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.
Keeping a dog by itself in an apartment all day with no way to get outside is not generally a great idea. They need company and exercise: it's just not kind. Most apartments don't have a garden, and if they do it's usually shared – the neighbours might not be happy about someone else's dog running around near their toddler.
Furthermore, if you're renting, chances are that your landlord won't allow dogs in the apartment. In my experience the majority of leases stipulate no pets. You could look out for apartments where pets are allowed, but that's going to drastically reduce your options, and probably cost more. (Though of course things may be different in your part of the world.)
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?
Your preferred breeds of dog need a lot of exercise, especially Newfies and Huskies. Can you really walk a dog for two hours every single day? If you're working full-time, you might want to think about some less demanding breeds.
Dogs are not vegetarians, but practically everyone buys dog food from the supermarket. You get processed meat in a tin, and dry food in a box. I've never heard of people cooking steaks for their dogs (though there are cranks everywhere, especially in California.)
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?
http://www.sanjoseanimals.com/licensingInfo.asp
Thanks for hearing me out.
You're welcome.
All in all, I think it might be best to wait until you're a little more established in life. You don't want to get a dog only to have to give it away to the animal shelter after a few months.
Vigilantibus non dormientibus jura subveniunt.
—Nous disons en allemand : le guerre, le mort, le lune, alors que 'soleil' et 'amour' sont du sexe féminin : la soleil, la amour. La vie est neutre.
—La vie ? Neutre ? C'est très joli, et surtout très logique.
—Nous disons en allemand : le guerre, le mort, le lune, alors que 'soleil' et 'amour' sont du sexe féminin : la soleil, la amour. La vie est neutre.
—La vie ? Neutre ? C'est très joli, et surtout très logique.
Advice and help needed - adopting a dog
07/07/2012 01:55:00 AM
- 2314 Views
I can't answer your area specific questions, but as to getting a dog I'd start with something
07/07/2012 02:28:04 AM
- 772 Views
Some possible problems.
07/07/2012 10:42:59 AM
- 886 Views
Me being away from home from 9 to 6 is the main reason we aren't getting one at this point
07/07/2012 11:36:36 AM
- 818 Views
did you know there are doggie daycares in 'schland? there totally are...
07/07/2012 06:10:10 PM
- 767 Views
i'm a dog professional in CA. i'm going to write you a very long thing here.
07/07/2012 05:57:37 PM
- 858 Views
by the way, i assumed you meant bench and not field lab, do not even think about a field lab.
07/07/2012 07:40:34 PM
- 730 Views
I second the comment about the field labs! I love them, but they need to be well...in the field!!
08/07/2012 07:31:08 AM
- 1145 Views
I think I need more time to decide
09/07/2012 09:02:19 AM
- 945 Views
My roomates and I fostered 9 different dogs in 2005 for the Atlanta Humane Society
10/07/2012 10:51:41 PM
- 763 Views