Is there a difference?

Dang straight there's a difference!

Puppies have a lot of needs that can't be met with that large gap in the middle of their day! Most especially, they need to be walked. But they also have other needs that can't wait while they're small, like socialization, training, and comfort. An older dog can wait for a while, but a puppy needs monitoring.

In fact, being aware of this, I've very carefully planned my next puppy purchase with my family and the breeder for a time when my daughter will be old enough to be home by herself during the summer all day, and is old enough and experienced enough to *deal* with a puppy by herself. Further, the planning involves the puppy being old enough to stay alone for longer periods when my daughter goes back to school in the fall - puppy's age at roughly 24 weeks. At that point and forever more, the puppy will be alone no more than five hours each day.

Needless to say, the dog will be as much my daughters as mine.

So, yeah, I understand the difference. And I plan for it.

*Edit:*

Whoo-hoo! Someone doesn't care for my careful planning! Too bad for them. ;-p

There is a huge difference.

A puppy needs housebreaking. You can't do that if you are away 8 hours a day.

A puppy needs to be socialized. You can't do that if you are not home.

A puppy needs lots of time and attention throughout the day to stop it becoming distructive. If you are at work all day the only way to avoid the distruction is to leave it in a crate all day.

By the time it becomes a dog it should already be housebroken and have more control of it's bodily functions so yet it can go from the time you go to work until the time you get home.

A dog should be socialized by the time it's a dog and no longer a puppy.

A dog often would rather sleep all day and be ready for play and attention when it's owner gets home. It should also be trained so it won't be distructive once you are gone so it won't need to be left in a crate for 8 hours a day.

Hi Rachel;

Yes, to me there is a HUGE difference. The best way that I could explain it is this....a puppy is like a toddler child. You have to be home with this puppy alot to make sure they are well taken cared of and to teach them to go potty and show them lots of love. You have to be able to socialize them so they know how to play nice with others when the time arises. You have to teach them right from wrong ( obedience classes ). If you have a 9-5 it won't be impossible to do, just very difficult.

Having a Dog is kind of like having a child who is already in school. While this child is in school you can go out to work and know that they are ok being without you for awhile. They already know how to go potty so they could hold it for longer periods of time, they are well socialized ( well, some anyway ) so they know how to play nice with others. If you have a 9-5 with a dog in the house, you know they could hold their bathroom breaks longer and you know they won't get into too much trouble because they know right from wrong ( hopefully ) and you could stay out longer knowing they you don't have to worry about them as much as you would a toddler or a puppy. To me there is a huge difference. I hope you understood this and I didn't come off as rambling again..I tend to do that alot!

Hello dear Rachel,

Of course there is a difference, a BIG difference.

A puppy is not capable of holding its bladder for 8hours.

If crate trained, the pup will have no other choice but to soil where he sleeps, if not crated the dog will soil inside the house, in the long run making housebreaking harder.

One minute the pup pees inside, the next he gets told of for going inside = confusion!!

Puppies need interaction, socialisation and time,

Just one difference.

I’m not however saying that anyone who works should not own a puppy.

You just need to be able to manage your time.

Add-

Is dat your soul I see? - a perfect example of someone who can manage their time and juggle a job and a puppy.

Isn't it a little obvious? Puppies are like newborns; they need to be nurtured and taken care of, and usually need someone around them, otherwise they get scared and whine. Puppies can only hold their number 1 and 2 for a couple of hours while dogs can pretty much hold it all day. Dogs aren't as active as puppies and don't need as much attention, but with puppies, you have to be up their butts and in their business constantly so they don't develop bad habits.

But you know what? People with a 9-5 can take care of a puppy. While I was at school and my mom had to pick me up, we left a cabbage patch kid with my puppy and he did just fine.

Absolutely. A puppy is not capable of holding his bladder for 8 hours. An adult dog is. A puppy needs training and supervision and interaction to keep it from developing behavioural issues later on. An adult dog does not. Simple as that.

My dog can stay at home for most of the day by himself (though he rarely does, as my dad usually drops in during the day - and even then, my dog rarely bothers to get up from napping to greet him), but I never would have dreamed of doing that when he was a puppy.

Add: that was a stupid question, wasn't it?

puppies don't have total control of their bladders,, and usually won't until they're a little over 6 months old. also they are still learning and would probably be very scared to be left alone in a new house after changing surroundings so recently when they were adopted. A dog, on the other hand, would be well adjusted to their surroundings, be able to hold their bladder longer than 2 hours.

Seven years ago I adopted a 4 month old puppy. He was housetrained in 2 weeks, he graduated from puppy kindergarten and basic obedience, he's currently on a flyball team, and he's generally a well rounded dog. He has achieved this all while I worked 40 hours a week and went to school part time.

It is entirely possible to have a job and a puppy. You will have to make arrangements and change your priorities.

I was able to go home for lunch most days. So the longest he was in the crate was 4 hours. Yes, many times in those first two weeks I had to clean his crate and bathe him. Small puppy=small bladder.

When I couldn't go home for lunch, I arranged for someone else to be there to let him out.

On days I had school, I took him to doggy daycare. Not only was he looked after and cared for, he became very well socialized with other dogs and with strange people.

By six months of age, he had run of the house at night.

By a year of age, he had run of the house while I was at work.

Ther is NO difference between owning a DOG and owning a PUPPY and working a 9-5 job. YOU just have to make some adjustments to your lifestyle.

Ahhh the question wars continue!

Pups can't hold their bladders all day long, so need either to be let out to pee several times during the day, or need to be paper trained until they're old enough to "hold it".

Pups also need a lot of attention/socialization, since they're just removed from their mom and littermates. Soclialzation and separation anxiety issues can arise if one is'nt careful.

Ideally having someone come over to let the dog out is a good idea for pups and adults, however some dogs can get by without it.

Is it ideal for people to have pups/dogs who work 9-5? No. But if it was a complete deal breakers no one would have dogs at all!

HUGE difference! It's like have a 6 month old CHILD and working 9-5, and having a 16 year old CHILD and working 9-5.