Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Before you get a puppy, it’s easy to picture the blissful snuggles, that sweet puppy smell, and the loyal companionship. Raising a puppy while working full time can be challenging, especially when balancing work commitments. What’s less glamorous? You have to train a baby animal who doesn’t know the rules of your house. At the same time, you are holding down a full-time job.
Recently, one frustrated Redditor posted in r/puppy101 about the difficulties of managing a young dog while maintaining a full-time job:
“Does no one here have a job?”
The question hit a nerve and launched more than 500 comments from puppy parents around the world. Some vented. Some defended. Some offered support. The discussion highlighted: balancing full-time work and puppyhood is hard, but it’s not impossible. Raising a puppy while working requires adaptation and patience.
Here’s what people shared and what we can learn from it.
It’s Not Just You: Puppies and Work Schedules Don’t Always Match
Many new puppy owners feel like they’re set up to fail from the start. Advice about gradually building alone time by minutes a day sounds lovely… unless your shift starts at 8 a.m.
“We make sure people come over… but we have no choice but to let him cry it out in his pen after we leave.”
— u/clarinetpjp
“You don’t not have to have a job, but potty training will just take longer… Don’t feel like you can’t do it, it will just take time.”
— u/kal_pal
“I’m single and live alone… I work 7 hours a day… She doesn’t even whine when I leave (I have a camera).”
— u/YRN_AlmightyPushP2
Some managed to make it work with flexible schedules, cameras, and enrichment. Others felt guilty about the trial-and-error reality of raising a puppy while working full time. They teach a puppy that their human always comes back. It happens even when it takes hours.
I work with many clients in this exact situation. Here’s what I remind them: we’re not trying to train for perfection. We’re trying to teach your puppy that being alone is a safe and predictable experience. That doesn’t have to mean tiptoeing out the door in 30-second increments. It might look like a frozen Kong, white noise, a camera to check in, and a midday neighbor visit. That’s still good training.
Indoor/Outdoor Camera with 360° pan and 180° tilt for complete coverage! AI Motion Tracking for Pets, a great, inexpensive option for monitoring your puppy while away.
You’re not spoiling your dog if you use a sitter. You’re not ruining them if they cry a little while they learn. Sometimes you cannot attend to a crying puppy for even a brief moment. This is not the same as ignoring a puppy in distress for hours. Balance compassion with structure, and you’ll make it through this stage.
Training Takes Time, And Working Dog Owners Have Very Little of It
You’re trying to raise a well-mannered dog. But you’re also trying to get dressed, take Zoom calls, commute, cook dinner, and maybe sleep. It’s no surprise that many working puppy parents end up wondering if they’re doing enough.
“My husband & I work nights & weekends… I have a dog sitter I pay to come hang out with my gal for two hours midway through my work day. It’s worth every penny.”
— u/BefWithAnF
“She still will try to get into everything… But I can see improvement.”
— u/channareya
“I lost A LOT of sleep sticking to the 1 out 2 in crate schedule… sleeping during the day between shifts.”
— u/kglplusace
People shared what helped them through tough times while raising a puppy and working full time. It could have been outsourced help, strategic scheduling, or sheer determination. They relied on structure, consistency, and small wins. Training doesn’t have to mean hour-long sessions. It can involve reinforcing calm. You can do this while you make coffee. It can also mean rewarding quiet when your pup watches the world go by instead of barking at it.
And yes, sometimes that means prioritizing sleep and survival over perfect behaviors. That’s okay.
Training doesn’t have to be a separate “event.” It can happen in the life you’re already living. Waiting at the door? Reinforce calm. Puppy lies down while you type? Mark it. Toss a treat for checking in during a walk. Use your environment to support the behaviors you want to see. Reward them when they show up even if you didn’t cue them.
It’s okay to lean on management tools like baby gates and pens. It’s okay to repeat the same training target for a few days. What matters is consistency, not creativity or complexity.
The Real Struggle? The Guilt That You’re Doing It Wrong
The thread’s honesty was not about alone time or leash training. It focused on the emotional load of raising a puppy while balancing a full-time job. The fear that you’re failing your dog. That you’re not doing enough. That everyone else is doing it better.
“It also feels like we’ve become helicopters to our dogs… similar to how our children’s lives are much more managed than they used to be.”
— u/Key-Philosophy-3820
“When I got my puppy my partner and I worked opposite schedules… It was rough for my sleep… but I am definitely never getting a puppy again.”
— u/fringeandglittery
“People recommend not getting a puppy if you have a full-time job… it isn’t that they have the luxury of WFH, they waited until they could.”
— u/clarinetpjp
There was also plenty of pushback on judgment. Not everyone wants to wait until conditions are perfect. And for those who don’t? They adapt, they adjust, and they still raise wonderful dogs.
Social media (and even well-meaning advice) can make it feel like there’s only one way to do it right. But dogs aren’t judging your schedule. They’re learning based on the environment and outcomes you provide. That means there are many paths to raising a confident, well-adjusted dog.
If you’re feeling guilt, try reframing it. Your time and energy are limited because you care. It’s not because you’re careless. You’re not behind. You’re building something sustainable, and that matters more than checking every box on a training blog. (Even if the blog is this one!)
TL;DR? You’re Not Failing, You’re Figuring It Out
Being a working puppy parent isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a reality to navigate. The Reddit thread wasn’t just a rant. It was a snapshot of real people making real choices with the time, energy, and resources they have.
Yes, it’s harder. Yes, it takes more creativity and flexibility when tackling raising a puppy alongside full-time work commitments. But it’s possible. And it gets easier.
If you’re reading this while on your lunch break, take a breath. You’ve got this.