A hi with some advice please! :)

Hi my names Simon and my partner and I are looking at getting Shih Tzu

We currently look after my partners parents one over odd weekends and he's about 9, he's called Charlie! it's kinda like us having visitation rights to have him over the weekend as we both work.
we also look after him when her parents go away instead of sending him to kennels.

I've really wanted a dog but i'm mostly allergic until I came across this breed!

What i'm trying to justify apart from reallly really wanting a Shih Tzu is what arrangements people have for looking after a small puppy.

We both work full time, I work 30mins away and my partner about 15/20mins.

Is it fair to get a puppy for it to be left on its own for 8hrs a day? when i put it like that i'm thinking no but surely there are ways to balance it out?
One solution i've thought of is my parents live in the same town as I work so and I could drive to my parents leave puppy at theres (although they work) and come back at lunch time and then bring the puppy home when i finish work.
We both would really like a Shih Tzu and desperately trying to figure out a way to get one but obviously I dont want to cause distress to a puppy

Hi and welcome

I am sure if you want one really badly you can sort something out and if you can get to the puppy during the day it will help. I would suggest that if and when you get a puppy you arrange to have some time off work - an annual holiday or something - so that you can get the puppy into some sort of routine and bond with him/her.

I know that many people will say you can't have a shih tzu and leave it all day but I have always worked and my dogs got used to the situation really quickly (I have to say that I stopped visiting my first puppy in the lunch hour because I unsettled her when I arrived and then left her again and I actually felt that was crueller than leaving her) Having said that my time is my dogs when I go home.

Another alternative is to find a local dog walker. I don't suppose either of you could take the dog to work??

I did go home at lunch times for Josh and bring him into work with me which has been a godsend so I am very lucky now.

Hi ya Simon , Can I just say that I actually work and at sometimes if my hubby is late home it has turned out that to be 9 hours or more admittliy its not 5 days aweek they have to adapt to your life style not you adapt to there life style , going back a while ago I owned a bichon and that was the same as above but she was on her own like yours would be and she got used to it,
I just made sure that she had her food before i went done her business and made sure she had some water in her crate I also bought a big enough crate that you can half it , so half newspaper and half blanket, or even get a soft bed and put that in,
Thats what I do now with megan as she is only 5 months now my two at mo are seperated because of pups,
I also agree with Lesley that if your going to leave her leave her i do beleive if you come back half way through the day she/he will think you have returned back to her and will upset her when you go back,

But when you return home make sure you make a big fuss of him/her , open the back door so she can do her business give him/her its food and take her out prefably after innocalations for a walk not just out in the garden, really make sure that she knows evening time is her time, until you go to bed , then put her back in her create , also I would most probably get up an hour earlier so you spening time before you go of to work,

There are fores and against in working with dogs, more so puppies
Working 9 hours a day is a lot for a dog to be on there own, I feel.

There are lots of people who do own dogs and work, as you say going home at dinner time so the day is split for the dog and not so lonley.
Someone coming home in the afternoon for an hour or so, to feed the dog and let it go out. Taking time off when the puppy arrives so that it gets used to you going a way for short periods getting longer can also help it adjust.

Puppies are more demanding and need to be fed during the day so leaving a puppy alone 9 hours day is never a good idea, jmo.

Dogs do settle into the way you live and thats the way its supposed to be, but a puppy needs time to learn, the more time spent with a puppy the more you get out of it and so does the puppy. helping it adjust over a period of time is far better than just leaving it alone all day.

Leaving its mother, siblings and breeder can be daunting for a puppy and needs love and affection as well as understanding to help grow into a valuable member of your family

I am sure you will find the right way if you do decide to get a puppy in which to make the adjustment for both the puppy and yourselves.

Good luck

Maggie

9 hours a day is far too long for a puppy to be left in my opinion, I work but I get home every lunch time to spend an hour with the babies, I also have a very helpfull daughter and son who pop in in the afternoon just to spend some time with them. How are you ever going to get your puppy house trained if your not there. An older dog may be able to hold on for a much longer period but puppies need to be taken out every couple of hours to spend a penny. I think you need to think about some arrangement where the puppy is going to have some attention during the day whilst you are out. I would not let a puppy go to a household where there would be no one there for at least some of the time during the day. JMHO...Pat

Thanks for all your comments! I think we can work round it but like you have said maggie it's the attention we can give it but working full time is a hurdle! I'm very keen to not feel like I'm hurting it's feelings during the adjustment phase!
Please keep your opinions coming! This would be my first pet although not my partners!
If there's any advice you can give as well I'd be greatly appreciated!

Once again thank you!

I would like to say here that I am not recommending leaving a puppy for as long as 9 hours at a time.

Hi Simon,

I do feel for you, this must be a real dilema for you, on one hand I think 8 hours is far too long for a puppy to be left alone all day (presumably for 5 days a week?) but on the other hand, I've been off work for the last few months and notice my two sleep through most of the working day anyway lol...however - they do have each other for company and when we're all out and when I'm working they have a half hour walk in the morning before work then my husband spends his lunch hour with them and then I'm home just after 3pm

Would your parents be willing for you to leave the puppy at there house? If you work 30 minutes away and you took the pup there, you've taken an hour off the puppys day already.

Good luck!

I also think this is the solution - and as you have noticed Debbie, I too noticed when I was made redundant and thought at least I would be able to spend more quality time with my dogs they slept all day after their first burst of life (well not even that in OPal's case as i used to have to wake her and force her to go out and relieve herself!!)

It is a long time to leave a small puppy but if you have some family who can have it for a time it will help reduce its time alone

MrJ wrote:Thanks for all your comments! I think we can work round it but like you have said maggie it's the attention we can give it but working full time is a hurdle! I'm very keen to not feel like I'm hurting it's feelings during the adjustment phase!
Please keep your opinions coming! This would be my first pet although not my partners!
If there's any advice you can give as well I'd be greatly appreciated!

Once again thank you!

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Hi Simon

Having 1 puppy or even more than 1 takes up time, when we have puppies like mum is now someone is with Brittany all day she is never left but even after they are born they again are watched 24 hours as anything can happen.
Mine are used to someone being with them all day but dont mind being left for awhile.
Friends who work and have dogs come home at lunch time to see to the dogs or puppies, like I said it would be helpful if you could take time off when the puppy comes and then maybe your partner could so the puppy has company with one of you for awhile.

This will allow the puppy to get used to being left and then as you say go to your parents so you can check on the puppy during the day.
Puppies need attention, love and lots of understanding, toilet training takes time puppy pads are the way some train them when they work.

A well adjusted puppy who is well looked after and cared for grows into a wonderful dog, or you could get an older puppy there are some of us breeders who keep the dogs longer i.e injections, passports all that takes time, so the puppy is that little bit older when it goes.

Maggie

After chatting with my partner again (for most of the evening) we have decided that its probably not a good idea at the time due to the work commitments.
Here's our reasoning...
Although we could dedicate a week and half for getting the puppy its clearly not enough time to dedicate to look after it and train it.
Yes I could drop it off at my parents house during the day (they also work) its not fair on the puppy and them and ourselves to leave it for 3-4hrs then lunch time for an hour and then a further 3-4hrs until i collect it and bring it back home.

We aren't put off getting a Shih Tzu but we will just have to wait until after next june when we get married and then start a family when my partner will be able to give the time to look after it during the day!

Our hearts are saying yes lets just get one now but our minds are saying no!
I will say we are a little gutted but hey! better to discuss this now while we haven't committed anything than potentially damage a puppies life because of our rush!

hey ho

I'll be hanging around in any case as we look after Charlie (9yr old Shih Tzu) during weekends which he seems to enjoy

I'm sure you are disappointed but time will pass and when you do get your shih tzu you'll love him/her to bits. In the meantime we'd love to see photos of charlie

I second that

Hi Simon

May I say how commendable I think you both are, to put a puppies needs before your own desire is brilliant in my opinion.

All to often prospective buyers rush into getting a puppy or breeding with no thought at all, let alone whats best for the dogs.

I know how disappointed you both must be, but I am sure the right puppy will be there when you both decide to have one.

I am sure any good honest breeder would happily let you have a puppy from them, I know I would.

Good caing and loving homes is after all where breeders want there puppies to go to, anyone who can consider the needs of the puppy before there own is brilliant

Good luck in the future when you get your new puppy

Also enjoy the quality you seem to love to spend with Charlie and yes please photos

Maggie

I think you know in your heart of hearts that the puppy would not get the best life being alone for long periods. I take 3 weeks off work when I have puppies. I stay up all night for the first 2 weeks of their lives so that I can give them the best possible start in life and make sure everything is as it should be. I arrange for people to come in for long periods during the day to ensure that the puppies are socialised and enjoy some play time with other people and devote a lot of time to playing with them myself. Why as a breeder would I then want them to go to a home to be alone most of the time. It sounds to me as if you are only a young couple, what about going out in the evenings or going away for weekends? you have then to make arrangements for the puppy to be looked after. or is it going to see you for maybe an hour or so befor you go and get ready to go out? and leave him on his own again. so that is 9 hours when you are at work 8 hours sleeping and 4 hours evening out. There realy isnt much of the day left is there.maybe an hour in the morning whilst you are getting ready for work and then 2 hours in the evening when you first get home. Oh and you still have your chores to do. How much time would the puppy actually get individual attention from you? I think you are very sensible to wait untill the time comes when you can give the time that the puppy deserves after all he didnt ask to be born or to lead a life of solitude. and I for one wouldnt want him too. Shih Tzu thrive on human companionship, they are not dogs to be left alone they develop their personalities by the attention they get and the life they experience. If you cant give them those experiences and devote the time to them then wait untill you can. JMHO

thanks for the support peeps!
We are a young couple but we are the type of people who like to stay in and watch a bit of TV go out during the day! We aren't big on the usual lifestyle befitting a young couple! I'm not saying we dont go out at all but we dont have a hectic social life.
It is a tough decision to come to terms with and we may review again in the near future if circumstances change!

Here are some pics of charlie! We've only started being surrogate parents in the last two months as the house we have moved into allow dogs (we are renting obviously! )
But the time we get with him is fun!

I'm not too clued up on Shih Tzu's yet but from what I gather he's not KC'd registered but he does have a a little cert which shows who he's related to and some of his predecessors are breed winners I think in Crufts! sorry for vagueness!
He is also a little bigger than the usual Shih Tzu as he has american genes so i'm told! either way he's happy to be left a lone but loves to play tug-o-war and seems to like pink squeeky toys!

Here's the most recent pic!

He's resting during a walk i took him on!

Here's another one! He looks really big in this pic for some reason but its the angle! honest!


And here's what he looks like after a trim at the groomers


I know some/most owners keep Shih Tzu hair long but i think he looks cool with short hair with his Fountain tale (as i like to call it)!

He does look a handsome chap, enjoy your surrogacey

I did write this just now but can,t seem to find where I wrote it it seem to dissapeared ,
anyway Please please not think that I am not saying that 9 hours is a long time to leave a puppy because it is,
I have done it when I had my cavaliers and they were fine ,
but now adays I had no intention of leaving my dogs for long periods of time or I wouldn,t of had them,
But sometimes It has turned out and I have got really cross with myself because of it but it has been 9 hours I have left them on they own,
I generally go to work anytime between 3.15pm and 4,30 pm depending if I have the car and my hubby genrally comes home about 6ish, so at the most its 3 hours,
but if I had gone to work and my hubby hasn,t been able to get back because he has ran out of driving hours in the lorry by the time i have got back home it has been 9 hours,
but now that isn,t going to happen as my daughter is moving over from Bristol in 2 weeks and she is only 2 mins away from me so she will be here if ever a time they are alone now is approx 1-2 and that is it,
so please please dont anyone feel that i am not saying that leaving a puppy for 9 hours isn,t a long time,

Oh he is lovely, and I love the fact that you have him at weekends, at least when the time is right for you to welcome a puppy into your hearts and homes, you will have some idea on what to expect.

And your puppy will have a weekend playmate, how cool.

Hi Simon

He is lovely, it dosent make any difference if he has a KC registration or a little to big due to American lines as there are many who have American lines.

What really matters is the love he gets and the love he gives, he seems a happy chappie by the pictures, and thats important in any dogs life.

Enjoy your time with Charlie I am sure he loves it as much as you do.

Tersayla I dont think anyone thinks that, everyone has there own way of looking after there dogs, the way you choose seems to suit you as does the way others look after theres, not everyone does it the same way

Maggie

Hi, he is lovely, he dosn't look that big , looks like he laughing !!
Sandra

Ahh, he's lovely and looks like a really happy little dog

thanks!
I think he quite likes visiting us as we live in a little village outside of town with lots of places to walk and have a quite large garden! When he's home he lives a town life! so we like to think he comes to our house and thinks it like his country retreat!

Just out of interest how long would it be before a pup could be left on its own? also would it be so bad if we bought two puppies (same litter) and would that be so bad as they'd have each other for company?

Hi Simon

In my opinion and its just that, puppies need attention and ofter awhile get used to the way we live.
I spoke to friends yesterday who breed and who work, Paula leaves for work about 8.45 am and returns home at 12.15 pm to let her dogs out and the returns to work until 4pm.
We live in small villages and she works 4 mins away from where she lives.
They had a litter of Lhasa puppies Paula took 4 weeks of her partner then took 3 weeks off work, her mum and her father came in everyday for another 3 weeks and stayed with the puppies making them 9 weeks. They were then left for short periods becoming longer as they got older

The puppies were weaned and didnt leave until they were 14 weeks old after injections ect. The 2 puppies that Paula has kept are now 5 months and are used to being left for this period, they stay togther in a large pen and ae lovely dogs.

Some people work longer hours and have futher to go to get to and from work, when I had my last litter I didnt show for about 4 months, they were watched 24 hours a day and even now there is nearly someone in my home all day.

Does this make me a better owner and should people who work not be allowed dogs, I would say no everyones lives are different as we are in ourselves, some peole have to work and adjust there ives as such, love, understanding and commitment is important an as long as a dog has that then you are half way there.

You can ask us all what we think but in the end you have to decide what you believe is right for the puppy or puppies. I have never sold a dog to anyone who has worked even part time, this is what I believe is right for my dogs but others have there own opinions.

I am sure what ever you decide to do it will be right for you all

Maggie

Hi Simon
Charlie looks a real happy boy and is very handsome! i am sure he really enjoys his country weekends.

Having two puppies for company in my opinion is better than having one solitary puppy.

I have to say that if I had had to wait until I did not go to work then I would have missed out on 30 years of love and companionship and my dogs would also have missed out on the 30 years utter devotion that I gave to them, not withstanding the time and effort I have given to others over the years to help the breed.

When I had a litter of puppies (not that often - I only had a couple of litters) I did arrange for my mother to come and stay with me so the puppies had 24/7 looking after and when I bought a puppy then I made sure I had some holiday time to spend with it to get it used to me.

I can honestly say that my dogs never felt neglected nor did they miss out on life. I have never had any behavioural problems with them and they had the best of everything to make their lives as happy, full and healthy as possible. I know that I had long holidays because I was a teacher in school and those times as well as evenings and weekends were devoted to being in my dogs' company.

Everyone's lifestyle and situation is different and I don't think we can make generalisations about anything