Tips for Owning a Dog While Having a Full-Time Job

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Owning a dog has its benefits, but they can be a lot of work.  It is important to consider the following topics to help figure out if a dog fits your lifestyle.

Choose a dog that fits your lifestyle

Choosing a dog whose activity level matches your lifestyle is essential for your happiness as well as the dog’s happiness.  Breed, size and age are important factors to research when it comes to determining the activity level of a dog, though many dogs can be different from their general breed characteristics.  Another important item to note is sometimes a dog’s attitude may change when it is alone, around other cats, children, etc.  Though a dog may seem fine upon first glance, adding in other factors can create some difficulty.

When we adopted our dog, Daisy, it was a little more difficult to determine any general breed characteristics because she is a mixed breed.  However, knowing that she would stay a fairly small size, we knew that would be better for our lifestyle due to our busy work schedules because smaller dogs generally have less energy than larger breeds.  We also researched most apartments’ dog breeds that are not allowed, and her breed(s) were not on it.  This is very important to consider if you plan on renting.

Choose a dog that fits your home

This is a very important factor, especially if you are renting.  Owning a dog decreased our options when choosing a place to rent because some properties do not allow dogs.  And, in the places that do allow dogs, there is usually a pet deposit and/or a monthly pet free – known as “pet rent” – that was non-refundable.

Having some type of outdoor area for your dog is also something to consider.  Brian and I live in a suburban area where although there are many condos and townhomes without yards, there are also options to rent a place with some type of outdoor area.  Since adopting Daisy, every place we have rented has had either a patio or a yard.  Though, they have generally been more expensive than places that didn’t have an outdoor area.

If you do not live somewhere where having a yard or patio is a feasible option, there are plenty of people that walk dogs for people in similar situations!  You could pay someone you know to walk your dog while you are at work. Also, though I have never used them, I know that others have used reputable dog walking companies like Wag and Rover. We did not want to take the route of hiring a dog walker as it can get very expensive where we live; the cost on average for a 30-minute walk is $25 in our town.  Instead of paying someone about $25 two times per day for 5 days per week, we decided to look for places that had a backyard, even if they were more costly.

Exercise Your Dog

If your dog is active, it is important to exercise your dog during the time you are home.  If possible, edit your exercise routine to include your dog.  The town I live in is very dog friendly, so I have taken Daisy to the mall with me to pick up an online order.  I have also opted for restaurants with outdoor patios so Daisy can come when my husband and I go out to dinner.  As much as I really want to hike Mount Diablo State Park again, we usually opt for other parks because they are dog friendly.  That allows us to get our exercise in, as well as Daisy’s.

Daisy has been most destructive on weeks where she is not being exercised, most likely due to energy she has pent up.  I make it a goal to walk Daisy at least every other weekday, before or after work.  On weekends I make sure to exercise her both days, with one of those days being an extra-long walk, run or hike to make sure she gets all of her energy out.

Finding things to preoccupy your dog while you are at work can also be a great option.

We purchased the best toy on Amazon for Daisy, the StarMark Bob-A-Lot, which has helped give her something to do while we are at work!  She has to push her toy over with her nose or paw in order to get the treats/dog food out!  Daisy is a 35-pound dog and we purchased the large size for her.

Dog-Proof Your Home

Even if you exercise your dog, it is best to put away anything you think they may get into while you’re at work.  Although Daisy doesn’t usually get into much, we make sure to close the door to every room in the house so she has a smaller chance of getting herself into trouble!

Having a dog is a large commitment.  It can be tough to own a dog while working full time but they are such great companions.  Dogs are truly an investment, and you will get back whatever you put into them – especially love.  I hope this article helps you think about things that you may have not considered before when owning a dog!