To have a pet or not...

[molly]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

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

Here I is, Grizz!
As noted by Oki, it shows consideration on the part of the OP to ask our opinions, and to think about it first. With a 5 and 5 schedule, it is a tougher call, but Dawg will still be sad... Even if you have someone come by during the day to check on him. Doggie daycare is fine, but not ideal, either. Here is my idea. You obviously like dogs, so why not spend time volunteering to walk dogs at one of your local rescues/shelters? You can hang with dogs, pet them, play with them, and they get to have fun, too. Win-win. Maybe you will get a girlfriend soon, and then that would provide another family member to be home with a future dog! We took our dogs everywhere because we were able to. Not everyone has that luxury. I would always want to leave a social event early...cuz Dawg was missing us!! I couldn't imagine worrying about a dog for 12 hours!!

[4thredneck]

My landlady has 2 dogs, one is a Shepard cross the other a lab cross. She leaves for work before 6 and comes home around 4. I hardly ever see these dogs outside, she lets them out to do their business and that's it. These dogs are in the house 23.5 hours a day and I think it's sick. I don't know why anyone would be so selfish as to think that the company of two dogs is worth this. To many people have dogs for the wrong reasons. When we left the farm I gave my dog away because I didn't want her living in the house while we were away.