Can/Should I get a dog?
 

I am a dog person. My wife loves cats. Cats are much easier, so we currently have 2 cats.

I am going crazy without a dog. I need the companionship that cats can't offer, and I need a buddy I can take running or swimming, etc.

The problem is, my wife and I both work 9-5 jobs. Standard jobs, both of them, but we live a little too far away to commute home during our lunch hours.

Is there any way I can get a dog with a work schedule like this? We can dedicate all our evenings, mornings, and weekends (we love camping and would love a companion on our trips), but would have to leave him alone during the work day.

What are some ways to make getting a new dog work with a schedule like this?
Is getting two (so they have some companionship) better than 1?
Dog walkers? Dog daycares? Any ideas would help! I am so desperate for a puppy that I will do just about anything. Finances are an issue, but not a huge one. Thanks!

Have you considered adopting an older dog??? There are lots of 9 to 5 dogs out there and if you can get someone to let the dog out once during the day i'm sure your dog would do just fine. An older (adult) dog would do MUCH better than a puppy in your situation and there are tonnes of great older dogs out there who would love to come home with you. Look at a breed that is more suited to being alone for a large part of the day ... I read an article on pets.ca about this very issue, i'll see if I can find it for you.

how do your cats react to dogs? new dogs?

They tend to be very nervous around new animals in the house.

One of the reasons I was a little hesitant to get an older dog was because of the cats. I wanted to get a smaller, puppy type dog first so the cats wouldnt be so threatened. Then as it grew, they woudl be used to it.

Im very fond of medium-larger dogs, and was hoping to avoid getting a fully grown dog for my cats first introductions. Does this make sense?

Puppies of most breeds tend to be rather...um...hyper, shall we say? :D A puppy might actually be more traumatic to the cats than an older dog that is already accustomed to cats. And many fostered dogs are tested to see how they do with other animals, including cats. So a rescue dog might actually be the very solution you're looking for. :thumbs up

I agree with hazelrunpack that an adult dog comfortable with cats would probably be a better choice. Puppies can be unrelenting in their pursuit of play and even though your cats may not be as threatened by their size, I doubt they'll be amused by their "character development".

i know plenty of families that have 9-5 adults and kids at school all day with dogs.


i think we all do right?

i agree with most of the replies here, get an older dog. as a new puppy owner i can tell you that 8 hours alone is too much for the pup, there will be a lot of accidents with crate training, and that will just make it that much harder to get across to the dog.