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Hi there! Why exactly does it have to be a puppy? An adult dog could be a better match! I would recommend at least 2 years of age if you want to routinely leave them by themselves for 8+ hours per day. You can speak to shelters or rescue agencies about your specific needs and they can help you find a good match. Let me explain the issue with getting a puppy for your current lifestyle.
If you both work outside the house as you describe, maybe a puppy isn't a good match for your lifestyle, as they can't hold their bladder that long. Being forced to relieve themselves indoors in a routine way because you're not around to give it potty breaks will ruin any chance you have of properly potty training them. Consider that a puppy of 3 months of age will probably need to go potty every 1-3 hours. A puppy of 6 months (depending on breed/size) could hold it 4 hours if you're lucky. They can't learn to consistently go outside if they don't get the chance to go potty outside every single time they need to go.
If you choose to crate while the pup is young and you're away, it will potty inside the crate. It will learn that indoors is an acceptable place for peeing and pooping. It won't learn to (even briefly) hold its bladder until it's time to go outside, and will just let it all out whenever it feels like it. You'll be signing up for a lifetime of cleaning up 'accidents' whenever you come home, that's not fair for you and not healthy/hygienic for the dog.
You mention you have an outdoor area you could leverage - Is your outdoor area securely fenced to prevent escape/theft while the dog is unsupervised? If the puppy whines and barks while it's alone (which it will, because it's a baby who will inevitably get distressed if left by itself at that age), will your neighbors tolerate it? Are you prepared for the dog to potentially develop separation anxiety from the distress of this happening during its entire youth? Do you live in a mild enough climate that the dog can safely and comfortably be in the outdoor pen all day, considering that puppies are *extra* sensitive to heat and cold? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you can't leave the puppy in that outdoor space for 8-10 hours a day while you and your partner go to work.
They are also literally babies, until well into the year of age. They need constant supervision and interaction if you want them to grow up into a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog. If you're not around to guide it on how to interact with the world during the first year of its life at least, the chances of it developing behavioral problems are *huge.*
for the first year, at least, you \*\*will\*\* need to either hire someone to break up the puppy's day, or rearrange your work schedule. (Disclaimer: I do this for a living) My usual recommendation for full-time workers with young puppies is no more than 4 hours alone. So if you leave the house at 7:30-8 and return at 6, I will come by at 10:30/11 ish, and then again at 2:30/3 pm ish, for around 30 -45 min of play, feeding, and basic training. Once they are 6 months or so, depending (smaller dogs often need twice daily for longer) we switch to one-hour midday and continue for the remainder of their life.
It doesn't seem fair to get a dog that will be left alone for 10 hours a day. Outside of the weekend, you'd only get a couple hours with it a day. You should probably hold off on getting a dog until at least one of you isn't working quite as much. Other owners are telling you to not get one right now for a reason. Dogs are a huge commitment and can take up a lot of time, which neither of you has a lot of.
At least get two so they have a companion... and at least a year old. Don't have to be litter mates. Could even do an older puppy and a young cat. But I agree it's too much alone for a single young puppy.
Unfortunately this schedule isn’t ideal for a puppy, like many other commenters suggested.
An adult rescue cat may work instead if you still want a pet! They’re much more independent than dogs and no midday potty breaks are needed! You’d save money on daycare/dog walkers.
You could even get a bonded pair if you wanted too. Many shelters have a hard time getting them adopted out, and that way they’d have company during the day too. However, many cats are also content being the only cat in the household too.
Hope this helps!
This is a great suggestion. Even kittens aren't as much work as a dog since they generally learn how to use a litter box before they're weaned.
I got a kitten when I was single because I wanted a "co-parent" before getting a puppy. Single people and busy couples absolutely can raise dogs well, but a dog-walker/sitter/daycare is needed for at least the first few months. Even then, a lot of breeds (particularly the hypoallergenic companion breeds) would be miserable left alone for the majority of their days.
All people I know who took on the responsibility of a puppy while also not having time to stay home with them now have adult dogs with lots of issues. If you don't have the finances for daycare/a dog walker then you should hold off on getting a puppy for now. I know they are cute, and it seems like everyone around you has a dog, so there's probably this feeling of missing out on certain experiences however, it is really irresponsible to get a puppy in your current circumstances. When you say it is "unrealistic" that someone needs to be home to raise a puppy, I'm not sure why you think that? They take lots of time, effort, guidance, love and patience.
Can you have someone walk or take the dog during the days?
For example my Lab gets to hang out with my parents or inlaws when we are at work, and my wife is a teacher who gets summers off.
It's like having a kid. They need a lot of attention and time to grow into good adults. A few weeks isn't enough time. Trust me our puppy was tough on my wife who really had a hard time from 10 weeks to 7 months old.
Yeah.. get an adult dog or hire a daily dog walker. 8 hours is pushing it already let alone 10 hour days. Doggie daycares are asking for you to end up with a reactive dog - I would never consider daycare
Also, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. I never understood why some dogs are marketed as such we are allergic to their skin and all dogs have skin. I have dog allergies and I won't lie it sucks- I take Claritin and Nasonex daily + I have two air purifiers in a 1 bedroom apartment, it only mildly helps.
We had the WORST experience with doggy daycare with our husky pup. Never again. We won't even consider daycare/boarding it needs to be strictly boarding.
I’d say, you guys definitely do not have time for a puppy. When you first get them, they essentially need to be taken out every 30min-1hr and they need a very structured schedule (it’s like having an infant but one that can walk around the house and poop everywhere from day 1). Just because lots of people get puppies with full time jobs, doesn’t mean it’s responsible at all. I walked dogs for Rover for years. Most people (and I was overwhelmingly working with responsible owners who were paying for care for their dogs) had totally unrealistic expectations of their animals.
An older dog who’s good hanging out on the couch during the day would be a great option. And, honestly, the ethically-bred dogs that are hypoallergenic (poodles) are high energy dogs who will need lots of enrichment. Please keep in mind that doodles are always unethically, irresponsibly bred and are prone to behavioral issues because of that and are also incredibly high energy and would not be a good fit. However, if you want one, there are lots of them in rescue/shelters.
My advice if you definitely want a puppy is to start researching the breeds you think would be a good fit for your lifestyle. Then start reaching out to breeders through the breeder referral page of that breed parent club. Here’s a little video on how to find an ethical breeder: [Ethical Breeding Practices Video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNNVemCa/)
Most ethical breeders will put you on a waitlist and you should expect to wait 6mo-2yr depending on the breed you decide to go with. During this time, I would formulate a plan to where one of you is able to scale back on hours, get to a hybrid work situation or something where you’re not both going to be gone 10 hours at a time.
Some say dogs aren't for people who work because they don't have time.
Some say dogs aren't for people who don't work because they don't have money.
With people you can't win.
With dogs, you can find walkers and daycare and sounds like your partners does have at least half a week more flexible for the dog. Don't get a dog that needs too much work, I wouldn't go for a herding or other working dogs, but certainly a local rescue would have a dog whose character they know and would be compatible with your situation. Consider an adult dog, that might be easier than a puppy.
You can get a dog but it's unwise to get a puppy.
Not impossible, but people underestimate the amount of stress adding a dog adds to a home *even in perfect circumstances*. These aren't perfect circumstances.
Edit: If you're dead set on getting a puppy, please [look at what constitutes ethical breeding](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/identifying_a_responsible_breeder). Mixes like cavapoos and labradoodles etc aren't ethically bred. If you're going to do it, set yourself and the dog up for success in what is otherwise a difficult situation by purchasing a dog who has been health tested to the OFA standard, and socialized well for their beginning of life.
Please do not get a puppy when you're working this much. Wait until your hours are better. Puppies are hard AF, and shouldn't be alone that long. If you must get a dog, get an adult dog that's ok being alone for 10+ hours at a time and hire a dog walker to get them out.
This is coming from someone who is a few years past the puppy stage. I was home all the time and it was still absolutely miserable. I can't even imagine dealing with puppy energy and training when you're gone that much. That and it isn't fair to the dog.
Ever had a dog before? What kind you desire? In-depth research is much needed. If you have a nice shady outside fenced safe area & it has to spend a lot of time outside I’d wait to cooler weather . Just common sense. Also your allergies have to be top on your priorities. It’s going to surprise lots of people many many people get dogs & hold down jobs without missing a beat. No time off, they just make it happen & most of those dogs are well cared for, vetted properly, shots up to date, good diet, social. You know what most dogs do when they are alone? Sleep & fart. Yes there are those that don’t, there’s a lot of human responsibility in that. You can get cameras so you can watch & talk. Separation anxiety that’s a lot of human in that too. Dogs have been on this earth for a long time before human decided to take them as pets. Common sense. Are they hard work damn straight! Can they be a comfort & joy? Damn straight! Can the be a terror? Yes they can! 🍀
So maybe a better fit would be an adult dog who’s in need of a good home and that’s crate trained. Get them into daycare or have a good dog walker. Its definitely doable
I wouldn‘t per se say it‘s impossible, but it‘a hard. In general I wouldn‘t leave an adult dog for more than 8h alone. Can you walk the dog in yout lunchbreaks? Can you shift you work schedules so that one leaves earlier than the other and thus comes home earlier so that you can reduce the 10h of alone time? Alternatively you can have a dog walker (bug that‘s obviously quite a lot of money if needed on a regular basis. As for a puppy… they need to pee a lot until they‘re like 6months old (like every 1-2h), also they need SIGNIFICANTLY more attention. By that I mean something like 1h awake, 2h sleep, it gets better at 6-8 months but until they‘re at least one year old they‘ll still be a lot. Having a fenced outdoor area is really good though! You can keep them busy for a bit without having to walk them (for example give them their meals by tossing it in the grass so they have to search for it). Also I‘d recommend not getting an 8 weeks old puppy, but a 10 week old puppy (better socialization, more bite inhibition already and two weeks less puppy insanity for yourselves). The 3-4 week vacation you‘re having in mind would never have been enough for me. I‘d recommend 4 weeks each and shifted to strech the time. Lastly I‘d like to stress that a puppy until like 10months will be a huuge stressfactor for both of you when working. It‘s also rewarding of course and I don‘t want to talk you out of it, I‘d recommend r/puppy101 to see what awaits you. Good luck dinding your pup! (I have a high energy dog, it might be better with more chill breeds)
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi there! Why exactly does it have to be a puppy? An adult dog could be a better match! I would recommend at least 2 years of age if you want to routinely leave them by themselves for 8+ hours per day. You can speak to shelters or rescue agencies about your specific needs and they can help you find a good match. Let me explain the issue with getting a puppy for your current lifestyle. If you both work outside the house as you describe, maybe a puppy isn't a good match for your lifestyle, as they can't hold their bladder that long. Being forced to relieve themselves indoors in a routine way because you're not around to give it potty breaks will ruin any chance you have of properly potty training them. Consider that a puppy of 3 months of age will probably need to go potty every 1-3 hours. A puppy of 6 months (depending on breed/size) could hold it 4 hours if you're lucky. They can't learn to consistently go outside if they don't get the chance to go potty outside every single time they need to go. If you choose to crate while the pup is young and you're away, it will potty inside the crate. It will learn that indoors is an acceptable place for peeing and pooping. It won't learn to (even briefly) hold its bladder until it's time to go outside, and will just let it all out whenever it feels like it. You'll be signing up for a lifetime of cleaning up 'accidents' whenever you come home, that's not fair for you and not healthy/hygienic for the dog. You mention you have an outdoor area you could leverage - Is your outdoor area securely fenced to prevent escape/theft while the dog is unsupervised? If the puppy whines and barks while it's alone (which it will, because it's a baby who will inevitably get distressed if left by itself at that age), will your neighbors tolerate it? Are you prepared for the dog to potentially develop separation anxiety from the distress of this happening during its entire youth? Do you live in a mild enough climate that the dog can safely and comfortably be in the outdoor pen all day, considering that puppies are *extra* sensitive to heat and cold? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you can't leave the puppy in that outdoor space for 8-10 hours a day while you and your partner go to work. They are also literally babies, until well into the year of age. They need constant supervision and interaction if you want them to grow up into a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog. If you're not around to guide it on how to interact with the world during the first year of its life at least, the chances of it developing behavioral problems are *huge.*
for the first year, at least, you \*\*will\*\* need to either hire someone to break up the puppy's day, or rearrange your work schedule. (Disclaimer: I do this for a living) My usual recommendation for full-time workers with young puppies is no more than 4 hours alone. So if you leave the house at 7:30-8 and return at 6, I will come by at 10:30/11 ish, and then again at 2:30/3 pm ish, for around 30 -45 min of play, feeding, and basic training. Once they are 6 months or so, depending (smaller dogs often need twice daily for longer) we switch to one-hour midday and continue for the remainder of their life.
It doesn't seem fair to get a dog that will be left alone for 10 hours a day. Outside of the weekend, you'd only get a couple hours with it a day. You should probably hold off on getting a dog until at least one of you isn't working quite as much. Other owners are telling you to not get one right now for a reason. Dogs are a huge commitment and can take up a lot of time, which neither of you has a lot of.
Thank you for your feedback - I understand your views and appreciate the response.
At least get two so they have a companion... and at least a year old. Don't have to be litter mates. Could even do an older puppy and a young cat. But I agree it's too much alone for a single young puppy.
Unfortunately this schedule isn’t ideal for a puppy, like many other commenters suggested. An adult rescue cat may work instead if you still want a pet! They’re much more independent than dogs and no midday potty breaks are needed! You’d save money on daycare/dog walkers. You could even get a bonded pair if you wanted too. Many shelters have a hard time getting them adopted out, and that way they’d have company during the day too. However, many cats are also content being the only cat in the household too. Hope this helps!
This is a great suggestion. Even kittens aren't as much work as a dog since they generally learn how to use a litter box before they're weaned. I got a kitten when I was single because I wanted a "co-parent" before getting a puppy. Single people and busy couples absolutely can raise dogs well, but a dog-walker/sitter/daycare is needed for at least the first few months. Even then, a lot of breeds (particularly the hypoallergenic companion breeds) would be miserable left alone for the majority of their days.
All people I know who took on the responsibility of a puppy while also not having time to stay home with them now have adult dogs with lots of issues. If you don't have the finances for daycare/a dog walker then you should hold off on getting a puppy for now. I know they are cute, and it seems like everyone around you has a dog, so there's probably this feeling of missing out on certain experiences however, it is really irresponsible to get a puppy in your current circumstances. When you say it is "unrealistic" that someone needs to be home to raise a puppy, I'm not sure why you think that? They take lots of time, effort, guidance, love and patience.
Unless you are willing to hire full time sitter/low volume daycare I wouldn’t.
Can you have someone walk or take the dog during the days? For example my Lab gets to hang out with my parents or inlaws when we are at work, and my wife is a teacher who gets summers off. It's like having a kid. They need a lot of attention and time to grow into good adults. A few weeks isn't enough time. Trust me our puppy was tough on my wife who really had a hard time from 10 weeks to 7 months old.
Yeah.. get an adult dog or hire a daily dog walker. 8 hours is pushing it already let alone 10 hour days. Doggie daycares are asking for you to end up with a reactive dog - I would never consider daycare Also, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. I never understood why some dogs are marketed as such we are allergic to their skin and all dogs have skin. I have dog allergies and I won't lie it sucks- I take Claritin and Nasonex daily + I have two air purifiers in a 1 bedroom apartment, it only mildly helps.
We had the WORST experience with doggy daycare with our husky pup. Never again. We won't even consider daycare/boarding it needs to be strictly boarding.
Doggy daycare was the BEST thing ever for our guy…literally taught him how to be social around other dogs!
I’d say, you guys definitely do not have time for a puppy. When you first get them, they essentially need to be taken out every 30min-1hr and they need a very structured schedule (it’s like having an infant but one that can walk around the house and poop everywhere from day 1). Just because lots of people get puppies with full time jobs, doesn’t mean it’s responsible at all. I walked dogs for Rover for years. Most people (and I was overwhelmingly working with responsible owners who were paying for care for their dogs) had totally unrealistic expectations of their animals. An older dog who’s good hanging out on the couch during the day would be a great option. And, honestly, the ethically-bred dogs that are hypoallergenic (poodles) are high energy dogs who will need lots of enrichment. Please keep in mind that doodles are always unethically, irresponsibly bred and are prone to behavioral issues because of that and are also incredibly high energy and would not be a good fit. However, if you want one, there are lots of them in rescue/shelters. My advice if you definitely want a puppy is to start researching the breeds you think would be a good fit for your lifestyle. Then start reaching out to breeders through the breeder referral page of that breed parent club. Here’s a little video on how to find an ethical breeder: [Ethical Breeding Practices Video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNNVemCa/) Most ethical breeders will put you on a waitlist and you should expect to wait 6mo-2yr depending on the breed you decide to go with. During this time, I would formulate a plan to where one of you is able to scale back on hours, get to a hybrid work situation or something where you’re not both going to be gone 10 hours at a time.
Some say dogs aren't for people who work because they don't have time. Some say dogs aren't for people who don't work because they don't have money. With people you can't win. With dogs, you can find walkers and daycare and sounds like your partners does have at least half a week more flexible for the dog. Don't get a dog that needs too much work, I wouldn't go for a herding or other working dogs, but certainly a local rescue would have a dog whose character they know and would be compatible with your situation. Consider an adult dog, that might be easier than a puppy.
You can get a dog but it's unwise to get a puppy. Not impossible, but people underestimate the amount of stress adding a dog adds to a home *even in perfect circumstances*. These aren't perfect circumstances. Edit: If you're dead set on getting a puppy, please [look at what constitutes ethical breeding](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/identifying_a_responsible_breeder). Mixes like cavapoos and labradoodles etc aren't ethically bred. If you're going to do it, set yourself and the dog up for success in what is otherwise a difficult situation by purchasing a dog who has been health tested to the OFA standard, and socialized well for their beginning of life.
Please do not get a puppy when you're working this much. Wait until your hours are better. Puppies are hard AF, and shouldn't be alone that long. If you must get a dog, get an adult dog that's ok being alone for 10+ hours at a time and hire a dog walker to get them out. This is coming from someone who is a few years past the puppy stage. I was home all the time and it was still absolutely miserable. I can't even imagine dealing with puppy energy and training when you're gone that much. That and it isn't fair to the dog.
Ever had a dog before? What kind you desire? In-depth research is much needed. If you have a nice shady outside fenced safe area & it has to spend a lot of time outside I’d wait to cooler weather . Just common sense. Also your allergies have to be top on your priorities. It’s going to surprise lots of people many many people get dogs & hold down jobs without missing a beat. No time off, they just make it happen & most of those dogs are well cared for, vetted properly, shots up to date, good diet, social. You know what most dogs do when they are alone? Sleep & fart. Yes there are those that don’t, there’s a lot of human responsibility in that. You can get cameras so you can watch & talk. Separation anxiety that’s a lot of human in that too. Dogs have been on this earth for a long time before human decided to take them as pets. Common sense. Are they hard work damn straight! Can they be a comfort & joy? Damn straight! Can the be a terror? Yes they can! 🍀
So maybe a better fit would be an adult dog who’s in need of a good home and that’s crate trained. Get them into daycare or have a good dog walker. Its definitely doable
You don't have time for a puppy. Even an adult dog will be lonely and bored with this schedule. And a bored dog will be trouble.
I walk round the area where I live and you can hear dogs barking who have been left alone… it makes me really sad tbh..
I wouldn‘t per se say it‘s impossible, but it‘a hard. In general I wouldn‘t leave an adult dog for more than 8h alone. Can you walk the dog in yout lunchbreaks? Can you shift you work schedules so that one leaves earlier than the other and thus comes home earlier so that you can reduce the 10h of alone time? Alternatively you can have a dog walker (bug that‘s obviously quite a lot of money if needed on a regular basis. As for a puppy… they need to pee a lot until they‘re like 6months old (like every 1-2h), also they need SIGNIFICANTLY more attention. By that I mean something like 1h awake, 2h sleep, it gets better at 6-8 months but until they‘re at least one year old they‘ll still be a lot. Having a fenced outdoor area is really good though! You can keep them busy for a bit without having to walk them (for example give them their meals by tossing it in the grass so they have to search for it). Also I‘d recommend not getting an 8 weeks old puppy, but a 10 week old puppy (better socialization, more bite inhibition already and two weeks less puppy insanity for yourselves). The 3-4 week vacation you‘re having in mind would never have been enough for me. I‘d recommend 4 weeks each and shifted to strech the time. Lastly I‘d like to stress that a puppy until like 10months will be a huuge stressfactor for both of you when working. It‘s also rewarding of course and I don‘t want to talk you out of it, I‘d recommend r/puppy101 to see what awaits you. Good luck dinding your pup! (I have a high energy dog, it might be better with more chill breeds)