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hollybabe
member
ner: dog owners, help me out...
hollybabe
member
I know of a puppy who needs a home. She is some sort of beagle mix. I need help considering whether to make this commitment b/c I take it very seriously. I've never owned a dog, only cats, so I don't know how much it involves. We have a house with a big yard, two cats, and a two year old. DH and I both leave the house by 6am for work and are home by around 3:30 or 4:00. I'm a teacher, so I have considerable chunks of time off throughout the year.
Pros to adopting a dog now: house, yard, two year old who would love to play with said dog.
Cons: I would feel bad leaving the dog at home during the day. Also, how hard is it to house break a puppy? I have successfully potty-trained our son, does that count?
Dog owners, what are your thoughts? Thank you! 
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Re: ner: dog owners, help me out...
11 months
I currently have 3 dogs - the first 2 I got from pet stores (I know I know) and the 3rd was a rescue. It was hardest to potty train the first dog, but that was because I wasn't consistent with him at all (college student at the time). Honestly if you'll just be consistent it's not that big of a deal. I HIGHLY recommend crate training. It seemed cruel to me at first, but really the dogs like it. They enjoy having a "den" and it makes the transition into your home much easier.
Now, how much work is it? It depends on how involved you want to be. Some people just keep their dog in the backyard and never take them on walks, so basically all you're doing is feeding him twice a day. But that's not the way it should be. Dogs need exercise, and running around the backyard doesn't count - they need to go on walks at least once a day. Will they survive if you don't do that, yes, but they'll be SO much happier and less hyper if you do.
Basically this is our day, the dogs sleep in our room on a bed, we get up let them out, they do their business then they come back in for a while, eat breakfast, then we put them outside to run around and play (I go to work, DH stays at home), during the day they come in and out, but in your case the dog could stay outside all day, (DH walks them during the day but you could once you got home from work), then feed them dinner, then they're inside most of the rest of the night . . . repeat.
I totally think it's worth it but I LOVE dogs (as you can tell). Just know that they're definitely more work than cats.
How old is the puppy? Definitely look into crate training. I have a ton of links in my bio (under links) that talk about dog care, crate training, regular training, and food.
Our pups are crated from 7:30-12:00 when I let them out for a potty break, and then let out for good at about 3.
Another vote for crate training - fastest way to potty train and the best way to keep your dog and your house safe when you aren't home.
If you are gone 10 hours straight, that's probably pushing it on how long puppy can hold it especially if she is young (and she's not a big breed). Is there anyway she could be let out mid-day for a potty break. Otherwise, she'd be fine crated as long as she got plenty of exercise and attention when you are home.
Dogs are work but so worth it. I can't wait for my puppers to meet the baby!
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
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11 months
:lurker popping in:
We also have a Puggle, and crate trained her. She cried the first night, and a little for a few nights after that. What I did was start hiding treats in her crate, so she thought it was a "treat giving box." She's almost two now and we keep her crate in the living room...she sleeps in it almost all the time. She's in it right now, door open, with me sitting on the couch...although at night she now sleeps in our bed with us.
Beagles (and Beagle mixes) tend to need a lot of attention...but they are usually easy to train because they have a strong desire to please. Our Puggle used to be crated from 7:45 am to around 4:30 pm (with a lunch time break)...but since the economy tanked and my DH and I have both lost our jobs...not so much anymore.
:back to lurking:
One thing, if you plan on litterbox training her, it will be harder to house break her if you don't want her to use the litterbox any more. You'd have to start all over again.
Also, can we PLEASE not use "puggle" to describe these mutts. It legitamizes the backyard breeders that are churning out these dogs. If you must, say pug/beagle mix. Thank you.
It was easier to house train our black lab/rat terrier mix than it has been to potty train our daughter. lol. Of course, see my post above.
When we got him we had a house with a yard and I was pregnant with ds (baby #2). Insane, right? It worked well there b/c we had a yard to put him in when I couldn't take him on walks. Now we've moved and are in a town house with no fenced in yard. It sucks for him and for me during the day. It's hard to get him out with both kids ... he is hyper around other dogs so he pulls me along and nearly hurts us. Many days I have to just wait until the kids are napping to take him out. I cannot wait to have a yard again. My mom was a teacher and her old dog did great during the day. She stayed inside while my mom was at work, would go out as soon as she got home. She was an australian shepard ... probably the best dog of all time.
I say if you have a fenced in yard for him to go out when you cannot walk him, then go for it.
Absolutely not. You can train any dog to do anything no matter how old they are. One thing to keep in mind is that a dog can only hold it's pee for as many hours as it is months old. A two month old puppy can only hold it for two hours, a three month old puppy for three hours, etc. until it gets to be about 7-8 months old. Also, dogs shouldn't be crated for longer than 10 hours max at a time.