Am I fit for owning a dog?

It really really depends on the dog, both breed and individual. There are some dogs who never utter a peep and are content to nap the live long day (*cough*Conrad*cough*). Then there are the dogs that bark literally nonstop from the minute you leave the house in the morning til the minute you get home. These dogs do not make you a popular neighbor.

10.5 hours is a lot of time for a dog to be alone. A dogwalker can mitigate this by breaking the day up into two 5 hour stretches. Even better would be dog day care at least a couple days a week, with a dogwalker the other days.

As far as size, it has nothing to do with a dog's energy level. Some large breeds are lazy butts and some small breeds are firecrackers. Many dogs in the terrier group are small in size yet HUGE in energy. Many of the large and giant breeds are couch potatoes. The size of your house really shouldn't have anything to do with the size of the dog you get. The alone-time is a much much bigger factor than size of your apartment.

If you do decide to get a dog, what you want is an ADULT dog (over 3 years old I should think) who has been in foster care and the foster parents can attest that the dog does fine alone, is quiet, does not bark and is happy amusing himself or sleeping. This is a rare dog, to be sure, but they do exist out there.

I have to say that thank you for not immedialty giving in to your want and considering it rationally. Too many people give into selfish desires so I'll try adn help as best as I can.
 
24 hours in a day
10.5-working
at least 1 hour commute to and from work
at least 8 hours of sleep
lets be fair and add 1 hour of running errands
 
Thats a potential of 4.5 hours that you would be able to spend with your dog on the days you work. Now I realize that dosnt determine your loving intent but dogs are pack animals, they thrive when they are closest to their pack. I'd have to say that you are currently not in a position to offer as much free time to train, exersice, shop for supplies, socialaize, and lounge with a dog.....let alone a puppy.
When I was in high school adn wasnt able to aquire a dog of my own I volunteered at the local shelter. This inadvertently taught me a whole load of things I never knew about dogs and has made me a better dog owner today. Plus it filled my heart to the brim coming home everyday knwoing I helped in my own small way!

OOh another idea is to become a dog walker. You dont have to be a starving college student to take up such a job, it would be super beneficial to you as well as some poor dog who dosnt get enough exersice. I'm sure their are plenty in your neighborhood who would love to take a lwalk with a dog lover like you!

Thank you for your replies.

I am giving my worst case scenarios and I think both of you, houndlove and sheprano, make very good points. 

Woild getting TWO dogs who get along help matters?  Will they be able to keep each other company?

Thanks again.

I guess my main question is - and I don't mean this in a cruel or mocking way at all - with such a busy schedule, will you even be able to enjoy dog ownership very much? It is a substantial investment of time, money, and energy and could leave you a little overdrawn, at least in the opening stages... things could really snowball on you if you're not getting enough time to bond with the dog nor to train, and he starts showing behavioral problems that you don't have time to address. That is definitely the worst case scenario to be sure, but worth considering. I often wonder at a person who does not have enough time for one dog and so gets a second dog - couldn't these dogs live anywhere, really, if they are their own primary companions? What is the reason for owning them w/out spending any time with them - they could just as easily be dogs at a shelter who you volunteer to walk once a day.
 
If you are willing to take on the worst case scenarios and definitely need a dog in your life, look for an older adoptee. The problem with toy dogs for you is going to be that most (all?) of them were bred to be human companions and won't tolerate being home alone all day very well.

I have to share my specualtion with Jones as to WHY you would like to aquire a dog.....and in no way is that meant to be rude. As humans we tend to think of ourselves (just generalizing) and how it would affect us, in this case I think you really need to think how would the dog benefit from living with you? Sure it would have a safe, clean, warm place to live but dogs dont think in appreciation ways that hmumans do. They dotn think "oh I could have it a lot owrse" they develop seperation anxiety, chew thinsg when bored or lonely.

If you were locked up for 10.5 hours a day, what would you do? Probably sleep. So guess what will happen after she has filled her 10.5 hours of sleep when you are gone? She WILL  stay up all night.

All of Houndlove's advice is excellent. I think the only way for the dog to not be bouncing off the walls all night is to go to day care and/or have a dog walker.

It would be ideal to get a dog from a foster home since they would already know a lot about the dog. But, I don't think a rescue would adopt to someone gone so much of the time. Even if you have a good plan lined up, rescues are known for being VERY picky (overly so in my opinion). So I don't know if that avenue would be worth exploring. You might have to go to through someone rehoming their dog (like on petfinder) or go to the old fashioned pound. It's also possible if you choose a specific breed to get a retired show/breeding dog from a breeder. Just some ideas. []

I work at least 9 hours a day.  I do come home daily for an hour lunch.  And occasionally a family member comes over to check on them. My dogs sleep all day and are none the worse for wear.  Granted, neither are puppies (5 and nearly 11 yrs respectively). In fact, they sleep all evening when I'm home as well[8D] 
 
Should you get a dog, however, I'd make sure to get one well into adulthood who has been accustomed to spending part of the day alone.

ORIGINAL: grab01

I work at least 9 hours a day.  I do come home daily for an hour lunch.  And occasionally a family member comes over to check on them. My dogs sleep all day and are none the worse for wear.  Granted, neither are puppies (5 and nearly 11 yrs respectively). In fact, they sleep all evening when I'm home as well[8D] 

Should you get a dog, however, I'd make sure to get one well into adulthood who has been accustomed to spending part of the day alone.

 
I cant begin to respond to this, it is a prime example of how some dogs adapt better then others and or individual opinion of the appropriate amount of time is ok to leave a dog unnattended. Too many things need to be taken into consideration and the fact that you have older, well adjusted, comfertable dogs prove that point. I'm sure you wouldnt aquire a new puppy and subject him to the same. Also take in to consideration the free space they have at home, how much exersice they get prior to being left alone for so long. Some poepl who have dogs with SA would never be able to leave their dogs alone for that long without serious mental exhaustion or a torn up house, deficating in their crate or worse. If your dogs were problem barkers it wouldnt be so easy to leave them for so long. One thing that CAN be considered fact is that a new dog in a new home is not guaranteed to adjust and behave as your dogs do, no?

Thank you all for the input.

To clarify, I definitely wouldn't be looking at puppies.  As a matter of fact, I was considering a 6-7 year old dachshund at the shelter who was described as a lap-dog (the people at the shelter also recommended to take a 2-3 year old dachshund with the older one since they were "paired up" and the older one seems to lead the younger one). 

Of course, having read online I understand that I am in no way guranteed that just because there are more than one the dogs would be "happy" while I am gone for so long.  (Of course, I spoke with a dog trainer who claimed that *some* adult/older dogs spend about 75% of their time sleeping... which gave me some hope.)

As to why I'd want a dog? Yes, of course I am selfish to some extent, i.e. I think about the time when I would get to hang out with my dog(s) (i.e. weekends, every other Fri, afternoons when I get home at 3:30 PM).  And I also would like to think that what I CAN provide for them is better than the lives they had before they went to the pound/shelter and the lives they do have at the pound/shelter.  Whether that's true or not I don't know.  But at least you can see I am not *entirely* selfish...  )

I think Jones take the cake though in REALLY provoking my thoughts - would I truly enjoy owning dogs if the majority of time I am feeling guilty because they are at home by themselves while I am at work or I am just cleaning up after them and doing the doggy chores required... 

I also really like the idea of volunteering at the shelter every so often or maybe just fostering for a bit to see how things go.

It seems like the take home message is as I feared - there really isn't a definitive answer to my two-folded question a) am I fit and b) would having two dogs (and toys) help alleviate the fact that the dogs are left alone for 10.5 hours

Some recommended courses of action are 1) don't get a dog, at least not until I get some more time 2) along with #1, go to a shelter and volunteer 3) be a dog walker 4) foster dogs 5) if I were to get a dog, get it from a shelter who would take him/her back in case of the worst scenario and make sure the dog is an older dog

Thank you all!

I think what needs you need to consider is when and if you do get a dog, what will you be able to offer that dog when you are spending time with him/her?
 
An older dog is such a great idea.  You mentioned a middle aged Doxie, have you considered maybe a senior dog? 
 
You should get the dog only during a time when you can take off a few days to bond with and get to know your pupper.  Not just a weekend, but a few days during the week.  During that time keep the basic wake/sleep patterns that you normally would during the week.  Dogs thrive on a schedule-it gives them a baseline and a comfort zone.  During this time off, make a few short trips away from the house for errands or whatever.  This is a great time to introduce the dog to the crate, or the area that it will be spending it's "alone" time in.  Don't make a big production of leaving or returning, as that can encourage seperation anxiety.
 
I don't recommend getting another dog just to keep your first dog company. 
 
There are great toys and puzzles that will help stimulate your dog's mind while you are gone.  That will help relieve some boredom.
 
One of the games I would play whenever I left for work was to put my boy into a down-stay and then hide bunches of treats throughout the house.  He had an adventure finding everything I hid.  (usually 8-10 training treats)  I knew he enjoyed it because he had the same focus on finding the treats as he does when he sees a squirrel.

Senior dogs sleep a lot.  Senior dogs sometimes need a walk in the middle of the day (weaker bladders).  Senior dogs sometimes have special needs (medication).  Senior dogs have a much harder time getting adopted.  If you can spend quality time with an older, quiet dog when you are with it, if you can afford a dogwalker and maybe some higher vet bills, if you can offer an older dog a safe, happy retirement, then go for it.  Talk to the people at the shelter or rescue about your need for a dog that is used to being alone 9-5.  There are some breeds that are better at it than others.  ("Paws to Consider" by Brian Kilcommons, has a section on 9-5'ers)  

How do you define a "senior dog"?  6+?  10+ 

Why do you say to not get a second dog to keep each other company? 

Yeah, I'd spoil that dog when I do get time to spend with him/her.  I am watching some DVD on dog training and already see some really cool toys such as the Kong stuff (including a dispenser that realeases a new toy every so often).  I live in the suburbs and live close to parks so there are great places to take the dog out walking/playing; on top of that, I'd look at "lapdogs" that are more suitable for apartment life (basenji, affenpinscher, doxies, tigetan spaniel, etc.)

As for leaving the dog alone for 10.5 hours, would I have to keep them fenced in a small play pen area because odds are they'd have to pee/poop and I'd have to make sure they don't do it on my carpet/furniture? 

So even if the dog is house-broken and I walk them before leaving them and right after I get home the dog might not be able to hold it that long? 

That's the other concern I'd have...  I look at the 10.5 hours differently if the dog can roam free versus if the dog has to be fenced in an enclosure.