Hello,

So here's my situation - I'm 26 and currently in the final year of a degree and work every other weekend two 9 hour shifts. I live in a house my friend owns but no longer lives here and rents out to 6 of us. The rest of the guys work varying shifts of 4 days on 4 days off, meaning a high amount of the time someone is up and about in the house, especially me.

At the end of the road is a pathway up to huge fields and smallish forest. The owner of this house has a giant Mal who lived with us for a couple of years, absolutely fell in love with the dog and the breed. This was where we walked Nanook where he could go off lead and we also took him to a place about 5 minute drive away where there is a big forest and river running through it where he could also go off lead and have a swim.

The house is a decent size with a fair sized garden - Nanook (the landlords Mal) seemed to get along fine living here, the garden was full of toys and things for him to chew as well as gravel parts he loved to dig, the owner was literally always in though, no job, never went to Uni (despite being a student) and already owns two houses. He also did not walk Nanook every single day which i didn't think was too good, but i took him out a lot anyway. He wasn't particularly destructive, chewed through some dvd cases / other random plastic things but not often and never wrecked any of the house as far as i know.

Without rambling on too much, I was looking for a malamute puppy and found the perfect ones. I thought it would be perfect, as i am almost always about and if not me other people are. And while it was a puppy i'd be spending a lot of time with it, then when i have to start working it would still rarely spend long periods on it's own due to my housemates working patterns.

So anyway i had a good think about it, and then of course reality hits home - Situations can change, people could move out, i could have to move out etc etc.

My question is, say i got a Malamute puppy and for the next 6-8 months i was with him almost all day every day, bar my working weekend, proper training and everything else, but then let's say i found myself in the situation where i was living on my own working 9-5. The dog would still be walked i'd say about 1 hours off lead in the morning and 1.5-2 hours off lead in the evenings, would that be fair on the dog?

I'd already decided that actually, as much as i would love a Malamute, it would not be fair to leave such an active dog on it's own for 8-9 hours a day if that ever became the situation, which is quite possible.

I thought i'd ask here just to see what others opinions are on the matter. Apologies for the wall of text.

Cheers :)

> Situations can change, people could move out, i could have to move out etc etc

That's exactly my thought. A dog could live for 10-15 years - where will you be in 10 years time ?? A dog could restrict your future life choices a lot - are you prepared for that ? Having a dog (especially such as a Malamute) could severely restrict your chances of renting another property. Plenty of time for a dog when you are more settled in a job/home.

Exactly. I know it's a huge decision, if i was told that leaving a Mal alone for 8-9 hours would be fair on the dog (which i doubt is the case) then i'd still have much more to consider before making a final decision.

I'm assuming that i will be told it's not okay - In which case i won't be getting one until i own my first property outright (life plan is to develop property which i assume would work well having a dog as he would be around me all day. Long long way to go).

Edit - One thing that's a bit rubbish though, If i end up working full-time for the majority of my life like most people seem to, i will never have a chance to get a Malamute. The good thing about now is, i have a lot of free time on my hands to give it the attention needed while it was a puppy. Still not a good enough reason of course.

It is too long for me to go without a pee (or without a drink if I knock my water over) so I would not be happy leaving a dog for that length of time.  I would try and have someone call in to let them out at least once in the day for any dog.

My bedroom used to be a living room so it has a slidey door to the back garden which i would leave open when not at home (the garden is fenced and secure) so the dog would be free to chill in the garden or inside, forgot to mention this, not sure if it makes any difference. And of course this is a circumstance which could change.

I honestly would not advice this. Even if the fence is secure for a dog to not be able to get out (and that can always be questioned with large breeds) then other people may be able to get IN and steal the dog. Then there is the fact the dog may bark if outside and then you will end up in trouble with the neighbours. Then there's the fact that if it rains you will come home to a bedroom covered in mud. :)

> so the dog would be free to chill in the garden or inside, forgot to mention this, not sure if it makes any difference

No garden is totally secure from burglars :) Also your dog may bark while you are out and also be very destructive ............ Apart from, maybe, having separation anxiety, boredom etc Whilst some dogs are happy to be left, they are often older dogs and most owners would not be happy leaving any dog for that length of time - that's why a lot of us waited many, many years until we could provide all (most) of the requirements for having a happy dog and a happy owner :)

> The rest of the guys work varying shifts of 4 days on 4 days off, meaning a high amount of the time someone is up and about in the house

Are you sure that ALL the other residents are OK with having a puppy around who will pee/poo everywhere, chew their things (unless you train your friends not to keep any of there things in any communal areas) and that they all like dogs - and that means possibly being chewed by a playful puppy ......... :) :) When it comes down to it, people often say that they are OK with something but when reality strikes they may not be so happy !! :)

Well done or thinking it all through and being honest to yourself about your situation. I think it can work but you will need a dog walker / trusted person at least to come in and be with him for a while. The gaps are too long especially for a young dog/ pup Even with the garden option I think you will be open to problems. Many dogs given hours on their own will getup to mishieve and who can blame them.A lovely garden to dig in .
I would say it could  work but you do need someone coming in to see him during your current shifts and then when you work and not just to let him out take for a walk or at least stay and play fr a while. Either that or some doggy day care

Leaving your dog alone with access to the back garden can backfire.   Bored dogs bark - a lot.  People going past, other dogs walking by.    Noises in the distance.    If you aren't there to stop them barking it can become a habit.     They also bark and howl when they're lonely, or when their owners aren't at home.  So he'd likely attract a lot of attention, none of it good.     Also, he would be at risk of theft.   There are many dogs going missing especially from back gardens, where they couldn't get out on their own :-(

Your best option would be to wait until you're settled in your life/job.   If you have to move, with a Malamute, you may find it nigh on impossible to find a place to rent, finding a suitable one may not even be an option.

>My bedroom used to be a living room so it has a slidey door to the back garden which i would leave open when not at home (the garden is fenced and secure) so the dog would be free to chill in the garden or inside, forgot to mention this, not sure if it makes any difference.

You might find this invalidates your (and your flatmates) household insurance. Much better to organise some kind of doggy day care.

You could always volunteer at your nearest dog rescue while you wait for a dog of your own, I'm sure any rescue would be glad to have you as you sound like a very considerate and sensible person.

I know someone who managed to get a puppy while living in shared student accommodation. Not a Malamute, but an active gundog breed. They were all vet students though which might have made a difference - there was always someone around for the pup, they were all used to dogsitting for each other and when the course finishes she is prepared to find a job where the dog will be welcome.

I am the same age as you and also in the final year of my degree, and got a puppy in September - it was the ideal time for us. I don't have a job but am required to be in uni for three days of the week, and I live with my partner who works full-time. My partner took some holiday leave when we first brought the pup home, and we managed to work it so that she wasn't left alone for the first 2-3 weeks. After that, the pup began to go with our older dog to my parents house on the three days a week that nobody is home. My mum only works mornings so the dogs are only left for a maximum of four hours, three times per week.
I thought it was better to get a pup now rather than when I finish my course, as we don't know exactly what will happen then regarding jobs so thought it was best to get the puppy stage out of the way now. Our lives revolve around our dogs and although they do limit us (our idea of a night out is going to training class), we wouldn't have it any other way :) we are also very lucky to have my parents so close by, as they are so very accommodating when it comes to the dogs.

I know this situation wouldn't work for everyone - I'm just sharing my experiences :)

It sounds like you're thinking things through really carefully!

I just thought I'd tell you my experiences.  I got my first dog in the final year of my degree.  That year worked perfectly because there was always someone around for him.  I used to have one day per week where I had to be in uni all day (oh, it was a hard life :-) :-) :-) ) so I actually sent him to a dogminder that day.  I had friends etc who offered to help, but I soon learned that friends can be flakey and I absolutely needed this to work.  A trustworthy dog minder/walker might be a good option for long days, and this is also something you might want to consider at the end of your degree when it comes to getting a job.

I wanted to reply to tell you the restrictions I have faced, since getting a dog at that point in my life.  I really struggled to find a job after my degree, I had to move to another area and rent a flat by myself.  It is possible to find places to rent, but probably only about 5% of places I phoned would consider a dog.  I also looked at houseshares, but moving in with total strangers is one thing, but trusting them to live with my dog was something else entirely!! This was also restricted because I needed somewhere close to where I worked to allow popping home at lunchtime and very little commuting time (dog walkers proved too expensive for me at that time).  It was difficult to have any kind of life and make new friends because all of my free time was spend compensating for the fact I was working full time, and going home at lunchtime makes it difficult to make work friends.  Now, 10 years on from getting my first dog, I have 4 dogs (so it obviously didn't put me off!!!) but my life is very different to that of other people at a similar stage in their career. My dogs are never left for more than 4-ish hours and I work really hard to stick to this.  The main problem I am finding now is that, in my line of work it is quite usual for people to move around - I was offered a brilliant opportunity in London last month, but I worked out that I wouldn't be able to take this and avoid leaving my dogs for long periods.  I realise not every job will be like mine, but I thought it was worth mentioning. 

I love having my dogs, and I wouldn't change it for the world - I just know my life wouldn't work for everyone!  I hope this wasn't a horribly patronising post, but I thought it might be useful to hear from someone who has done the same thing.  Good luck with your decision :-)

Clare

It is possible to find places to rent, but probably only about 5% of places I phoned would consider a dog.

My daughter has moved house twice in the past year, and she is renting. She too found that pretty much ALL landlords state no pets. She got lucky, because she has two small Papillons, not much bigger than Chihuahuas (most people think that's what they are in fact), and therefore she was accepted for a house where the landlord had stated no pets. Had she owned a bigger dog, she'd have had no chance whatsoever. (The same seems to go for cats! My stepdaughter is renting and has been told a small dog would be fine but a cat -absolutely not.)

Even so, one of her dogs suffers from colitis and on days when he is unwell she has had to stay home from college as she cannot possibly leave him with an upset stomach. Her boyfriend can't take a day off work because of a sick DOG, and she will have that problem herself once she has a job. This dog had never had any health problems when he moved in with her so it just goes to show that we never know what the future holds.

Hi,
Firstly well done for doing your research and really thinking about your situation etc before rushing ahead to get the dog.

At the moment i would recommend you wait a while as your situation isnt ideal. You are at a very transitional point in your life and there are lots of unkowns in terms of the future. Also, in the final year of a degree you have plenty of work to complete without the demands of a very needy puppy demanding attention. As others have pointed out, your housemates may not be so keen once the novelty of a very needy puppy wears off. Leaving a door open for a dog doesn't neccisarily mean it will use it to go outside to toilet. It takes a while and a fair bit of training before puppy automatically goes outside. Also, it will invalidate your insurance and generally isnt an ideal situation.

I understand you have fallen in love with a breed as that was the landlords dog which lived with you but dont yet rule out other dogs as there may be something else that takes your fancy. Perhaps you could spend some time with the intention of getting a dog in the future but using this as a chance to do some more research. I wanted a dog for years before i got my dog. It's far better to wait a while until the time is right and the situation is perfect than to rush into it too soon with terrible consequences.