Potential first time owner: should I start with a puppy or an adult dog?

coolbrosquid

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I've grown up with dogs, and I am planning to move out of my parents place. I've only ever had adult dogs (up until April), and rescued a pup who was thrown out of a car on the highway, which has been an interesting challenge. But I plan to get my own place in the next few months and would like some advice some experienced people about whether or not it's a completely bad idea at all, as I'll be gone 10 hours M-F and can't come to the house on my lunch break, as I commute a little over 30 minutes to work and back, standard office hours. Would getting a dog even be feasible, since I'm gone so long each day? Of course, I plan on getting a work from home job in the next couple of years after I build up my work history, but would like the companionship. For that reason I feel like it would be a bad idea to get a puppy due to being gone all that time. In that case, would an adult dog be a better option? I'm afraid that if do adopt an adult, I won't have as strong of a bond as with a puppy, and the dog may have behavioral issues or other trauma, which is kinda scary to me.

Any advice / tips / guidance would be greatly appreciated, I want to give the pup the best life possible and won't adopt if working long hours will take away from their happiness.
 
I've grown up with dogs, and I am planning to move out of my parents place. I've only ever had adult dogs (up until April), and rescued a pup who was thrown out of a car on the highway, which has been an interesting challenge. But I plan to get my own place in the next few months and would like some advice some experienced people about whether or not it's a completely bad idea at all, as I'll be gone 10 hours M-F and can't come to the house on my lunch break, as I commute a little over 30 minutes to work and back, standard office hours. Would getting a dog even be feasible, since I'm gone so long each day? Of course, I plan on getting a work from home job in the next couple of years after I build up my work history, but would like the companionship. For that reason I feel like it would be a bad idea to get a puppy due to being gone all that time. In that case, would an adult dog be a better option? I'm afraid that if do adopt an adult, I won't have as strong of a bond as with a puppy, and the dog may have behavioral issues or other trauma, which is kinda scary to me.

Any advice / tips / guidance would be greatly appreciated, I want to give the pup the best life possible and won't adopt if working long hours will take away from their happiness.
If you won't be around to show a puppy the attention they need to develop, then that would not be a good idea. Even an older dog needs companionship, so my advice would be to hold off until you're settled and know you are in a place to be able to be their companion just like you want them to be yours. Hopefully that makes sense
 
Older because one already needs a home. However puppy if you rather do everything from scratch. Imo adult I feel is more rewarding since your improving their life it's more of a stranger to stranger experience instead of a "familiar" relationship that feels too "family" since you did raise them
 
If you won't be around to show a puppy the attention they need to develop, then that would not be a good idea. Even an older dog needs companionship, so my advice would be to hold off until you're settled and know you are in a place to be able to be their companion just like you want them to be yours. Hopefully that makes sense
This was pretty much my line of thinking. Although I have no clue how long it will be before I get settled.
 
Pros and cons to each, I personally prefer a puppy. I expect a lot from my dogs and feel that with a pup I have more control over the direction the pup goes and to no small degree it can easily define their potential as an adult, but some people just don't have that kind of time to put in or might not expect out of a dog what I do. Whichever you go with, pick carefully and don't pick a dog because you feel sorry for it. If you know an experienced dog person, take them with and ask their advice about any dog you consider. The more time you put in learning the breeds, health problems, and how to evaluate a dog the better your chances will be that you'll get a dog who will be your best mate for many years to come.

Especially with adult dogs, spend some time with the dog. Ask to take it for a walk, see how the dog behaves away from home. Ask them to show you what the dog knows, a dog that knows some basic obedience will *usually* be less trouble than one that hasn't been taught anything. If you want a dog that plays fetch, try playng with it....or if you want a couch buddy, sit down and see if the dog seems like it'll be interested in sitting with you. You don't want to end up with one if you wanted the other.

Don't be in a hurry, take your time and absolutely be willing to walk away from a dog that isn't 100% exactly what you want. You'll have this companion for hopefully many, many years to come and you'll end up investing a lot of money and love, so don't settle for less than the dog who's the best match for you.

If you're looking for particular breeds as options, learn as much about them as you can beforehand, talk to breeders, check breed specific forums and the like so you'll be prepared for the common challenges.

Puppy, juvenile, adult, or even a senior; make sure you prepare and learn the basics of what you need to know *before* you get the dog. I feel like a broken record sometimes, so I made a thread on my best advice for new owners on a few things I wish I had known (or wish they existed) when I had my first dog. I can pretty much guarantee they will save you a lot of frustration and money if you read them; the thread contains advice from others as well.
 
Pros and cons to each, I personally prefer a puppy. I expect a lot from my dogs and feel that with a pup I have more control over the direction the pup goes and to no small degree it can easily define their potential as an adult, but some people just don't have that kind of time to put in or might not expect out of a dog what I do. Whichever you go with, pick carefully and don't pick a dog because you feel sorry for it. If you know an experienced dog person, take them with and ask their advice about any dog you consider. The more time you put in learning the breeds, health problems, and how to evaluate a dog the better your chances will be that you'll get a dog who will be your best mate for many years to come.

Especially with adult dogs, spend some time with the dog. Ask to take it for a walk, see how the dog behaves away from home. Ask them to show you what the dog knows, a dog that knows some basic obedience will *usually* be less trouble than one that hasn't been taught anything. If you want a dog that plays fetch, try playng with it....or if you want a couch buddy, sit down and see if the dog seems like it'll be interested in sitting with you. You don't want to end up with one if you wanted the other.

Don't be in a hurry, take your time and absolutely be willing to walk away from a dog that isn't 100% exactly what you want. You'll have this companion for hopefully many, many years to come and you'll end up investing a lot of money and love, so don't settle for less than the dog who's the best match for you.

If you're looking for particular breeds as options, learn as much about them as you can beforehand, talk to breeders, check breed specific forums and the like so you'll be prepared for the common challenges.

Puppy, juvenile, adult, or even a senior; make sure you prepare and learn the basics of what you need to know *before* you get the dog. I feel like a broken record sometimes, so I made a thread on my best advice for new owners on a few things I wish I had known (or wish they existed) when I had my first dog. I can pretty much guarantee they will save you a lot of frustration and money if you read them; the thread contains advice from others as well.
Appreciate the resource. But still probably a bad idea with the amount of time I'll be away from the them, unless I do something like hire a dog sitter?
 
Appreciate the resource. But still probably a bad idea with the amount of time I'll be away from the them, unless I do something like hire a dog sitter?

I don't know the details of your time constraints, so cannot advise on that. Dogs tend to need a good bit of time and if you can't arrange for that it's probably best to wait until you can. Sitters can be expensive depending on where you are, but that may be an option. I have been known to choose housemates who were dog friendly to ensure my dogs had company. Unfortunately there's no one answer that works for every situation.
 
It can be hard waiting, but at the end of the day if you bring a dog into your life before you have the time to give them, it's not really fair to them, being cooped up in the back yard for so long by themselves.

So I think that would be a definite no to a puppy, you don't want them alone too much when they are growing and developing or they could easily develop bad or distructive behaviours while they try and entertain themselves. An older dog might be an option as long as you know enough about their background that they can handle the alone time without stressing out (any dog that was abandoned or neglected in the past would definitely not be suitable) and the dog also needs to be able to interact with entertainment and distraction toys like Kongs and food puzzles so bordem doesn't drive them to distraction and find their own ways to pass the time, like pulling the washing off the line, digging up the flowers or escaping the yard and going looking for adventure in whatever comes there way.

So if it was me I would wait, but if your really desperate the best alternative would be not getting a dog, but getting 2 dogs preferable older who aren't so active these days, then they have their friend when your not around and they can still give you some companionship in the evenings when you take them for a walk. Also shelters and rescue places find it really hard to place dogs in situations where say the owner has died or two dogs are best kept together because they have lived together for a long time. In addition to this older animals are less wanted by a lot of people.
The down side is older animals can have more health issues, but they still have lots of love to give, and quite often when they let you in to their lives they can be true sweet hearts.

Alternatively depending on what your really looking for, you could sign up with a dog walking business and earn a bit of extra money and walk other peoples dogs, if you can find a time that suit when your not working that is compatible with some people who need their dogs exercised, such as elderly people who can't get out with their dog as much as they used too, so the dog is putting on a few too many pounds/kgs.

I suspect you already knew your answer before you asked the question though, so as long as you weigh the animals needs equally with your own wants and needs I'm sure you will do what is best for both of you.
 
A puppy in that situation is wrong in my opinion. They need almost constant attention if you ask me. I got sorta lucky with my boy. Covid was going on so work wasn't available to me. I was able to raise him myself for the most part. When I did go back to work I had a relative watch him. Now he can stay home for hours and be fine. But I bring him everywhere I can and have built my life to have a dog in it. Self employed and able to leave and go home early. It was about the same with my female doberman. I was in her life majority of the time. Do what you ultimately think is best tho.
 
A puppy in that situation is wrong in my opinion. They need almost constant attention if you ask me. I got sorta lucky with my boy. Covid was going on so work wasn't available to me. I was able to raise him myself for the most part. When I did go back to work I had a relative watch him. Now he can stay home for hours and be fine. But I bring him everywhere I can and have built my life to have a dog in it. Self employed and able to leave and go home early. It was about the same with my female doberman. I was in her life majority of the time. Do what you ultimately think is best tho.
Yeah I feel that way about having a puppy, don't think I'll do it unless I have a remote job
 
Yeah I feel that way about having a puppy, don't think I'll do it unless I have a remote job
Go for a remote job then. If you put in the effort it's totally possible. Just have to really want it. We are capable of so much yet so many choose to stick with something safe. The risks can be rewarding as ever. I believe anyone can make their dreams come true as long as those dreams are logical of course lol
 
Like many have mentioned before, I'd wait until you have a job working from home before I'd pull the trigger on getting any dog. Not only that, but even if you do manage to get a job working from home (which is highly sought after these days) I'd wait until you know that you're secure in that job. You have to remember that a dog is potentially a 7-15 year commitment depending on the breed.

Me, I waited until I had worked well over a year in my current job, and waited until I was able to secure a home of my own before I even remotely considered taking on the responsibility of cohabitating with canines. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put myself and subsequently my canines in a constant state of distress due to being broke and jobless.

There are both positives and negatives when it comes to getting a puppy versus adopting an adult dog. Both are going to have drawbacks. But before you even consider which option would be best for you, you first need to make sure you're financially stable and have a stable living situation. Dogs are a lot of work and cost a lot of money.
 
Like many have mentioned before, I'd wait until you have a job working from home before I'd pull the trigger on getting any dog. Not only that, but even if you do manage to get a job working from home (which is highly sought after these days) I'd wait until you know that you're secure in that job. You have to remember that a dog is potentially a 7-15 year commitment depending on the breed.

Me, I waited until I had worked well over a year in my current job, and waited until I was able to secure a home of my own before I even remotely considered taking on the responsibility of cohabitating with canines. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put myself and subsequently my canines in a constant state of distress due to being broke and jobless.

There are both positives and negatives when it comes to getting a puppy versus adopting an adult dog. Both are going to have drawbacks. But before you even consider which option would be best for you, you first need to make sure you're financially stable and have a stable living situation. Dogs are a lot of work and cost a lot of money.
Thanks. That's pretty much what I'm planning on. Do you work from home?
 
I wonder why this guy was banned.

For others reading, if you are picking a dog out for the first time ever, I would probably go with a dog not a puppy. I made so many mistakes and there was so much to learn about dog ownership it's not even funny. With a puppy, any mistakes you make are amplified when they are adults. When you adopt a dog, they kind of have a 'soft reset' and theres a period where they re-learn whats acceptable and how to behave in your household. Of course, there can always be prior behavior issues that will crop up but I still think it's the way to start out since puppies don't stay puppies forever.
Probably said stuff in DM’s.

But yeah I agree with your statement, I would equate adopting a dog to the same as adopting a child. Depending on the age of the dog or child experiences will drastically differ when raising them with the younger ones as you said “amplify mistakes”, where as older ones are already ‘trained’ and experienced with life

Edit: I should add that I’m talking in no way at all about sexual stuff in case someone takes it the wrong way
 
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