Hey guys - I am curious who out there is single and has a dog (and does triathlons). I am dying to get one and I am trying to figure out whether I will have time to give it the care it needs. Ideally I am looking to get a puppy. I know other single people who have a dog with no problem, but none of them also train 10-20 hours a week I am curious if any triathletes out there have experience raising a puppy and can comment on what it’s like balancing the two.
I also have a girlfriend who lives nearby who is dying for a puppy, but her apartment building won’t allow it. She has not very subtly hinted that she would be more than happy to help out if I got a dog
Well, if you are doing a ton of training on the weekend, you have to realize that is time that could have been spent playing with your puppy and letting them get exercise. If you are the type who goes nuts on your workouts and then is tired the rest of the day, you might not be giving the dog the attention they deserve.
One of the bigger concerns is every time you are out of town you have to secure a safe place for your dog to stay, and one that is not a sh*thole where you will be worried about their well being the whole time you’re gone. But if you trust your friend to take care of it, then that would be a lot better than having to take them to a doggy daycare or something.
I remember when I first got a puppy, I knew it was going to be a huge responsibility, but it turned out to be a bigger one than I ever imagined. On the other hand, it was probably the biggest help in gaining myself a little maturity and determining the more important things in life. Dogs rule though, so if you think you can handle it and give them a loving home, I say go for it. =)
What’s your work schedule like? m-f 9-5? If so, don’t get a dog, especially a puppy. Not fair to him/her at all…
I got a 9 week old lab 3 years ago…I wasn’t tri training at the time, and I had room mates and a g/f to help to take care of her. Had I not had help, I probably wouldn’t have had time to properly take care of her. So my advice would be to not get a puppy unless you will be able to take it out at least every 3-4 hours. Puppies are a huge responsibility, and they do take a lot of time and effort to take care of, especially depending on the breed.
Sure you can get a dog, and then crate it for 6 hours a day while you’re at work/training, but in my opinion that’s not really fair to the dog.
In the early 90’s I was single, did IM’s and had a golden retriever. They are wonderful dogs but need a lot of attention and exercise. I wouldn’t get another unless I was married as it is very difficult to work all week, then on weekends spend time training while your dog sits at home. They are social animals and need someone around and it’s not fair to them if you are gone for such long periods.
I ended up stopping triathlons and started hiking so that I could take him along and then it was fantastic.
I am single and have two dogs. I will say this, it is a BIG responsibility. I love dogs especialy mine and they take priority over alot of stuff. I don’t go to work happy hours because i have to get home to take care of the dogs, I walk my dogs about an hour a day in the woods ( tired dogs are happy good dogs ). I love up my dogs each and every day. I would never be without a dog or two, but that is me. If you don’t have a real love for dogs and don’t have it in you to make them a first prioroity in your life than don’t get one.
What’s your work schedule like? m-f 9-5? If so, don’t get a dog, especially a puppy. Not fair to him/her at all…
I got a 9 week old lab 3 years ago…I wasn’t tri training at the time, and I had room mates and a g/f to help to take care of her. Had I not had help, I probably wouldn’t have had time to properly take care of her. So my advice would be to not get a puppy unless you will be able to take it out at least every 3-4 hours. Puppies are a huge responsibility, and they do take a lot of time and effort to take care of, especially depending on the breed.
Sure you can get a dog, and then crate it for 6 hours a day while you’re at work/training, but in my opinion that’s not really fair to the dog.
I am a civilian DoD employee so I work a 9-5, but there is always the possibility that if the shit hits the fan in a certain region of the world I’ll either be working crazy hours and/or get deployed abroad.
I am thinking if I did get a dog, the best route might be a big, lazy breed like a mastiff that is content to just lie around all day. I agree though that it’s unfair to a puppy to just leave it alone all day. I LOVE dogs and the thought of a poor puppy whimpering in a crate all day makes me sad.
How about this - two puppies? I am wondering if it would be better to have two so they can keep each other company while I am gone.
Funny that you mentioned 2, because when I got my lab, my room mate at the time got her brother, so we had 2 9wk old labs in the house. Know this, you absolutely cannot crate 2 dogs together. Don’t get me wrong, having 2 puppies was awesome, because they’ll be best friends and keep each other busy. But it is twice the work.
I think your best solution would be to get a dog that’s maybe 1 1/2 - 2 years old, so it’s still young enough for you to have some “puppy” fun with it, but old enough to be house broken easily (if it isn’t already), and can be left alone for more than a few hours.
Puppies are a LOT of work. If you’re already pressed for time, you’re unlikely to dedicate the amount necessary to train a young dog properly. I would strongly recommend you look at a local shelter or rescue group and inquire about adopting an adult dog. You might miss out on the cuteness of a puppy, but you also get to avoid all the stress that comes with house breaking.
Building off what Johnny said, why don’t you talk to your local shelter or rescue groups about becoming a foster home for a dog. Those groups are always in need of good loving foster homes and it will give you a chance to see if your life and schedule are conducive to having a dog. If not, then you can tell the rescue/shelter group that you can no longer be a foster which beats the hell out of realizing you might have to give up a dog you got. And if you realize a dog would work with your lifestyle then you can go ahead and get one!
I fit into the category that you are looking into. I’m single, have an 11 month Aussie, training for IMLP and have a full-time job. I have to wake up earlier and take the little guy for a semi-long (3 or so miles) walk and then to the dog park before I get ready for work. Luckily I have a pretty awesome dog walker who spends time with him to break up the day. He is a little too young, and still growing, for me to start to run with him. It’s definitely an added commitment, but if you’re really into dogs and want one…go for it. I have no regrets.
Dogs take a lot of effort and require a lot of attention. Honestly, it doesn’t sound like you can do that. Wait until you’re married and have a house with a fenced in back yard.
If you didn’t say you had already had a girlfriend id say it would be an awesome chick magnet.
I had a friend/co-worker who got a puppy, had to give it away after three weeks. To much to handle with a full-time job even though he only lived 4 miles from work.
I fit into the category that you are looking into. I’m single, have an 11 month Aussie, training for IMLP and have a full-time job. I have to wake up earlier and take the little guy for a semi-long (3 or so miles) walk and then to the dog park before I get ready for work. Luckily I have a pretty awesome dog walker who spends time with him to break up the day. He is a little too young, and still growing, for me to start to run with him. It’s definitely an added commitment, but if you’re really into dogs and want one…go for it. I have no regrets.
Wow, I don’t know how you do it with an 11 mo old aussie!! I have a 3yo Aussie, and a fiance to help out with her. We are both training for LP, but it is still tough to get her the exercise she needs! Are you bringing yours to LP? My girl Cody will be there with us, wishing she could join in for the swim!
To the OP- I agree with what most other people have said- puppies are really, really tough. Like another poster said, I truly thought I understood the responsibility and difficulty of raising a puppy, but it was MUCH harder than I thought it would be. Granted, I wanted my girl to be perfect, so I worked my butt off to train her, but it really felt like we had a child. I love my girl to death and loved every minute of training her, but I’m not sure it’s the right lifestyle for a lot of people.
After my divorce, I really wanted another black lab. But I knew being single and working alot and training for IM was not conducive to being a good parent to a puppy. Puppies require 24x7 attention. I mentioned how I wanted a one year old black male to a few co-workers and about 2 weeks later my wish was granted from a local rescue group via an email chain. That was 7 years ago and Keene is the joy of my life and the perfect dog.
I highly recommend you get a younger dog from a shelter or rescue group. Also, only consider getting a dog if you have a permanent place to live. If you move out of your apt. you will always need to find a place that accepts pets. It’s not always easy. I should know, because this is how I ended up with Keene… his owner could not take him to his new apt.
…one way to get around those long training days on the weekends.
My wife coaches volleyball for a local school. When we’re going to
be gone for a long training day we get one of her girls to come over
and do their homework for a couple hours. The dogs get the run of the
house and yard and the young lady gets mall $$$ while studying - or
watching TV!
I am curious if any triathletes out there have experience raising a puppy and can comment on what it’s like balancing the two.