Owning a Dog in IB - Incoming Associate

I don’t care what anyone says, you are selfish for getting a dog that you won’t be able to care for and give it the time/attention it needs.
 

The only time it would be fine is if you have a family/spouse with a 9-5 that can take care of it

Assuming you got the dog knowing that you'd be starting an IB role, I don't know what you were thinking tbh. It's not feasible at all in normal circumstances and even if you remain WFH, if you read any of the other posts on here about how you are chained to your desk all day, its not a great environment to own a dog either - let alone a puppy. I echo the above and encourage you to give it away or give it to a family member who can spend more than 1 hour a day with the dog. A cat would be a more feasible pet to have in this industry as a single associate

3x about being selfish for getting a new dog

Probably not the best idea but definitely will go a long way on your hinge profile.

my gf and I had a cat (ragdoll) when we were younger and had to give the cat to my gf's sister. we were both too busy, unfortunately.

i had a dog as an mba associate.

i also had a wife that was home a lot, so thats that

if you dont have a SO at home..forget about it

You should get a cat

I know one associate who lived 10 minutes away from the office, so most days during lunch and dinner, he would go home to spend that time with his dog. I don't think that's why he lived close to the office though. 

I echo the above sentiment about how poor an idea it is to adopt / raise a dog while starting in IBD. You will not be able to give the dog the time it needs. It's not sufficient to simply take the dog out 3x per day or hire a dog walker to do so. Dogs are social animals with complex psychology. If you're not there for it physically to give it the time it deserves (and believe me, you won't be) then you cannot responsibly raise the dog. Do it a favor and don't try raising it while in IBD.

Would highly recommend getting a cat if you want a pet. Even with WFH, my cat is still pretty aloof and only wants to play for 30 mins a day, and then goes and does his own thing for the rest of the day. Only thing you might have to consider is getting it declawed, since some nyc apartments require that.

Having a dog as a single associate is a terrible idea.

Yeah the only juniors I know with dogs have partners. It'll be a little more manageable while we're WFH but there will probably be times where you'd have to outsource walks even while at home. 

how about a cat

The early years are so important in a dog's development. Lack of quality time will result in $$$$ in years of therapy for the pup

I think it's incredibly selfish to get a dog when you know it's unlikely you'll have time to take care of it properly. Maybe once you have a family including kids...but until then it's way too brutal on the dog. 

If you absolutely have to get a dog, why not adopt an older/senior dog who will sleep all day, need minimal care, and still provide companionship? A dog in NY is a lot, but a puppy while living alone is absurd.

I can barely feed, walk, and wash myself these days...

A dog is not some sort of accessory to fit in with your NYC studio apartment. A puppy needs individualized love, care, and attention, not be thrown in some daycare and walked by some random dog walker because you don’t have the time to spend with him or her. Give away the dog, it’s incredibly selfish what you’re doing (or planning to do).

Get a fish

They can have massive separation anxiety if you so much as step out without them and they identify you as their owner, even if there are other people left in the house. They'll also demand your attention all day. It's just in their nature. Enjoy your remaining free time but it's best for it if you rehome it before you start.

I'm not the owner of any pets, but I live with one (he belongs to a family member), and he begs attention even from me. Pre pandemic, IB life, I'd say I saw him for about 15 seconds in the morning when I got up for work and 15 seconds late at night when I got home

As a fellow dog owner myself, I want to provide some positive feedback and useful advice but I do agree that it depends on the breed. If you have a greyhound (who sleep 16-18 hours a day even as adults) or dachshunds (independent breeds) then you should be ok. What breed is it?

I would recommend not reaching out to the juniors since you will then be labeled the person who thought there was a chance that they could commit to walking their dog, whether WFH or the office (bottom bucket vibes before even starting FT). Short answer is no you cant, if you want to do a good job, unless what you outsource it fully (someone to feed AND walk your dog every day - but at that point, why have a dog besides to add to your hinge profile). If you're on a live deal, even if WFH, you should expect to be glued to your chair, no, nobody cares that it's "just" 10 minutes the way nobody says a missing period in a footnote is "no big deal"

Yes it is crazy to think you can work from home after a certain hour, please dont do this to a dog or yourself really, 

giving a puppy attention all day during this pandemic, then going full days without seeing them is going to be a challenging adjustment for you and the dog. please consider putting them up for adoption. going to be tough to grind it out at work knowing your puppy is by themself wondering where you are. 

Wow. I did not expect this thread to be so harsh. I don't think you need to give your dog away (lol) here's why: 

1) First of all, we're going to be remote until probably almost a year from now realistically. Your dog will be almost two by then and I'm sure you've gotten a lot of good bonding time in over quarantine already.

2) Secondly, and more importantly, you will probably only last about a year in IB and then you can both move on and live a normal life. 

3) Thirdly, maybe you will find a girlfriend. Who knows!

Get another dog, they’ll play with each other when you’re gone.

I feel terrible for what that puppy will go through once you go back to working in the office and only see it once a day. Dogs can develop depression, and I think that this is a very likely outcome. Please do the right thing for your dog's sake and give it to someone who will have time to give it attention.

Honestly don't know how anyone could have a dog in your situation. I just got mine this year...5 years removed from IB. GF's had dogs along the way and I had them growing up, but no way I could've done this solo. Especially not a 1 year old that's not even really out of its puppy phase yet. 

Guys, it's a fucking dog. Let this poor MBA associate live his life. 

Unless you live with an actual SO who will continue to be able to take care of the dog to the fullest even after covid is fully over, don't get one. I love dogs but you are doing the thing a disservice by being available for now but not potentially later. Take the poor guy/gals perspective and don't lend the chance to having to give it away when things resume

I'm an associate and am about to get a dog--I never have issues getting up from my desk for 15-20 minute stretches to run errands so don't think it will be an issue to walk the dog during the day. 

I also think once we go back to the office, there will be a shift where many (not all) all-nighters can be done from home (i.e., after the senior people leave the office, the associates can leave the office too and just plug-in from home).

Granted, I have a bit more experience than you and have already earned a reputation for getting my shit done so am not micromanaged so I have that freedom to take the dog for a walk. 

While the dog is small, I would recommend hiring a person or asking someone you know to visit during the day and take him out for a walk so he can go to the bathroom. If you don't want someone to come into the house when you're away, you can take your dog to a pet hotel for the day. If you don't have that option, read on cleverpuppies.com how to arrange for your pet to be home alone.
I definitely advise you to buy a small fence and leave your dog there, so that he has everything he needs, toys, and doesn't spoil your home out of boredom.