# Working Families: How and when do your dogs go potty during the day?



## marshies (May 18, 2011)

I was inspired by a recent thread on walking your dogs. As a student, I can give all the exercise and potty breaks that my dog needs. But as I enter the full time work force next September, I'm wondering what you guys are doing to manage your dogs during the work day? 

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 

How old is your dog?

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 

Do you use a dog walker? 

Do you use a dog door?

Do you use an outdoor kennel? 

Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.

Thanks!!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
*They don't. 

*How old is your dog?
*Personal dogs are almost 4 and almost 2. Current foster is 7 months. 

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 
*Yes (though I am gone from 7am-5pm). And they can hold it longer on the very rare occasion that I have to stay late.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
I did when I was attending classes after work and may have to again when I go back in January.

*Do you use a dog door?*
Not currently but I am looking at having one installed. 

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? 
*No.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Some are in outdoor kennels, others are in in and out kennels. 

Older dogs can generally hold it between 8AM and 6PM, unless they get sick, and that cannot be held against them. Puppies do not have the bladder capacity and they will potty if they are left like that, and if they are crated they will be forced to lie in it. 

An outdoor kennel makes sense if you neighborhood is safe first. If the dog is unlikely to draw attention to themselves, by barking excessively, if it is totally escape proof, etc. 

An indoor outdoor kennel makes sense. But I do not suggest just leaving a doggy door to your back yard, chances are you will come home to your couch totally muddied and a giant branch in your house -- been there with the giant branch brought in my three proud of themselves ten week old puppies. If the outside area is a secure kennel with a concrete base, and then you have a baby gate on the room with the doggy door, or an x-pen clipped to the wall, it will keep the wet dog safe in your house and able to go in and out.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

*How old is your dog?* 9,7 & almost 2
*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM?* 8-5:30 occassionaly with no problem
*Do you use a dog walker? *No but I have a petsitter if I need her to come by the house
*Do you use a dog door? *I want one but my hubby is not convinced
*Do you use an outdoor kennel?* No I have a secure backyard
*Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs. *I get up earlier than needed so I have time to take the dogs out. For the most part they sleep all day. They are content with our routine they have sufficient time to get thier ya ya's out in the morning and settle down till I get home.


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
Whenever they need to. My dogs are kept in the backyard when I'm gone, then brought inside when I'm home.

How old is your dog?
6 month old GSD, 12 year old mix, 15 year old Schipperke.

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 
The two older dogs could, I'm sure. The puppy probably couldn't.

Do you use a dog walker? 
No.

Do you use a dog door?
No.

Do you use an outdoor kennel? 
No.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
My workplace is 10 minute away, so he usually gets to go out at lunch, but on other days he holds it from 7:30-5:30

*How old is your dog?*
1.5 years old, but he could hold it for this long when he was younger*

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Yes.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
No, there is a dog walking service available though if I ever had a change of schedule.

*Do you use a dog door?*
No, and it is not something I would use. We live in an okay neighborhood, but there are occasional break ins. I would be more worried about someone stealing my dog than breaking in and stealing my stuff.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No, because I only have one dog there is no problem with him staying in my room during the day. If I had two and wanted to keep them both separated they would be crated.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
They don't. 

*How old is your dog?*
6 years old (has only had this schedule for the last 3 years- when he was younger, he was only home alone a few hours at a time)

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Yes. I leave at about 10am and get home at about 6pm, but on the rare occasion I have to do something before or after work, he could hold it longer. All of the fosters I have had (even a shih tzu) have been able to hold it too.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
No.

*Do you use a dog door?*
No.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No.

Luckily, my husband now works from home twice a week, so our dog is only home alone for a full work day 3 days a week.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

marshies said:


> I was inspired by a recent thread on walking your dogs. As a student, I can give all the exercise and potty breaks that my dog needs. But as I enter the full time work force next September, I'm wondering what you guys are doing to manage your dogs during the work day?
> 
> For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?
> 
> ...


I don't technically work full time but I go to school part time and work part time, so there are days when my schedule is like one of those that works full time. So I am answering how we operate on those days.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
*They don't. They potty in the morning around 6:30am and when I get home around 4pm. 
*
How old is your dog?* We have 5. Ages 19 months to 9 years.
*
Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? * They can. 
*
Do you use a dog walker? * No.
*
Do you use a dog door?* No. Never. 
*
Do you use an outdoor kennel? * Not anymore. That's what we used when we had the puppy because he couldn't hold it through the day in his crate. As soon as he could, he moved inside. I should add that it was a padlocked 5x10 kennel under roof in our 6ft privacy fenced backyard. I do not like the idea that anyone could get at my dogs without my supervision. 
*
Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.* 
It is very doable. You just have to remember that when you get home, you are on for your dog. He's been sitting around bored all day long. So you don't get to be tired or grumpy, you get to take walks and play ball instead. And the more you put in when they're young or new to your house, the better it is later on.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day*? 
If my dogs have to stay home when I'm at work, they stay in the house and do not get any potty breaks. If I can bring them with me to work, they stay in the van and they get 3-4 breaks a day, from a few minutes to half an hour. 

*How old is your dog?*
2 1/2 and 7 (approx)

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Yes, they can routinely hold it for 10 hrs at a time, and longer if circumstances dictate. 

*Do you use a dog walker? *
No. I was looking to hire a dog walker when I had a pup, but I'm too remote and couldn't get anyone to come out to my place. What I ended up doing was to bring my dog to a friend's place who was just a hop and skip from my work place, and I could run over on my breaks to let the puppy out to potty. 

*Do you use a dog door?*
No. I want to be able to monitor when and how often my dogs potty. 

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No. 

*Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.*
With young puppies, I think you have to be creative to find something that will work and allow them potty and regular breaks from their crates. But once they get to be 7 - 8 months and older, there should be no reason that they can't be left in their crates or kennels during the day.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *7:15 am, 12:15 pm, 5:30 pm, 10 pm. I live close to home so I can take her out during my lunch.
*How old is your dog?* 9 months now but I've kept this schedule since she was a pup.
*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? * Yes. There has been times when I couldn't go home during lunch and my wife gets home around 5:15 pm - 5:30 pm.
*Do you use a dog walker? * No. With my schedule, didn't need one.
*Do you use a dog door?* No. I'm renting this house so I can't adjust the house.
*Do you use an outdoor kennel? * No. She's always inside the house. I now have room mates and his wife does not work so she takes care of my girl now as well.
*Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs. * If they're old enough, they can hold it and I'm sure they'll be able to make the adjustment. Worst case scenario for me, on days I knew that I will not be able to take her out for long periods of time like maybe 10 hours or more, I keep her in my master bathroom. Enough room for her to move around. I don't want her to crap in her kennel and watch it or maybe even eat it. Yuck.

My girl knows I don't like it when she poops inside so she eats it to hide the mess. GAHH! Makes it even worse.


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## mw7 (Dec 15, 2010)

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 

Our pup always has an early morning potty (pee + poop) at the start of our morning walk. We usually take one more quick pee break before I leave in the morning (~7:30 am). I sometimes get home to let her out one time around lunch, but otherwise, she seems to hold it for a good 8-9 hours, even when in her outdoor kennel. We also only feed at night, but she gets plenty of training treats in the morning and afternoon.

How old is your dog?

10.5 months

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 

Yep, Maya seemed to have a bladder of steel from day 1, and working her up to 4-5 hours in the crate was not a problem at a pretty young age.

Do you use a dog walker? 
Only when I am out of town, or if we have a string of bad weather and I can't get home. It's about $15 for 30 min., for the one I've found near me.

Do you use a dog door?
No, house isn't configured well for one, and I don't trust her alone in any room of the house for more than 1 hour.

Do you use an outdoor kennel? 

Yes, I put up a 10' x 10' used kennel next to my house that sits on a concrete patio. We covered it and also put up a tarp on the wall that faces a street behind us to keep her from barking her head off at every walker/jogger/cyclist that goes by. She does not seem to go potty in the kennel, and I don't like to leave her there when the weather gets really nasty. On those days, she is in the kitchen in her x-pen and I try my best to get home around lunch time to feed her.

Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.

I have a very high drive pup, so the key for us was getting her exercise in the early morning before we go to work. I take our pup for a 2 mile walk each morning at 5 am (not fun) and then some short time of tug or flirt pole before I leave in the morning. We try to go on another 2 mile walk in the evening or have some crazy off-leash wild time in the back yard when we get home. Dogs in general like routines, so once you get your dog on one it pays to try your best to stick to it. My job requires me to work pretty late hours from home at night too, so I'm pretty sleep deprived right now. I would rather be tired and groggy than have an out of control GSD in my home.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the responses! It's very helpful for me to get a better understanding of what to expect next year. 

An another question for those who keep the dogs inside: do you crate? Did you find it better for the dog in the crate versus lose in the house or in a dog-proof room in the house?


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

I find that there is no dog proof room. lol. But others may differ. I used to keep her in an empty room but she tore up the carpet by the door trying to dig her way out. The door was all scratched up *another project to paint* and the closet was chewed up. Crating is the best and safest way.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
Noon, using dog walker. 

How old is your dog?
2

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 
Yes , but she only had to do that once.

Do you use a dog walker? 
Yes

Do you use a dog door?
Not currently but I did for my last dog. 

Do you use an outdoor kennel? 
No.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
*She doesn't 

*How old is your dog?*
4, almost 5 years old
*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Yes she can. If I can swing it, I try to come home at lunch and let her out...but 99% of the time she has to hold it.
*Do you use a dog walker? *
No.

*Do you use a dog door?*
Only when we are home.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No.

When we have to be gone all day on a weekend, I do have a friend come over and let Scarlett out to do her business. During the week, my work schedule has a little flexibility built in, and I only work 4 long days. I am home later on some mornings to let her out and my daughter gets home from school at 4 to let her out again.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if our dog has to be left alone between
8am and 6 pm our neighbor comes over to let him
out, give him a snack/treat and feed him
dinner if need be. when we're gone i like to have
our dog let out every 4 hours. when we're home
we don't keep a set schedule for him to go out.
i was home today. our dog went out at 8am, 11am,
1:30pm, 3:00pm. i'll let him out at 6:00pm or so
and then between 9:00pm and 10:00pm he's going out again
except this time we're going to play a retrieving game
after he goes to the bathroom.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Scarlettsmom said:


> *For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?
> *She doesn't
> 
> *How old is your dog?*
> ...


If you don't mind me asking: how old is your daughter? As a last resort, I have a nanny at home with my 10 year old sister and either of them could open the door to the backyard, and let my dog out for 10 minutes, supervise, and then call her back. 

Does your daughter put the dog on a leash? How old was she when she started getting involved with dog responsibilities? Do you crate during the day?

Thanks!


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
*I take 3 of my dogs to work with me, while the three older (less energetic ones) stay home. My 2 shepherds and my husbands Chihuahua...LOL...yes have a laugh.

We go for a 30 minute off leash hike in the morning, a 45 minute off leash walk (play ball hike, or train in between) and dog classes 3-4 nights a week. (I am a trainer so my dogs will work for 1 hour each, then a teach for an hour or two), then one more off leash run before bed for 30 - 45 minutes. 

Some weekdays my older (20 months) shepherd will stay home, I bring my 4 1/2 month old shepherd everyday so he doesn't have to hold it.

*How old is your dog?*
8, 5, 5, 20 months, 6 1/2 months, 4 1/2 months 

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
All of my older ones can hold it no problem, as for the puppies, I would never make them or attempt to make them. If you can't get them out at least every 4 hours, then don't get a puppy. Not only for the potty breaks, but they need interaction and exercise.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
No.

*Do you use a dog door?*
No

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
We have outdoor pens/kennels over our 3 acres, the pet dogs are allowed into the same pen together, but the shepherds are in seperate pens, so they have their own outdoor kennels. None of the dogs are ever left outside when we are not home.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

marshies said:


> If you don't mind me asking: how old is your daughter? As a last resort, I have a nanny at home with my 10 year old sister and either of them could open the door to the backyard, and let my dog out for 10 minutes, supervise, and then call her back.
> 
> Does your daughter put the dog on a leash? How old was she when she started getting involved with dog responsibilities? Do you crate during the day?
> 
> Thanks!


My daughter is 16. When we rescued Scarlett, she was 13 and she took Scarlett through all the obedience classes. We felt like the littlest member of our human pack should be able to handle our Canine member. Scarlett totally obeys my daughter. We have invisible fence, and Scarlett is always supervised outside. My daughter can walk Scarlett without a problem too. Scarlett isn't usually a problem to get back in the house.


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? 
*She doesn't 

*How old is your dog?*
18 months
*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Yes she can. I am normally gone from 730 am to 7 pm
*Do you use a dog walker? *
No.

*Do you use a dog door?*
no i live in an apartment.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No.

normally my bf is home mondays after 3 tues after 3, wed is really the only day she has to hold it for 12 hours. thurs hes home until 12 and she has to hold it from 12 to 7 and fridays he is only gone from 12 to 230. weekends she is only crated when we are gone and normally we spend weekends doing things dog releated so she goes everywhere with us


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

marshies said:


> ......An another question for those who keep the dogs inside: do you crate? Did you find it better for the dog in the crate versus lose in the house or in a dog-proof room in the house?


I've crated mine until past teething and trustworthy to not destroy my house and then start the process slowly until it builds up to a full day. I'm in the camp of not believing there is such a thing as a dog-proof room. It's amazing what young teething little boogers can find to destroy (and get hurt by.)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
I won't bore you with the entire schedule details, but the longest the pup is in the crate is 6.5 hours twice per week. The other two days are broken up in between, when I come home at lunch to do a quick run and potty. The other three days he's barely crated at all unless he chooses to go in and take a nap.

*How old is your dog?*
Two older dogs are 8 & 4, puppy is just shy of six months.

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
Older ones, sure. As for the pup, I've never let him go that long and won't for some time to come.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
No.

*Do you use a dog door?*
No, don't have one.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
No.


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## jmopaso (Nov 27, 2008)

I have some dogs outside in invisible fence during the day.
I have some dogs in kennels during the day, yes they can hold it. They go out about 8 am and about 6 pm. 
Outside dogs do have a dog door into their dog proof room in the basement. I have a few that could stay in the house all day and be fine.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

My 5 yr old has the run of the house, she has since she was 1yr old. Never had a problem with that. I have seen people use ex-pens for babies when they have to work all day. Usually ex-pen attached to the front of their crate with a potty area set up. My puppy has an in out pen. Dog door in the laundry room, inside has a pen, out side has a kennel on concrete pads, yard is also fenced so no one can actually approach the kennel.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Castlemaid said:


> *For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day*?
> If my dogs have to stay home when I'm at work, they stay in the house and do not get any potty breaks. If I can bring them with me to work, they stay in the van and they get 3-4 breaks a day, from a few minutes to half an hour.
> 
> *How old is your dog?*
> ...


Thanks for sharing!

I'm hoping to get my puppy in February, so I'll have February to September for the pupper to grow bladder control.

Did you build up your dog's "holding" endurance? When did they start holding it for 10 hours at a time?


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I just got out of school in April and am now working at a full time job. I have two dogs; 2.5 years old and a 6 month old puppy.



> For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?


My sister lives with me and is a student, so the dogs are only alone-alone for a few hours a day. They potty in the morning before I leave, in the mid morning/early afternoon when my sister gets home, once again at 5 when I get home and again when we go for our potty/play/training and then again before bed.



> How old is your dog?


I have two dogs; 2.5 years old and 6 months old.



> Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM?


They both can and would, but I usually have someone here to break up the day. I have great friends and neighbours plus my sister to help with the dogs.



> Do you use a dog walker?


See above - usually if my sister and I work the same shift (longer than 6 hours) I ask a friend or neighbour to help potty and walk the dogs. My one neighbour BUGS me to care for the dogs, and the dogs love him, so it works.



> Do you use a dog door?


I live on the 3rd floor of a highrise apartment building - so no.



> Do you use an outdoor kennel?


No - see above.



> Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.


It's hard, but sooo worth it. The dogs are my stress relief and my relaxation - even when they are stressn me out!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

*1) For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?* 

I take both dogs out at 4:45am and 5:45am, I go to work from 6am-2:30pm. My aunt comes to my house between 10am-11am and lets the dogs out to potty. When I get home at 2:30pm I let them out again and then I let them out every half hour until we go to bed between 10pm-11pm.

_*2) How old is your dog?*_

My male is 2.5 years old and my female is 4 months old.

*3) Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM?* 

My male could hold it without a problem but my female puppy definitly cannot hold it for that long.

*4) Do you use a dog walker?* 

No, but my aunt comes to my house between 10am-11am to let the dogs out.

*5) Do you use a dog door?*

No, I would never use a doggy door, I always go outside with my dogs, I will never leave them unattended.

*6) Do you use an outdoor kennel?* 

Absolutely not.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

DTS said:


> *For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
> She doesn't
> 
> *How old is your dog?*
> ...


Do you withhold water on your long days? Like feed water in the morning before/after food, take to potty, and then take water bowl away? Or is water just there?


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Wanted to revise this thread to continue on with some questions.

1. Do you exercise before or after work?
2. Do you without water for the day?
3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

1. Do you exercise before or after work?

After. I'm not a morning person so their "exercise" in the morning is playing with each other. My dogs are good house dogs though, they don't really require/demand regular exercise especially now that they are free in the house during the day and often free in the yard as they please when I'm home (and if the weather is nice I just prop a door open). Usually in the morning they just want to potty and then get back on the bed.

2. Do you without water for the day?

No, there is a large pail in the basement. If I have dogs crated (which I no longer do) and it's hot or humid I put pails in their crates.

3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?

Depends. If I can see the dogs poop while they're outside and then they ask to come in, I don't let them back out. I don't feed in the morning other than a handful "snack". If the weather is nice they are often out from 7am-7:45 when I leave while I'm getting ready. If the weather is bad and they go out quickly and come back in, I try to have them go back out again right before I leave.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

1. Do you exercise before or after work?
Both. They need it and I need to spread it out because of multiple dogs. 

2. Do you without water for the day? 
No. They are 22, 20, 18 months old and can hold it up to 13-14 hours. During her heat cycles, Wiva has her water restricted while crated because she will go nuts with the fluid intake and urinate inside if she can't hold it. But that's the only exception. Many people do water restrict and only offer it when they are home. I have a breeder friend that water restricts all of the crated dogs. Personally, I don't feel right about restricting water. I'd rather a dog urinate inside than go without liquids for long periods of time. 

3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?
Potty before exercise. I hate when they start defecating or urinating in the middle of training or two ball. It's just a pet peeve. I am lucky to have a lot of land so I just let them out, they do their business and run back to me. Then each dog is trained or exercised individually while the others hang out in the outside pen. Then they rest for an hour and are fed. Sometimes I will let them out right before I leave if it will be a long day.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

*1. Do you exercise before or after work?
*Before work. This way there is no excuse (too late, too tired, to busy).
*2. Do you without water for the day?
* I never restrict my dogs water.
*3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?*
Yes I go potty before I leave for work  I also make sure the dogs go too, unless I am leaving them in my safe & secure backyard.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

1. Do you exercise before or after work?

Both. A walk and a trip to the dog park in the morning, then another trip to the dog park after dinner

2. Do you without water for the day?

No water in the crates, but they have water available at all other times. They are only in the crates for 5 hours at the absolute max 

3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?

Yes, they always go out for a few minutes just before they're crated


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## dgray (Feb 24, 2012)

1. Do you exercise before or after work?

I'm currently in between jobs, but I go to class all day two days a week. I exercise when I get home because I am not a morning person! Lol I'm trying to be better about this though. 
I'm about to start a new job, so she will have to be locked up more. I'm going to try to wake up earlier to entertain her before I leave. 

2. Do you without water for the day?

Bella is 5 months old, and I crate her while I'm gone if the fiancé is working. I've never restricted her water (she has a water bottle in there like a giant hamster water bottle) and she's never had an accident in her crate. We have left her alone for 7+ hours before and she does just fine. 

3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?

We take her out, then feed her, then let her tummy settle.. Throw a ball a few minutes, take her outside again, then crate her. 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
Titan does not go during the day while I am gone. It is just me, no family, but I work full time, about 8-10 hours a day. 

*How old is your dog?
*2 years and 9 Months.

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? 
*Titan does from 0700 to sometimes 1700.. 

*Do you use a dog walker?* 
I do not. On occasion, if a lot isn't going on a work, I will come home at lunch to eat and let him out. This is rare. Honestly if I could afford one, I probably would.

*Do you use a dog door?
*No doggy door.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? 
*I am working toward an outside environment for him. Need some supplies like a patio cover and a kennel or bed for him. I have a huge backyard and need to acclimate him to the weather here since it's completely different. When I do, I will leave him outside while I am at work. Huge privacy fencing and he doesn't dig or chew so I'm not worried.

*Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.
*Exercise them before and after work. You will pay if you don't  If I don't walk/run Titan in them mornings he is bouncing off the walls when I get home. If I skip both for weather reasons.. I better have something for him to do. Make sure you spend your off time and weekends (if you get them) with your pups. Create a strict routine. It will make it easier on your pups. Part of the reason I don't come home often during work is because I don't want him getting used to it, then wondering what's going on when I my workload increases and I can't for weeks. Your dogs will get used to the routine. Titan knows that work days are his "boring" days. he gets 4 miles of walk/running every day. 2 before work, 2 after then lots and lots of playtime and the dog park if I can throw it in. He knows the weekends are his. SAR Training all morning Saturday and an activity in the evenings. Sundays are relaxed and for lounging but we play a lot in the house on Sunday. All that with bits of obedience mixed in. 

Good luck! It's not that hard once you figure out a good routine!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Didn't see these until now.. so I thought I would answer them 

*1. Do you exercise before or after work?*
Both. Before I walk/run 2 miles with a dog park stop in the middle. After it's almost the same sometimes 3 or 4 miles depending on what he can handle andhow hot/humid it is.

*2. Do you without water for the day?*
He gets one bowl filled up in the morning before I leave and then when I get home and how ever many times after that.

*3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work?*
Typically I will get up, run/walk him, and come home give him water and then I hope in the shower. When I get out I feed him then finish getting ready. Before I leave I fill his bowl up then he goes potty. Typically it's about an hour from when we get done exercising and I leave for work. I try to give about 30 minutes rest before feeding him after I work him.


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## FrankieC (Aug 15, 2012)

Very informative thread!  We will be in the same situation as the OP come November.


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## Piper'sgrl (Apr 20, 2012)

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? well I work from 8am-6pm through the week and leave at 7 every morning and am not home until around 6:30-45. My bf works 7-5 every day and luckily my roommate works from 5-3pm so the dogs get out usually around 3:30 unless he decides to do something after work. There have been times when both dogs have to wait until I get home..but only occasonally

How old is your dog? My female shepherd Piper is 7 and a half months old and my bfs male shepherd Zeus is 10 and a half months

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? They better lol..usually they are pretty good about doing so.

Do you use a dog walker? nope

Do you use a dog door? nope

Do you use an outdoor kennel? nope

As far as excercise goes we live int the country so to make up for lack of play time during the day my bf and I always play with them after work and on weekends, as much as possible when we are home. He also owns a quad and man do the dogs looooove to run behind it! Also occasionally we will take them to the dog park once a week or when we have time


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## jae (Jul 17, 2012)

I am out of the house 11 hours a day. I have a 6mo. 

Can he hold it? Not sure, I tried once closing the door, but he was in-between foods (and not a high-quality) and crapped everywhere. No pee issues, except a few times when I was actually right there! wtf?

Morning and night, we work out either/and/or training, walking, running, hiking.
He is confined to his room, leads to about 200 sq ft outdoor run for him to eliminate. It's chicken wire. If he really wanted, he could destroy it, jump it, but he doesn't. He doesn't bark, or pay attention to the little mutt dogs next door that yip all day either.
He gets half a gallon of water all day, though he seldom touches it.
I throw him bones and kongs. But I presume he just sleeps all. day. long.

ahh the life of a dog.


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## apenn0006 (Jun 22, 2012)

How old is your dog? 4 mos old

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? Yes and has been doing so since 2.5 mos

Do you use a dog walker? No

Do you use a dog door? No

Do you use an outdoor kennel? No

Any additional comments you might have about managing working life and dogs.
Be prepared to exercise alot in the evenings!


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Thanks guys. The responses have helped a lot. 
wyoung2153, I really like your routine. I think I will go for something like this.
We had a great routine going during the school, but now that we've been on summer time for a few months, I've got to re-establish the routine for work.

Did you guys ease into the routine? Or was it just set and kept?


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

marshies said:


> Thanks guys. The responses have helped a lot.
> wyoung2153, I really like your routine. I think I will go for something like this.
> We had a great routine going during the school, but now that we've been on summer time for a few months, I've got to re-establish the routine for work.
> 
> Did you guys ease into the routine? Or was it just set and kept?


We did trial and error to figure out what would tucker him out and keep him happy. I started with just long walks after work and realized he was still really restless in the evenings. I tried leaving more toys out during the day and more chews but he didn't change. I was off work one day and took him for a morning run and then again later in the afternoon and realized what a difference that made and so decided to sacrifice a little sleep to exercise him in the morning. Then got him into SAR training on Saturdays to give him a job and a lot of mental stimulation. And Sundays are lazy because those are my lazy days and I was determined to make it his lazy day too. LOL. so we stay inside and play fetch or lay around. If he gets restless, which isn't often on Sundays (cuz he knows! ) I will take him to the dog park which is walking distance from my house.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

marshies said:


> I was inspired by a recent thread on walking your dogs. As a student, I can give all the exercise and potty breaks that my dog needs. But as I enter the full time work force next September, I'm wondering what you guys are doing to manage your dogs during the work day?
> 
> For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?
> *Mornings and evenings. Sometimes I can get home during lunch to let him out.*
> ...


We have a 10x10x6 out door kennel with a concrete floor. Its covered and has a ceiling fan and light. I only use this when he needs confined (mixed company is over), or if it is really nice out and I want to leave out side to get some fresh air. Otherwise he is left in the house during the day while we are at work. We originally set up the kennel so that we would not have to worry about him using the bathroom in the house but he would never go while in the kennel. He treats it just like he is in doors. The one thing that I will not do is leave him unattended in the yard while we are not home. Too dangerous. He can hop the fence like it is not even there. 

I feel obligated to say at this point that after we switched him to 100% raw, his poop volume decreased by 90% or more. Some times I will come home during lunch to let him out for a few moments and he will run around the yard barking at squirrels and the neighbors dogs but will never even use the bathroom.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

marshies said:


> Wanted to revise this thread to continue on with some questions.
> 
> 1. Do you exercise before or after work? *Most days before work. Some days we exercise in the evenings. He does schutzhund as well.*
> 2. Do you without water for the day? *No, I leave his bowl of water out for him every day*.
> 3. Do you have a potty break after exercise and feeding, but before leaving work? *Yes if he wants to go. *


 *....*


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

marshies said:


> I was inspired by a recent thread on walking your dogs. As a student, I can give all the exercise and potty breaks that my dog needs. But as I enter the full time work force next September, I'm wondering what you guys are doing to manage your dogs during the work day?
> 
> For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?
> 
> ...


An older dog can be left longer than a puppy. When Ivan was a puppy we had to close off areas of the house to keep him out of trouble.


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## PRS2012 (Sep 8, 2012)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
My wife works days and I work the overnight shift so it works out well. My wife takes Sammi for a walk at 6:30am before she leaves. I get home around that time and go right to sleep. I wake up around 1 or 2pm and take her for her afternoon walk. Then she gets her 3rd walk at around 6-6:30pm and my wife lets her out for a final potty break at around 8:30pm. So in total she gets out 4 times a day which is sometimes more than enough for her.

*How old is your dog?* 2 1/2 years old.

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM?* Possibly, but we don't test her. She eats and drinks first thing after her morning walk. I don't think, or want to push it that far to make her uncomfortable. Though she sleeps through the night just fine and after her 8:30pm potty break, she doesn't go out again until 6:30am the next morning. No point in making her hold it if we are there to let her out. 

*Do you use a dog walker?* No, with one of us home most of the time, there is no reason we can't take them out ourselves. If we have to plan to go somewhere, we feel confident on leaving her alone for 7-8 hours max, but we don't really want to test her.

*Do you use a dog door?* No

*Do you use an outdoor kennel?* No


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Thanks for the answers guys.
I start working on the 24th, and I want to make sure she has a good reliable schedule that we're both comfortable with before then.
Thus far the plan:
6:30 AM wake up for 30 mins of playing and potty and maybe a bit of light training with her
7:00 - 7:30 crate her to eat and drink while I get ready. Last potty before work
7:30 - 4:30 expen to nap
4:30 sister comes home from school, lets puppy out into the yard. 
8:30 I get home and let her out again, and either play and run some more, or jog.


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## FrankieC (Aug 15, 2012)

marshies said:


> Thanks for the answers guys.
> I start working on the 24th, and I want to make sure she has a good reliable schedule that we're both comfortable with before then.
> Thus far the plan:
> 6:30 AM wake up for 30 mins of playing and potty and maybe a bit of light training with her
> ...


Looks reasonable to me and we will follow something along the same lines except with a lunch time visit. 

Good luck and if you catch wind of any cool GSD clubs/activities in Toronto, let me know


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

marshies said:


> Thanks for the answers guys.
> I start working on the 24th, and I want to make sure she has a good reliable schedule that we're both comfortable with before then.
> Thus far the plan:
> 6:30 AM wake up for 30 mins of playing and potty and maybe a bit of light training with her
> ...


Sounds good to me! Let us know how it works out! It might take some getting used too and you might have to play around with exercises and figure out what tuckers him out in shorter amounts of time


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day?--- On the days I am day shift (7-3) they go out once a day usually around noon.

How old is your dog? almost 4, 3, & 2

Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? Yes now they all can.

Do you use a dog walker? No..my mother comes to let them out for us when my husband and I can't get home. I used to be a dog walker part time and will only use family & friends after an issue I came across when I did it parttime.

Do you use a dog door? No

Do you use an outdoor kennel? I would love to some day.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

So after working 2 weeks, we've adjusted to a non-busy season schedule. 

6:00 - 6:20 wake up and get ready for run. 
630-7:00 jog for a bit. We're starting at 2.4k to condition Puppy as she just turned 1. I feed about 1 cup of food during and after the run. 
7 - 3ish in her own bathroom with cushion, water, toys and what's left of the kibble. 
3 let out for an hour to roam in yard
4-5 put back into washroom by sister after some play with human children 
6 and beyond I come home for walk, play and potty. 
10 go for night walk for about 30 mins for bed at 11

I have found that she restricts water intake for herself when I'm not present so I leave a bowl of water next to bed to make sure she drinks enough during the night while I'm with her. 

Running before work really helps get the systems going in terms of pee and poop. If I wake up too late, it's a quick pee and a make-up run at 6pm


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

I have a dog that is better if I take her out for a very short potty walk before I leave for work. It gives her a chance to eliminate for the day. 

If anybody is sick, then they get to spend the day in the kitchen with newspapers. Otherwise, my dog(s) have free run of the main floor.


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## briantw (Oct 1, 2012)

*For families who work full time, how often and when do your dogs go potty during the day? *
Unless I come home for lunch, they don't. And even then, I rarely take them out at lunch unless it's to let them run a bit. At that point it hasn't really been enough time for them to even need to go. If I do take them out at lunch, they'll pee but that's it.

*How old is your dog?*
My Boxer is five and my GSD is a year and two months.

*Can your dogs hold it from between 8AM to 6PM? *
If they need to, yes, although I'm rarely gone that long.

*Do you use a dog walker? *
Nope. Sometimes I take one of the dogs to day care, but rarely more than once a month per dog. There's a dog park attached to my building (one of the main perks of living there) so as long as it's nice out they get a good play session in every night after work in addition to evening walks and inside play.

*Do you use a dog door?*
I live in an apartment, so no.

*Do you use an outdoor kennel? *
See above.


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