[liv0007]

For those of you who work full time here in HK and have dogs, what arrangements do you make for your dogs while you are at work?

Do most people have full time maids, or part time maids who come and spend time with the dogs or walk it when you are late home, or dog walkers? Or do your dogs stay home alone until you return, and how do they cope with that? I would be interested to see what other peoples arrangements are.

I don't want to begin a debate on whether people who work should be allowed dogs (this seems to be a point of some some discussion on other threads...) I just wondered how other people work their situations.

Cheers

[dipper]

We have a FT domestic helper who walks the dog during the day and in the evening if we are out late.

[hello_there]

Have a full time helper. Took some time to find a helper that got on well with the dogs, but the situation works out great now.

Neighbor has a part time maid that does an hour walk with the dog in the afternoon. Also works well, but he is home fairly early in the evening.

[Corner Blitz]

Though difficult, it is possible to own a dog here in HK and not have a full time maid or dog walker to care for it. You've just got to be able to plan ahead and crate train the animal in addition to gettting up early for a long walk/run in the mornings.

Lots of folks may not agree with crate training but this is an essential way to care for a dog if you're going to be gone most of the day. Dogs sleep most of the day anyways and once they identify with their large crate as a safe place, they're happy to go in after your morning run/walk. Coming back by 6-7pm to let em out for feeding and more run/walk life.

Having a dog requires a lot of tough decisions when it comes to nightlife, but it's very doable even in this every busy city of ours.

[wtbhotia]

i have 3 huskies and 1 schanuzer, no maid, the dogs are taken out early in the morning for a walk to do their business. during the day they are kept in the house with lots of toys and snacks to keep them busy. 8 hours later, come back to what has been destroyed by the huskies (telephone wires, mobile phones, PSP, sofa, chairs, cushions have all been chewed) anything they can get their hands on that I have forgotten to hide before i leave for work. 1 hour of cleaning up, then feed, then taken out for at least 1 hour long walk around the village.

it would be a lot better if u have a full time or part time maid. saves the hassle of comming back and cleaning up.

[dropdedfwed]

It depends on your hours, and your dogs. Personally I work 10hr plus days, so generally I am out of home for 11-12hrs. We used to hire a dog walker to come once a day, at about the '6hr mark'. This meant that I was able to come home and walk my little beast without too much fear of her sitting by the door cross legged

Really, despite what some "experts" will tell you, as apposed to what Experts will tell you, I think anything more than 8hrs without a walk is a wee bit much...

O course, this will raise some debate - I have spoken to some people who believe keeping a dog in a cage that is really small so it won't wee, cos it has nowhere to get away from the wee if it does, is good toilet training.. i mean - what??

[liv0007]

Thanks for the replies, I am asking around because we recently got a puppy, and though I am not working and so home most of the day with him at the moment, I will be starting FT work in August, and so want to make plans for when he is home alone all day.

I am definitely not planning on leaving him all day 9-6 or whatever, as he is quite young (will be 7 months by then), so really I am trying to figure out whether a walk in the middle of each day by my part time helper (as well as morning and night with us ) will be enough human contact for him. A FT helper is tempting, but I cant really justify getting someone just to watch him sleep most of the day, and our apartment is studio style, so we dont really have space/need for a live in!

Its good to know what other people's arrangements are as well, so I can see how it works out - dont like the idea of him chewing up my house though!

[TBJ]

Originally Posted by wtbhotia

i have 3 huskies and 1 schanuzer, no maid, the dogs are taken out early in the morning for a walk to do their business. during the day they are kept in the house with lots of toys and snacks to keep them busy. 8 hours later, come back to what has been destroyed by the huskies (telephone wires, mobile phones, PSP, sofa, chairs, cushions have all been chewed) anything they can get their hands on that I have forgotten to hide before i leave for work. 1 hour of cleaning up, then feed, then taken out for at least 1 hour long walk around the village.

it would be a lot better if u have a full time or part time maid. saves the hassle of comming back and cleaning up.

That sounds a lot like my beagle. We let her roam the house freely when we are gone, with bones and a comfortable bed to chew on. When she was younger she was worse with destroying stuff but now when we come back we will find the occasional chewed on item. Last week she ruined 1 shirt and tore out the insoles of 2 of my shoes. She's really got a liking to insoles lately, lol.

[wtbhotia]

Originally Posted by TBJ

That sounds a lot like my beagle. We let her roam the house freely when we are gone, with bones and a comfortable bed to chew on. When she was younger she was worse with destroying stuff but now when we come back we will find the occasional chewed on item. Last week she ruined 1 shirt and tore out the insoles of 2 of my shoes. She's really got a liking to insoles lately, lol.

I barricade my sofa, close all the doors to the rooms and kitchen, i just let them roam the living room, corridor and the toilet, i came back once to find my shower on, luckily my bathroom was not flooded. Just wasted a lot of water. my dogs know not to chew my shoes so they usually chew my wifes instead if she forgets to hide them. LOL.

[larac]

If you do have a maid walk your dog make sure they actually walk it. From what I've seen many walk to the end of the street and sit and chat with their friends or on the phone and the dog gets no exercise at all.