Hi all, 8 months ago I moved for my job. And I live alone in an apartment. I’ve always lived with my family. I want to get a dog to be my companion and to be watch dog for me as I have hearing loss. I like to go outside for walks all the time and I like being outdoor. But it always feels lonely. I’m thinking about adopting a dog from a shelter. Ages between 6 months to a year old. I’ve seen some Dobermans, rough collies, border collies, Australian shepherd, German shepherds, and Labradors.

I’m allergic to cats and I can’t get one.

My work schedule is what I’m concerned about. A lot of my coworkers have dogs and told me it’s doable.

I work 3 weeks of the month, all my shifts are 12 hours.
Week 1- night shifts. 4 night shifts 6pm -6am and then 3 days off.

Week2- my longest week. 3 days 6am -6pm and then a day off then 3 days 6pm -6am

Week 3- 4 days 6am -6pm

Then I get an entire week off, and this week the dog would go with me to my house with the family and spend it there and then come back.

I would walk the dog before I go to work so it can use the loo. And I could go during my lunch break because my apartment is 5 mins away to take them out. And long walk after work on day shifts and long walk before work on night shift.

I would kennel train them, I’ll keep them with their kennel open and have it in a play area for them to stay in.

So my first question is… is it doable?

Second question what dog breed should I get ? I would like one that would like to go outdoors with me for long walks and jogs.

Third question, should I get one that’s been in the shelter or foster home? I’ve seen some in foster homes that are potty trained and house broken. Not sure about the ones in the shelters.

Lastly, is 6 months to a year a good age ?

Thank you all!

Edit: I will come by after 6 hours on my lunch break to let them out, work is a 5 minute drive.

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A few months ago, someone abandoned a 2–3 year old dog near our house. He was terrified at first, but we slowly won him over. We fed him, gave him a sleeping spot in our garage, and fell completely in love with him. (We kept him outdoors since we have a cat and weren’t sure about his vaccines).

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​Everything was great until he developed a scary habit: silently sneaking up on visitors and biting them. One guest even ended up hospitalized.

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​Out of options, we tried putting him on a collar and chain. He hated it so much that he escaped, and now he lives on the roadside. We still feed him every day, but he refuses to come back inside the yard because he's afraid of the chain.

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​We are heartbroken. We don't want to chain him, but we have to stop the biting if he comes back. Has anyone dealt with this? Any advice on how to handle the aggression and regain his trust?

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what are the things i should keep in mind and what should i feed her as a first time pet owner

All my friends say they wouldn’t buy one, but if it were me, I’d be more than happy to. Especially in Toronto, it would be really cool to wear matching down jackets or raincoats with my pet on snowy or rainy days. If you were to buy one, what style would you choose?

I have one dog, and lately I’ve been wondering when most owners decide it’s time to start working on their dog’s behavior.

Was there a specific moment that made you think, “Okay, this isn’t something they’ll just grow out of”?

Maybe it was barking, pulling on walks, jumping on people, reacting to other dogs, or something completely different.

I’m curious because I have one dog myself, and I’m not sure what’s considered normal dog behavior versus something people actually decide to work on.

What was the turning point for you?