I am reaching out to you because this is such a complex and unfamiliar problem to me. I have always wanted to have a pet, a dog or cat or snake, but my parents never allowed it. But now, I am away from my parents and have the means to own a pet. There are some challenges though.

I am going to join a new job soon in San Jose, California. It is a demanding one, and I will have to be away from home from 9 am to 6 pm. Moreover, most probably, I will have to live in an apartment because a house might be too costly for me to rent. I might also have to share the apartment with someone. There will also be times, when I am gone for 2-3 weeks. Add to all this the fact, that I have never had a pet before.

Is there a way to work around all these problems, and still keep a dog? Has anyone done something like this before? How do I start? I have been reading a bit, and realise that adopting an adult dog is what I should do. But, which type of dog to adopt? I like Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Newfies and Huskies, but can I keep them in apartments? Do they eat only meat, or can they be brought up on a vegetarian diet? Because I dont like handling or cooking raw meat. I have no qualms feeding them prepared or processed meat though. By the way, what type of dogs do not shed a lot of fur?

Coming to the specifics, is anyone familiar with the pet adoption scene in San Jose, California? What documentation do I require? What are the laws? How to find apartments here where we can keep pets? Are there even houses in this area that have backyards and which dont charge high rates? Is there someone here who is looking to rent/share their apartment and is Ok with having a dog in the house?

Thanks for hearing me out.