As the title says, and i know it's not ideal, but please read on before you give your much needed input.

  I work full time 9-5 three days a week, and half days of 9-12 two days a week. I am and always have been desperate for a puppy, especially a toy dog of some sort, but i've never felt it was fair on the pup with my work commitments. However, i've read and heard of people adopting puppies while working full time- although i don't personally think thats fair for a very young pup.

  However, i've thought about it, what if i were to get a dog sitter/ walker to come in on my 3 full days of work and provide company for the pup- for say 40mins to an hour. Could this is theory work?

  I feel we have so much to give a little pup- but i don't want to harm, or selfishly get a pup without thinking it through carefully.
I have read many people on other forums saying they work full-time with a pup with no problems- but i appreciate the honest views of people on this forum.

  Could this work, or am i storing trouble up for myself and pup???

  Thanks for reading.

My own opinion is that to have a puppy from 8 weeks old is a full time commitment as puppy needs the training and companionship to enable puppy to understand about house training, leaving a young puppy for long periods of time during the day will slow down the process of house training, and it will take longer for the pup to understand that he she is not allowed to 'go toilet' in doors.
A puppy walker sitter would be one option but I would suggested in the first few months of your puppy life to have someone with him her on a full time basis.
I understand you are wanting a puppy and as long as you think it through and arrange for full time care for puppy this is my own opinion as I know a few people that have taken on a puppy that are out most of the day and have found it hard to house train, and puppy has suffered from seperation anxiety chewing walls, shoes, ripping carpet and generally being destressed.

To be honest - I dont think its fair to the pup and as much as I am sure you would love the pup once you had one you would feel yourself that it wasnt right to leave a pup for so long.

Based on feelings I have had myself and that you may find yourself having - you would worry about them being lonely, about them hurting themselves and laying injured all day and nobody realising until you got home, about them messing or being destructive if they cant get out to the garden and about them escaping and nobody realising if they can get out to the garden.  

There will be lots of views from people with real expertise in raising puppys to add to my comments but mine are just based on how I felt about leaving a pup......

Maxine

My opinion is that it is not fair to have a very young puppy if working full-time unless there are very special circumstances (puppy coming to work, relatives/friends/neighbours looking after it full-time during the day etc.).

Vera

Yes if you put everything into it and as you say get someone in whilst you are at work for part of the time.

I work full time and all but one of my dogs have been brought up in this situation as pups, but and it's a big but they do have each other for company and I've never had one on it's own.

I have sold my breed that I have now to full time working people, but they've put a lot more into the dogs when they are at home than many people do.

I work fulltime but my OH part time now, so yes it is fair as long as you take some time off work to settle the puppy in nicely it should be OK. (I take 2 weeks off work, and then go back for a half week of 5 days of 10 - 2 and then back full time, she in stages he gets used to me being away for longer and longer.
We are getting a second dog for company to our first, so that will help ours not feel lonely.

I fully agree with everything Perrodeague says as well :)

do your best to provide company for it through the day. i'm sure you'll find plenty of offers to nip in and see the wee one. one idea maybe to see about getting a slightly older pup? one thats been run on by its breeder etc then you might not have some of the concerns of leaving a tiny babe.

I had exactly this dilema.  I had spent my whole life desperate for dogs after growing up in a very non animal loving family. 

I saved for years so I could buy my own home purely so I could have dogs, then chose it because only because it had a huge back garden and a utility room/dog bedroom. I did feel guilty but I have to work for a living and the thought of never owning a dog in my life just because I worked kinda seemed unreasonable.  So I saved up my annual leave until I could take a month off work and got 2 litter mates to keep each other company.

I also chose a breed with a very independant nature so they wouldn't miss me too much.

As long as you have quality time together it should work

>2 litter mates to keep each other company.

How old are your dogs now, Lunamoona? Unless a person's experienced with a multi-dog household, two pups at the same time, especially two littermates, is a recipe for disaster. In fact I can't think of a single breeder (other than a commercial breeder or puppy farmer) who'd agree to sell littermates to one household.

>>I also chose a breed with a very independant nature so they wouldn't miss me too much.

Is their primary bond to you or to each other?

Hi Jeangenie, my boys have just turned 4 years old now. 

Maybe I just didn't know any different but found 2 to be no particular trouble (just cheeky).  I bought my boys when I was living in New Zealand and went through the kennel club.  I bought from a breeder who only bred because he wanted another show dog (both parents were champions).

As for the bond, my boys adore me and I them. Yes they get on very well with each other but do not live in each others pockets, their personalities are very different.  I also thought (maybe in ignorance) that I couldn't give them everything they needed behaviourly, stuff like butt sniffing, ear chewing, face licking etc.

I had some experience with dogs as I had spent 3 years working for a dog groomer doing all the brushing and bathing, It gave me a great insight into different breeds and behaviour.

But I still admit to learning every single day and welcome any advice given:)

You were probably very lucky that you had no problems with your two boys, the fact that their characters were very different is probably why. 

They have now reached social maturity at four and this is often the age when dogs who have happily lived together decide to vie for position. 

Certainly it is the age I find mine are their most confident and seeking their place in the grand scheme of things, and if ambitious try for a higher place on the totem pole.  Fortunately any reshuffling here has always been peaceable, but noticeable.

It happened at that age with my Kizi taking over from her grandmother as the top canine (heer Mum and granmother are now dead), and I am noticing her granddaughter has nudged her way above her own mother to second in canine command.

Hi Brainless, thank you for your views. I have struggled in my life to find any "doggy people" to offer me advice, only having found this forum recently. I have read many books and found the advice often conflicting. 

I hope I did not make a mistake in getting them together as I also got dogs 3 and 4 around a month apart as the first experience was so good and they are now 6 months old (although not litter mates).

I am now a stay at home dog mum/self employed so spend all my time with my guys. My 4 year old boys were neutered at around 9 months and I noticed them sorting out the pecking order at around a year old with 2 or 3 minor fights.  I have not noticed any signs that the lower dog wants to take over but then he is a big softy. I hope it was more than luck and that my imput stood for something. :)

I think the kind of person you area as a leader can make a huge difference.  Some people always seem to have inter-dog problems, and others very rarely do.

It does help to have clear differences in temperament, age and in some breeds sex to minimise the chances of problems, as if they do fall out the decisions can be heart breaking.  Either living with a Berlin wall, and on edge in case they should meet and fight, or to have to part with one.

Breed and individual character play a part.  This is why litter-mates are often not a good idea as having the same parents the chances of them being more similar is higher.

Personally I could not cope with more than one youngster past the first 6 months, as even one is hard work until fully adult at around two years, ans then I can enjoy the adult, but then  am not the biggest fan of the puppy and teenage phase liking my adults and oldies sense of self best.  Not much into human kids either   All that teenage angst in both species is such a chore.

I have also known breeders whose dogs were either kennelled or lived more as a pack that liked to keep two pups from their occasional litters and the pups were brought up by the other dogs, (beaten up and bullied by older pack members etc until they found their place) and needed each other for company, in these cases the owners/breeders weren't looking to be the prime attachment to their dogs and were happy that the dogs were part of their dog pack first and their companions second, but most people don't live like that and need a companion that is humanised and fits into a human family and home.

I work full time and wanted to let you know about the sacrifices you'll have to make. If you're leaving your pup for 8 1/2 hours a day then you can't possibly leave it for any longer - or at least that's my view :) I don't go out without the dogs at all for any reason on the nights that I'm working, not even to go to the shops. If I'm invited to tea at a friends I make sure the invite is for all 5 of us! I catch up on shopping, cinema, lunch with friends on my night off when I'm going to be with the dogs the rest of the time. You have to realise that getting a puppy means you can no longer work late, or go out with friends after work etc.

If you take all of this seriously and decide yourself to make this huge commitment then Yes I think it can work. Of course there are many other things to consider, a lot already mentioned by other people...an older dog may be better, perhaps a rescue that's already housetrained or just a slightly older pup. The advantage of an older dog is you can give it a long walk before work - a tired dog is a happy, well behaved dog :) A young pup can only have short exercise and will have a nap and be raring to go again. You would need a dog sitter either way, a young puppy needs to be fed in the middle of the day, as well as cuddled and let out for the toilet. I don't have someone coming in to let mine out as I work through the night and the dogs wouldn't appreciate someone trying to make them go out for the loo at 3am, however if I worked during the day it would be a necessity. The difference is there are lots of noises, things to watch out the window during the day and the dogs are more active and would need out, whereas they sleep through the night :) The general rule I think is never leave your dog for longer than you can go between toilet breaks - I can sleep 8 hours a night without needing to go but couldn't do that during the day :)

I have helped my neighbours when they worked full time with a pup (but they already had other dogs for the pup to have company). 

It would need much more than just a half hour at lunch time with a puppy.  I used to go in at least 3 times a day (pup will be on 4 meals a day to start anyway), and took the puppy out and about for socialisation and walks every day.

My friend used to walk her dogs for an hour before work every day and her other half used to walk them again after work as soon as she got in and she was making their evening meal.

That said she was realistic about the fact that home alone the pup especially might do more damage to her home than if supervised fully.  She came home one day to her kitchen lino looking like a skateboard ramp.  Another chewed all the cladding, seemed to occur around the 8 or 10 month stage when the big teeth are settling in the jaw and adolescence of course.

When they had their first dog she was able to take it to work with her, and when this became impractical they got a second older pup (6 months) that was being re-homed, so with the walks and each others company they were fine being older, and already socialised and fairly well trained.

From a breeders point of view the care arrangements need to be very solid, as if they fail the pup will spend long hours alone and may develop behavioural problems due to lack of attention and boredom.

Are your parents dog lovers?  I have sold pups to a family that would share the dog between older parents (who no longer wanted full time responsibility for a pup) and a couple with work commitments.  so dog spends it's days with the retired couple and goes home in the evenings.  My breed is able to cope with such a life easily as they are very even handed with their affections, and outgoing.  Might not suit a more sensitive breed.

If you work 9 - 5 I am assuming you must leave for work at around 8ish and get back around 6ish? So thats 10 hrs, that is far too long to leave a puppy or any dog.

The days when you work 9-12 the pup would be fine, can you not reduce your hours maybe to be at home with the pup?  I know it would mean sacrificing something else but if thats what you want you have to plan your life around them.
I work silly hours now, I do long shifts from 4pm - 2pm so that Im home all day with my dogs, then leave as my partner is coming in and they have him for company on the evening.

My dogs are of course left sometimes but anything past 5hrs I start to feel uncomfortable, and I would nt leave a pup more than a few hours anyway.

Alternatively have you any doggy day care centres near you ? The my petstop chain have one near me, I was there for something else the other day and was watching one of the day camps! It was great, they had 2 spaniels, 3 terriers, 2 crossbreeds and a most beautiful doberman all playing football together inside, they were loving it. 

Unless you can drop your hours or get someone to look after your  pup on the days when you work I would say leave it until you can be at home more, its not fair to the pup or yourself, as youll just worry about him/her and it will spoil your enjoyment .
Puppies are very time consuming and at first need constant attention, like someone else has already said, I save my annual leave up at work and usually have a full month off with the pup to start with to get him in a routine.

Hope you can work something out, if you have family who will have him a couple of days youll be fine!

I think it is do-able if you can make arrangements! There are many people who get a puppy, work full-time & have no intention of parting with any more money after that! Providing you are willing to, then doggy day care for whilst the pup is young & dog walking when it is older - on a daily basis - is more than do-able & probably really good socialisation for him!

The problem may be finding a breeder that doesn't freeze up as soon as you mention that you earn a living! Obviously, don't consider the ruthless ones that don't ask. :)

when i get a new pup i take AS MUCH HOLIDAY as i can, to get it settled in & also leave it for a  few times aday to get the pup used to being Without me. However i have other dogs so my pups arent exactly alone.

I think if you can get a dog sitter & come home at lunch yourself & take a decnt amount of holiday & dont get a pup under 8 weeks then it COULD work, but will need effort from yourself. Its not ideal,esp as Toy breeds were bred to be3 companions.

Could you poss take your dog to work?

Or another option would be to get used to dog ownership by offering a home to a  older rescue that will be able to cope with being left after a settling in period,as you will be able to exercise it before work, then in a year or so when you are ready for your pup you will have a older dog settled as company & a role model. (will still need seeing in the day though)

Not got time to read everyones previous replies, so sorry if repeating. :-)

40 mins a day for a dog walker or sitter to spend with a pup is by no means not enough.  A pup has come from a litter, needs company just like a toddler, it would be isolated, lonely, depressed and possible lead to becoming distructive.

An older dog may cope with this routine, but not a pup, it's completely selfish and unfair on any pup to be treated in this way, this is the time for it to be socialised, to bond with it's owner to be trained and most importantly loved, no-one would leave a toddler for hours on end, it is the same with a pup. A pup deserves to be treated and kept properly, it is a baby animal not a toy.  Sorry if I sound a little harsh, I don't mean to :-) just being honest as someone whom would be horrified if a pup of mine were to be left like this.

Perhaps you could look into an older dog, which is happy to just sleep until a dog walker comes or an owner returns for those 3 days, but a pup like any baby needs company. :-)

I would agree if you are really prepared to make the effort with dog walkers etc, then an older rescue dog to start with who will not need as much intense attention, and then if you feel you can deal with the extra demands of a pup a puppy could join the other dog.  You would be an experienced dog owner and know how it is working in practise, and if your able to do Even more a new pup with an adult dog for company when your not there would be do-able.

Thanks for this Brainless, will bear this all in mind and look out for any potential issues.  I hope my leadership skills are up to the challenge!! 

We are a very huggy family, everyone gets a cuddle first thing in the morning and last thing at night (and throughout the day) with pecking order observed.  But disipline is also very firm, dogs are never allowed in the bedrooms or on the furniture so the cats get peace and quiet. I also insist on total obedience when brushing, bathing, drying and nails etc.  I hope this balance continues to work for us :)

I think being very observant and tuned into atmospheres can help stop problems before they become issues, some people are very good at this.