Raising working puppy with fulltime work/study - Page 2

Raising a working puppy can be challenging even if you're home all the time.  Especially if the puppy you are considering will have "a hard and dominant" temperament, IMO, that is setting you and the puppy up for failure.  Why make things harder on yourself and potentially ruin this dog?  What you are considering is possible: possible to get it right, but more possible for it to go wrong.  If you choose to get this puppy keep in mind the commitment of time it will take away from your schooling.  Best of luck to you :)

Don't do it! ecs

I'm doing it. I've been doing it for the last year. But I do agree ONLY if you are prepared that studying and this dog are literally your life. I work my girl daily, have had her since she was 8 weeks and been in school since then, and she's done excellent. But I devote all my extra time to her. She has precedent over everything. It gets hard around test time because you'll have this pup that needs to go out and run and play and be stimulated and you also need to study at the same time. I wouldn't do it unless you're 100% prepared for that. It's worked great for us, we have gotten two titles (one AKC, one working) so far, and are working towards our next titles. It's possible, you just have to be devoted to it. I don't crate mine except for at night, and if I'm at class if they're not in the kennel outside. But if I'm home, studying or not, they're out with me. Hope this helps. It's just my opinion and situation, every dog is different. Tala happens to have a fantastic offswitch, but she is a handful if you don't work her or if she doesn't get a good run in daily. 

I do it you just have to make time for the puppy not only for physical exercise also for mental exercise. My pup is awesome , and you know what? When he comes out of the crate he is alot more focused.

Having been through a very rigorous class that required intense study and hands on labs. My Saturdays were spent at school and my free time was spent doing class/homework and tests. I wouldn't in a million years even dream of bringing home an 8 week old puppy at that time. I have full grown GSDs, and we did very little in the way of formal training during that time. Granted, I didn't not do anything with them (still played ball and I still took them when I ventured out of the house), but I missed out on our fall trial (had to be in school) and several AKC events. Nope, I wouldn't do it. For some it may work, but that will be ALL of your time... school and puppy.

Melissa

I also say don't do it.
Very unfair to the pup. I won't even consider placing a pup that is going to go from a very happy social life with it's siblings to a lonely, solitary time alone.
I once sold a pup, and as the woman was carrying her pup out, she asked me how many nights did I think he would cry, in the barn, in his crate!
I know how many nights I cried thinking about my poor puppy a
THAT changed my whole way of doing things.
I find in heartbreaking for puppies to be confined like that.
What about the 8 hr bedtime? Crated than too?

I tend to agree with the gist of what people are saying. I feel it can be done but it's not an ideal situation for the dog and me. I am more inclined to hold of this puppy and get one when the time is more appropriate. 

good idea, you would regret it if u did it lol they are a nightmare, I dont want to go through that again for a long long time. I will stick to buying young dogs.  It will suck away too much of your life to raise a working high drive gsd proper. I would not even get a older pup or dog in your situation. They are such big dogs i could never have mine without a big yard it would be so hard. When I move i wont ever move into a spot w/o a decent yard and a privacy fence. So many things to take into consideration. Your life becomes your dog.