How long is "TOO LONG" for doodles to be home alone?

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Up to this point we have managed most of our dogs days to be spent with one or the other of us being at home, or the 1-2 days a week that we both work the same day, to have a dog sitter come in about 1/2 way through the day for potty break and playtime. Since she has our Murphy's brother, she has brought him over to play or even brought my two to her house to spend the afternoon.
DH and I are gone from 6:30 -7:00 am to 6:30 pm on the days we both work. The sitter would come between 1:00 to 4:00 pm. So some days they were alone and unable to potty for 7-10 hours. They have always seemed to do fine with that schedule, and it most likely bothered me more than them to have them wait so long,or at least that is what my family says.

So next week my sitter is working full-time, and I can certainly find a new sitter, or even do day care occasionally, or have the kids come by to help let them out, but DH insists that they would be fine all day home alone and waiting 12 hours without going potty, that there is no need to be making all these arrangements.
I am just not comfortable with this but I don't really have a reason to give him other than it just doesn't sound like it would be good for them to wait that long.
Besides the fact that it sounds like its just "TOO LONG", are there any known risks or detriment to having them alone so long? Other than the obvious that they may get bored and into trouble, and I certainly can expect and plan for that, my concern is their health, or having to hold their bladders that long. Anyone have any information to share?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I crate my dogs when I'm out. They have very large crates and they are together though in separate crates. I think they feel secure and I do for sure. They have water bottles but only Calla drinks on occasion. I try to usually be home in five hours or less but they do go 8 hours on very rare occasions. I would have a really hard time if they had to go 12 hours though.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

And here is an example of matter of personal choice and preference. I would really have a hard time crating my guys for even an hour because I just always felt I wanted them to be out and comfortable to move around. They probably would be fine being crated so it would be me that had the problem, so that's my question......is it a problem for them to go 12 hours, or am I assuming it is a problem?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Some of it depends on what you and the dogs are used to, I guess.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I leave my girls in my bedroom while I'm gone. I have a large master bathroom with a tile floor that they like to lay on to keep cool. They have water in there as well. I could probably let them have the run of the house, I'm just not ready for that one yet. There is less trouble to get into since they are still confined, but it gives them more freedom than a crate would allow.

[Jennifer and Jack]

jack is going to be four in a few weeks....I decided about seven months ago not to let him have full range of the house, he is never crated and hasn't been for a long time.

The only reason I don't let him have full range is because he is little and he likes to jump on and off beds...I am afraid he will hurt himself and I won't be home to help...this happen to one of my friends and she came home to her dog screaming in pain scotching on the floor.

Jack has "his office " which is the main bathroom...he has food, water, toys I k kw he can't choke on. And a nice soft bed...I also play music for him...he has room to play ..eat...mostly he sleeps.

[Amy M. and Molly]

This is a timely question for me, too. Two days a week, my DH and I work together and we leave Molly from 7am until around 5. I have had someone come over around 1 to let her out and play and run for 30 minutes or so. She turned a year old in January. When she was little, I knew she needed a potty break mid-day, but now she can hold it longer. She has a pen in the yard which is about 6' x 18', so she is not in a crate. She can potty there if need be, without it being too much of an issue. Do you think 10 hours is too long for them to be alone? I'm wondering if this is more of a guilt issue for ME than for her?

[Jennifer and Jack]

Is she outside for 10 hours?

[Kyoko]

I think Charlie was left home alone somewhere between 4 ~ 7 hours on daily basis once she was over a year old. If I knew that I could not come home right after work, I made sure to come home for lunch. ( Luckly, I work 5 min. from home.)

I know once I had taken the kids to the amusement park, and she was left home for about 12 hours... :-(  But I think it is too long.... I would not have to "hold" for 12 hours to go potty myself.....

 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Ginny, that's interesting that a vet would leave them that long. He for sure should know if it were harmful or even uncomfortable. I do have to admit that being a nurse, I have had shifts that I didn't go to the bathroom for 12 hours myself. But didn't probably drink that much on those days either. I notice when we are gone my two hardly touch their water until we come home. Always wondered about that.
Yes, F, I feel it would be uncomfortable for them too, but is that just human reasoning or is it really uncomfortable to a dog? They easily go 12-14 hours at night as we all go to bed very early, and they still don't rush to the door first thing in the morning. Sometimes they even want to eat first. So without a lot of water, they are choosing to go 12+ hours on their own. Although water is always available to them.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I do think overnight is different. They haven't been eating, or drinking for the most part, at night. But when I have been gone for a long time the dogs do rush to get out. But I don't know that there is a way to know how they feel.

[Adina P]

Once before Clark and I were married, when he had just Cass and Thule and Rosco wasn't around yet, Clark was out of town and I was supposed to let his dogs out in the morning for potty.  Well that morning came and I completely forgot and went to work as usual.  I did remember as it neared lunch time and rushed over there as fast as I could without getting a ticket.  I felt so bad...felt around on his carpet for wet spots...NOTHING.  Those girls had bladders of steel!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Now that you've become such a dog lover and a doodle and human mommy, I bet something like that would never happen now!