How does your bully cope with you being at work all day?

BoscosMom

New member
Jul 29, 2013
40
2
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Canada
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Bosco
Little Bosco is now 4 months old, and I've been off work and home with him since we got him at 8 weeks. I leave him alone for a couple of hours here and there, while he's napping in his crate or gone to bed for the night, but throughout the day he gets a ton of attention and "me" time..

Well..I'll be starting a job in the next week or two and am worried about how he'll manage the day without me or my husband being home to entertain him! He'll have to stay in his crate and penned off area while we're away since he would likely rip the house to shreds if we weren't there to stop him.

Lately he gets very bored and starts to cry if we leave him in his penned off area when he's awake for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Given his recent neediness, I'm really concerned about how he'll cope with this sudden change - ie. being alone for 4-5 hours at a time.

How did your dogs cope when you are off to work during the day?? Any tips? I'll be sending him to doggy daycare twice a week, but need to figure out how to deal with him for the other 3 days..
 

Kross225

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Dec 4, 2012
368
63
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Luca Brasi
Since Luca was 11 weeks olds we would have to leave him home while we went to work so he is accustomed to it now. From what I can tell he just goes into his crate and sleeps most of the day away. We always leave the TV on for him so he's not sitting in silence.

Your pup will very likely be upset about it at first. That's unavoidable. I would leave something in the crate that has your scent on it like an old shirt so as to comfort him.
 

fastmatt613

Socks Don't Hold Pee.....Trust Me on This!
Community Veteran
Aug 6, 2013
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New Jersey
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United states
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Rocco
Rocco is 3 months old now. I've had him for a month and I leave him alone while I go to work. My girlfriend's schedule is pretty flexible and she works close enough to home to come home on lunch break. That being said, there are some days where he is in his create for up to 6 hours sometimes. But he seems to be ok. He gets all the attention once we're home though. I'd say your pup Will get used to it fairly quickly. It's all about routine. Once they realize that you come home eventually every time the anxiety is probably not there.

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JeannieCO

Queenie
Mar 11, 2011
12,680
873
Tip of the Mitt, Michigan
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Emma, Charlie, Milo, Peekaboo and Jack
Mine all sleep the day away until about 4 then they start moving around. I have cameras to check in on them so that's how I know. :) They stay sectioned off in the kitchen, especially Emma because she likes to eat couches. Sally is crated.

- - - Updated - - -

They were all crated up until 1.5 years old.
 

cali baker

Worlds Greatest Chef
Feb 25, 2011
8,925
851
The Crown City (Pasadena)
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Tate Rory & Finn Paddington
I crate Tate and Finn from 7am-ish til I get home at 5pm. It was hard for me to do at first; I used to leave them in the kitchen/laundry room area, blocking other areas of the house, but when i would get home, I'd find a mess everywhere. They weren't properly potty trained so i had pee pads for them which they wouldn't go on, the base boards would be chewed on, etc...So, crating was the best alternative and it's working out pretty well. They do sleep a lot in their crates, plus i leave the radio on (talk radio, of course)!
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
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Canada
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Bulldozer and Blossom
:mommy:Hi, you got great advice already from everyone above. They do sleep most of the time when they are crated, they do get used to it, and it is the safest place for them. We also leave the TV on for them, or music. I've heard that some people use a camera that you can hook up to the computer, and then you can check in on him throughout the day, and some people also use a dog walker that comes once a day to walk and play with your dog for a 1/2 hour or so. I don't know what the prices of these are, but they are other options you can use. My situation is the opposite of yours, I was working when I got my babies, mind you I only worked 3 days a week, but now I left my job of 15 years a month and a half ago, and have been home, so now they are out all day with me. I still have to crate them when I go out but they are okay, and sleep when we are not home. Bosco will get used to it, and when you get home he'll be so excited to see you. I know we worry, and we feel guilty, but just tell Bosco, mommy has to work to pay for his toys and treats.
 

brutus77

Skinny-Dippin' Smokin' Tidy Bowl Bionic Woman
Jul 18, 2013
6,940
593
Long Island NY
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USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus, Frankie, and Jack
When Brutus was a puppy He would go in his crate at 8am when I left for work and then I would go home at lunch 12pm to let him out for a potty break then my kids would be home from school at 2pm so he didn't really have a long stretch but, if you cannot arrange for someone to come in midday for bosco, he will be fine. I only went home at lunch when he was really small. I stopped when he started holding his pee pee all night. I figured if he could hold it at night he could hold it till 2 when the kids came home. They really do get used to it. Just make sure there is plenty of exercise and play time when you get home. We always had plenty of play time when I got home at 4:30pm.
 

JennieS

Moderator
Jun 25, 2013
3,292
301
Florence, KY
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Ruthie(died 11/27/18) Brutus & Hazel
Ruthie does just fine...she just naps the day away. I've notice though if we leave the tv on she will go into her crate. I don't think she likes the noise. She usually just bounces downstairs while I get ready for work and posts up on the couch all day.
 

Marine91

The New Casper
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May 15, 2013
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Blips and Chitz
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Harlea 5/4/13 - 8/25/22
My situation is different than most as I work from home. My wife works 3 days a week and Harlea goes to work with her for play dates with her boxer buddy and she stays home with me on Wednesdays. However, I do not keep her in her crate or just let her roam the house while I am working and she is here. I have a very large play pen that we keep in our living room and she goes in there and naps or plays and I check on her and take her out as my schedule permits and she just has a blast and I don't have to worry about the house being eaten. We even spend lunch time together. Not always eating but usually playing, snuggling or hanging out on the patio for a bit if the heat isn't too bad.
 

TubbysMom

New member
Community Veteran
Jan 15, 2013
891
67
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Toronto, ON Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Tubby
Little Bosco is now 4 months old, and I've been off work and home with him since we got him at 8 weeks. I leave him alone for a couple of hours here and there, while he's napping in his crate or gone to bed for the night, but throughout the day he gets a ton of attention and "me" time..

Well..I'll be starting a job in the next week or two and am worried about how he'll manage the day without me or my husband being home to entertain him! He'll have to stay in his crate and penned off area while we're away since he would likely rip the house to shreds if we weren't there to stop him.

Lately he gets very bored and starts to cry if we leave him in his penned off area when he's awake for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Given his recent neediness, I'm really concerned about how he'll cope with this sudden change - ie. being alone for 4-5 hours at a time.

How did your dogs cope when you are off to work during the day?? Any tips? I'll be sending him to doggy daycare twice a week, but need to figure out how to deal with him for the other 3 days..


This is pretty much how Tubbs started out. I work full time but his dad owns his own business so was home with him alot. We got him December 23 and my hunny got a new job which required him to be out of the house which started in May. Tubby had 6 months of daddy all to himself.

I was mortified that he now had to be alone during the day. We used to keep him in the kitchen gated off from the rest of the house with his toys. This sucked big time because he wasn't properly potty trained. He now chills in his crate from about 9am til 4pm when his dad gets home. He has no problems and usually snoozes the day away. I only say that because that boy has TOO much energy when we get home. Your baby will adjust and do just fine. Its us bully parents that need the extra time lol
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Jul 28, 2011
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Gilbertsville, PA
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USA
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Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
As you can see.... she struggles

Banks sleeping  001.jpg
 

HTX Bully

New member
Aug 6, 2013
290
9
Houston, TX
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Holly
I crate Tate and Finn from 7am-ish til I get home at 5pm. It was hard for me to do at first; I used to leave them in the kitchen/laundry room area, blocking other areas of the house, but when i would get home, I'd find a mess everywhere. They weren't properly potty trained so i had pee pads for them which they wouldn't go on, the base boards would be chewed on, etc...So, crating was the best alternative and it's working out pretty well. They do sleep a lot in their crates, plus i leave the radio on (talk radio, of course)!
Same here. We used to leave Holly blocked off in the kitchen but we just came home to a disaster! Holly would cry really bad also and I felt terrible :fie:. However they'll be okay. Holly is crated during the day now while we are at work and probably sleeps the day away. That's what she likes to do on the weekends!
 

Samantha Orts

New member
Jul 12, 2013
628
49
TX
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USA
Bulldog(s) Names
June
June is now 13 weeks old and is crated during the day while both my boyfriend and I work. For the first month home (we got her at 8 weeks) he came home everyday at lunch to take her out, feed and play with her. She has been able to hold her pee over night for almost as long as we've had her. For the last 2 weeks my boyfriend hasn't been able to go home anymore (he is a coach/teacher and school started) and she is always asleep when I get home around 4:30. Then we leave her out of the crate for the rest of the evening until bed time. We put toys in her crate and also leave music on or TV. She whined/barked the first day I left her (totally broke my heart) but is fine now because she knows we'll come back. If we put her in her crate while we are home (if we are cooking dinner or something and cant keep an eye on her) she cries cause she wants to come out and play with us. He will adjust quickly :)
 

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