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JenMarie
One day at a time
Member since 11/07 7397 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Right time to adopt a dog?
MY DH and I have been discussing the possibility of adopting a dog. My hesitation is that we both work FT and are out of the house from about 7:15am to 5pm. While outside of those hours we have a great deal of time to devote to a dog, I feel like it's unfair to the dog to be left alone for so long during the day. My DH argues that plenty of people work FT and own dogs. So help me out here. Is it ok for a dog to be alone for so long? We'd lean toward getting a puppy or very young dog because we have a 2 yo DD.
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Posted 9/25/13 8:59 AM  |
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AKD
LIF Adult
Member since 1/12 2637 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
My husband and I are out of the house from 8 or 9am until about 6-7pm everyday. We have a dog walker that comes in usually around 1-2pm everyday, walks him for an hour, plays with him, gives him water, a treat, etc. This has worked really well. We've had the dog walker from the start - we adopted him during the holidays because we were both off work for a week, so it gave us time to be with him, and then dog walker started right after. At any time, we make sure that he's not without a walk for more than 5 hrs. We got our dog walker on care.com if that helps at all - and she's absolutely amazing.
When we adopted him, he was about 6 months so in the beginning, we kept him in the crate while we were away from work as part of house breaking. A few weeks after, I forget exactly how many, he had no accidents in the house and slowly we trusted him into being alone in the house all day. He's absoltuely wonderful now, gets so excited when we get home, but I know how important the mid-day walk is to him as well.
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| Posted 9/25/13 9:19 AM |
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halfbaked
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 6937 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
What about adopting an older dog? I know everyone loves a puppy and you want your pup to grow up with your DD, but puppies are HARD WORK. I kind of forgot how much work they are until my parents' puppy arrived in June. He was 8 weeks old and a handful. Also, puppies don't have manners and your DD is more likely to get hurt (unintentionally) by a puppy as opposed to an older dog. By older I don't necessarily mean senior, but a 2 year old dog would already be housebroken and old enough to hold it and not be destructive while you were at work. DH and I both work full time. When we first got our pup (10 weeks), DH worked 7-3 and I worked 12-8, so he was home for only a few hours by himself. When he was a little under a year, my hours changed to 9-5. But he was already crate trained and housebroken so it was fine. He did chew up a few things (he was still a puppy after all) but we made sure we walked him more and he grew out of it. He's an angel now. Our second dog we found when she was about a year old already and we didn't have to deal with any of that training. She was already very well behaved (in those respects anyway, LOL!) by the time we found her and she fell in line with the house rules very quickly. I do always wonder what she looked like as a puppy, she must've been CUTE, but when it comes right down to it, we saved her life. She wasn't a cute baby anymore and she's a pit mix, she never would've lasted in the shelter, she probably would've been euthanized in a few days.  Anyway, I digress, I think an older dog would fit your family well! JMO!
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| Posted 9/25/13 9:51 AM |
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JenMarie
One day at a time
Member since 11/07 7397 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by halfbaked
What about adopting an older dog?
Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experiences. We have definitely thought about getting a dog a year or two old. My concern there is what kind of life the dog had before. If the dog came from a bad environment, will it be more likely to act out and be aggressive with my DD? That's my concern there. But it sounds like you had a good experience.
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| Posted 9/25/13 10:11 AM |
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AKD
LIF Adult
Member since 1/12 2637 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Depending on where you're adopting from - it will vary also if you can get a puppy. When we went to North Shore, they told us we couldn't get a puppy younger than 6 months I think because of our work schedule. We wanted a dog between 6 months and a year or two anyway, so this worked out.
Also, atleast at North Shore, they conducted an evaluation on all the dogs in terms of their personality, if they get along with dogs, etc. Atleast when we went, they were super helpful letting us know what kind of dog fit our lifestyle. We don't have kdis yet, but it was important that we got a dog that loved kids.
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| Posted 9/25/13 10:15 AM |
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dctead
It's 5 o'clock somewhere!
Member since 11/10 2139 total posts
Name:
Emily
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Getting a puppy will require alot of work (as others have stated).. they require going out every few hours so being alone that long wouldn't be good.
In my experience.. DH and I did get puppies, but both of us work with in 1 mile from home and could rotate who went home for a bathroom break and play time. As they got older, those breakes tapered off and by the time they were about 1 year old... they were left for about 7 hours and were fine.
In the past.. I adoped a 5 year old German Shepard (as my 2nd dog) and I will say it was a fantastic experience. It took a bit of time (I'd say less than a week) for her to get used to the schedule in my house but she blended in beautifully.
I would also suggest an older dog vs a puppy... and just take your time when looking for the dog to get to know them...bring your DD with you when you look so you can see how the dog acts around her. Also in my experience, most shelters have a basic idea of temperment and will help guide you.
Good Luck!
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| Posted 9/25/13 10:37 AM |
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halfbaked
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 6937 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by AKD
Also, atleast at North Shore, they conducted an evaluation on all the dogs in terms of their personality, if they get along with dogs, etc. Atleast when we went, they were super helpful letting us know what kind of dog fit our lifestyle. We don't have kdis yet, but it was important that we got a dog that loved kids.
I'm sorry, but DO NOT rely on a "personality consultation" by the workers at North Shore. The workers at North Shore are volunteers and are NOT trained to be knowledgeable about dog breeds. I applaud them for volunteering, but our family was matched with a dog that was HIGHLY unsuitable for a family. This was many years ago and I know I've posted my story before, but I feel compelled to post it again. Please do NOT rely on North Shore to match you up with a dog that's right for you. You need to do the research on breeds and come up with what is right for you. Now the dog we adopted was a puppy, 10 weeks, and was unsuitable for us, so it can happen at any age.
Anyway, here it goes:
After my childhood dog passed away (I had her since I was 4 years old) when I was a teenager, my parents decided to get another dog. We went to North Shore as a family of five, including my very young (6 and 7) sister and brother. We looked around at the puppies and noticed one that looked like a big fluffy teddy bear. We asked a NS worker if we could see her. Immediately, the answer should have been a resounding no. The puppy we were interested in was a Chow/German Shepherd mix. Chows are notoriously one person dogs and are VERY dangerous for a family particularly with young children. Chows also have a VERY distinct characteristic, a purple tongue, that anyone who knew anything about dog breeds (which we didn't at the time) would've recognized a mile away. We relied on the NS worker to guide us and she took out our pup and handed her over saying she was a cuddle bug and would be a "great family dog." We took her home and named her Ursa. Months passed and she grew more aggressive- particularly towards men (she became very attached to my mother) and my brother and sister. We tried to bring her back to North Shore but they refused to take her back. Eventually, she bit my brother on the face, nearly catching his eye. He still has a scar to this day. We contacted North Shore again and again they refused. At this point, my parents searched for a rescue to take her in. In the interim, she also bit my sister on the face, near her eye. Again, she still has the scar to this day. We eventually found a rescue for types of dogs in this situation and gave her up to them. After that, we made it our mission to learn more about dog breeds. Since then, my parents have purchased two purebred collies and adopted another from Brooklyn ACC. I have gone back to North Shore, armed with my own knowledge of dog breeds, and adopted a collie/golden retriever mix, the one I talked about in my previous post.
As to answer the OP's question about a dog's past, I feel like anything of that sort can be overcome. Dogs live in the now and don't hold onto the past unless YOU do. They take their cues from you. That being said, I would take the time to think about what breed of dog you're interested in and look for a breed specific rescue. They are so much more hands on and knowledgeable (particularly since they focus on one breed) and they will be able to match you MUCH better than anyone at North Shore will.
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| Posted 9/25/13 11:05 AM |
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JenMarie
One day at a time
Member since 11/07 7397 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Right time to adopt a dog?
Halfbaked - I remembered reading similar stories about NSAL and because of that we won't go there. We have been looking on petfinder and found a few collie/lab mixes. Have to do some research.
Someone mentioned a dog walker. I just mentioned that to DH this morning! I'll def look into that. I think I'd feel much better about getting a dog if we had someone to take him/her for a walk while we're at work.
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| Posted 9/25/13 11:18 AM |
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JME78
LIF Adult
Member since 11/09 3672 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
I wouldn't get a puppy with that work schedule. We adopted our dog when she was probably around 2 - and we still don't leave her all day - we have a dog walker.
Older dogs can be great with kids - start with training/obedience school right away.
Puppies will nip children - just be prepared for that if you go that route - its playful for them but sometimes kids get upset.
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| Posted 9/25/13 12:39 PM |
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halfbaked
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 6937 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by JenMarie
Halfbaked - I remembered reading similar stories about NSAL and because of that we won't go there. We have been looking on petfinder and found a few collie/lab mixes. Have to do some research.
I don't blame you one bit! My guy is a collie/golden retriever, but you can't get a nicer dog than a collie- they are really as sweet as can be. And extremely smart! The only downside is the coat and purebred collies tend to have hip problems. But my guy is a mix and he's 7 and so far so good! ::Knock on wood:: Good luck in your search!!
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| Posted 9/25/13 2:19 PM |
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AKD
LIF Adult
Member since 1/12 2637 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by halfbaked
Posted by AKD
Also, atleast at North Shore, they conducted an evaluation on all the dogs in terms of their personality, if they get along with dogs, etc. Atleast when we went, they were super helpful letting us know what kind of dog fit our lifestyle. We don't have kdis yet, but it was important that we got a dog that loved kids.
I'm sorry, but DO NOT rely on a "personality consultation" by the workers at North Shore. The workers at North Shore are volunteers and are NOT trained to be knowledgeable about dog breeds. I applaud them for volunteering, but our family was matched with a dog that was HIGHLY unsuitable for a family. This was many years ago and I know I've posted my story before, but I feel compelled to post it again. Please do NOT rely on North Shore to match you up with a dog that's right for you. You need to do the research on breeds and come up with what is right for you. Now the dog we adopted was a puppy, 10 weeks, and was unsuitable for us, so it can happen at any age.
Sorry guys -- this was just my experience there, and I think we got super lucky w/ our dog because he is literally the sweetest thing in the world, so I assumed that was the case, but should not have assumed 
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| Posted 9/25/13 3:13 PM |
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halfbaked
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 6937 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by AKD
Posted by halfbaked
Posted by AKD
Also, atleast at North Shore, they conducted an evaluation on all the dogs in terms of their personality, if they get along with dogs, etc. Atleast when we went, they were super helpful letting us know what kind of dog fit our lifestyle. We don't have kdis yet, but it was important that we got a dog that loved kids.
I'm sorry, but DO NOT rely on a "personality consultation" by the workers at North Shore. The workers at North Shore are volunteers and are NOT trained to be knowledgeable about dog breeds. I applaud them for volunteering, but our family was matched with a dog that was HIGHLY unsuitable for a family. This was many years ago and I know I've posted my story before, but I feel compelled to post it again. Please do NOT rely on North Shore to match you up with a dog that's right for you. You need to do the research on breeds and come up with what is right for you. Now the dog we adopted was a puppy, 10 weeks, and was unsuitable for us, so it can happen at any age.
Sorry guys -- this was just my experience there, and I think we got super lucky w/ our dog because he is literally the sweetest thing in the world, so I assumed that was the case, but should not have assumed
No need to be sorry, if we didn't experience it first hand, I would've assumed they knew what they were talking about. Don't get me wrong, I love North Shore and what they do, and I know someone who works as a vet tech there and is phenomenal, but it's impossible to properly train all the volunteers and they rely on them for help which I totally understand. But as long as you go in there with your own knowledge, you'll be fine.
ETA: And your pup is so adorable and sweet!
Message edited 9/25/2013 6:55:47 PM.
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| Posted 9/25/13 6:54 PM |
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MrsG823
Just call me Mommy.
Member since 1/11 5570 total posts
Name:
S
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Right time to adopt a dog?
You could hire a dog walker to take your dog out for a walk during the day. If you are considering adoption there are shelters that do actual behavior evaluations-they are done by professional dog trainers--the New Rochelle Humane Society is a wonderful shelter that evaluates all of the dogs that come in- They will honestly tell you if they feel the dog will be a good fit in your home.
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| Posted 9/26/13 12:09 AM |
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JenMarie
One day at a time
Member since 11/07 7397 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by MrsG823
You could hire a dog walker to take your dog out for a walk during the day. If you are considering adoption there are shelters that do actual behavior evaluations-they are done by professional dog trainers--the New Rochelle Humane Society is a wonderful shelter that evaluates all of the dogs that come in- They will honestly tell you if they feel the dog will be a good fit in your home.
Thanks! I'll check them out. We definitely want to adopt from a shelter.
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| Posted 9/26/13 10:03 AM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Right time to adopt a dog?
We adopted a puppy from NSAL. We wanted a puppy because while you will never know a dogs temperament we at lease weren't dealing with past owner issues etc.
We both work full time and we had a dog walker come in the middle of the day to walk and check water etc.
Now that he is older we do not have a walker anymore and he is honestly a great dog. We say all the time how lucky we are to have such a gentle giant. He is a Pit mix but TALL. Def not a typical pit looking dog.
My son is rough with him and he is so gentle. has only disliked one person and I had to agree with him..the guy was strange.
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| Posted 9/26/13 3:17 PM |
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
Posted by JenMarie
Posted by halfbaked
What about adopting an older dog?
Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experiences. We have definitely thought about getting a dog a year or two old. My concern there is what kind of life the dog had before. If the dog came from a bad environment, will it be more likely to act out and be aggressive with my DD? That's my concern there. But it sounds like you had a good experience.
We adopted a dog in November. He is between 1 and 3 years old. We also both work full time and have 2 young kids.
He has been an absolute joy! Best thing we ever did:)
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| Posted 9/26/13 10:21 PM |
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Mushesgirl
Too blessed to be stressed
Member since 4/09 6691 total posts
Name:
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Re: Right time to adopt a dog?
I volunteer with Pibbles & More Rescue:
fb link
I do home visits to screen applicants. Just putting it out there
adoptable dogs
Message edited 9/27/2013 11:48:17 AM.
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| Posted 9/27/13 11:45 AM |
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