h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Mina

I wonder if you could help me. I need your advice on dogs, and you know more about dogs that anyone I know!.

I've been renting out my house since Ben and I moved in together, and it needs new tenants. I've had some people who want to rent it, but they have two dogs and are thinking of getting a third. I want to rent it to them, but I also want to not have to re-carpet and decorate the whole house when they move on!

They're only in their early 20s, and are out at work/uni all day so leaving dogs alone. It's a largish 2 bed house, with a small yard (not a garden). They've got a Jack Russell Yorkshire Terrier Cross, 4 year’s old- House Trained, and a German Sheppard 1 ½ Years Old,
They are looking at maybe getting a Puppy Sheepdog but it was only an idea.

I know it's really difficult letting with pets, we rent at the moment with the cats and it is a problem to find somewhere.

What sort of things should I ask them to check that they know what they're doing with dogs?

Can I refer you to Dogs Trust? http://www.letswithpets.org.uk/landlords/

They will be able to give you better advice than I can, which has probably been checked by solicitors! If you download the leaflet, it's got loads of info on it about letting to pet-owning tenants.

I'm not sure if you're asking about dog knowledge, or the pitfalls/benefits of renting to dog owners, so I'll just do a few notes...

As the people work I'd insist they use a dog walker (who would also need a key to your property so you may want to check them out too).

If they say they don't need to have a dog walker, I'd pass and let someone else with a dog have the property. They may be fine all day long, but it's going against the advice of all the major dog welfare organisations. You could ask what level of training they have, such as a Good Citizen award, but they don't really tell you anything about how the dog generally behaves, only that its been taught to follow instructions for a test. It does tell you that the owners care enough to bother though. If they have previously used a dog walker, ask for the details so you can give them a call for a reference.

Also if they are party animals out all weekend/evenings then that's not good for the dogs, *but* in my 20s I was probably out a great deal leaving Buster home alone a lot more than I do with these dogs.

If you really want to go to town I can give you some tests to check the dogs temperaments, or questions to test the owner's dog knowledge! Probably the easiest way to find out how much they know is to ask what job each breed was originally bred for, and if there are any of the breed still doing that job now. If they don't know, they haven't done much research before getting their dog.

As for the puppy sheepdog, if you mean a Border Collie/Working Sheepdog it is the height of cruelty to get a breed like that and not work it in dog sports or similar, but leave it alone in the house all day. I don't take that breed on at all. If they get a puppy they'd DEFINITELY need a dog walker, visiting at least twice a day.

Mina - that's great. I had read the Dog's Trust information in the past, and talked to landlords about it.

If I get it right it could be great- they'd find it difficult to move so may be long term tenants.

What I wanted was a bit of background knowledge so I could have a conversation with them and sanity check whether or not they are sensible pet owners. I don't want a situation where they're left alone a lot, ruining my house and I'm having complaints from the neighbours.

Now I've got some ideas of the questions to ask - how long they leave the dogs alone for, do they have a dog walker, would they get one, what sort of sheepdog is it, would it go for training of some sort.

Most places say dogs should not be left alone for more than 4 hours per day, but that's like a made up time. Research has shown dogs show least stress at 5 hours (mainly because they can get some proper sleep). Most of the dogs I look after are left from 8-6, some more like 12 hours, but I break those up to 3 visits. It's not ideal, but with house prices needing two incomes there's not much choice for a lot of people.

Not 3 visits, 2 visits so 3 periods of alone time.

Both those breeds would need an hour of exercise per day, minimum, if you want to pick up on that. Just because the JR is little, he's still a high energy breed.

Would I be correct in assuming that well exercised dogs are less likely to cause behavioural problems?

I've met JRs and I certainly know that they're high energy breeds from spending 5 minutes around them.

Yes, up to a point - if they are tired and sleepy they can't be getting up to much, but it's as important to stimulate them as well - so a 5 mile jog or bike ride would tire them out, but if every walk was like that, very boring for a dog with an active brain. Eventually they'd get very fit and want things to do with their brain.

But an hour walk at lunch time, with a shorter walk morning and evening would be a very good start.