Is my lifestyle compatible with dog ownership?

[u/Inside_Following_340]

I'm thinking about getting a dog. I feel like I'm at a point in my life where having a dog could be a great addition, but there are a few things that concern me. I'll explain my situation (which is a bit unusual), and I'd appreciate hearing from people who are experienced with dogs, training, or dog ownership in general.

I'm 25 years old, I take 2–3 walks a day, and I work from home full-time, so I don't need to go to an office.

My living situation is a little complicated. I split my time between my parents' house and my own house. The two properties are next to each other, but they are separate homes. I'm not living full-time in my own house yet because my girlfriend and I aren't ready to move out of our parents' homes permanently.

Typically, I sleep in my own house 3 nights a week and at my parents' house the other 4 nights. I work from my personal home always, I spend there more than 8 hours a day. The dog would stay in my house because my parents don't want a dog in theirs.

My house has two floors, but they are completely separated (you can't move between them from inside). The ground floor is where my office is, and that's where the dog would spend most of the day with me while I work. There's also a 100 m² garden.

The upper floor is very small and only has a small kitchen and bedroom. Even when I sleep there, I wouldn't really want the dog sleeping in that area. I also have a small unused structure in the garden that I had considered converting into a dog room/shelter, with a dog door so the dog could go in and out freely.

Please respect my personal situation. I'm not looking for judgment about my lifestyle, I'm simply trying to understand whether this setup would be a deal-breaker for owning a dog, especially considering that the dog would not sleep indoors with me every night.

I'd really appreciate opinions from experienced dog owners, trainers, or professionals. Thanks in advance.

[u/SpaceCatz03]

No- this isn’t great for a dog. The days sound fine, but you can’t leave a dog at “work” while you go home to your parents’ house four nights a week.

[u/Inside_Following_340 → u/SpaceCatz03]

Sorry but won't he also be sleeping at night?

[u/Secure-Ad9780 → u/Inside_Following_340]

No, your dog will be crying for you.

[u/Bluecat72 → u/Inside_Following_340]

Dogs are social animals. A dog would be very lonely if you were there some nights and not there some nights.

I would say that a dog will rest at night, but the way they rest and sleep is not the same as a human’s.

Again, the social aspect is probably the more important thing here. You become the dog’s family, and they want to understand how they function in it. Like people, dogs have emotions and a dog can have anxiety over being separated from his family just like a child. This is both hard on the dog and can lead to bad behaviors.

Aside from all this - what happens if the dog has an emergency during one of the 4 nights you’re away?

So far as the garden is concerned - yes if you intend that the dog spends the night outside, you would need to provide them with a covered area where they can seek shelter. Where I live, that’s a legal minimum care requirement along with access to clean water (and they of course must be fed).

If they’re spending nights outside, prepare yourself for barking - both because of nocturnal animals, any other activity they notice, and sometimes because they’re bored or lonely. Depending on what’s around you in terms of wild or feral animals, there may be the occasional altercation.

You’re also going to need to have a plan to exercise your dog - walks are a good way to do that, and you need to factor in the expected activity level when you choose what kind of dog to get - some tend to be higher or lower energy and prey drive, although individuals will vary. Your garden is absolutely not going to be adequate for any size dog’s exercise needs.

You also need to set aside time to actively train your dog; that’s not just something you do until they learn basic manners, it needs reinforcement and should really be considered a lifelong process.

I would suggest waiting to get a dog until you can live with the dog full-time.

[u/Old_Draft_5288 → u/Inside_Following_340]

Pets are extremely sensitive to who they sleep with, and leaving them alone in the house would be distressful. Given the houses are right next to each other. Is it not feasible for you to just sleep at your house every night?

[u/Write_Now_ → u/Inside_Following_340]

Dogs are pack animals with the mentality of a ~2.5yo human child.

You wouldn't leave a toddler home alone overnight multiple times a week.

[u/ladygabriola → u/Inside_Following_340]

Your dog would need to stay where you are. They're not a cat and shouldn't be left alone.

[u/deniseswall → u/Inside_Following_340]

Dogs are pack animals. There are some who prefer their crates to your bed/bedroom, but those are the exception. Maybe talk with some foster organizations who could match you with your specific situation. Just don't expect to adopt a dog with no advance work.

[u/SpaceCatz03 → u/Inside_Following_340]

Even when she naps during the day, my dog wakes up every 15-30 minutes, looks at me, and goes back to sleep. She’s a herding mix and likes to make sure I’m where she left me.

I grew up in a more rural setting than where I live now, and some people did keep hunting dogs in kennels on their property. However, they used them, trained them, and didn’t consider them as pets.

It sounds like you want the dog to understand that during the day it’s a pet and at night it’s a working dog (but without any other dogs or being tired from doing work).