How long is your dog left alone each day?

[robotnix]

oh well too bad for me... I guess I won't have a rott (or any dog) for at least the next few years... until I find a woman :D

[k&s]

I think many adult dogs go into "suspended animation" when their owners are not at home.

My two rotties (~ 2 years and ~3 years old) get play time in the morning, after breakfast, for 15-30 minutes in the morning in large fenced yard. I have to be playing with them in order to get much running around going on.

Then they are in large basement pen which has doggie door to sizable fenced pen outside, for the work day (usually about 9-10 hours). I truly think they sleep most of day and only go outside to pee. (have had people staying at house sometimes report that they never saw the dogs outside during the day).

In the evening we play with them and they sometimes get walks. I try to walk them for about 30-45 minutes at least every other day (winds up being in the dark, on country roads, when the days are short). Sometimes if I am not up to walking them (esp. if weather is bad), I try to play mentally-challenging games like 'find me' or 'find the toy' in the house for about a half hour.

On weekends they are with us most of the time, and my healthy rottie gets 4-5 mile walks at least 1 day per weekend. Other one might get a 2-mile walk depending on how he is feeling.