I work full time and I'm looking for a female American Bulldog puppy(Scott). I understand its not the ideal situation but I will make it work. My Plan Playpen with adjustable crate inside that would be divided for one side grass potty training. Hire a dog walker for once a day while I'm at work until she's old enough. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.
How long are your hours? How long is your commute to and from work? What plans have you made for the dog's mental stimulation? What are your plans if she barks while you are at work? What are your plans for mealtimes?
I would never recommend having a puppy if you work full time. A patch of grass is not going to house train your puppy, and a visit from a dog walker is not going to feed and play with your puppy for a full day. As @Toedtoes says, the puppy is going to crave attention when he is left alone, plus, you have picked a high energy breed type which has a greater need of socialisation. Sorry but it's a no from me. A middle-aged rehomed dog might adapt to being left with a visit from the dog walker and a radio for company, but not a puppy.
I would have constant video surveillance and be able to get home within half an hour. I have a fiance that just retired that loves dogs but is tending to an elderly parent. I know it's not ideal but I hate thinking that because I want full time I care how you enjoyment of having a companion. My girlfriend has the moon but that is not the dog for me. Damn.... But I understand. Maybe if I considered slightly older but I want to train her.
I may seem determined but I'm also responsible and that's why I posted this on the site. I understand my limitations working full time maybe there is another breed that would better suited but I do want a breed with the physical and other characteristics of this dog. If I get a slightly older dog maybe that would be better but I want to train and bond with them.
The most illustrated way to explain: Imagine yourself in a very tiny, bare room with a bucket in the corner. No TV or radio and if this is on it is in a foreign language you can't understand. You have no reading material so all you can do is sit and stand and look at the same small space for 8 or 9 hours with a small break in between with someone you don't really know. Now imagine that you are very young and inquisitive and in the same situation This is akin to what you are able to provide at the moment for a dog/puppy
Video surveillance doesn't provide the attention a puppy needs. Sure it can alert you to barking, etc, but it does nothing about providing for the needs of the puppy. I've done the puppy while working full time. It can be done, but there are certain things that make a difference. In my situation, I already had a dog, so the puppy had companionship while I was gone. I worked 5 minutes away and was able to come home three times during my 8 hour shift. I also had a doggy door and a fenced in yard so the dog and puppy could go in and out at will. Even with those, it was not something I'd do again. Before and after that, while I worked, I adopted adult dogs. Sure I missed the puppy stage, but I missed the puppy stage... Meaning, I missed the cute cuddly stage, but I also didn't have to worry about the potty training, the chewing, the extreme neediness, etc. Remember, dog have been specifically bred to be at our side. With very few exceptions, we have bred them to need us. So that neediness is built in to their dna. Now, consider that this puppy is 8-12 weeks old. She has spent her entire short life with her mama and siblings. You buy her and bring her home. The scents are all different, nothing is familiar. She no longer has the security of her mama or siblings. All she has is you. And you are gone for 9 hours every day while she is in this strange new world alone. You can train and bond with an adult dog. In fact, I have found that the bond is stronger when the dog knows you saved them. Puppies don't know they had it bad, etc. Adult dogs know you saved them from that shelter. They love you for rescuing them. Give them unconditional love and use only positive based training and they will become your most ardent admirers. As for training, you can absolutely train an adult dog. In truth, the most you are doing in the first 6 months of a puppy's life is teaching them manners. Serious training doesn't start happening until after that. Many drug sniffer dogs, service dogs, performance dogs, etc, are gotten from shelters as young adults and trained. Higgins, the dog who played Benji and was the dog in Petticoat Junction was an adult shelter dog and he was spectacular. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgins_(dog) As a rescuer and foster home, I ask potential adopters to put the needs of the dog first. Can you give this animal everything she needs? Or does your lifestyle mean that she sacrifices her needs for your wants.
Because of my age, six of my last seven dogs have been adopted as adults, with ages ranging from 14 months to 6 years, another was in rescue at 3 months. All but one, (a starvation case), have done obedience, and the most talented ones went on to do Working Trials too. You can teach an old dog new tricks, as long as you have the dedication, the dog's rewards are worth the effort, and you are bringing fun to their lives!
All good points. Thanks to all that gave input. Me and my fiance are looking for a place together and since she's retired that might be a better situation and she loves dogs. Meanwhile I did think of adoption and or fostering.
Fostering is a great way to learn what you want in a dog AND you do a good deed while you figure that out. Many shelters and rescues will give the foster first option to adopt the animal. If you aren't prepared to do fostering, many shelters have programs where you can take the dogs out for a day and work with them. It gets dogs without foster homes out of their kennels and some one on one time. Adopting is also a great option. You can contact breed rescues if you like a specific breed. They get adult dogs of varying ages and histories needing homes. They also normally have the dogs in foster homes so they can tell you how well they do home alone, etc. Another point towards an adult dog is that if the dog isn't perfect, you can blame their unknown past for it. If that puppy doesn't turn out a perfect dog, there's no one to blame but yourself...
I do want to say thank you! It is nice to have someone ask for help/suggestions/advice and actually take in what is offered. As someone who does rescue and fostering, you are showing yourself as a good potential home by your attitude. For me, that means I would work with you to find the right dog for you. Being open to advice like this will find you in a wonderful dog-person relationship.
Have my four month old American Bulldog puppy. I've also worked it out with my job so I can go home every lunch break to walk and give her a little exercise. My girlfriend is also on board and she's already falling in love with her now I'm just looking for some good training to make sure she's a well-behaved girl. I'm in New York and looking for a good dog trainer and also looking for more information on how I can train and bond with my baby.
You can get a listcof CCPDT certified trainers for your area by going to ccpdt.org/dog-owners and searching your zip code. These trainers use the LIMA principle (least invasive minimally aversive). For bonding, just make him a part of your family and use positive reinforcement and redirection to get your desired behaviors. And remember, behaviors we see as "bad" are natural for a dog. Punishing them for jumping, chewing, etc, is like punishing your toddler for talking or walking. Nothing good will come of it. A great tool is dogdecoder.com. I am not affilated with it in any way. It is a great way to learn about dog body language.
