Is it a good idea to get a dog if I travel or work a lot?

Is it a good idea to get a dog if I travel or work a lot?

Shelby Marlo, CPDT (Animal Behavioral Specialist, Professional Dog trainer) gives expert video advice on: What lifestyle changes should new dog owners expect?; Is it a good idea to get a dog if I have other pets?; Is it a good idea to get a dog before or after I have a baby? and more...

If you travel or work a lot, then you want somebody to take care of the dog when you're gone - a walker or a sitter, something along those lines. If you travel and have a small dog, you can take them with you, once they're really well crate trained, and they're well-adjusted to traveling. It's a great experience for the dog and you. Latchkey dogs - dogs that are left alone a lot - are not the happiest dogs on the planet. If you can, at any cost, try to avoid that, because that's not a good way for a dog to live.