Considering a puppy. How much exercise will my dog need - physical and mental - to be happy at home?

My Husband and I are considering a puppy. We have a few things to sort out first (new fence in the garden) and are still debating which type to get.



Our main concern is that we are able to give adequate exercise to the dog and that it will be ok being left in the house. We are also concerned that the house will be ok being left with the dog.



I will be able to exercise every morning. My husband will be able to exercise during the day as he works shifts and will either start at lunch, be home after night shift or be day off. There are 4 days every month this will not be possible. My dad has agreed to come by those days.



In theory this sounds fine as I will walk again after work and can be flexible about when I return - between 4 and 6.



BUT



I am worried that the types of dogs I would like are from working breeds and would like to be exercised all day. Such as Border terrier or Lab. Both these dogs could be out in a field all day if they were working. Would they be ok being at home alone? Is it too cruel to do this. it would never need to be for more than 4 hours (5 on odd occasion).



We would both be prepared to put time in to training. This is something we are looking forward to. We are also considering agility if that is something that suits the dog.



We would be open to restricting movement in house/ caging the dog.



I have been looking in to high energy / low energy dogs. Alot of the information goes against what I would have believed.



I would like an active dog that is OK with periods of sedate time. Not a dog that has constant energy that will leave him unfufilled if he is in the house. I have looked into toys that stimulate your dog etc and have also heard that agility and obedience training / or time playing a game with your dog is more tiring for your dog than just a walk.



Other things to consider. We have small/ decent private garden but only accessed from front door so mostly supervised garden access only. We will be having children soon. Live in the UK.

***

What do you think:

If my dog is properly stimulated will it be happy at home?

How much physical and mental stimulation will it need?

Can you suggest a breed?

Are you a breeder? What would you think if I was a perspective owner?



THANKS FOR READING!Considering a puppy. How much exercise will my dog need - physical and mental - to be happy at home?
I think you would be a great owner. Four hours is maximum that a healthy, adult dog should be left alone. Two hours is maximum for a puppy (less than 18 mos). I would suggest crating your dog when you leave. After he gets used to the crate, you can open the area up a LITTLE more, as in putting a play pen around the crate. When you leave, give him entertaining toys such as the KONG brand. Stuff these toys with peanut butter and put them in the freezer. When you leave, take them out of the freezer and give them to your dog. This will keep him entertained for at least an hour. If you give the dog something stimulating to do while you are home, he should be fine and not destructive or prone to separation anxiety problems. Make games for him if he's a working dog. Games like fetch or ';hunting'; by putting rabbit scent on a toy and letting him find it. These work great to blow off steam, but don't forget to walk! Walking gives the dog more than just exercise as it stimulates their brain and senses. I think your dog will be fine no matter what breed you get. It sounds like you want a bigger breed, though, so I would suggest looking into different breeds to see which one you like best and which one fits in with your family the best. The best FAMILY dogs (since you said you're planning on having children soon) are: Labs, Golden Retriever, Pug, Newfoundland, and Keeshond. Good luck with your search!Considering a puppy. How much exercise will my dog need - physical and mental - to be happy at home?
Out in the field all day when you are gone? No. These are dogs that would run off, get run over, etc. Keep the dogs indoors unless you are outside with them. As for potty and exercise, adult dogs would be great for you. So long as nothing else comes up, your dad can come by. But what if he has an emergency and can't come by?



http://petfinder.com/ has shelters in your area that will match you up with that perfect dog.



Edit: Ok, you live in the UK. The RSPCA will be able to match you with that perfect dog. Or Dog's Trust.
Labs are high energy, but sleep around if there's nothing to do. My dog (lab mix) just sleeps and sleeps during the day when we're out at school/work. He only gets up when he needs a drink of water or to go potty. When we get home, he's a ball of energy and we give him enough exercise so that he's happy. We used to crate him during the day, and my mom would let him out to go to the bathroom during lunch time, and back to the crate again. That was no problem for him, since he slept most of the hours away. We let him alone in the house once he stopped chewing on furniture, but we find ripped up tissues and other items at times, you just need to ';puppy proof'; your house so that he doesn't get into anything you don't want him to get into. There's many options to keep your dog interested and happy when you're gone, like stuffing a Kong toy with PB/Pumpkin and freezing it etc. But yeah, I think Labs are great pets.
Cutting this long q. back to being brief(er) - rule of thumb ..... puppies need stimulation (just like children!) and therefore it's far better for somebody to be around most of the day to begin with. They also need to be let out every hour, if around 8 - 10 weeks. If they don't have this opportunity, right from the get-go, it will take forever to get them housetrained. And they need a lunchtime feed. Some breeds cope better living a solitary life than others, both mentally and physically. So for starters, unless you can be there to begin with - and that means probably up to around 5/6 months, I'd strongly urge you to look for a slightly older dog.



Adult dogs should not be left for longer than 4 hours at a stretch, on a regular basis. Again some cope, while others don't. Labradors, for example, are notorious chewers, and if lonely and bored, can do untold destruction. Hounds too, being essentially a pack animal (as all dogs are to a degree of course), particularly do not do well being left on their own for hours. And being a retired breeder of Bassets, I can tell you I preferred not to sell my puppies into a life like this. This became difficult as more and more people worked a full working day.



I think you are right to question this, and if possible, not to rely on other people when it comes to looking after your dog on a regular basis. People will help, but they also have their own lives to lead, and might not be available all of the time? It would be better, for this reason alone, if you do this, to pay for a sitter. I knew one man who had a Spinone, who used to board him during the working week, and take him home at weekends. But this wasn't ideal either as he worked the dog on the weekend, and the dog came in on a Monday, on his knees!! Took him the best part of the week to recover to be honest. And how he know where he belonged, I never understood!!



I believe a working dog would be very frustrated if left alone for long periods of time.
well for the first year your pup wont need excessive exercise! got to be careful in the first year because of hip dysplasia. I love working breeds, I have a working strain Cocker Spaniel.



I would consider a Working Cocker Spaniel, They are very friendly easy to train and all they want to do is please their owners. But it's not good to leave working breeds alone for to long as the need mental stimulation.



http://felsteadgundogs.com/WORKING%20COC鈥?/a>



But please think if you are going to have children! think before you get a dog! many people once they get a dog decide to go on and get pregnant and a baby and then decide to get rid of the dog!



Remember a Dog is for Life! until the end of the dogs life!