PETS. I need one, I work a lot.

Good gosh people! Do you all think people who work full time jobs don't have dogs? Can you imagine how many MORE dogs would be killed in shelters if they were so picky that they wouldn't adopt to someone because that person thought a picture of a basset hound was cute, so that somehow makes them unfit to adopt? I could understand a bit of wariness if she wanted to adopt a 6 week old puppy, but she appears to be looking at an adult dog, who has likely come from a much worse home than the one the OP is offering.

I have been involved in dog rescue for 11 years. I have seen unfit owners who dump their "beloved" pets because they had a baby, moved to another state or the dog didn't match their new carpets. We have taken in a dog whose owners ran over his tail with the lawn mower, didn't bother to get vet care and who didn't look for the dog at the shelter for 2 weeks, long after our rescue brought the dog in, treated him for such an infestation of internal parasites that he was terribly anemic, gave him heartworm treatment, neutered him and healed up his maggot filled tail. And that's just one story of MANY I could tell. And many of you are suggesting that the OP is unfit for a dog???

OP, I suggest you do your research on different breeds. Almost any dog can do just fine in an apartment if you are committed to having someone come in and walk the dog once a day (not all dogs like or need doggie daycare) and you are willing to take it for a walk in the mornings and a long walk in the afternoon. Dogs are fabulous companions and are amazingly adaptable. I would stay away from the hounds and the herding breeds, personally. Hounds can be noisy, as has been mentioned before, and herding breeds are extremely high energy and intelligent, which can turn into destructive behavior without the proper amount of exercise. Sign up for training classes and bond with your new dog. Good luck!

While I applaud you for working with animals, I think you are missing a point here. Severe neglect may trump minimal neglect, but that does not mean you should bring a dog into your home if you cannot fulfill its emotional needs. And no, more animals are not being killed because less commuters adopt. Animals in shelters are euthanized because of mass breeding and the societal stigma of mixed breed dogs.

No, it's a combination of both. If there aren't adopters, then the animals are being killed (in kill shelters). What the OP is wanting to do is not minimal neglect. There are too many "rescue snobs" out there who think it's better for a pet to die in a shelter than be treated with what THEY believe is neglect. I work full time. I have 4 dogs. I also train dogs as a second job. And I have a pet sitting business. My dogs are extremely happy, healthy and completely and totally loved. They vacation with us, we don't plan a vacation that is not pet friendly. We don't travel without our dogs (and they are 4 large dogs). There is not one iota of neglect when it comes to my dogs.

My neighbor who lived behind me stayed home all the time because he was disabled. His dog lived 24/7 on the back deck, with no access to the yard, never walked, almost never any attention from anyone in the house. He was fed once a day. The deck was scooped a couple of days a week. But hey, the owner was home full time.

Not every person should adopt an animal. Lady if you want to believe that it is okay to leave an animal alone for 10-12 hours a day, that is your prerogative. I am not going to agree with that off base opinion. Really, "rescue snobs"?. I worked at a no kill shelter for years, and I can guarantee I'd rather a "rescue snob" come into my shelter than someone who knows nothing about a breed but is dead set on adopting it and putting that animal in an apartment. 9/10 times that dog will come back to the shelter or end up on Craigslist. I am not saying this woman is going to neglect that dog or that even if an owner is home they will treat it correctly. What I am stating is that no one that knows anything about Bassets would think of leaving one in an apartment for that long. If you will check my first response to her, I actually suggested she try and get a senior, low energy dog. Your assumptions are pretty hilarious though. Your four dogs have each other for companionship, and no one said anything about you neglecting them. Guilty much?

I have no guilt because I know how good my dogs have it. In the 11 years that I have fostered, I have placed over 70 of my foster dogs in homes. Not one was rehomed, dumped at a shelter or ended up on CL. Because I do make sure it's a good match between the adopter and the dog. I don't make blanket decisions based on one comment that the adopter made about a dog being cute. I think a lot of dogs are cute, because they are. That doesn't make someone unfit to adopt a dog. I think many of us suggested that a basset hound wasn't likely a good choice for her in an apartment. But just because that one dog isn't the right dog for her, doesn't mean another one is the perfect one.

I am not sure why you are so defensive. I never called anyone out specifically and I was taking information from several different posters that I was responding to.

Good gosh people! Do you all think people who work full time jobs don't have dogs? Can you imagine how many MORE dogs would be killed in shelters if they were so picky that they wouldn't adopt to someone because that person thought a picture of a basset hound was cute, so that somehow makes them unfit to adopt? I could understand a bit of wariness if she wanted to adopt a 6 week old puppy, but she appears to be looking at an adult dog, who has likely come from a much worse home than the one the OP is offering.

I have been involved in dog rescue for 11 years. I have seen unfit owners who dump their "beloved" pets because they had a baby, moved to another state or the dog didn't match their new carpets. We have taken in a dog whose owners ran over his tail with the lawn mower, didn't bother to get vet care and who didn't look for the dog at the shelter for 2 weeks, long after our rescue brought the dog in, treated him for such an infestation of internal parasites that he was terribly anemic, gave him heartworm treatment, neutered him and healed up his maggot filled tail. And that's just one story of MANY I could tell. And many of you are suggesting that the OP is unfit for a dog???

OP, I suggest you do your research on different breeds. Almost any dog can do just fine in an apartment if you are committed to having someone come in and walk the dog once a day (not all dogs like or need doggie daycare) and you are willing to take it for a walk in the mornings and a long walk in the afternoon. Dogs are fabulous companions and are amazingly adaptable. I would stay away from the hounds and the herding breeds, personally. Hounds can be noisy, as has been mentioned before, and herding breeds are extremely high energy and intelligent, which can turn into destructive behavior without the proper amount of exercise. Sign up for training classes and bond with your new dog. Good luck!

While I applaud you for working with animals, I think you are missing a point here. Severe neglect may trump minimal neglect, but that does not mean you should bring a dog into your home if you cannot fulfill its emotional needs. And no, more animals are not being killed because less commuters adopt. Animals in shelters are euthanized because of mass breeding and the societal stigma of mixed breed dogs.

No, it's a combination of both. If there aren't adopters, then the animals are being killed (in kill shelters). What the OP is wanting to do is not minimal neglect. There are too many "rescue snobs" out there who think it's better for a pet to die in a shelter than be treated with what THEY believe is neglect. I work full time. I have 4 dogs. I also train dogs as a second job. And I have a pet sitting business. My dogs are extremely happy, healthy and completely and totally loved. They vacation with us, we don't plan a vacation that is not pet friendly. We don't travel without our dogs (and they are 4 large dogs). There is not one iota of neglect when it comes to my dogs.

My neighbor who lived behind me stayed home all the time because he was disabled. His dog lived 24/7 on the back deck, with no access to the yard, never walked, almost never any attention from anyone in the house. He was fed once a day. The deck was scooped a couple of days a week. But hey, the owner was home full time.

Not every person should adopt an animal. Lady if you want to believe that it is okay to leave an animal alone for 10-12 hours a day, that is your prerogative. I am not going to agree with that off base opinion. Really, "rescue snobs"?. I worked at a no kill shelter for years, and I can guarantee I'd rather a "rescue snob" come into my shelter than someone who knows nothing about a breed but is dead set on adopting it and putting that animal in an apartment. 9/10 times that dog will come back to the shelter or end up on Craigslist. I am not saying this woman is going to neglect that dog or that even if an owner is home they will treat it correctly. What I am stating is that no one that knows anything about Bassets would think of leaving one in an apartment for that long. If you will check my first response to her, I actually suggested she try and get a senior, low energy dog. Your assumptions are pretty hilarious though. Your four dogs have each other for companionship, and no one said anything about you neglecting them. Guilty much?

I have no guilt because I know how good my dogs have it. In the 11 years that I have fostered, I have placed over 70 of my foster dogs in homes. Not one was rehomed, dumped at a shelter or ended up on CL. Because I do make sure it's a good match between the adopter and the dog. I don't make blanket decisions based on one comment that the adopter made about a dog being cute. I think a lot of dogs are cute, because they are. That doesn't make someone unfit to adopt a dog. I think many of us suggested that a basset hound wasn't likely a good choice for her in an apartment. But just because that one dog isn't the right dog for her, doesn't mean another one is the perfect one.

I am not sure why you are so defensive. I never called anyone out specifically and I was taking information from several different posters that I was responding to.

Speaks of us being defensive, yet subtly refers to me as a "shelter snob" and then details the lives of her four pets without anyone asking...

Pug or French bulldog! Tons of fun and very loving!

From my personal experience... and if it were me (and I actually liked dogs) Sorry... I don't think I'd be home enough to give a dog enough attention. They need a lot or they won't be trained well (so many hours a day of doing whatever they want leads to bad habits). I think it would be irresponsible to get a dog, based on the dogs perspective. My brother's small dog is in this situation. He's locked in a large cage all day (he can roam a bit but they can't let him out or he pees all over the place) and he's poorly trained despite their efforts - continues to jump, lick, doesn't listen to commands... overall, he's a cute, nice dog, but just not what I think is acceptable in dog behaviour if you ever intend on having guests over. I know my brother will bring his dog with him when visiting my mom. And since he usually leaves before me I get the pleasure of hearing my mom say "I'm glad that dog is going home now" - it's sad to see, even though my family has great relationships and we love seeing each other, that instead of my mom feeling disappointed about my brother going home, she's just relieved the dog is not in her house.

But that might just be me, I don't know how much money you make or how many trips you like to take or how often you go out after work. I know I usually spend a few nights a week out of the house with friends or family and I like to take spur of the moment road trips. Not everyone does those things so frequently.

A cat might handle the alone time better.

Weird thought though... would your work approve you bringing your dog with you to work? It's becoming a thing now these days - dogs improve office mentality statistically (That being said, I quit a job I was at for 2 years because they had 3 dogs and I dislike dogs and couldn't put up with it anymore). It depends on the size of your office and staff and if the dog has a place outside to go. It might be a weird conversation to have. And I wouldn't bus with a dog... this would only work if you drive to work.

ETA: Other factors to consider: Does your apartment allow dogs? How is the sound transmission between suites in your apartment? Would you have to get the dog's voice box removed? Would you be okay with possibly getting complaints from other tenants about your dog even if they are allowed in your apartment? Would the dog have enough space to run around during the other 9 hours it isn't being walked by the dog walker? Will you be able to keep you apartment hair and dog-smell free enough to the point where your friends/family will still want to come over?

A lot of these questions depend on the size of your apartment, the dog, the breed of dog, your neighbourhood, etc. So it is possible to have a dog in your case... but you need to think hard and about the entire situation.

ETA: Have you met with this dog in person and could you possibly try it out for a week or two (like a temporary fostering) to see how it goes? Of course keep in mind the dog might be uncomfortable, but you should get a feel for if it is well behaved.

I have basically the same schedule that you have. I got a pet monitor that dispenses treats, so I interact with my dog a lot during the day. I call the house and the answering machine goes off, so I talk to him and he gets in front of the camera and does tricks for a treat...when I get home he sits on my lap until we go to sleep he sleeps under my bed. He is very happy and I am sure whatever dog you pick will be happy too, they sleep most of the day anyway.

I have basically the same schedule that you have. I got a pet monitor that dispenses treats, so I interact with my dog a lot during the day. I call the house and the answering machine goes off, so I talk to him and he gets in front of the camera and does tricks for a treat...when I get home he sits on my lap until we go to sleep he sleeps under my bed. He is very happy and I am sure whatever dog you pick will be happy too, they sleep most of the day anyway.

This sounds kind of adorable.

a dog sounds like a bad idea for you. i agree with opting for a cat.

me? i prefer fake plants.

can you affored dog day care at less 3 times a week? Do you have the energy to take him for an hour walk at less 3 time a day once before workk once right after and one late at night?

the dog your looking at might not be the best idea how ever you can get a dog but look for somthing a little more lay back and well lazy, englush bull dog or adopted a senour dog that will be good left for long hours. you can also look in to a dog walker...but you have to be ok having someone enter your home during the day when your away

I work night and my shifts are usally 8 to 10 hours
my dog sleep in his crate not only when Ia m at work but for 5 hours when i sleep during the day. He has a great life and is in good health. My vet and dog traner agree he is very happy puppy and well behaved for his age.
I walk moose when I get home ether on his trade mil or we go for a walk. I walk him when I get up and I walk him before work. I go to the dog park 3 times a week and some tiems if I feel I need more rest or if I am going to be away for longer then normal I bring him to day care.

what I am trying to say is if you are like me and need animals in your life to fel whole there are a million ways to make sure your puppy will be happy and well taken care of. I would not suggest a puppy thou because I did that and trust me when I say you dont want to do it. look for a dog around 4 or 5 : good lluck my friend and may you find your furry love some tiems they are the only lves that last

sorry I just read down the list......adopting a dog with behavoural issues is realy hard. I had a bull mastiff that almost killed me (from lack of sleep) but it is amaing when you can get them to be the dog the where born to be. I wish you luck my friend. You have a hug heart maybe you can have your frieds at the shelter help you train her(him). Maybe he can even go hang out there during the day or depending on what you do maybe he(her) can hang out at work with you.

I don't think a pet is quite for you at this time.

You currently don't have the time to commit to a new pet (training, puppy behavior, fostering a rescue - all require much time and patience) but you also seem reluctant to take on the financial responsibility as well.

Maybe volunteer at an animal shelter. You will be in direct contact with the animals you love, be doing them a service and you just might find the right doggie match for you.

^^ agreed!

One time, I was talking about adopting a dog but lamenting the fact that I'm at work all day. A coworker interrupted with this:

"Everybody says they work 10 or 12 hours and worry about having a dog alone all day, but everybody needs to stop worrying about whether they're good enough for a dog. You know what a dog really needs? A loving home, a schedule they can count on, and to not be sitting in a cage at a shelter, waiting to be put down.

There are so many dogs out there needing homes. You have a good job and the means to provide food, veterinary care and a loving environment for a pet. That's everything they need!"


I felt thoroughly chastised. Fretting about feeling guilty is selfish. We can't all be the house with the big yard and family there all day, but most of us can change (and save) a life. It's like raising kids: you do the best you can!

And by the way--I don't know the deal with other people's pets, but the cats I grew up with were always very loving, playful, and had awesome personalities. You'd almost wonder if they thought they were dogs. Well-raised cats are low maintenance and can be a lot of fun to have around.

And by the way--I don't know the deal with other people's pets, but the cats I grew up with were always very loving, playful, and had awesome personalities. You'd almost wonder if they thought they were dogs. Well-raised cats are low maintenance and can be a lot of fun to have around.

I once had a cat who had *me* convinced he was a dog in disguise. He was the clumsiest goober I'd ever seen, and that included all the dogs I owned. He wasn't the least bit graceful like cats are supposed to be. He also liked to lick anyone who came to my house.

I have basically the same schedule that you have. I got a pet monitor that dispenses treats, so I interact with my dog a lot during the day. I call the house and the answering machine goes off, so I talk to him and he gets in front of the camera and does tricks for a treat...when I get home he sits on my lap until we go to sleep he sleeps under my bed. He is very happy and I am sure whatever dog you pick will be happy too, they sleep most of the day anyway.

This sounds kind of adorable.

OMG, now I'll have to do this when I get a dog.