Thinking about getting a dog

[Yinyangfooey]

Specifically, a shiba inu! I've never had a pet before so I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. The thing is I don't know if my lifestyle can afford it.

I leave work around 7:45am-8am every morning and leave 6pm. On MWF I go to the gym and get back home around 8pm-8:15pm. Would I have to hire a dogsitter/dog watcher? That sounds pretty expensive. All in all, I DO want one....it's just that I don't want to be selfish and not able to take care of an animal.

Can anyone offer some thoughts?

 

[SugarNoodles]

Don't get a dog.

 

[kvetcha]

You should not get a dog with that schedule. You should especially not get a shiba.

 

[Panthalassic]

Don't think a shiba is the best breed to start with, especially with that schedule.

 

[Buttzerker]

Nah man. If you want a pet, get a cat or some rodents! Mice and rats make really good, loving pets who don't need to be constantly checked in on.

Cats, of course, don't much care if you're there or not.

 

[Nexus2049]

Don't get a dog if he's going to be a lone a lot. I thought it'd work out doing that myself but it really hasn't sadly.

 

[super-famicom]

Shiba like to run, do you have a large enough yard? And dogs are very social, so if you're not home much, they could get bored and turn to destructive activities to keep themselves amused.

 

[Kangi]

Shibas aren't like your typical dog.

That kind of schedule means you'd probably need a dogsitter, unless you specifically adopted an old basset hound or similarly lazy pile of dog.

 

[Doomsayer]

The worst thing to do when you get a pet is neglect it. With that schedule I would say don't do it.

If you make alterations to your gym schedule, like instead of going to the gym three times a week go one time. With your off days either take the dog on a run/hike or workout from home. Either way being gone for 10-11 hours each day with a new pup is not a recipe for success.

 

[Goldenroad]

Your heart is in the right place, but you don't have a lifestyle suited to looking after a dog.

 

[entremet]

The worst thing to do when you get a pet is neglect it. With that schedule I would say don't do it.

If you make alterations to your gym schedule, like instead of going to the gym three times a week go one time. With your off days either take the dog on a run/hike or workout from home. Either way being gone for 10-11 hours each day with a new pup is not a recipe for success.

Click to shrink...

Don't dogs just sleep all day anyway?

 

[Enduin]

Definitely not.

Shibas are not for first time owners and you can't/shouldn't leave any dog alone for such an extended period, but especially a high energy dog like Shibas, and having a dog walker or even doggy daycare isn't exactly better given you're ~12 hours away MWF.

 

[Doomsayer]

Don't dogs just sleep all day anyway?

Click to shrink...

Some do, but Shiba's are really, really active and social. As mentioned if he's gone all day the dog may get bored and start chewing stuff up.

 

[Zojirushi]

lol, someone dig out that thread where OP got trashed by people because he thought leaving dogs alone was cruel. Is this the counter thread?

 

[Alric]

Yeah like the others have said so far, with your schedule it's just not feasible to give the little one enough attention that they need. As someone who has a dog and birds, if my wife wasn't home every day there is no way I'd have them. I'd feel so guilty and terrible for not letting them get all the social interactions they need. For example, in the last 5 years i've only boarded them twice to go on vacation and when we both leave together i'm never gone beyond 7-8 hours and thats after playing with them and then crating the dog. Never like to be gone personally longer than that unless it's late at night and already her bed time (dogs that is).

 

[Luchashaq]

Shibas are awesome but HORRIBLE for first dogs.

Your schedule seems much much much more conducive to a cat.

 

[Massicot]

I have a dog where I leave for work around 7:45 and get home around 4:15. It's possible to do. Leaving at 7:45am and not getting home for 12+ hours sounds crazy though for MWF. If you can stop by home for lunch and before gym to take it out, it could maybe work.

My dog handles being home alone for 8 hours just fine, but it's also an adult lab mix, and not a Shiba, which I don't know much about.

 

[kvetcha]

lol, someone dig out that thread where OP got trashed by people because he thought leaving dogs alone was cruel. Is this the counter thread?

Click to shrink...

There's a happy medium, but it doesn't sound like OPs schedule would allow for it. And Shibas are high-maintenance dogs, not well-suited to being left alone.

 

[Musha_Soturi]

Don't get a dog. In fact, don't get any animal. Ever.

 

[NamasteWager]

I work 7-6 every day, and leave my dog at home. She is a Shiba Inu, and she is fine with it (I have a webcam I can check in on her with). That being said I can also bring her to work whenever I want, so I tend to bring her 2-3 times a week as well. Also, my wife starts work later than me and gets back before me, so shes not alone for too long.

I got extremely lucky with her because she loves to cuddle me and doesnt ever put up a fuss, but Shibas are extremely high maintenance, and can be very mean, anti-social, and dont care much about you. We have ours on a raw diet + free feed kibble, which usually results in her not eating until she gets raw food, getting a tummy ache and throwing up water, Which sometimes gets on her, and now she needs a brush and a bath, which takes a long time since the are double coated.

If you do decide to get a dog, please do tons of research and be prepared to give a lot of your time to them, and show them you care. If you decide to get a shiba, triple that research, show them you care, and expect them to hate you for it.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

Specifically, a shiba inu! I've never had a pet before so I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. The thing is I don't know if my lifestyle can afford it.

I leave work around 7:45am-8am every morning and leave 6pm. On MWF I go to the gym and get back home around 8pm-8:15pm. Would I have to hire a dogsitter/dog watcher? That sounds pretty expensive. All in all, I DO want one....it's just that I don't want to be selfish and not able to take care of an animal.

Can anyone offer some thoughts?

Click to shrink...

I have almost exactly the same schedule for work and it's fine for my corgi mix and dachsund mix, they get a walk in the morning, when I get home, and once more before bedtime.
That said, first thing I do after work is come home. Or if I know I have a work event or something I need to attend i'll make time at lunch and come home to walk them. You prob won't be able to leave them at home while you go to the gym until 8 without a dogsitter.

Not sure about shiba's but if you're a first time owner I'd definitely recommend a non-puppy and to go to a shelter to get one, preferably one that's a no-kill shelter.

 

[NamasteWager]

Shibas are a trend right now. They are not easy to take care of.

 

[Squarehard]

 

[-2B-]

Leaving a dog alone for 12 hours straight would be too much.

 

[PSqueak]

With that schedule you cannot get a single dog, you'd need a second dog so they keep each other company but im guessing you don't want that.

 

[Amnixia]

With your schedule. No.

But maybe use a night or two a week to help at your local shelter if you want to take care of some dogs?

 

[Shadybiz]

No. You are not in a position to have a dog.

 

[Tiny Chihuahueño]

Don't get a dog. Get a cat, a hamster or an iguana, the kind of pets that are essentially living furniture that won't miss you if you're not home.

 

[djplaeskool]

You're in the same boat as I am.
I'd love to get a dog, but I'm away from the home nearly 12 hours a day, and that's just not fair to the pet
I don't want to give a poor pup separation anxiety on a daily basis.

 

[Curufinwe]

Specifically, a shiba inu! I've never had a pet before so I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. The thing is I don't know if my lifestyle can afford it.

I leave work around 7:45am-8am every morning and leave 6pm. On MWF I go to the gym and get back home around 8pm-8:15pm. Would I have to hire a dogsitter/dog watcher? That sounds pretty expensive. All in all, I DO want one....it's just that I don't want to be selfish and not able to take care of an animal.

Can anyone offer some thoughts?

Click to shrink...

If you are getting one, go to your local shelters first. There will be hundreds of dogs dying to come home with you.

 

[Ashhong]

Nah man. If you want a pet, get a cat or some rodents! Mice and rats make really good, loving pets who don't need to be constantly checked in on.

Cats, of course, don't much care if you're there or not.

Click to shrink...

I'll never get over how hilarious it is that cats are known to just be these animals that don't give a fuck about you. Love it

 

[Ouroboros]

Sounds like you have a busy schedule. I wouldn't get a dog if I had that schedule. They need to be let out, played with, ect.

Also, Shibas are very VERY stubborn and are a hard breed to train. Not the best breed for your first dog.

 

[Tapiozona]

I go until these threads expecting OP to be taking about a shina ibu and once again am not disappointed. Are they just the most Otaku thing to buy?

 

[vastag]

I wish I could have a dog, but I leave my house at 7:30 and don't come back until 18:00. The poor thing would be alone most of the time. Work sucks.

 

[Turtleboats]

Only get a dog if you are prepared to be emotionally and physically available for it every single day. Aside from the initial training, its a huge responsibility. If you are willing to make time for your pet, it is well worth those stresses.

 

[CallMeShaft]

I don't know OP, raising a dog can be pretty ruff. Sometimes they can act like a bitch.

 

[tangeu]

You are gone from home too long for a dog especially a high energy one. Also please don't get a cat either, they too need love and companionship, it makes me sad how the default suggestion to "I don't have time for a pet" is "get a cat"

 

[xxracerxx]

That schedule is fucking awful for a dog, but if you are committed at least try and get a shelter dog and not a boutique dog.

 

[DanGo]

Also, Shibas are very VERY stubborn and are a hard breed to train. Not the best breed for your first dog.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Girlfriend and I just rescued a 4-year-old Shiba a few days ago and he's damned stubborn at times. He's a pain for me to walk before I leave for work because he doesn't care about my schedule. He just parks himself if I need to turn right and he wants to turn left, and then it's a standoff. Or he parks himself as we reach the stairs to my building or to the garage, refusing to move. We need to figure out how to train this out of him, but it sounds difficult from what I can see. I can't let him dictate the length of a walk when I have places to be.

 

[Orb]

Sorry, no. Dogs are amazing, but that schedule will make things hell for your dog and for you (dealing with accidents, tearing up things in the house, barking complaints, etc.)

 

[ryseing]

Shibas are a trend right now. They are not easy to take care of.

Click to shrink...

I go until these threads expecting OP to be taking about a shina ibu and once again am not disappointed. Are they just the most Otaku thing to buy?

Click to shrink...

Yeah, my first thought was "please don't get a meme dog".

Because it sounds like OP wants a meme dog.

Don't get a dog OP.

 

[Wispmetas]

Don't do it. That schedule looks way to full for taking care of the dog, they are extremely social animals, and he would end up spending most of his days alone.

Look for other animals if you really want a pet, maybe a cat or something, but maybe a dog is a bad idea.

 

[Mr Jones]

Its the reason why I don't get a dog. I work long hours. My kid wants one, but he's not ready for the responsibility.

Get a cat, OP. Find one with a nice temperament like a Maine or a Ragdoll, and you won't regret it. Um.... until you have to clean up cat hair. Then you might hate life a little.

 

[AliceAmber]

I hate to be a crazy cat lady buuut

How about a cat? Since it would be your first animal. If you let the shelter know that you are looking for a friend who is a little more energetic, I'm sure they would have a suggestion. Two of my cats love to play as much as any dog.

 

[davepoobond]

cat sounds better for you


if you get a dog, make sure it is a rescue and hopefully have a yard. either way it can't be worse than being in the pound on death row.

 

[Paperboywriter]

Do you have a house and or a garden?

 

[Deleted member 34881]

Yeah as a new dog owner myself, you really need to make sure your schedule works. Im lucky and live with two other people so my puppy is getting used to a schedule. It is a lot of work, also I went with a tough breed to start with, a husky. Thankfully he is super lazy and is good for most of the day.

 

[NamasteWager]

Yeah, my first thought was "please don't get a meme dog".

Because it sounds like OP wants a meme dog.

Don't get a dog OP.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. This breed literally memes constantly haha

 

[Enduin]

Yeah. Girlfriend and I just rescued a 4-year-old Shiba a few days ago and he's damned stubborn at times. He's a pain for me to walk before I leave for work because he doesn't care about my schedule. He just parks himself if I need to turn right and he wants to turn left, and then it's a standoff. Or he parks himself as we reach the stairs to my building or to the garage, refusing to move. We need to figure out how to train this out of him, but it sounds difficult from what I can see. I can't let him dictate the length of a walk when I have places to be.

Click to shrink...

Is he treat motivated? Just get some good small treats and feed em to him as you walk every few steps. The more he keeps up with you and follows your lead the more often you give him a treat. Also you have to play the waiting game. If he wants to go one way and you need to go another, make him sit and wait and show him you're willing and able to wait longer for what you want more than what he wants. Being a 4 year old is going to be tough compared to a pup as he's a lot more set in his ways, but it should work in the long run if you're consistent.

 

[Piston]

I've been in a similar situation and opted not to get a dog. It isn't fair to the dog if you can't guarantee some sort of exercise or interaction over the work day on a regular basis. If you lived close enough to home to go for lunch or if you had someone else you can split responsibilities with on a regular basis you could consider it.

I lucked into the next best situation this summer, I moved into an apartment with a roommate that has an awesome dog. I get the benefits of the dog without total responsibility. I've dogsitted a few times when my roommate is out of town and that was almost too much of a workload, I had to sneak home from work early a few times because I didn't want him alone for longer than 8-9 hours.