Single and raising a pup?

This is a placeholder text
Group text

by Travel time on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

How many of you have raised a pup while being single and working full time? If so, how did things turn out? Right now I am NOT puppy shopping, but one of these days I would like to get one and I'm afraid my schedule might be a problem. I'm single and I'm gone for about 12hrs a day, 5days a week. My concerns are about exersice and socializing. I will of course, have chances to exercise and socialize after work and on weekends, but didn't know if the extneded hours alone would cause any problems. I might be overly cautious, but I have a BYB male that I got when he was 3yrs, and he has some issues that we continue to work on and when I take the plunge I want to do things right. I do plan on working with the nearby schutzhund club with the dog as well. Opinions please, thanks Oh, and I will most liklely get a working line when the day comes. Not a super high mali drive, but something I can still live with.

by MI_GSD on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

12 hours is a long time for a pup to be crated at one time. Any chance that you could hire a dog walker to come for a half hour for some play time? Will you have time to feed the pup in the morning and give him some potty time? They should eat twice a when they're pups.
It's not impossible to do but it would be a challenge to keep the pup excercised and mentally occupied. A bored working line pup will be even worse.

by RONNIERUNCO on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

GOOD TOPIC. ITS REALLY NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN RAISING A CHILD. IT TAKES BOTH ME AND MY GF STINKY TO CARE FOR DINKIE. HE NEEDS SUPERVISION 24 HOURS A DAY. I STAY AT HOME AND MY STINKY WORKS FOR KFC. SHE BRINGS HOME ALL THE FOOD CUSTOMERS LEAVE FOR DINKIE AND ME. WE GET SOME ASSISTANCE WITH OUR RENT AND FOOD STAMPS. WE HAVE A HAPPY LIFE WITH OUR DINKUMS WINKUMS WU WU. IF I DIDNT HAVE STINKY AT MY SIDE ME AND DINKIE WOULD MOST LIKELY DIE. FIND A GOOD GIRL WHO LOVES DOGS. DO YOU HAVE ANY KFC NEARBY.

by MI_GSD on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

LMAO! Nice observations there Ronnie. Are you saying that as long as there is a KFC within walking distance, they'll be fine with a pup? Or would just a Stinky work?

by Travel time on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

The pup would be kenneled not crated (sorry, I didn't specify). Right now I don't have a dog walker that I would trust with my $$$$ pup and make sure it only had good experiences and not bad ones, but I might be able to find one. That would probably be my only option since I don't have any doggy day care nearby either. Yes, I have time to feed and potty in the morning and evening, I'm actually doing that now. Feed time is before work and after work.

by Travel time on 24 March 2009 - 23:03

We don't have a KFC either, LOL!

by Trailrider on 25 March 2009 - 00:03

Have you gave thought about getting a pup that is a little older, say 6 months. That way they can "hold" it, if they have to and hopefully have been started with socializing etc. kinda best of both worlds. Especially if you can go look at the pup yourself. You miss the little fluff ball stage and they are so cute with the pup breath and all ,but older you can see ears, teeth, maybe hip prelims, and their social skills/work ethic, maybe even house broke. Just a thought with your work schedule. But then again if you really want to start with a baby, where there is a will "there is" a way and you will find it.

by gsd39mr on 25 March 2009 - 00:03

I have been there but not for 12 hrs/day. I leave at 8am and get home between 5:30-6 pm. But it involved help from a friend and my neighbor. My friend worked in town and stopped over at lunchtime to let her out, feed her lunch and play with her, he also stopped after work at 3:30 to let her out, so the longest she had to go was 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. So not to over burden one person, my neighbor started coming over after about six weeks to help. This also got her used to seeing different people; she was easily housebroken. I didn't keep her in a crate during the day, she was blocked off in part of my kitchen and by 10 weeks very rarely peed in her area and never pooped there. She was crated at night until about 6 months old when she was allowed to sleep in my room. She's now 2 years old and stays outside in a large pen with a doghouse during the day when I work ;unless it's really cold (less that 20) or torrential rain;then she has free run of the house with a big bone.

by hodie on 25 March 2009 - 00:03

The issue here is not housebreaking: it is about providing stimulation, training, socialization and interaction for the dog. My opinion is that 12 hour days, five days a week are not suited to having a dog, let alone a pup. I see many people in such situations and they end up wanting to get rid of the dog because, in fact, they are too tired to do anything with the dog other than sitting around and/or end up spending even more time at work. The dog ends up paying in the end.

I guess I would ask would you want a child in this situation? I hope not because for the same reasons, you don't presently have a life situation that is really optimum for raising a child. My suggestion is to wait until you have the real capacity and time to spend with the dog.

by RONNIERUNCO on 25 March 2009 - 00:03

SOMETIMES I FORGET THAT THE PET NAME STINKY SEEMS STRANGE TO PEOPLE AT FIRST. I HAVE CALLED MY GF STINKY FOR SO LONG IT JUST SEEMS NATURAL. STINKY BELONGS TO ME. YOU OTHER GUYS WILL HAVE TO FIND YOUR OWN STINKY OR NANCY OR WHATEVER. KFC JUST SEEMS LIKE A FRIENDLY PLACE WITH THE LITTLE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES AND WHAT NOT. THEY HAVE THE WARM GRAVY BISCUITS HONEY AND THE COLONELS SECRET RECIPE. WOULDNT HURT FOR YOU FELLAS TO INVESTIGATE AND SEE WHAT THE SERVERS LOOK LIKE IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS. TELL EM RONNIE SENT YA.

Contact information Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright Information Terms of Service Cookie policy ↑ Back to top

Single and raising a pup? - Page 1

Pedigree Database