Is it Fair to Leave a Dog Alone All Day?

This is one of the reasons my mom was against getting a dog. She said she would rather not get a dog at all instead of leaving it alone all day.. She thinks its unfair and it would be like a prison.

I have 3 dogs. I have 2 of my own and foster for an organization so I usually have 3 dogs in my home all the time. But, I am home all day and I take them to the local doggie park which has a creek where they can swim and run free and intermingle with other pooches. My dogs have the run of the house when I leave if I can't take them with me. Then never destroy the house and never have separation anxiety. It's because I trained them that way, they didn't come like that. They are up-to-date on all their vacs or they wouldn't be able to run free at the park. My dogs are also crate trained so if I have to separate them for any reason, I have a crate to use for this purpose. I think if people work and have dogs that's okay. Dogs don't understand time, and if you walk your dogs before going to work and again when you come home and again at bed time, that's better than no walking at all. Dogs just love to be with their people and what's any better than having your loving companion lying at your feet or curling up on the couch with you after a long, hard day at work. Just because you work doesn't mean you can't provide a good life for your pet. After all, you do have weekends to be with him/her. And folks please, don't buy a dog or cat or any other animal, please, please adopt!!!

Remember, the dog may be okay being alone during the day, but he can only hold it so long before he has to go to the bathroom. The smaller the dog, the more often they have to go to the bathroom.
   
If nothing else, the dog-sitter can come & walk him, so as to prevent accidents.
   
I have a local pet-sitter in, to walk Marlowe in the afternoon, as he gets his first walk at 7:30am most days, & then we don't get home until at least 7:30pm or later (long commute). He can't hold it that long.
   
Dog-sitters are licensed, bonded, have other customers you can talk to, & probably have other customers in your neighborhood (ask anybody you see with a dog, ask at the dog park for recommendations).
   
This way, you also have someone you can hire who can care for your dog when you're on vacation & can't take him (& can't find a friend to take care of him), that your dog already knows. It's also far cheaper to have a sitter come in, even for an overnight sleep-over (my dog sitter does this), than to check the dog into a pet hotel at $60.00 a night to start.