Ben and I have wanted a puppy for, well,
forever. We go back and forth about when the right time to start this little "family" will be. He is recently set on getting one now. I would looooove to snuggle up to a sweet baby white lab right now...but I also think we might ought to wait until we move into a house. Our condo is like 800 square feet. We have no outdoor space. It's winter. See where I'm going? For tax reasons we can't even begin to think about buying a house until October 2012. And now, we have a wedding to think of budgeting for so I don't know where a house will fall into the mix. Ben also travels a lot, and for extended periods of time for work. I am not traveling for work any longer so I could run home to let the baby out etc.
When did you all get your dog's? Did you have a large place? Is it unfair to the dog to have him cooped up in our tiny condo for at least a year? Of course we would walk him, and Ben would surely take him running and hunting. Any advice doggy mommies??
18 comments:
I'm getting a dog next week and I live with my parents (ha!). I've wanted a dog for a while and having just finished school in Dec. and working part-time, this feels like the only period I might have time to train the dog, so I'm going for it! Then, when I get a full-time job and move into my own place, the pup should be well-behaved.
Bit the bullet and get one :) That's what I say!
I don't think the size of your house matters so much as the time and love you have to give. Dogs are so filled of unconditional love and are happy anywhere as long as you are with them. Follow your heart and it will lead you to the dog meant for you. Plus when Ben is traveling your dog will be a great companion to have around and snuggle up with.
do it!
seriously - they make the best companions. i lived by myself for 2 years before getting married and got a pup while by myself. it is so awesome to have a little furball.
and i also lived in a (tinier) than yours apartment at that time. as long as you take him for walks/runs, take the pup to the dog park and love on him a lot, you can definitely make it work!
i've seen a lot of cute pups at the local humane society lately! good luck finding the perfect fur baby!
My fiance and I are getting a dog this fall when he moves back home from his enlistment in the Army. We'll be living in an apartment for a couple of years, starting off with a 1 bedroom (750sqft). As long as the puppy gets daily exercise I think they'll be fine! I know it's winter, but if your area has them taking the puppy to the dog part once a week (like on the weekends) would be great!
R and I adopted our dog when we were in law school. It was great because someone could always stop home in the middle of the day to take him out. We lived in an apartment then and live in a townhouse now. While I wish we had a fenced yard, he is fine without one. We walk him, take him to dog parks, etc. He is happy and healthy! I don't know if there is a perfect time--there will always be times when the dog is somewhat of an annoyance or cramps your style (i.e. I can't come to happy hour, I have to go home and feed the dog, etc), but they also bring so much joy into your life that those times get washed away.
We got a chocolate lab puppy after being engaged for 9 months and living together for four. Our apartment was about the same size as your condo. The close quarters actually made training and reinforcement much easier- we simply made it a priority to provide the exercise he needed.
During the stress of wedding planning, there were many times when the unconditional love of my pet maintained my sanity. Further, my husband traveled extensively during the first two years of our marriage. The presence of "our" pet kept me mindful of my new family, even in his absence.
Please be cautioned, in my experience chocolate labs are positively crazy. I have had three in my lifetime and they just think differently. Amazingly loving, but requiring an enormous amount of patience and humor.
Good luck and congratulations
AWWW!! Those puppies are adorable!!!!
I hope to someday have a black lab. Might be best to wait until after the wedding... something to look forward too!
I agree with the other comments--the size of your house doesn't matter, it is really making sure the dog gets enough exercise. My bf and I got a yellow lab (super spastic, bred for hunting), and he was fine in our little apartment--he just needed to run and get all of the crazy out. It is a big commitment, but totally worth it!
squee puppy talk! I live in a condo and, while I technically have 2 dogs, I only have one with me at time. It is a huge time commitment if you are being fair to your pup. Since you want an active breed, you'll need to plan on walks/runs/or dog park morning and night, maybe a lunch walk too. I LOVE having dogs, but they really killed my social schedule for awhile! I can't wait to see your baby!
As a fellow small house-er, I can testify to the struggles of having a lab puppy in a 900 sq foot house! Of course, my lab was SUPPOSED to be average size and ended up being 105 lbs before her first birthday. But, as long as you have somewhere for him/her to run, you should be okay. My pup would just run laps around the house if she didn't get enough exercise (and I have a fenced in yard). She did break quite a few things by lumbering into them in one of her episodes - so you definitely would need to dog-proof the house! We ended up putting everything breakable above eye level. It was like baby-proofing times 10! My honest opinion is to choose a smaller dog OR an older dog (no puppy energy) OR wait until you have a bigger house with a yard. Good luck on your decision!
i have 2 choc labs (bro & sis) they are 8, they make everyday better! they stay inside year round they love their heat and air conditioning! we have someone let them out during the day now that they are getting older but they were staying in all work day until just a couple years ago. they are so funny and have very different personalities! i couldn't imagine a life without them and that makes me sad to think of them getting older :( but they have brought so much love and happiness into my life!
My husband and I are in the same boat...desperately want a puppy but don't have the space. It's so hard to look at those little faces and not be able to bring one home!
I am the voice of reason and practicality. I personally feel like you should wait. You are planning a wedding and things will be hectic for you. Wait until you two have a larger home, yard and more time to devote to the little guy (or girl).
Getting our two dogs has been one of our best decisions to date, but I must say that we've sacrificed a lot for them. Due to the fact that we both work away from home, we have to leave them for at least 8 hours most days. We wake up way earlier than we truly need to so we have adequate time to play with them in the morning, and also never make plans on work nights. I would say the hardest part is that we can't get out of town very easily. We pay for a dog sitter to stay at our house while we're gone, which puts our minds at ease, but also makes every little trip a lot more expensive. I'm not discouraging it, because our dogs bring us so much happiness, but to say our lives haven't drastically changed because of them would be an understatement. I can't wait to see what you guys decide! : )
Please consider adoption - try petfinder.com and search "yellow lab"! Labs are among the breeds most surrendered to rescues/shelters because of their activity level and size. Puppies need a home, regardless of the size of yours :)
I got my first dog when my husband and I were still in college (we were dating). It was nice because I had more of a flexible schedule to train her. Our second dog we adopted once we had a house and were married, in Sept 2010. My thoughts, though, are that dogs take a lot of work. In fact, I'm fairly confident they're good training for children! If you're not used to having a dog, it's hard to adjust your schedule to coming home every so often and letting them out. Now, though, ours only go out 2-3 times a day and they're fine with it.
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