Owning a dog
Do any of you have experience owning a dog while working in finance. It seems impossible without a non working SO.
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Why would you want to do this? Presumably, if you want to own a dog it's because you like dogs. If you like them you probably wouldn't want yours to be sitting in an empty apartment alone for 16 hours a day.
Get one of the little cactuses and sit it on your desk in your cubicle. That should do for now.
I wasn't planning on getting one. If anything it was a pipe dream. I was just curious to see if people managed to do it with their busy lives.
Owning a dog is not worth it(opinion). Too much work, time, costs money, potential vet bills, shots, etc. Not to mention it will shit and piss on your floor as well as chew things. Also, it would be fucked to own a dog while having a full time job and being gone all day.
You're not wrong, but telling someone not to get a dog because of the things you mentioned is a bit like telling someone not to have kids for the same reasons -- being a dog owner is rewarding in ways that more than make up for all that other shit.
Unless you're paying someone to look after the dog all-day while you are gone at work, then you shouldn't get a dog. You wouldn't leave a child by itself for 8-10 hours without any supervision as that would be cruel. Dogs are similar to kids, they need attention, care, and time.
Pretty much everything can be said about children.
but it can get you laid
Yes... having children will not gain you laid, but having a cute dog will!
I own a rather large dog, adopted her in college and has lived with me since. I agree that it would be unethical to leave it in an apartment for 16 hours a day (or 8 during day time), so I pay for monthly daycare / walks home when unable to pick up before they close. It obviously has to be a good day care.
Note that is anywhere from 700-1000 per month (and is more economical than a dog walker who charges 30 dollars per walk). Now add on vet costs, insurance (if you're smart), dog food that isn't promoted by rachel ray, treats, leashes, etc.
Note that paying this amount is the easiest part of owning a (real non 2 lb) dog. Before going out on weekends, you'll find yourself at your apartment having to walk the dog. You'll also need to walk her again at 4 AM when you get back so you don't get woken up 3 hours later.
That is just the beginning of the costs/responsibilities. If you are really considering it, volunteer at SPCA or foster a dog for a month and then decide. Note - if you are planning on getting a puppy, or live without roommates, I would say its pretty much impossible. Otherwise, it is just very difficult and will change your lifestyle given you are a good owner (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).
So true. Dogs are a shitload of work. I've never had a dog of my own but used to dogsit a few friends' dogs for more than a month out of the year, and they usually wake you up in the night, early morning, etc. Some are obedient enough to hold their blatters/shitters while you work but you feel bad for them. If they can't, you have shit to clean up.
So - $30 per walk? Is that serious? I know the Wag! app has been a "hot" startup. Is there exclusivity on a walk or can you walk multiple dogs of multiple people at once? I mean, that could be lucrative for a side job, and you get to play with dogs...
I debated this issue for a long time. I eventually decided that if I adopted an unwanted shelter dog, that whatever life I could provide him was far better than his eventual fate. I'd love to get home a few hours earlier every night, but instead I pay for daily 30-minute walks and it has kept his energy levels down over the years. Absolutely have no regrets adopting a dog while doing banking; seeing him is often the best part of the day.
If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been in banking? Could you see yourself staying in a demanding job and caring for a dog over the long term? (I love dogs myself and I'm going the banking route too)
Wife and I have a dog. It's definitely doable, even if you both work long hours (both in finance, though hers are shorter and much more predictable than mine, as a banker) but it can be tough and it's very expensive (probably 1k a month in daycare/walks/food in NYC, plus we've spent several hundred in vet bills in the first year we've had him). I personally don't think it's worth it for the amount of money we spend and the stress his schedule can put on us. But, for her, she really wanted the companship for when I'm working late into the night or stuck on something for the weekends. And I think she's getting what she wanted, so she's happy with the decision to get him. I will warn, the puppy months are awful, though. Those first 2 or 3 months we were both miserable because the amount of care he needed. They are just like babies at that stage so they need to be walked every 2 hours and cry and don't sleep etc. Now that he's closer to a year he's cool, but planning time around making sure we pick him up and don't leave him for too long can certainly get annoying.
All in all, plan to spend thousands a year on the dog and it's fine, but I don't think worth it (but your SO might feel differently).
Thanks for this sober realistic assessment. It's very helpful.
I like dogs, especially the large fluffy ones. I'm obsessed with breeds such as Newfoundland, Tibetan Mastiff, Bernese Mountain dog, Samoyed, Chow Chow. I have wanted one for a long time, but living alone, I realized that there is no way I can provide the adequate time and care that a dog deserves. So instead, I watch dog videos on YouTube and look at pics of Instagram pages.
This whole time I thought your username was referring to the island of Newfoundland.
Don'f forget to factor in boarding when you want to go out of town, this is usually 60-70$ per night, not cheap.
.
Cool, good to know that you wouldn't be bothered by it. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.
Based upon this post, I'm assuming you've never lived in Manhattan.
I got a large dog in college before I intended to go down the banking path. I was fortunate enough to live a block away from the office as well as next door to a dog day-play service. Between the two, I could either go home for lunch and do a quick loop around the block or leave him at day-play until I left the office to grab dinner. While it was most certainly not easy or cheap, the routine and responsibility was/is something that I enjoy.
Well, how do you view dogs? As a pet animal, or family? If it's the latter, and you're doing 14-16 hours a day, that's the same as having a kid you're never there for, except the kid would eventually grow up and learn not to give a shit. The poor doggo on the other hand, is going to go through multitudes of loneliness waiting each day for the rest of his life, just to spend that 10 minutes with you when you reach home. Get a cactus instead as mentioned earlier.
Are they much different than a turtle? I had a pet turtle run away when I was younger and it was devastating.
RIP Speedy
Shouldn't have lol'd at this, and yet I did. SB!
I have had a dog for 3 years. Only reason we can do it, my SO works nights. If you are single its not worth it.
I'd say the puppy months are the most insane. If you want to train your dog correctly (obedient, potty trained, able to hold in pee for an entire day, not tear up your shit at home when nobody is there, etc) you have to put in some serious time / effort training it. Also the last thing I would want to do is have someone else train the puppy during its most impressionable years (I would want a dog to be more attached to me than another person).
Your SO can have a job, but it would need to be like a normal 40-50 hour a week style one with predictable hours. Or you can basically pay for doggie day care or dog walkers
Get a hatchimal. See if you're ready fke the commitment.
Ask your manager. He's taking care of them as you speak. Or not. haha
I'm not into taking care of animals, but this is a great listen for you dog guys:
Get a girlfriend that will take care of it. You get a dog and she gets something to talk to when you're gone.
I breed, raise, and farm dogs. It's a great investment and theres nothing better that coming home to an organic garlic & butter K9 roast. It's much easier than raising chickens in your apartment and they act as security guards until supper.
I'd love a doggo, but I just don't think I could give one enough love. I'm just getting started with my life-- I don't want/need any dependents. I can barely take care of myself anyway.
I might opt for a cat one day. I've heard they just eat lasagna and sleep all day. Can't be that hard.
I would opt for a cat until you have a spouse.
You are one sick bunny..
Dogs are awesome. I just don’t have it in me to take care of one. Need to find someone else to do all the work so I can reap the benefits
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/30/on-demand-dog-walking-app-wag-raises-…
review on husky, this a good dog=)
Good dog breeds for apartment living? (Originally Posted: 06/08/2016)
The thought of getting a dog after graduation has kept me going for the past couple of years. I know that it will be expensive and a lot of work with going home for lunch to walk the dog and probably hiring a dog walker while it's a puppy along with possible training, but it's an option I'm at least considering.
None. Please get two years into your job and social life before thinking about caring for a dog too.
Anyone who gets a dog when they work our hours is downright cruel.
I've had a Shiba (black and tan) for seven years- they're awesome. I too disliked the idea of having a small dog but liked that the Shiba has a "big dog" look in a smaller dog body. Everyone think's he's a husky or Akita puppy. He's fine in a 1000 sq ft condo (we're near a park), and while they're known to be independent minded, they're pretty easy to housebreak, although getting used to walking on a leash took a bit of training. I can't speak for running- mine has a neurological issue (cerebeller hypoplasia) that would make any attempt to train him to run beside me comical. The one downside is the heavy shedding (blowing coat) that occurs twice a year.
Tibetan Mastiff... all you Asian fanboys know what I'm talking about
its a riiioonn
what's your job? only one of two things would make buying a dog ok:
I say this because while there are breeds that are ok at home for a while, it shouldn't be all day every day. if you work banking hours, do NOT do this. you'll be working 12 hours a day at least and will not have the energy needed to give a dog a good life whenever you do finally get home.
go with oreos' advice. get used to being an adult before you're a parent.
"Get used to being an adult before you're a parent" ... My goodness, where'd you get some of these last sentence one liners lol. I'm starting to think bankers are a lot like philosophers.
Most doggy daycares charge about $25 per day. That's not bad, especially if you're in finance.
Hot?
German shepherds*, dobermans or pit bulls.
*Had 2 German shepherds in the city. It is very tough as they shed a lot but they are the smartest dogs so it definitely pays off.
German Shepherds are my favorite breed and my current dog is a German Shepherd Lab Mix, but this is terrible advice. Most apartment communities outright ban all three on your list.
You need to be sure that you can really spend a lot of time with a puppy, particularly when they are young and getting stabilized.
I've had English Mastiffs and currently have a 3 yo Great Dane. The huge breeds are great because they sleep like 22 hours a day, and they can go 12 hours without needing to be let out. They basically need a 20 minute walk per day and a lot of food. The Mastiffs are super sweet, gentle and cause very little trouble. Great Danes are slightly more neurotic but also very sweet and incredibly loyal to the family. Danes are a little more protective and barky, which may be good or bad depending on where you live. The Mastiffs shed a decent amount, and Great Danes barely shed at all. Both are great for city living, which is counter intuitive with their size, because they sleep so much.
Someone above mentioned Doberman and German Shepherds. I grew up with both as a child (on a farm), and I'd avoid them for city living. If they are left alone a lot without massive amounts of exercise, they will go nuts. They are too smart and too high energy so they will destroy everything out of frustration, if they don't have exercise and engagement.
Same story with my rottweiler. We take him hiking on weekends, but he'd be just as happy lying on our bed, on his back, displaying his shame to the world.
English Bulldog, all the way. They are super friendly, low maintenance in that fact they they are extremely lazy and sleep alot. I have been living in a smaller apartment for the past two years and my bully loves it. The only thing I would warn about are the cost and time commitment of a dog. While he is a puppy you will prob go to the vet 4-5 times in the first year and can expect 200-300 dollars per visit. Dog food runs about 100 a month. A mid day dog walker runs about 200-300 a month. Traveling is harder as you have to figure out what to do with your dog, leave him with roommates, parents, etc.
To me the pros outweigh the cons as my dog gives me much joy! Goodluck.
Everyone else above seems to have assumed it but to be clear - do you have a roommate / girl/boyfriend with whom you live?
I've got a chocolate lab and she is pretty awesome though still a pup. I take her out in the morning and then a few times in the evening. I'm starting a new job where I'll be working about 60 hours but, fortunately, I have a wife who will only be working less and has more flexible hours. We still put her in play care at least 2 days a week.
Our dog is a menace to society when she gets excited but she sleeps/lays around for probably 22 hours a day and is wired for 2 hours. She's super loyal and the best dog I've ever had even though she gets into EVERYTHING.
All of that said, I would hold off on getting a dog if I were you. They're great, but a lot of work and you have to be conscious of them when making plans. And definitely send them away to get trained if you get something moderately big because training them and working is not a great combo.
My GF and I have a pomeranian. He's the man - extremely intelligent. I actually wanted a German shepherd (my GF had a 160 lb GS as a kid,) but I knew it would've been a mistake in our 1BR condo downtown.
We work 50 hours a week on average and I travel occasionally. We do a good job of picking up each other's slack if we have to stay late at the office, which I think is the main reason we've been able to make it work. He's too small for play care, where even the "small" dogs are at least twice his size. Fortunately, he sleeps at home most of the day and is always in great spirits when we get home. We give him free reign of our condo when we're gone which I think helps.
That said, he's the center of our life when we aren't working and we literally take him everywhere with us. We've never been hugely social (i.e. bar scene/parties) outside of the office so we've never felt like we've had to make huge sacrifices. At the end of the day It's like having a child, the dog's well being comes first.
In a nutshell, unless you have a SO that can help pull some of the weight, having a dog at this stage in your life will be hard on you and the dog.
p.s. the puppy stage is absolutely painful.
My roommate is getting rid of our puppy tomorrow after he realized how cruel it was leaving it at home 12 hours a day to shit in his bathroom. No matter how cute it is or how much you think you'll be able to care for it you are wrong. It's a big commitment for a 20-something and you've got a career + social life to figure out.
Golden Retrievers!
Goldens are for cookie cutters. 0/10 for orignilatity
Best advice is to never get a dog or any animal for any reason unless you need them to do something for you on your farm. I really do not get the appeal at all. They stink, piss, shit, shed fur, etc. I can't think of any upside. Maybe try getting human friends instead???
Tarantulas have an upside. They're great for scaring the shit out of people and don't really require any maintenance...you just throw another bug in with it every week or so.
I've got a pit-mix that my wife and her roommate kept as their personal alarm system (country girls with guns) before we got married and the dog came with her. He's been great because he's extremely well trained and not aggressive.
Don't bother in your situation. You don't have someone to help take care of it, and you don't have the time to train it properly while its a puppy.
I don't think it's a good idea to get a dog working this industry's hours. However, if you are persistent, I would get a Shiba Inu.
Most dogs breed via doggystyle.
Any current/former dog owners? (Originally Posted: 10/15/2011)
Hey all,
I'm working on The Lean Startup Machine NYC, which is basically a weekend entrepreneurship competition. My team is working on a network to connect dog owners, and we could use some feedback to help us narrow down our customer base and their needs. If you could take a few minutes to finish this survey...
http://kwiksurveys.com?u=doglovers
That would be amazing. Thanks!
what survey?
Damn. The link didn't post. Thanks for pointing that out.
Oh, just what we need, another social network.
I'm a dog owner. I love my dog tremendously. Most of my irrational decision making is related to my dog. She's 12 - pushing 13 and she's still my best buddy. :)
But seriously, what NYC dog owners want is a massive PR campaign to make people hate them less. Want a good startup? Start a business training dogs for landlord and co-op board interviews. People want to borrow my pooch all the time because she is awesome. But in general, people in NY hate dogs because they are often detestable creatures. But I'm not sure what people expect when they buy a poorly bred dog after walking by a pet store window half drunk and then leave it in an apartment alone 14 hours a day.
Is it a good idea to buy a sheltie puppy at this moment? (Originally Posted: 01/21/2017)
I am a student and will start my full time IB analyst gig in July.
So... I know it's not very realistic to get large dogs like GSD or golden retriver puppies and I may not have enough time for them when I start working full time, but what about smaller breeds like shelties? I read online that smaller ones are easier to tend to and you only have to walk them once a day (I plan to do it in the morning if I get one).
I LOVE dogs and have always wanted to get them but never have, can someone please advise a realistic path to balance my work in the future and also have a dog in my life?
Thanks!
No. I too love dogs and I got one, more accurately, I got home from grad school one day and my wife had got a 6 month old lab (better than a real baby), before starting work FT. The only way is if you have someone that can walk them in the morning, in the evening, and play with them during the day. Fortunately, my wife works close to home and her hours are flexible because mine are not and otherwise the pup would be in the crate from 7 to 7 on a good day and that's not fair to any dog whether someone says it is or not.
And none of this is accounting for the training that has to go into a puppy or any other complications.
Go work hard in IB and then reevaluate but don't subject that poor animal to being by itself for 12-18 hours of the day.
oh no.. I am sad to hear that. I really want one.
But lab is high energy dog tho and they are much larger than shelties, maybe I will find a roommate who has a dog already and just play with his dog I guess.
As much as you love dogs, I think you should get a cat as they are more independent creatures and can use a liter box. I initially wanted a Pug, but a dog would just shit and stink up a nice apartment, so I opted for a Siamese cat. Full-time IB means after you come home exercise/cook/clean/dishes etc. You won't have much time for anything else.
Thanks. I understand that cats might be more manageable but I do not like cats personally as I think they are a bit aloof sometimes and are not as cute as dogs.
1) As a student, you can hardly take care of yourself. Let alone another living being. 2) If you really are working in IB, your hours will be such that giving ANY dog the attention and exercise it needs are outside any realistic idea of having one. 3) You don't want to be the asshole who brings a dog back to the pound. (don't tell me this won't be you because I've met several who said the same thing) 4) find a different hobby that will keep you equally busy with less stress and guilt
No.
Even a small/medium size dog will go crazy if left alone, and you need to have someone else there for when something happens and you can't make it home until 10 hours later than you planned.
Get a dog AFTER you either have a more stable job or have a roomate/girlfriend/fiance/wife living with you.
Fine, I guess I will just focus on finding a future roommate who has a dog already and then convince him to rent an apt with me.
Do not be that asshole who leaves his dog locked up at home in some small 1 bed apartment for 18 hours a day with little human contact. It's not fair on the dog at all.
My family owns three shelties and they are way too high energy for 1) NYC in general and 2) to be left alone for the majority of the day. I have noticed that shelties also get pretty depressed when they're left alone for too long, bored for too long, or feel neglected. I wouldn't do it. As much as I love dogs too I would feel too guilty for leaving one at home all day, and I'm sure you would feel the same too.
Please don't. And even if you can find a roommate with normal working hours, you never know how long you'll live with him. Hours probably won't get better for the 30-50% of your dog's lifespan if you stay finance. Don't be cruel to dogs.
My point is - I will try to find a roommate who has a dog of his own and I will play with/pet his dog I guess!
It's hard to find such roommates these days.
I'd be wary of putting yourself in to a position where you have an independent and full time need to take care of a pet this early in your career. Especially consider that the possibly leaving a dinner, happy hour, or any social work function to care for the pet becomes a real, although questionably valid, . I get there's more flexibility nowadays with having a dog's caretaking needs fulfilled, but this is just my opinion. Convince a friend, family member, someone you visit frequently to do so. I get it's not the same but could be a solid holdover
If you're working in IB full time?
Get a roomate with an easier job or a girlfriend.
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