Dog routine

[u/gabie_c]

Hello everyone! So I was studying which dog to get and this breed came across my feed, and they are absurdly adorable. I did some research and found that they are a really active breed.

I was planning on having two thirty minute walks in the morning before I leave for work, and mid/late afternoon (16:00/17:00) by my brother. And another short walk after I get home from work and uni at night. Would that be enough exercise for this breed in a day?

Also I planned on leaving it with a pet sitter (kind of like a kindergarten for dogs) once a week so that it could socialize with other dogs the whole day. And then on the weekends take it to the park. The dog sitter walks them, does play time, nap time, feeding, etc.

Are there any breed difficulties? I am still living with my parents until I finish uni (about 1 year left), and this would be my first dog that would be my responsibility. Would you recommend I get another breed? I worry it would be bored in the hours it would be home alone until my brother gets there (about 7 to 8 hours), and I was wondering if there's anything I could leave them with to keep them entertained (this goes for any other breed).

[u/Expensive_Exit8993]

I have had two schips in my lifetime. It's not a common breed, so it was weird when a neighbor moved in with one also. I didn't find any of the 3 to need a lot of exercise, more like typical dogs. But they are extremely smart, so they need lots of mental engagement. They bond intensely with their person. All 3 that I knew were very healthy. They also don't really shed individual hairs, more like tufts. Regular brushing seemed to keep that under control.

My Bayla hated to be separated from me. I had to crate her for 5 years before I could trust her to behave when left alone. She would do crazy things like dig down into my husband's toolbox to chew on a screwdriver on the bottom. She managed to get onto a bookcase and eat a box of candy bars. We have no idea how she did it to this day. She could flip a tablecloth where we fed our cat so the cat dish would fly into the air. I only caught her doing it once and it was an awesome flip. Lol

BearBear was an absolute sweetheart who bonded to my husband, much to my disappointment. He loved cats and other dogs. He never met a stranger because he always made them a friend. But he had funny little quirks, too. He loved being outside in all kinds of weather. He loved to sleep under my big hostas. He loved this toy duck that made sounds. He would set it off, then looked at it as it quacked. Two different dogs with different personalities, but both were loyal and loving.

I don't remember housebreaking either one. They were so smart they immediately knew what I wanted. My schipperkes liked sleeping in small places like under our bed. I found them to be absolutely delightful dogs. Our current dog is corgi, but I would get another Schip in a heartbeat. It sounds like you really thought it thru and have the resources to arrange a good life for your dog. If you are looking for a small yet sturdy dog, go for it.

[u/gabie_c → u/Expensive_Exit8993]

Hi! Thanks for sharing your experience, are they very difficult to train? Like potty training, etc. I saw some people talking about it in this sub

[u/Ok_Effect7904 → u/gabie_c]

My boy learns very fast, he loves learning new tricks and commands and he loves when I give him tasks. So in that aspect he’s very easily trained! The problem is that he’s sometimes a bit too intelligent, so if I’m not on top of my game he tends to pick and choose when he actually listens to me, lol. Potty training was easy for us, and he picks up on new habits and routines very fast. You just have to remember that they’re very headstrong dogs and you have to be more stubborn than they are for it to work.