I hesitated about adding a new dog to my family since Binx went to the RB in 2004, for the reason you mentioned- time/commitment. I work a lot. I felt it not in a dog's best interest, as I am not home enough. Then, along came Jasper. (Well, Jonah came along first, in 2004). Jonah really, really, really wanted a dog. Something about kids and dogs, I guess. After fostering Jasper for 2 months, I realized he was the right dog for our house. And, I am still not home a lot. I leave at 830 am and return at 4. I walk Jasper to the bus stop each morning, and then leave for work, and he is let out the moment we get home at 4. It works for us. Jasper produces the least amount of excrement of any other dog I know. For instance, last night, I last walked him at 730. When I got up at 6, he stayed in bed until I called him to eat at about 620. I took him out after that. He just doesn't produce much, LOL. There ARE times where he will nudge me awake if he has to go out, so it isn't as if I ignore his calls, or that I refuse to let him out. That is just the way he is. And, that was a BIG plus for us keeping him.
But, having said that, if I am going to be late getting home, I stress. If we are tied up a lot on the weekends, I stress. I try to alter my schedule at any opportunity to provide more interaction with him. I stress when my son says he is too tired to walk to the bus stop, or it is raining, and we 'have' to drive. Having a pet like a dog is a huge responsibility. I think we hit the total dog jackpot with Jasper, as he totally works in our lifestyle (with the exception of his carsickness!!!).
So, that is our experience.
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