advice on what dog

connie_c

I'm looking for advice on what type of dog to get. I work alone in a shop in a big town. I want to get a dog I could bring to work who would be happy to hang around for most of the day. I usually go for a 45 min walk at lunch time.

He would need to be happy to sit quietly between 10 and 1 and the 2 till 6 behind the counter. Id get him a bed to sit in. Am I being unrealistic? I'd love a dog but don't want to leave him locked up at home all day.

I generally walk to work in the morning. Takes half an hour. And I go for a 4 to 6 mile run every second night so the dog would not only need to be chilled out during the day but up for plenty of exercise also.

I'd also like to get a dog from a shelter. And for him to be fairly young.

Any advice would be great. What breeds etc.

Toulouse

A Greyhound!

Not sure about the 4 to 6 mile run as they tend to be sprinters rather than marathon runners but it ticks every other box

seamus

Your activity levels seem ideal for a dog.

"Happy to sit quietly" is something else altogether. If the dog gets adequate exercise, then he will be chilled out most of the time. There will also be a bedding-in period of a couple of months while the dog gets used to the routine of the day. The dog will test the boundaries of what is and isn't allowed - you're not going to get a dog who does what you want "out of the box", so you'll have to allow for at least two months of disruption in your working day.

The first couple of weeks will be the hardest, but if you deal with any misbehaviour properly, the dog will quickly settle in and will only need to be corrected from time to time.

Ensure that the dog will have enough room to move around. In a shop environment, I would ensure that the dog can't just wander out from behind the counter all they want, and I would maybe put a second bed and a water bowl in the back room so the dog can go in there if they need some respite. You'll obviously also need to be aware of any back doors that the dog could escape from.

Again, as the dog gets used to the routine and you train him, he will be uninterested in wandering around the shop and escaping out the back, but initially you need to be prepared for anything.

I would go to dog training classes from week one so you know how to properly train and correct the dog.

As Toulouse says, a greyhound or lurcher seems like a good bet, except that they won't love you for the 6 mile runs

andreac

Deffo a greyhound. Not sure about the running but im sure they could manage it.

Toulouse

http://www.orchardgreyhoundsanctuary.com/

http://www.greyhoundhut.com/joomla/

mcdoogle

I know a dude with two wolfhounds that is in a similar position to yourself (not sure bout the runs though!). The dogs mainly sleep in a basket in a corner for most of the day. They pay little or no attention to customers so sounds like they might suit you in that regard. Might be a bit big though.

boxerly

Yes Greys love to sleep alot haha,they are so loving and there is something very majestic about them.Or you could adopt an older dog who likes to potter around and snooze xIve 2 older boxers who are great and very calm in our house x

Zapperzy

Are you self employed? If not I presume you've talked to your employers about this, most would not be happy about having a dog around, especially if there is food being sold or cooked there. I think it's a bit of a stupid rule to be honest but as regards health & safety are shops allowed have a dog on the premises? Id love if every workplace had a dog, people I think would be more comfortable going to work and it would draw customers in (maybe not ones who are scared of dogs though).
I agree with the suggestion of a greyhound, they tend to be very laid back and happy to be a couch potato all day, or look at getting an older dog that wants nothing more than a warm bed and a quick stroll every day.

connie_c

Thanks to everyone for the advice, ill do some research on how up for a long run greyhounds are.I know they wont be hard to find in a shelter. Paws have loads of them.

And I'm kind of self employed ish. Basically I'm the only person whos permission I would need so thats not an issue and the only food in the place is the odd Kit Kat.

pokertalk

sure if you get a grey then ya dont have to bring him on the long run if he is going to be getting an adequate run during your lunch break and the walk to and from work. you could also try getting a whippet there so relaxed around the home and dont smell as bad as other dogs they might need a little extra work to be house trained but these dogs would deffo suit the way of life you live

Vel

Maybe consider a lurcher as they would tend to have more stamina than a greyhound for long distances but once adequately exercised they display the same couch potato traits as the greyhound That said I'm pretty sure MJ at Orchard Greyhound Sanctuary rehomed one of her greys to a lady who is very into jogging and takes along the dog, so it might be a good idea to contact her for some advice