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I'm after more advice. We had an English Cocker spaniel puppy for a week but we had to return him to his previous loving owner. I broke a bone in my foot and I couldn't clean up after him or take him outside (we live in a flat on the 5th floor). I'm writing this in Seoul. I'm going to be here for maybe about 9 months with one or two long trips to my home country. My boyfriend is the permanent resident and he would like to try again and get a dog more suited to a flat like a maltese.
Anyway, he really likes dogs although he doesn't know much about them. I'm fine with nice placid fully trained dogs but I don't think I'm the most suitable person to train a puppy. I'm more of a cat person. I'd like him to have a dog because he wants one, but it'd be me who has to train it and when I'm not here it'd be on its own all day. The layout of the flat means it would have to go in a pen rather than a puppy proof room.
If a dog was like a hamster and all you had to do was give it food and water I'd say 'yeah, go ahead, get a dog.' However I read about toilet training, socialisation training, anti-bark training etc. . and I think 'oh, I've got to really put a lot of effort into this puppy otherwise it'll be unruly and impossible.' I'm not a dog person but when we had the puppy I tried to put a lot of effort into making sure it developed the right way.
I know you're going to say 'look if you don't want a dog, don't get a dog.' That's very logical and you're quite right. But what I would like to know is the worst case scenario. What happens if:
a.) It stays in the pen all day and I make my boyfriend attend to it when he gets home in the evening. (bearing in mind this would probably just be walking and playing)
b.) The puppy spends a year running around without getting much training at all.
It'd grow up to be a very difficult dog to be around wouldn't it?
Anyway, he really likes dogs although he doesn't know much about them. I'm fine with nice placid fully trained dogs but I don't think I'm the most suitable person to train a puppy. I'm more of a cat person. I'd like him to have a dog because he wants one, but it'd be me who has to train it and when I'm not here it'd be on its own all day. The layout of the flat means it would have to go in a pen rather than a puppy proof room.
If a dog was like a hamster and all you had to do was give it food and water I'd say 'yeah, go ahead, get a dog.' However I read about toilet training, socialisation training, anti-bark training etc. . and I think 'oh, I've got to really put a lot of effort into this puppy otherwise it'll be unruly and impossible.' I'm not a dog person but when we had the puppy I tried to put a lot of effort into making sure it developed the right way.
I know you're going to say 'look if you don't want a dog, don't get a dog.' That's very logical and you're quite right. But what I would like to know is the worst case scenario. What happens if:
a.) It stays in the pen all day and I make my boyfriend attend to it when he gets home in the evening. (bearing in mind this would probably just be walking and playing)
b.) The puppy spends a year running around without getting much training at all.
It'd grow up to be a very difficult dog to be around wouldn't it?