Looking for a rescue. Can you help?

[angelbears]

Before I agreed to let my son buy my mother's house he had to agree that he would get a dog. I don't like the neighborhood. So, we are looking for the perfect dog for him. I would like one that had some guarding instincts. I own a couple of Fila's but they are way too much dog for him.

A little about my son, Daniel. He's 26, single, very responsible and low key(energy). He's a works a lot and that raises some concerns. The dog will be alone from 1pm until around midnight, sometimes longer. He is a neat freak, so he doesn't want a shedder or drooler. He is leaning towards a standard poodle. I'm worried that a poodle would not be much of a protection dog. He doesn't have to have a puppy and would really like to rescue.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

[minnieme]

He's a works a lot and that raises some concerns. The dog will be alone from 1pm until around midnight, sometimes longer.

So 11+ hrs at work.... 7-8 hrs sleeping.... plus all the miscellaneous stuff that people do alone (showering/eating/running inevitable errands).... It just seems like a lot of alone time for a dog.

If he's absolutely set on getting a dog, I feel like it'd be kinder to get two. And btw, the standard poodles I have known would make decent guard dogs. Fiercely loyal and super smart. They may not look too intimidating, but they are really great dogs. You might be hard pressed to find a low key, non drooling, non furry guardian breed, as I find that they can often require a lot more human attention.....OR need a lot more care in the grooming/slobber hygiene department.

Sorry I can't be of more help...I'm sure others will help out though!

[angelbears]

Hi minnieme,

I agree, I am worried about the alone time. One of the reasons that we were thinking an older dog. I guess the way I justify it, be it right or wrong is if it is a rescue it would more than likely be living in a kennel with little interaction with humans. At least with Daniel he would live in the house and be well taken care of.

What does everybody else think about the long amounts of time the dog would be alone? Would it be to cruel?

[lauren43]

If you are look for a breed specific rescue chances are the dog will not be in a kennel. Many breed specific rescues are foster based meaning the dog is fully integrated into family life and used to having people around. IMO I think ppl determined enough can work those hours and still have a dog but you must arrange some sort of outlet for them. Perhaps hiring a dog walker or sending the dog to daycare once or twice a week. Then of course spending plenty of time with the dog on your days off. If he could commit to something along those lines, I think it would be ok...my thoughts are always "life changes" he may not always be living alone so this may be a non issue down the road.

If he doesn't really want a dog and is only doing it for you, I say no. Dogs are a huge responsiblility and if the owner isn't commited to it then he may end up with a dog with more behavioral issues and no protection. Also like Minnie said there are very few guardian breeds that don't shed. Poodles can make great watch dogs, but they may not deter a burglar, also as far as I know they are not considered a low maintenance breed, they can be high energy even as adults and they of course require grooming. Finally getting an adult does not guarantee you'll avoid the puppy stage completely, many times there is an adjustment period where the new dog may have accidents in the house and may destroy something it shouldn't. Perhaps in your sons case he'd be better off installing an alarm system (don't take that the wrong way just IMO)....

[lauren43]

Also some rescues will not adopt to someone who works 11+ hours a day.

[chowder]

I live with one of the lowest energy guardian breeds you can get, but I still cannot leave them alone that long each day. You can't get much lower energy needs then Chows, but they still need a lot of mental stimulation and several daily walks per day or they get bored and cranky and too unsocialized. I don't know about all guardian breeds, but this type (and I imagine most of them that bond so severely with their owners), need a lot of human interaction with their owner.

When we got Rocky from the rescue, one of the first questions they asked me was 'who would be home with him during the day and how long would he ever be left alone'. When I got my black chow from the breeder, the first thing she asked me was 'who would be home with the puppy during the day and how long he would would ever be left alone.' They wanted to make sure the dogs were never going to be left alone for any long periods of time or they would not let me adopt them. I worked from home full time along with my husband so we were considered suitable Chow parents. The dogs were rarely ever left alone.

Even now, when I am gone for 8 hours at school (and that is only 1 day per week) Rocky will literally lay on my feet and not leave me for the rest of the evening. It is just too much time away from him (and my husband is actually home with him all day!!)

Your son is actually probably better off with a dog that barks, as opposed to a 'protection' type dog. Anyone who breaks into a house is more prone to avoid a home with a noisy dog then anything else. In criminal justice classes they teach us that the criminals don't want to draw any attention to themselves so they immediately avoid the houses where they dogs start barking and yapping as soon as they approach. Even a small noisy dog is better then a big dog that doesn't make a sound during the day when your son will be at work.

[magicre]

not to be mean or anything, but i would recommend an alarm system, not a dog...

your son is young and works odd hours.....i think the last thing he needs is the responsibility of a dog....

he is also at an age where he might just meet 'the' girl.....and then maybe having a dog would be something both of them would do together...

[Unosmom]

I agree with others, thats an awful long time for a dog to be left by itself. The longest I leave my dog by himself is 6 hours, even then he has my roomates dog to keep him company. Can he come home for lunch to walk the dog or hire a dogwalker? Otherwise, an alarm system would be a more fitting choice.

[xellil]

He should get an alarm system that sounds like a dog barking.

Does he really want a dog, or do you really want him to have a dog? It seems like his lifestyle is just not set up to give a dog everything it needs.

[SerenityFL]

How about, since he works long hours, that he also get a dog sitter or walker so that the dog is not alone the entire time? Is that feasible, financially? His finances aren't my business so you don't have to answer to me, just to yourself and your son. It's a question to throw out there.

Others say to get a 2nd dog but the fact remains, even with another dog, that's still a long time to be left alone. Will the dog live inside the house? If so, that's a really long time for a dog not to have bathroom breaks. Will the dog have a doggy door? Seems if the main reason for getting one is for protection, the dog should be able to be inside and outside. Or will the dog be outside all day long? If that is the case, a lonely dog can really irritate neighbors and if you already think the neighborhood isn't the best, the last thing you need is one of those less than desirable neighbors doing something to the dog while the son is gone.

Lots to think about here.

It CAN be done but I would highly recommend dog sitter, dog walker or even bringing the dog to "doggy daycare". (If the dog has the right temperament, that is.)

Have you thought about going to the pound? You can find a lot of older dogs there. I really think a puppy is a bad, bad, bad idea in this case if he's gone that long. A rescue is good, too, and if you get one from the rescue, that frees them up to pull another from the shelter, (unless, of course, it's dog specific rescue...maybe they can, maybe they can't..depends what dogs are in the shelter), so it still does something good for those that are left at the shelter.

Anyway, some things to think about if you haven't already.