How is it possible for me to get a puppy if i'm not at home?

Question

My mom today was seriously thinking about getting a puppy for my home. Now i can take care of it and all (I am 13 btw) and i promised to run with it everyday for an hour (i am an athelete). The only problem is that my mom said that you have to be home every two hours to take care of the puppy. My parents are at work when i am at school.... So the dog on average weekdays would be alone for about 5 hours, but as soon as i get home, i would exercise it. Is there anyway to get around the not home problem? My dream was to get a dog and it is only possible if you guys help me to find an answer.

Thanks for the help,
-BK

Answer 1

You can get a puppy in the summer when you are on vacation from school. Those two or three months that you spend being with the puppy all day long will make a major difference in his training and happiness. Before the school starts and you will start leaving the puppy home alone for 5 hours, get him used to be alone, first for half an hour and then increasing to a few hours.
Raising puppies takes a lot of work and patience, but they become your greatest friends and give you tons of love and joy.

Answer 2

Since the puppy would be alone for 5-6 hours a day then it would be better if you got an older dog (not a young puppy) because they will not require attention nonstop like puppies do. Also, it's hard to potty train a puppy if you are not home for 5 hours straight- they need to be let out once an hour when they are young because they just cannot hold it for too long since their bladders are still developing.
If you could get a dog (maybe 2 years of age at the least) then it'd probably be easier.
Also, you can crate train while you are gone, but 5 hours for a little puppy is a lot.

You could get a puppy and make it work while being gone for 5 hours straight if you get someone to let it out and play with it some at some point. Also, many animal clinics/vets have doggy daycare.

By the way, don't run a puppy for an hour straight- they get tired fairly quickly and an hour of straight running is too much for such a young dog. Take the dog on 3 to 4 walks a day (each walk being 20 minutes or so).

Answer 3

If your whole family is on board for getting a new puppy you can still do this even with your schedules. You will need to either
a. have one of your parents come home from work at lunchtime on the weekdays
or
b. hire a dog walker in your neighborhood
or
c. enroll your pup in doggy daycare
I think both a and b are more economical options but if money isnt an issue, c. is a great one because usually it would mean the puppy is getting socialization during the day.
If your parents are not willing to spend the money on the cost of these options, maybe you could do some odd jobs to earn the money yourself so you could contribute.
Hope this helps! Puppy do need to be walked and let out every few hours so your question is a very valid one. Obviously this need will lessen as they get older and when they are past the puppy stages, they should be fine with a five hour stay at home alone.
Good luck!

Answer 4

If you have a puppy that needs ALOT of attention and your not there for five hours of the day then you need to really think about getting a dog sitter. Your puppy could get into alot of trouble if your not there. You should be good just as long as you always devote at least one hour to your pup when you get home. On the weekends, since your going to be home, you should still play with it. Don't think its enough just to play with it on the weekdays. If you want the puppy to be attached to you then you need to feed it, water it, let it out, etc. Its alot on your to-do list but you get what you bargained for when you buy a puppy. They're really a handful. Hope you and your pup do good.
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year

P.S- Let it out before you go to school and when you get home. Depending on what time you "sitter" gets to your house.

Answer 5

You can hire someone to come and walk your puppy or at least let it out to potty. You could even consider doggy daycare which keeps the dog while you're not home. Some have transportation and some require you to pick up and drop off. See if your parents will consider one of these options. Maybe you could even have a family friend who is home keep the pup for a few hours until someone gets home. That would be a cheaper option if it is possible.

Answer 6

Make sure to get a puppy that is at LEAST 10 weeks old. Then you must hire someone to come over at noon and walk the puppy while you are not home. Keep the puppy in a crate -- big enough, with water and toys and a soft mat -- while you aren't home. Crate training a puppy is the BEST! Talk to a professional trainer about how to set up the crate and all.

If you can't hire someone to walk the puppy, you will need wait until summer vacation before getting one. This might be better, anyway... But still, learn how to crate train the puppy, it's best for everyone.

Remember, dogs will CHEW EVERYTHING until they are almost 2 years old. You heard me -- TWO years old. Crate training will protect your furniture, floors, rugs, shoes....

Good luck!

Answer 7

You want a running buddy? How about an adult dog from a shelter! Puppies can't run for a long time like that until they're done growing. An extra bonus: adult dogs can hold it while you're at school. A lot come housetrained! Look on http://www.petfinder.com/ and find a good adult dog. Research breeds and talk to your mom about it. Puppies aren't a good idea for this situation. A dog would be a better choice.

Answer 8

Absolutely no puppy!!!
Puppies need training, potty and obedience, they chew everything up and can't be left alone all day.

Go to your local shelters and get a nice adult dog that you like and who seems to like you. If he is potty trained and over the chewing stage, there will be no problem leaving him alone while you are gone - and you will be giving a homeless dog a good home,

Go look - there are gorgeous, sweet, wonderful dogs in shelters just waiting for someone to take them home - they are there through no fault of their own. They are also vetted and spayed or neutered - a can't lose situation.

Good luck, have fun finding a great pet of your own.

Answer 9

Find a reputable doggy day care ( DO TONS OF RESEARCH if you choose this path, as i have heard horror stories with these!) Or find someone reputable who walks dogs. and have them come over a few times, and let him out to pee and to play.

Although you should think about, once you get into High school and all that if you will still have time for the dog, and where will the dog be once you're in college etc.

Puppy's are allot of work and require allot of time, Patience and training.


I hope you find somehting that works out.

Answer 10

It is a bad idea to get a puppy if you can't be home. Did you think of getting an adult dog from the shelter instead? An adult will be able to tolerate being home alone more easily, plus puppies get tired easily when they are young. If you want to run with your dog, you're better off getting an adult.