Having a dog while at work

[Kadarin]

Don't get a dog, it's not fair to your roommate and definitely not fair to the dog. And cats will get cat hair everywhere, and will also destroy your furniture.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Given your schedule, no do not get a dog, unless you hire a dog sitter or something to check on it a few times a day.

 

[chitwood]

we have a 6 year old pug that is in her crate 7a - 430p

Sometimes it kills me to think about it, but then I remember anytime my wife or I take a day off, Pokey sleeps all morning and into the afternoon anyway.

I've gone home for lunch, let her out, she gets a drink, watches me make a sandwich, then gets bored and goes back to bed.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Get a cat, they are awesome and more suited to that schedule.

Cats suck.

 

[bradly1101]

I had neighbors who had a dog and were gone a lot and the dog got lonely and cried all the time. They got kicked out.

Ask yourself, are you willing to get an animal who will spend most of its short life waiting for you to come home? Is that fair?

 

[soulcougher73]

With that schedule it would just be cruel punishment for the dog.

Don't do it.

 

[Murloc]

Anyway, my question is this: can I raise a dog in a condo when I'm at work for long periods of time? My average work day involves me leaving the house at 7:30 am and not getting back until 8 ish. If I go to the gym, I'm not back til 10.

hell no. Not enough for an adult dog, and definitely not for a puppy. It would have psychological problems and you would clean shit and piss all day and it would never learn to do it outside of the house even when it can because that's what it gets used to. Aggressive incontinent dog. A couch destroyer. Anything in range will be shred to pieces. Your roommate would move out, then you'd get kicked out because it barks all day.
There's no way to give the training and interaction and sports a dog needs on that schedule.

You should just get a cat. Cats regulate their shitting and eating on their own and they'll just need some cuddling when you come home. The roommate doesn't have to get involved, but the cat can enjoy his company passively and it sleeps most of the day anyway.

 

[slightlyhuman]

Get a cat.

 

[Druidx]

Some cats are great fun but it doesn't make up for the smell of a little box.

 

[mitchelt]

PLEASE do all of the dogs a favor, and get a hamster.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Bulldog...lazy and condo friendly.

Not really. And expecting the dog to hold that long is cruel. Only get a dog if you plan to send it to doggie daycare or have a dog walker come once or twice a day to the house. Outside of that, no don't get a dog.

 

[RedRooster]

Ask yourself, are you willing to get an animal who will spend most of its short life waiting for you to come home? Is that fair?

Good point. That's like us spending a week locked in a cage with zero interaction. I'd probably kill myself after a couple months of that.

If you're gonna do it, get two dogs and let them run around the house free instead of kenneling them.

 

[Broheim]

the only possible way I could see it work is to get a dog walker or send it to doggie daycare when you're at work.

 

[Josh123]

Ya don't get one. We have a one year old golden retriever and I hate leaving him cooped up inside on days when neither me or my wife can let him out at lunch. Your place would be destroyed if you left one inside that long and your roommate would probably kick your ass.

 

[UnklSnappy]

Don't get a dog. You don't have the time for one, unless you can take him to work with you.

 

[bignateyk]

My dogs have an outdoor kennel (20x20) I can put them in during the day that they can use the bathroom if needed. We're usually only gone from 9-5 though. Occasionally I'll leave them in there over a weekend if we're going somewhere.

 

[Schfifty Five]

My dogs have an outdoor kennel (20x20) I can put them in during the day that they can use the bathroom if needed. We're usually only gone from 9-5 though. Occasionally I'll leave them in there over a weekend if we're going somewhere.

How do they know how to portion out their food? (assuming you leave multiple days worth of food out for them)

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

you can crate train them but that's a really long period of time between walks. you can mat train but those are dirty imho. Also, if you dropped them off at a friends/family place they might end up pissing on the floor.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

You don't have time for a dog.


Once a dog is a couple years old and well trained he can be left from 9-5. But until 10 at night? No way.


In my honest opinion a puppy should be let out at lunchtime at least until they're a year old.

It's rough to lock any animal up in a house for 8+ hours with no attention. Whether it's a dog, kid, or anything else it's going to cause trouble when left alone for that long.


But.... I'm the kind of person who thinks locking a family member in a crate for 8 hours is borderline abuse, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Not really. And expecting the dog to hold that long is cruel. Only get a dog if you plan to send it to doggie daycare or have a dog walker come once or twice a day to the house. Outside of that, no don't get a dog.

A dog walker is a great idea, but a young puppy should not be left in doggie daycare every day IMO.

When they're that young they pick up on bad habits, and they also need to know without any doubt who their pack and leader is. I have a coworker who got a puppy and put it in dog daycare from day 1. After 12 months the pup is far far more excited to go to the daycare than when his owners come home. Even on the weekends he's never really excited.... Because he misses his true 'pack' at the daycare.

Now once he/she is a year old I would be ok with doggie daycare but still not every single day.

 

[bignateyk]

How do they know how to portion out their food? (assuming you leave multiple days worth of food out for them)

I feed them once a day normally, so if I'm gone for a weekend I'll usually feed them Friday morning (like usual), give them Saturdays food on Friday night before we leave, and then give them more food on Sunday when we get back. Then I fill two 5 gallon buckets of water up for them.

 

[Puppies04]

Dude don't get a dog, you spend to much time out of the house.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

I don't know about dogs but a friend of mine has a automatic food dispensor for his cat. you set it and then the cat will stop trying to walk on your face in the morning because it's waiting for its food.

 

[SlickSnake]

I am disappoint. I thought the topic was about having a delicious hot dog at work.

 

[SlickSnake]

On a side note, my neighbor who may be getting a divorce had his wife move out and left him with 2 giant dogs and 2 small dogs which I agreed to feed and let out while he is gone. So working with a dog in the house is not even in the same ballpark as working with a cat in the house.