When I got my dog, Otis, I had been working odd hour jobs and then became unemployed around the same time, so I had tons of time to play with him and give him all the attention he wanted.

Well, now he is about 9 months old and I will be starting a new job that has normal hours from 8-5 and my husband works from 4-6. I don't really have money right now for a dog sitter since I was unemployed for that amount of time and I don't want to leave him alone.

I have considered getting another dog but it wouldn't be fair to the new dog to invite him to a new family and never get to know him like I did Otis. Plus it would be hard to train a new dog when I'm never there. What should I do?

A dog that is bored will most likely find ways to entertain himself, like chewing on sofa cushions or destroying the furniture. You have to find ways to keep him busy while you're gone.

Moisten some of his dry food, stuff it into a kong toy and freeze it. Give it to him before you leave. He should enjoy chewing on this.

Play some music so that the house isn't so quiet.

Give him only a few of his favorite toys each day and rotate them. Hopefully this will keep him from becoming bored with the same old toys and he'll be happy to play with them.

Perhaps you can come up with some other ideas. Good luck with your new job.

If you have not yet crate trained Otis, now is the time. Get him used to spending time in a crate and seeing it as a positive place to be. Certainly you have left Otis alone for some period of time like when you go shopping or something....if so, he'll be find being left for longer...dogs can't tell time. Be sure to walk him good before you leave and when you come home.

There is no need to feel guilty about leaving Otis at home during the day. In fact, any sense of guilt can be sensed by Otis as unbalanced energy which will upset him. Project calm assertive balanced behavior; thus, signalling to Otis that there is nothing wrong with you leaving him at home while you go off to work.

Originally Posted by Frecs

...dogs can't tell time. Be sure to walk him good before you leave and when you come home.

There is no need to feel guilty about leaving Otis at home during the day. In fact, any sense of guilt can be sensed by Otis as unbalanced energy which will upset him. Project calm assertive balanced behavior; thus, signalling to Otis that there is nothing wrong with you leaving him at home while you go off to work.

Actually, they do have a sense of the passage of time: My dog knows what time her breakfast is, and what time dinner is. If I am asleep when her breakfast time comes around, she will wake me up. If the other family members forget to feed her dinner, or if their dinner is not yet ready by her dinner time, she will let them know.

They know what time their masters come home from work each day, and will go to the door about the correct time and wait. If their master is late, they know, and start to fidget.

But all that is neither here nor there... Everything else Frecs said is correct. Try not to project feelings of guilt on your dog, and see to it he gets a good, vigorous walk both before and after. If there is any way whatsoever for you to sneak home during your lunchbreak occasionally to let him out for a play session, that would be very helpful to his sanity. Otherwise, and adult dog can spend a work-day in a crate without too much ill effects.

it's definitely okay to leave your dog at home while you're at work because he can have time to play outside, in the garden or yard while you're out of the house.

But make sure that you give him a treat during the weekends. Play with him and nourish him like you did before when you had lots of time with him.

Aside from that, Otis would not feel neglected because he will be expecting you at the end of your work, when you are finally home. That would be the best time that both of you do the things like you did before.

you should leave your dog some toys and foods