Work Schedule and New Puppy

by Marianne
(Phoenix, AZ)

Hi!
I'm thinking of getting a puppy.... my little poodle of 14 years died about a year ago, and I miss her, miss having that presence in my home and in my life.

I live alone, and work as a nurse. I work 12-hour shifts, but only 3 days a week. I would litter-box train the puppy, and keep her in an area that would provide for her bed, food & water, and litter box. I have done reading on this, and having had a dog before, feel confident about having a puppy.

But, I am concerned about leaving the puppy alone on my work days. I could find someone to come to the house and check on her, or find a good doggie "day care" place for her to go to on those days. Once the dog is older, I'm sure she'd be o.k.. My last dog did just fine on the days I was gone, and she wasn't even litter box trained.
I have spotted a toy poodle puppy that I would like to get, but I want to be sure that she would be o.k. on the days I worked.

What do you think?



Hi Marianne
I think you've given this a lot of thought, and have experience in raising a puppy, that's a great start.

If you can arrange for a friend, relative, neighbor or petsitter to come to your home and give the puppy some time, attention and a potty break during the days that you work, that would be fine to begin with. Once she's had her vaccinations a good doggie-daycare would be excellent.

If you've found a puppy you like and think you're ready to bring her into your life, I'd say "go ahead". If you need to brush up on the things you need to remember when bringing home a new pup, check out my New Puppy Care page.

Best of luck with your new pup. Have fun!