To have a pet or not...

[MacDad]

Single man.
working 12 hours a day,
mostly 5 on 5 off work schedule.

Is it ok to have a dog?
I want a dog, but just worried about my working days,
Because I have leave the dog at home for 12 hours a day minimum on my working days.

Is it not fair for the dog or it should be ok?
Not decided yet what breed dog I want.

Let me know what you think,
I do not want to just have a dog because i want to, I want to take care of the dog as much as possible.

[Blastoff]

Not fair to the dog, don't bother with those hours. You try and hold it for 12 hours or even longer by the time you get home. By your post this is no brainer.

[densa44]

You'll never get better company or a truer friend. What we need are solutions to your working conditions. I know a number of people in your situation and due to the kind of work they do, the dog rides around all day in the truck with them.
After a year the man and dog seem to be able to read one another's thoughts.

Another fellow has a dog and has an after school person who comes over every day and lets him out in the yard.

Another fellow drops his off every am at a "doggy day care"

My advice is to give this more thought about how to solve the logistics and go for it.

[roger]

Originally Posted by MacDad

Single man.
working 12 hours a day,
mostly 5 on 5 off work schedule.

Is it ok to have a wife?
I want a wife, but just worried about my working days,
Because I have leave the wife at home for 12 hours a day minimum on my working days.

Is it not fair for the wife or it should be ok?
Not decided yet what breed wife I want.

Let me know what you think,
I do not want to just have a wife because i want to, I want to take care of the wife as much as possible.

there changed it a bit..does it make sense. now question whether you want or think you need another 'dependant'.
especially when the topic of neutering comes up

[58thecat]

Nope, not the right time for a pet.

Why have a wife when you can have girlfriend(s).

[pikergolf]

12 hrs min. alone is no life for a dog. They thrive on company. My vote is no, until work hours change.

[Hiwa]

No way will I get a dog when I am working full time. Been through that a couple of times and I really love dogs , but I'm gonna wait till I retire to get one again. They really need you there.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

The absolute longest that I will leave my dog for is 12 hours.

Even then I'll have it arranged to have a friend come and put her out and something to eat .

Get a cat.

They are self sufficient and sleep all day anyway.

[Nova]

Do you have a fenced yard? If so, with a dog door it could work. That is, provided that dog is going to be your life, and not just an item of convenience. Would be ideal to adopt, that way you'll have some idea if the dog has any destructive tendencies or separation anxiety. Regular exercise will be important.

I work a similar schedule and have 2 hours of commute time. I adopted a bully breed mystery mix (figured to be boxer/staffy) in 2012. She manages to spend my time at work chilling. People might think that with such a schedule dog wouldn't get enough attention. I'd argue that my dog gets more time spent together than the average working game family's dog. A single person working 12 hours 3.5 days a week has lots of time to actually spend quality time with the dog. Where I go, my dog goes. Fishing, camping, hiking, etc. I plan my life to include my dog. Once a year I let my dad watch her for a day when I go away to a weekend rec hockey tournament, that's the only time we are apart. Once couples have kids the dogs always become an afterthought that gets left outside on a tether, seldom walked. Turns into a pork chop and then starts suffering from joint issues. A working family is still away from the house 40 hours a week for work. Add in other events like sports, weekend trips, etc. The dog just ends up ignored.

[DiabeticKripple]

Get a cat.

I just left my cat alone for 3 days. Just make sure there's food, water and a clean litter box and they will survive lol.

I also leave a toilet lid up in case something happens to her water bowl.

[Badgerbadger]

If you have to ask, the answer is no.

Now, after reading your post, the answer is DEFINITELY NO!!!

A dog is not a toy, to be brought out when you have time to feel good about taking care of it.

To have a dog is to be its family and for it to be your family. The dog will wonder where you go, and will miss you. It will find ways to entertain itself while you are gone. Those ways won't be constructive.

A friend of mine in a similar position to you got a dog, against better advice. He is having no end of problems with the dog.

I could go on, but I'll just stop here by saying DON'T GET A DOG.

[Okotokian]

I would say it would be unfair to the dog to be cooped up alone that long. And that's just your work time. I assume you will also go out with friends, go on dates, shop, travel, go big game hunting. A dog owner has an obligation to give the dog a good life, in my opinion. I think it would be hard for you to do so, no matter how good your intentions.

And I'm assuming you have a home with a back yard, could put in a dog door so he could go in and out, etc. If you are in an apartment with that schedule, forget it, IMHO. Good luck with your decision.

[bobtodrick]

I tend to say no as well.
You expect the dog to be alone 12 hours which is to much as it is.
And what...when your finished your 12 hour day you are never going to socialize with friends...do grocery shopping or have a girlfriend. All of which means that there will be times when that 12 hours turns into 15, 18 or a whole day.
Nope...I wouldn't even own a cat under those circumstances.
I know it's not what you want to hear...but as the saying goes 'it's not about you'.
Fish...now there's a low maintenance pet!

[Okotokian]

And I have to commend you for even asking the question and thinking about it. Lots of people never do.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

And I have to commend you for even asking the question and thinking about it. Lots of people never do.

Excellent point, Oki!

[Rockman]

Yup, that's conscience and wisdom right there to be asking questions.

[waterninja]

While I believe that every home should have at least 1 dog and 2 cats, in the OP's case I would recommend against having a pet. A nice house plant would work though.

[angery jonn]

I gotta say having a 5 on 5 off shift he will be spending more time with the dog then most. You could set up a outdoor run and have someone check in the dog, get a dog walker or drop it off at a dog day centre. There's tons of ways to get around it without being unfair to the dog.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Blastoff

Not fair to the dog, don't bother with those hours. You try and hold it for 12 hours or even longer by the time you get home. By your post this is no brainer.

Too many people ignore this. Thoroughly animal abuse, from where I sit. Molly where are you ? What's the point of having a dog you have no time for ?

Grizz

[angery jonn]

I guess I should have never had kids....

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by angery jonn

I guess I should have never had kids....

Should be a fitness test before you're allowed.

Grizz

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I would say it would be unfair to the dog to be cooped up alone that long. And that's just your work time. I assume you will also go out with friends, go on dates, shop, travel, go big game hunting. A dog owner has an obligation to give the dog a good life, in my opinion. I think it would be hard for you to do so, no matter how good your intentions.

And I'm assuming you have a home with a back yard, could put in a dog door so he could go in and out, etc. If you are in an apartment with that schedule, forget it, IMHO. Good luck with your decision.

That is very good advise from Oki. Even though my wife is a stay at home household engineer, and my beagle loves her very much, he still is MY dog. He would prefer being with me, no matter where I go. Fortunately, when I go somewhere, he's my co-pilot. I always bring a large water bottle, his dog food for him and a few treats, a long leash, etc. He loves road trips and if I have to stay somewhere overnite, it must be a place that allows him to sleep on the bed with me.

[The Spank]

I work long hours and years ago even more so. Nowadays I do a 7/7 of 11 hour days but back years ago I ran 11-18 hr days 6 days/week and had a yellow lab. Even though I had him living outside in a kennel it was unfair to him to be cooped up day in and day out. Every night I let him out, cleaned and hosed his kennel down, made sure his 5 gallon bucket of water was full, fed him and took him for a walk. After about two years my then hunting partner retired and mentioned getting a dog once again after 30 plus years without one. He was the perfect candidate to take mine and give him a great life. The guy hunted every single day in fall during retirement and he had been a fitness nut his entire life walking three miles each morning then running or bicycling three miles each night. When I asked if he wanted the dog he couldn't say yes fast enough. He had the dog until the day it died. I never saw a dog in such amazing physical condition. He could fetch geese all morning on field or water and never breathe hard or heavy or pant with tongue hanging out. They had a great decade together and I never regretted my decision. It was the best thing I ever did for the dog. Even now my job and lifestyle are no match for a pet. Maybe in retirement? Maybe?

[The Spank]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Nope, not the right time for a pet.

Why have a wife when you can have girlfriend(s).

Nothing wrong with having a wife, provided she is someone elses!!

[artie]

Talked with a girl at the dog park who had a nice black lab she kept in a kennel in an apartment. She also kept the dog in the kennel when she slept. I figure that dog was spending 18 hours a day in that kennel. I pointed out that that she was being very cruel to that animal. She has a hate on for me and I have a hate on for her.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by MacDad

Single man.
working 12 hours a day,
mostly 5 on 5 off work schedule.

Is it ok to have a dog?
I want a dog, but just worried about my working days,
Because I have leave the dog at home for 12 hours a day minimum on my working days.

Is it not fair for the dog or it should be ok?
Not decided yet what breed dog I want.

Let me know what you think,
I do not want to just have a dog because i want to, I want to take care of the dog as much as possible.

The answer to your question, is in your own words ^

Selkirk

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

The answer to your question, is in your own words ^

Selkirk

Yup, be good to man's best friend.

[artie]

If someone wanted to start a business I think there is a market for a rental dog. You could rent a dog when you had time and let someone else rent him when you were busy. Not the nicest but it beats sitting in a kennel.

[bb356]

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

Excellent point, Oki!

yup

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by artie

If someone wanted to start a business I think there is a market for a rental dog. You could rent a dog when you had time and let someone else rent him when you were busy. Not the nicest but it beats sitting in a kennel.

I had a slightly different thought 25 years ago.
People wonder if they are ready for kids (many aren't). I came up with the idea of child rentals...pick 'em on Friday after work, return them Monday morning.
Seems most of my friends though it was a stupid idea