Is it a bad idea to get a puppy if I'll be at work for 8 hours? It would be a small breed and indoors only. Also, is it necessary to buy two to keep them sane? An adoption place I went to wouldn't let me adopt without taking two since he'd be left alone longer than 4 hours and would go nuts from being lonely.
2007-03-22 07:23:04 · 10 answers · asked by MBN 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I think the adoption place is nutty! I have the same dog (beagle) for 10 years...got him when he was 9 weeks old...and have always worked full time....Dogs sleep an average of 16-20 hours a day....you dog wouldn't even care if you were gone...It would be better if you could go home on your lunch break to let him/her outside to go potty...and potty training will take longer if they are crated for that length of time..but, you can get through it. I also just adopted a 5 month old Pug...she is crated for 4 hours...I'm home for about 20 minutes let her potty play with her for a few..and she's back in the crate for another 4 hours....she gets lots of love and exercise in the evenings...and by 9:30 - 10:00 she is sound asleep on my lap and goes back to her crate when I go to bed....she is not nuts, nor does she appear to be lonely.....just my opinion for what it's worth....the quality of time the puppy has when you are home would make all the difference in the world!
Be aware..that smaller breed dogs have smaller bladders...and holding their potty for that length of time is more difficult for them... maybe consider something a little larger..(I'm not saying you have to get a large dog, but I would stay away from the toy size breeds)......
Now-a-days.....with the cost of living....if people didn't get pets because they had to work...nobody would have one!! and that would be a crying shame!
2007-03-22 07:35:33 · answer #1 · answered by Shelly B 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. There are some similarities, but raising a puppy isn't even close to "almost the same" as raising a baby. Puppies are much easier and grow up much more quickly. Raising (or more accurately, properly training) a puppy is more similar to parenting a toddler than an infant. You need patience, consistency, and a sense of humor, but those are about the only things that are the same.
2016-03-28 23:51:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
8 hours is too long to be away from a puppy especially those first months when they can't hold pee/poop for that long. You would at very least need someone that could come every day after approx 4 hours to let him out, play, etc... That's still a whole lot of time spent alone for a puppy.
2 is a crazy idea, if you aren't around for 1, you definately aren't around enough for 2. 2 are harder to housetrain, obedience train etc. They tend to become more doggy dogs, rather than social with people and stick to themselves.
2 would be not great, but okay if you were home all day, but not if you are gone all day long.
2007-03-22 08:02:10 · answer #3 · answered by DP 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Can you get home to check on the dog and give a break? I got a 3 month old pup and she is crated for 8-9 hours a day for 2 days, then my hubby is home with her, then I get a weekend off. So it's not every day. She is almost 1 now and has done fine with this-I had a neighbor check on her at lunch time for the first 2 months. I have two cats for her company and we leave the tv on for her when we are gone. She is a bit hyper on "crate days" but it has been ok. If it were 5 days a week I might not be ok with it. You may also want to get an older dog with better bladder control.
2007-03-22 07:30:37 · answer #4 · answered by VAgirl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I live and work in cities that are about an hour apart so I'm usually gone about 10-11 hours a day for work. I found the perfect solution for my Great Dane is doggy daycare. I take her to a kennel that offers this service and it only costs me 10 dollars a day. Taylor gets to exercise for 4-5 hours a day while she is there (beats sitting by the door inside my apartment waiting for me for 10 hours), socializes with other dogs and people, and if any medical emergency were to occur there are people there to deal with it. Best peace of mind 10 dollars a day has ever provided me with!
2007-03-22 07:33:20 · answer #5 · answered by Packrabid 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I know a lot of people who work and have dogs but whether or not that's fair to the dog who has to be left alone all day is up for debate. Is there anyone who would be willing to help out with the dog? Even if it's just someone who would walk him once a day while you're gone(you would obviously be expected to walk him in the morning before you leave for work and in the evening when you return home).
2007-03-22 07:31:15 · answer #6 · answered by Vivita 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, I think it is a bad idea to get a dog if you are going to be away from it for up to 8 hours a day. Thats tough for a dog to go through, especially a puppy who will need to be house broken and trained. It is essential for an owner to be around a puppy all the time because the training skills need to be reinforced 24/7 with a puppy. I wouldn't suggest getting 2 puppies either, why would you want to leave 1 puppy by itself let alone 2. Even though it is an indoor puppy it still needs to go outdoors to go to the bathroom and it needs some place to run around.
I would wait to get a puppy until you can devote a large amount of time to the animal. It's best for training the puppy and its best for the animal in general.
Best Wishes!
2007-03-22 07:30:19 · answer #7 · answered by rachelle105210 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No of course its not a bad idea, I have 2 dogs at home while me and my husband work all day! I have a 4 year old rottweiler and a 6 month old jack russell and its lovely coming home to them each night, They get so excited to see you yes you will have accidents and chewing etc but hey they bring you so much joy !!!!! And yes i think it is easier with 2 then they have each other to keep company all day That's why i decided to have another.
2007-03-22 09:14:27 · answer #8 · answered by bash 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is hard to raise a pup if you do not have the time to put into it.Two are better than one because they will keep each other occupied but twice as much time is involved....I would wait awhile if I were you.
2007-03-22 08:13:54 · answer #9 · answered by Dixie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes very very very bad
2007-03-22 07:40:45 · answer #10 · answered by ooh-taay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋