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Wanting to get a dog

Truth223

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 29, 2011
379
1
42
Central,Il
I move into my house the middle of july. Im 30,live by myself,no kids no gf etc etc. I work 2nd shift during the week. After I moved and get settled in I plan on getting a dog. Any breeds that can handle being by themselves while im at work? I plan on going to the humane society first to see whats there. Any other advice for me?
 
Re: Wanting to get a dog

I'd worry about an older dog if you will be immediately "abandoning" it (going to work, but not to a dog) within days of adoption. Such a scenario could easily trigger undesired behavior and really hurt the bonding process if the dog has an abandoned or abusive background.

Any new animal should be caged while you're not home until you get a handle on their behavior and reaction to the new digs. Otherwise the poor guy might not understand marking every room multiple times is unnecessary- it's his already, no pee needed.

Puppies are work, but they're trainable. A puppy would probably also be less affected by your absence in the long run.

Assess your lifestyle honestly- are you truly active or do you actually get out in nature 1 time a month. Ask friends and family what sort of dog they see you with. If a particular breed keeps getting mentioned, look into the breed. Does the breed fit your lifestyle and ability to interact with the dog? Does the climate suit the dog? etc. No matter what, the dog, if not psycho, will not give a crap about most anything other than how you treat him. It's up to you to decide what sort of dog you can be the best owner to.


I'd personally love to have an Aussie Cattle Dog. But they're not a studio apt dog. So, I'll wait until I am in a situation I can have one and it be a proper environment for them.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Re: Wanting to get a dog

In my experience older dogs always dealt with being left alone better than young dogs. Especially since they got to sleep in the house while I was gone. I had a 120lb American bulldog that wouldn't even get out of my bed when I came home. I know he heard me come in because I could hear his tail hitting the bed as he wagged it. He was a ferocious guard dog though. I really miss him. He was 6yo when I got him.
 
Re: Wanting to get a dog

If you do get puppies, get 2 of them if you have room, 2 dogs are way better left alone than one as they have someone to play with and occupy their attention.
 
Re: Wanting to get a dog

I did the same thing when I was around your age. Stock up on patience. Find a breed that matches your lifestyle.

If you really tire the dog out before you leave them alone then they will be better behaved. Also consider crate training the dog.

If you can get a 3-4 year old dog then you will be able to skip the really bad puppy behavior but you will also miss the really cute and funny puppy behavior.

The two dogs I had passed away a few years ago and I still miss them. They were great companions to have. I proposed to my wife with those dogs beside me because she had to accept them too.
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