Adopting a dog need some advice

[eternalvictory00]

My gf and I live in an apt and we’re adopting a rescue from Louisiana in a few weeks. I work 12 hours shifts roughly 4 days a week and she’s a teacher sometimes working longer hours if she has to stay over or not. If she takes the dog out before work I’ll be home roughly 8-9 hours later then take her out and we’d take her out again a few hours later before bed. Is this sufficient? She’s about a year old. We’re thinking of getting a walker for the days I work so she can be walked again around noon but would the 2-3 times we take her out be enough? Any dog owning apartment renters have any advice on this? Neither of us have ever rented let alone had a dog and rented before so we’re unsure of how to proceed.

 

[trutheran]

@eternalvictory00 Do you have permission to have permission for a pet?

I would do a dog walker and another chance to pee before bed.

Are you taking any time off to help them adjust?

 

[eternalvictory00]

@trutheran The time off no. I’m off for 4 days when we have her before my next scheduled work day. As far as the walking we’d be doing 3 times a day morning, early evening/late afternoon then before bed so you’d also add in a noon/early afternoon walk with a dog walker too?

 

[trutheran]

@eternalvictory00 Yeah 9 hrs is a long time

 

[theonly1theymake]

@eternalvictory00 Congrats! I also adopted an adult dog (1y4m) and live in an apartment. Apparently I have a novel for you so sorry if this is overkill! Just looking to help and provide insight from someone who recently adopted a dog of the same age and lives in an apartment complex.

Is the dog in foster or a shelter? This will make a huge different in how much you know about the dog ahead of time. Dogs take a while to settle in, and you can't be sure of how potty trained, crate trained, or destructive he may be when unattended unless they've been in a foster home for a few months (and even then, sometimes they change). Our dog is luckily completely house trained, crate trained, and not destructive. However, he is dog reactive, quite fearful, and very defensive of his family. So we have our own set of challenges!

I would focus your first few days on reinforcing things you want, basically pay with food for every potty break to make sure he gets the point, and do some crate training to ensure that all potty accidents and inappropriate chewing are prevented once he's left alone. I'd suggest not leaving him loose and unattended for a few months while he settles in and you build good habits. Otherwise your schedule sounds great! That's what my dog gets, and he's a happy pup.

As for apartment living, know your contract rules and follow them At least in my complex, leaving poop and not leasing their dogs are common and drive me crazy. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean it's acceptable. Also, many people want to avoid on-leash greetings for various reasons, and it isn't actually a good way for dogs to meet each other, so I suggest working on loose leash walking and avoid others while on leash until your dog has his friends and you know how he feels about other dogs. Also, finding food puzzles, indoor training, and sniffy games to burn off energy inside are important tools to have in your pocket since you might not have a yard or lots of space to run around. Good luck! It's really not that bad, even for my defensive and reactive boy.

 

[eternalvictory00]

@theonly1theymake Thanks! My gfs aunt works with a company that rescues dogs from Louisiana and the dogs typically get fostered in homes while waiting to be adopted. The dog will be coming up next week then spending the week with my aunt until we can get her at the end of the week.

We’re not going to go with a crate because we just don’t have the space for a large crate. Our plan is to get her then leave for a half hour or so and we’ll be getting indoor cameras and we’ll monitor her over these little breaks throughout the weekend and obviously Monday when we both go back to work we’ll monitor as well and hopefully throughout the week as she’s left alone we’ll have a better grasp on her.

 

[lotusgirl]

@eternalvictory00 Even if you don't do a crate consider investing in an exercise pen unless the foster confirms shes nondestructive! You both work long hours and shes a young dog, this could easily be a recipe for a boredom-destructive dog.

 

[theonly1theymake]

@eternalvictory00 Sounds like a good plan! See if you can get any information from the foster, they're a very valuable resource! I've been so happy we have cameras set up, even though my dog has never done anything. You might want to look into how people do crate training anyways (starting short, rewarding slow increases in time left in there) and just do the same program with leaving the dog alone. We did that, just in case any bad behavior or separation anxiety were to crop up we were already working on it and had a plan.

 

[eternalvictory00]

@theonly1theymake The people who are fostering her now down is LA say she’s a very timid dog and not excitable. Also was told she’s crate and leash trained already so she couldn’t have been a stray for long. Again, no room for a crate but hopefully with the cameras we’re getting we’ll monitor her and see how she does when no ones home.

 

[one]

@eternalvictory00 Are you taking her out or are you actually walking her?

 

[eternalvictory00]

@one What do you mean? I’d be walking her for at least a half hour each time on my work days then longer activity on my off days and weekends.

 

[one]

@eternalvictory00 Good. Yes, that's what I mean. For some people, "taking the dog out" means opening the door to the yard. But if the dog is getting proper attention and exercise, it might work. Still, the dog walker is a good idea.

 

[eternalvictory00]

@one I wish I had a yard it’s be a lot easier to take care of a dog then living in an apt lol.

 

[one]

@eternalvictory00 I know breeders who are hesitant to sell puppies to homes with fenced in yards. It becomes too easy not to walk the dog. Nothing beats a leashed walk for your dog's mental health and to build a strong relationship.

 

[eternalvictory00]

@one I see your point. I’ve always grown up with dogs and a fence but I’d also be out there playing catch and running around too.

 

[tracey4g]

@eternalvictory00 Have you considered dog daycare?

 

[eternalvictory00]

@tracey4g Yea but it’s be on my gf to drop her off and she doesn’t really have the time to do it before going to work which is why we’re thinking of doing the walker.

 

[tracey4g]

@eternalvictory00 Depending on your area they might pick up, or your dog Walker might transport.

It's a good way for your dog to get mental and physical exercise and might be cheaper, I'm not knocking dog walkers, just a young dog might enjoy a daycare setting once or twice a week