want to own a pug puppy--but work full time

Question:
 i have completly fallen in love with how playful and how cute pugs are. I want to get one of my own, and have done a lot of research on their breed. They sound like the ideal pet for me, but my only concern is that I will not have enough time for him. I work full time, have two kids (old enough to know how to treat animals) , and my husband. but we are all gone most of the day. i could only play with him in the evening and on my days off. Will he get lonely, or depressed, if he is alone some? would another pug help? Will he tear up my house if he does get lonely? any comments would be helpful
Answer:
 The majority of "behavioral" issues I see in my classes and receive inquities on often stem from dogs being owned by people who work full time and who are not willing to make the needed alterations and sacrifices to give the dog what is needed. Often these issues include nuisance barking, housetraining issues, hyperactivity, training issues due to lack of practice time, etc. The owners who are willing to adapt to the needs of the pup can make working full time and owning a dog work out well. The ones that are not are the ones who often end up with problems. So, you need to be willing to understand what a dog needs and how to manage work and the dog - much like managing work and a child. First, two dogs is double the hassle (if not more, they may bond closer together with each other and leave you out of the loop making working with them more difficult). I generally recommend getting the first dog, getting it through the worst of the adolescent period and trained to the level you want it (life changes cause regressions in behavior often and two pups or adolescent dogs together is more work than the average person can sanely handle). Then when this happens and the first dog is closer to a year old and well trained, add another pup. Second, dogs are social and even many small breeds have high energy levels that must be addressed. You will need to alter your schedule to adapt to the energy needs of the dog. This may mean getting up earlier for a good walk and training sessions before work - actually, it does. Are you willing to get up at least half an hour before normal to give the dog the work out it will need as well as the social time and training? Third, expecting a dog to be home alone all day is socially neglecting the dog. Yes, many people do this, I used to work full time myself, but my husband and I worked off schedules so it was the arare day that the dogs were home for more than 6 hours without us. I often recommend for younger pups (up to about six months of age) that a dog walker comes in twice a day to exercise the pup, socialize it and take it out to potty. Around 6 - 9 months of age, it should be OK to cut down to once a day depending on the needs of the dog. If the dog will be home alone for more than a 6 hour stretch, keep the dog walker unless you can get home regularly during lunch to exercise the dog. This way, the dog is getting social interaction, training time and needed exercise. After work, no dating, no meetings, very little social life. Dogs do best when on a regular schedule of sorts. After work is devoted to walking, training, playing, various activities such as Agility Classes (and pugs like Agility) to help keep the body and mind active, basic manners and training classes, etc. Weekends, forget sleeping in. Dogs have no idea what a weekend or holiday is. You get up at the dog's regular schedule and just take a nap later on if needed. Also, devote the weekends also to more activity and such. Another option is a good doggy day care during the day while you are at work. Just research it well and get references. Not all are equal and I have seen first hand the damage that can be done at bad centers (incompatible dogs placed together almost killed a dog at my vet clinic, the dogs at the day care were poorly evaluated and matched up for play time). The problem is, not enough people really know the physical and social needs of dogs, get them because they like the looks of something or think it would be nice to have something to come home to every night. Sadly, the dog often ends up getting the short end of the deal and developing issues that could have been avoided in the vast majority of cases. If you are willing to accept full responsibility for another life and give it what it needs and make the sacrifices socially and financially on your end, then this can work out. If not, it will end up another statistic as so many do. The one thing I have learned in 20+ years of dog work is it takes almost as much time and effort to create a wonderful companion as it does to raise a child.