Want a puppy, but live alone/working days

[aubsn]

Hey guys.

So I'm in my first year as an RN, BSN in a town five hours from home. I'm living alone for the first time ever in a good sized apartment (~800 sqft). I'm really wanting to find an Australian shepherd puppy, but I'm not sure what to do during the days when I'm at work for 12 hours. My bedroom connects to my bathroom so I've thought about providing her/him plenty of food/water and a place to potty in the bathroom with lots of toys for entertainment while I'm at work. There are no doggy day cares near my apartment that cater to the nursing schedule. Everyone opens after I leave for work and close before I'd be able to pick them up. Also living alone makes me nervous having someone have a copy of my housekeep and come in my home during the day.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for what I could do? I don't want t get the puppy/dog until I have a pretty solid plan, because I know making them stay in a kennel holding their potty needs all day would be very cruel.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

In the OPs situation I would get a pair of litter mate kittens, and train them to a harness and leash. Two kittens get into less trouble than one alone.

[skylark, BSN, RN]

Shutting a dog in an apartment while you work 12s is just plain cruel. Period.

If you really want to do this, then at least DON'T get a puppy, but instead get a pair of senior small dogs, that will be company for each other, and not so demanding in terms of energy.

Rescues always have older dogs, whose owners have been shipped off into nursing homes, and these older pets are totally chill, and just want a sofa and a couple of meals a day.

Or better still volunteer as a dog walked at a local shelter on your days off.

All those abandoned dogs trapped in cages will thank you.

[heron, ASN, RN]

I agree with PPs that an Aussie is NOT a good choice for a setting like the one described. They are extremely smart and have a very high drive to work and move around - your plan would result in severe emotional and behavioral problems for the animal.

There are websites that can help choose a pup that fits your life. Google "choosing a dog breed" and look for organizations like AKC.

[elkpark]

I agree with PPs that an Aussie is NOT a good choice for a setting like the one described. They are extremely smart and have a very high drive to work and move around - your plan would result in severe emotional and behavioral problems for the animal.

There are websites that can help choose a pup that fits your life. Google "choosing a dog breed" and look for organizations like AKC.

I agree with looking into different breeds suited to different lifestyles, but it is still true that there is no breed of young puppy that will do well with being left alone >12 hours at a time on a regular basis

[RN-ing, BSN, MSN, NP]

Please do not get a dog. I am a dog - lover and have made this mistake myself. All dogs need attention, activity, and love every day or they can become anxious and destructive. Then, people end up giving them back to a shelter because of "behavioral problems." I found that I just could not give them what they needed after working 12 - hour shifts (not to mention the commute) when I did not have a partner to pick up the slack.

Dogs are the best, but you really should wait until you can give them more attention than your schedule allows currently.

I hope this helps!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I love dogs and can't blame you for wanting to add one to your life, but you really need to have arrangements in place for care when you are not home. Any puppy will be active, difficult to train without consistent attention to the training and likely to be destructive when you are gone. I have 3 Boxers and the puppy can shred my house in under 20 minutes when left to her own devices and she has the company of two other dogs to keep her occupied. Expect to not get your security deposit back when you move if a puppy becomes part of your household. No breed is appropriate for your lifestyle if you are living alone let alone an active breed like an Australian Shepard.

I second the idea of maybe adopting an adult dog though you still shouldn't leave it home alone for 12 hours plus. Adopting can come with it's own issues though. Unless you get a pretty thorough history on the dog you are considering you could potentially end up with some physical or behavior problems you weren't expecting.

I don't know if you are a cat person, but if the companionship of a pet is what you are looking for that's a much better option for somebody who lives alone. Cats are easily litter box trained, rarely destructive unless you have one that scratches furniture and climbs curtains and a cat is much more independent and content to be left on their own for extended periods of time.

[aubsn]

This is slightly off topic but.....how is it possible that you can afford an 800 sq ft apartment as a new grad alone? I have been looking for a new place to stay, but every place is running over $1000 a month for a just a studio under 500 sq ft, where I live.

I'm living about 20 minutes away from my hospital so prices aren't as expensive for more sqft.

Also, I have yet to find a reputable breeder without insane prices for puppies so I haven't gotten my puppy yet. I still want to find a puppy but probably will have to wait until later in the year, which also means closer to when I plan on moving back to my hometown. Once I'm living back in my hometown, I'll have plenty more options for pet care during the day, either pet walkers (which will be less expensive in my small town vs my current city) or having my grandmother come over to my apartment/house to play with my dog and taker her to the potty.

For those suggesting I shouldn't get an aussie because they are "too much work" or "need more exercise" those are precisely the reasons I want this particular breed. I want to be able to have a dog who enjoys getting outside and playing for a couple hours and who I can take with me on adventures. I enjoy going to state parks and other outdoor areas and would love to be able to share my experiences with my dog. I understand that the days I work, she may not get as much exercise as days I'm off, but that doesn't mean she won't get at least 30 minutes or so of play time everyday.

I'm also choosing to not get a cat because I tend to get sick around cat litter. It messes with my asthma and gives me headaches. Therefore, a cat is not a great choice for me unless they can be an outside cat, which living in a big city isn't a great idea. At home, I had a cat who was an indoor/outdoor cat who never used a litter box because we had a wooded area in our backyard that he claimed as his own.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Do a bit more research. I think you are vastly underestimating the needs of an Aussie. The plan you articulated would leave a highly intelligent working breed animal both bored and lonely. FWIW, the issue is not whether the animal is too much work, but whether you can meet the animal's needs. Slightly different concept. Subjecting an animal to an emotionally, physically and mentally impoverished existence may not meet the legal definition of abuse, but it sure fits the moral one.

[misscurls]

My family has 6 animals in our house. So let me tell you how lonely I was when I moved 2000 miles away...extremely! What I did was puppy sit. It helped and I was so grateful I didn't have him 24/7. My advice: puppy sit or join a service such as Wag and walk dogs. I'm sorry to say this is not the right time for a permanent dog in your life, but the time will come! And as others have said, dogs like aussies are in the intelligent breed and wouldn't do well being alone for long hours at a time. When the time is right a dog will be in your life and as always, try to adopt and don't shop!

[skylark, BSN, RN]

I'm living about 20 minutes away from my hospital so prices aren't as expensive for more sqft.

Also, I have yet to find a reputable breeder without insane prices for puppies so I haven't gotten my puppy yet. I still want to find a puppy but probably will have to wait until later in the year, which also means closer to when I plan on moving back to my hometown. Once I'm living back in my hometown, I'll have plenty more options for pet care during the day, either pet walkers (which will be less expensive in my small town vs my current city) or having my grandmother come over to my apartment/house to play with my dog and taker her to the potty.

For those suggesting I shouldn't get an aussie because they are "too much work" or "need more exercise" those are precisely the reasons I want this particular breed. I want to be able to have a dog who enjoys getting outside and playing for a couple hours and who I can take with me on adventures. I enjoy going to state parks and other outdoor areas and would love to be able to share my experiences with my dog. I understand that the days I work, she may not get as much exercise as days I'm off, but that doesn't mean she won't get at least 30 minutes or so of play time everyday.

I'm also choosing to not get a cat because I tend to get sick around cat litter. It messes with my asthma and gives me headaches. Therefore, a cat is not a great choice for me unless they can be an outside cat, which living in a big city isn't a great idea. At home, I had a cat who was an indoor/outdoor cat who never used a litter box because we had a wooded area in our backyard that he claimed as his own.

If you really are an animal lover, then DON'T GET A PUPPY.

Those of us who love animals have explained the reasons to you over and over, and told you that it would be a cruel and selfish thing to do.

But you are still looking for a "reputable breeder"??????

Seriously, what was the point of posting here and getting great advice if you are just going to ignore it, and do you own selfish thing anyway?

The shelters are full of puppies that were ruined by people like you. They shut them in an apartment, alone for hours at a time, and the puppy develops behavioral issues.

Its a no-brainer, DON'T DO IT.

And as side issue, why would you want to buy from a breeder when there are so many unwanted dogs in the shelters?

US shelters KILL 5,500 unwanted dogs every day, to make room for the newly unwanted ones that will arrive tomorrow.

They offer dogs for sale, that have been health screened, neutered, are up to date with shots and have their rabies tags.

A breeder will do none of those things.

They will sell you a puppy without any healthcare, and with guarantees that it is even healthy.

WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU DO THAT???

Please don't waste our time looking for advice when you have already made a decision that can only be described as cruel and selfish.

[NancyWills]

In my point of view, you should buy a dog. Because a puppy can't live alone. Puppy needs care and attention at any time. Recently I bought a puppy from Seminole Kennels at an affordable price. I always like to play with him.

[skylark, BSN, RN]

In my point of view, you should buy a dog. Because a puppy can't live alone. Puppy needs care and attention at any time. Recently I bought a puppy from Seminole Kennels at an affordable price. I always like to play with him.

You "always like to play with him."

Don't you go to work?

What does he do while you are at work?