A dog in my life: time, work and home
Yes, you can have a dog while working, even in a flat. A balanced adult dog sleeps 12 to 14 hours a day: well walked and exercised, he lives your 7 to 8 hours away as a nap, not a punishment. What matters isn't the hour count, it's the quality of the rest.
Working and owning a dog: the everyday life of almost every owner
A healthy adult dog spends around half his day asleep, in short naps spread out. If his needs are met (walks, exercise, sniffing, chewing, time with you), your absence becomes a moment of rest rather than abandonment. The problem was never « the owner works »: it's a dog whose days are empty.
A day that works, even with a job
The secret isn't being there all the time: it's making the most of the moments when you are.
A proper walk in the morning
Not just around the block: time to sniff, explore and meet other dogs. A dog who has sniffed and moved about then settles down calmly.
An outlet just before you leave
A chew or foraging toy, saved for departures, turns « you're leaving » into a good moment rather than a worry.
While you're away: he sleeps
Well exercised, he spends most of your working hours napping. That's normal and it's healthy.
Coming home, then a walk or some play
Even tired, you give him an end-of-day walk with some sniffing, or a quarter of an hour of play. That's what counts, not guilt.
He's just arrived: we build being alone first
A dog who has just landed at your place has left everything at once: his mother, his littermates, his bearings. Leaving him alone for 7 hours on the very first day would be asking him to run before he can walk. We do the groundwork beforehand, over a few weeks: neutral departures and returns, longer and longer absences, something to chew to pass the time. Once being alone is built, the long days go by on their own.
We never leave a newly arrived dog alone for 7 hours straight away. We go step by step.
Il intègre que tu pars et que tu reviens, à chaque fois.
- Step out without ceremony for the post or the bins, 1 to 3 minutes
- Come back calmly, no big fuss or apologies
- Go for a shower, leaving him on the other side of the door
L'absence devient un temps de repos.
- Move to 5, then 15, then 30 minutes
- Walk him and exercise him before leaving, so he sleeps
- Give him a chew toy kept for departures
Move on when: Il reste posé au lieu de t'attendre derrière la porte.
Une journée de travail se passe sans stress.
- Extend little by little up to several hours
- Keep the departure neutral and the walk that comes before it
- Take the special toy away when you get back, in front of him
Move on when: Tu pars 7 à 8 heures et tout va bien au retour.
A puppy is different, without making a drama of it: he can't hold on for long yet and needs to go out more often. While he grows up, plan a midday break (a neighbour, a dog walker, a daycare). It's not « impossible », it's an arrangement lasting a few months.
In a flat too, it works very well
Floor space doesn't make a dog happy. A big, calm, well-walked dog is perfectly happy in a flat, whereas a small dog who is never stimulated can be miserable in a large house with a garden. What matters is what you do outdoors with him, not the number of square metres.
What makes a dog thrive in a flat has nothing to do with square metres.
0 / 5Yes, go for it with confidence
- You can offer a proper walk morning and evening
- You plan an outlet and a quiet spot for the absence
- You build being alone little by little before the long days
- For a puppy, you have a midday break (neighbour, dog-sitter, daycare)
Take time to get organised first
- Your days run 10 to 12 hours with no break or relay at all
- You'd want to leave a newly arrived puppy alone all day straight away
- No quality walk is possible, morning or evening
- Topál, Miklósi, Csányi & Dóka — Attachment behaviour in dogs: an adaptation of Ainsworth's Strange Situation test (1998)
- Sherman & Mills — Canine anxieties and phobias: separation and graduated departures as a basis for treatment (2008)
- Duranton & Horowitz — Olfactory enrichment and positive affect in dogs (2019)
- The adult dog sleeps 12 to 14 hours per 24 hours (polyphasic sleep), American Kennel Club, Sleep Foundation
- Morrill et al. — Breed explains only about 9% of behaviour: the individual comes first, Science (2022)
Frequently asked questions
How long can a dog be left alone?
There's no universal cut-off. A balanced adult dog who is used to it, walked and exercised before and after, handles a 7 to 8 hour working day very well. A puppy needs a more frequent break while he grows up. What matters is the quality of the rest of the day, not the hour count.
Can you have a dog when you work?
Yes, it's the everyday reality for most dogs. The key is making the most of your time together: a proper walk morning and evening, a chew as an outlet for the absence, and being alone built up gradually. Even tired after work, you can give what's needed. No reason to feel guilty.
Can you have a dog in a flat?
Yes, very well. Floor space doesn't make the dog: it's the walks, the physical and mental exercise and anticipating his needs that count. A big, calm, well-walked dog lives perfectly happily in a flat, whereas a small dog who is never stimulated would be miserable in a villa.
How do I get my dog used to being alone?
Gradually, under his stress threshold: micro-absences (post, bins), neutral departures and returns, absences you lengthen little by little, and a chew toy saved for departures. You build being alone before going away for long, never the other way round.
Which dog can stay alone while I work?
It's not a question of breed but of organisation. An adult dog already used to being alone is calmer than a puppy. Above all, choose a profile whose exercise needs fit your days, and plan a break or a relay when you're away for long.
My dog destroys everything when I leave, is it serious?
Most often it's boredom or being alone never learned, not revenge: he doesn't connect the mess to your return, so you never tell him off after the fact. But if he only goes for your things, vocalises non-stop or soils himself out of distress, it's separation anxiety to work on with a veterinary behaviourist.
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