leave both my 10lb pooches home during the day while I'm at work, and they are crated. Usually it's no more than 8 hours but they have gone almost 11 and seem to not really care. I don't like the idea of them being in the crate that long though. I think you really have to try it out and if your dog can handle it. One of mine surely could be out of his crate all day and not have an accident but the King Charles would not last all day on her own if she wasn't crated.

[oldladystache]

Is there a good reason the dog couldn't come to work with you?  It could run alongside the bike or ride in a basket, and you could have a crate for it at work for when you didn't want it in the way.

[jordanread]

Is there a good reason the dog couldn't come to work with you?  It could run alongside the bike or ride in a basket, and you could have a crate for it at work for when you didn't want it in the way.

I was thinking about this last night, and it made me realize that a good chunk of people here (myself included) may have considered this, but dismissed it out of hand. Way to challenge assumptions. Even if it didn't work out, the suggestion was awesome!!

[mrpress]

You are lucky that she's so quiet! Ours (blenheim color) has gotten on a barking streak lately and it's gotten kind of bad. He is 100% reliable for house training though. He's just over 2 and hasn't gone inside in way over a year...he scratches at the door to go out.  We don't have to worry about him being off in another room because he basically follows you around all day :) The crate is a wonderful thing at times.

[oldladystache]

Is there a good reason the dog couldn't come to work with you?  It could run alongside the bike or ride in a basket, and you could have a crate for it at work for when you didn't want it in the way.

I was thinking about this last night, and it made me realize that a good chunk of people here (myself included) may have considered this, but dismissed it out of hand. Way to challenge assumptions. Even if it didn't work out, the suggestion was awesome!!

Thanks. My dog almost always goes with me. Of course I'm old and retired so I have more options. If I go where dogs aren't welcome she waits in the car. I know where there's a shady place to park everywhere I go, and I have window covers (sheets and blankets) for just in case.

[Freckles]

Woo-hoo, a collection of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners!

I love the idea of leaving a car at work for lunch trips and biking to and from in the morning and night.  Such smart MMMers!

I was wondering if you can install a doggie door.  I really want one for my sweet pup's convenience, but we're renting right now.  Boo.  Someday!

[Scandium]

I'm no vet so can't tell you what will work, but we do feel bad if we leave our dog at home for more than 9 hours (he's a corgi btw). As much because I'm afraid he'll pee in the house.. But he can hold it for a pretty long time.

My wife and I have therefore staggered our schedules, since we both have flexible hours. I walk the dog in the morning and she leave around 6 am and get back by 5 and walk him again.

[MandyM]

In the summer, maybe you could look for a (trusted) neighbor kid to come by and let your dog out. I used to have a neighbor that I could call on the occasion that I was getting home very late. It was so nice.

[Jamesqf]

Guess a lot depends on what 'at home' means.  Mine are fine at home all day, but they have their dog door, and the run of about an acre of fenced yard.  (Plus neighbors I can call to feed them &c if I'm going to be late.)  I wouldn't even consider getting a dog if I wa sin a situation where they'd have to stay inside all day.

[tipster350]

That is a very long time to leave a dog without a potty break, and I wouldn't do it. It is bad for their health to let them go that long without a break. Just like it would be for humans. I might consider it if I had a dog door and a yard, but even then it is a very long time for a dog to be alone without interaction. I agree that it is the responsibility and cost of having a dog to find a better solution. It is not mustachian to let a dog suffer to save a few $$.

I live in an apartment, am gone for 11 hours a day, but have a dog walker come in every day. It costs a lot but I am not able to come home during lunch and this is just what it takes to care for my dog.

[Sonorous Epithet]

We have a Cavalier King Charles who stays at home during the day, but currently my wife and I drive home for lunch.  Any experience with leaving them home all day?

I'd like to bike to and from work but there are a couple of reasons it'd be tough to come back over lunch:
1) Comfort with bike riding - my wife never biked as a kid so she's really just starting.  That means she isn't that fast/confident yet, so a normally quick ride (3 miles) takes a big longer

2) During the summer, I don't want to sweat through work clothes and then come back into work. Granted, I'm biking this year for the first time in probably 6, so maybe I'm overestimating how bad I'll sweat on a mid day ride in the summer.

Is the dog ok to stay home all day? We'd be gone for 10.5 hours, which would be tough on her, I think.  So assuming we still have to come home, am I just looking for excuses re: 1 and 2?

I had similar compunctions about riding to work. I thought it would take too long and I would get sweaty and nasty. I put off even attempting it for TWO YEARS before MMM convinced me to just go for it.

I think you should just try it on and see how it fits. (I'm assuming you have a 3 mile ride? Your post wasn't clear.) It is quite possible indeed that you have enough time and energy to bike back home, hang out with your pooch, and get back, without breaking a sweat.

And if it isn't, the worst case scenario is not bad: you are gone longer than you are supposed to be, and you get sweaty. Oh my god, right? Those two things probably barely register on your coworkers' opinions of you. And if they say anything, all you do is explain what you are doing. "I tried an experiment biking home to hang out with my dog during lunch." People are people. They will understand you, and probably even admire you. I wish I had a dog at home I could hang out with during lunch!

[NumberCruncher]

Yeah, I wouldn't leave a dog alone that long without a doggie door or a dog walker break in the middle.

About 6 hours is the limit for our dog