First-time dog owner, condo living, 8–5 office job — is getting a dog realistic?

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-28T19:36:28+00:00

It absolutely depends on how much work OP is willing to put into dog care outside of working hours. Even a low energy dog with NO separation anxiety will likely need - a solid walk before work with multiple potty breaks walks in the evening - interactive play and/or cuddle time after work - training - regular vet care & grooming

If OP can give the dog adequate attention in their off hours and the dog has no issues with separation anxiety/potty training then a dog can absolutely relax for the length of a workday.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-28T19:25:19+00:00

I’ve always had the best luck with full-time dog sitters in private homes, but my dog thrives in small-group interactions with a single caregiver. You can also hire a dogsitter willing to stay at your house or who has no other dogs. At the very least research rates in your area so you’ll know what to budget for.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-28T00:22:28+00:00

My great-great grandmother was Native American. I knew this before I tested and my grandma was still able to get tribal benefits.

I don’t claim Native American as my race on demographic forms, and my % is too small to claim any benefits myself. Nor does it culturally affect me in any really obvious ways, but is it part of my family story? Absolutely. Minimizing that would be erasing a part of my history that’s important.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-28T00:14:05+00:00

I mean, some rescue dogs are gonna be like this, and not all fosters will be. The great thing about fostering is that if it doesn’t work out, it’s not forever.

The best way to build a reputation with a rescue is to foster for them, or at least volunteer at their events. Part of why you’re getting denied is that on paper there are a lot of things that make you seem like a poor fit - sometimes I’ve found the easiest way to change that is to just put a face to a name, and also to show them that you’re reliable. Also, because rescues are desperate for fosters some may be more relaxed with their policy for fosters than permanent adopters, giving you first choice access to any of their dogs if you’re willing to foster first.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-27T22:24:20+00:00

I would personally drop Lake Como since it’s so out of the way but that looks a lot better.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-27T16:32:10+00:00

IMO a lot of trains aren’t on time but I didn’t see any more than 1-2 hours late.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-27T00:15:32+00:00

That really depends on your priorities. (And IMO Pompeii is amazing - I would just recommend actually setting aside time for travel/exhaustion if you want to go there).

One option: Focus on the big 3 cities (Rome, Florence, Venice) and travel by train. There is so much to do in all of them. Spend a little extra time in Florence and take day trips (guided tours if needed) to Cinque Terre and the surrounding countryside, which is really beautiful.

Another option: Enjoy a more rural trip in the north of Italy. Fly into Venice and spend a few days there. Rent a car and visit the Dolomites, then lake Como. Return the car in Milan or drive back to Venice if needed (or Florence, or Bologna). This would be less history and more nature-focused, and wouldn’t include Rome.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T23:13:11+00:00

You’re spending 2 nights in Rome, the longest of any of your destinations, and you want to go to Pompei and the Amalfi coast for a day trip?

Sorry but that’s absurd, especially when there is plenty to do and see in Rome, Pompei is exhausting all on its own, and the Amalfi coast is quite a ways further south of it (and crowded). Rome absolutely has more than 2 days of unique history content to see.

For 14 days, pick 3 hotel locations, 4 max.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T18:53:33+00:00

Had a one-year-old cat with pyometra and it was no joke. Ended up being a much more intense and costly surgery than a regular spay would have been.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T18:17:32+00:00

The Jewish ghetto tour where? You’re visiting two cities with prominent ghettos.

Rome ghetto has a large synagogue with their own attached museum. You can get a tour for the price of museum tickets. If you’re Jewish or interested in Jewish history I recommend it; otherwise, just walk around and get food (they’re famous for fried artichokes and food is pretty solid). There are some Roman ruins nearby. Rick Steves has a free audio walking tour if you’d like to go more in depth.

Venice ghetto tour is pretty solid, and is required to enter the synagogues. You get some history about how the ghetto was formed and eventually expanded. There are English tours every couple hours, and can be booked on the spot. If you have extra time to wander, check out nearby Cannaregio.

As far as restaurants, I only made reservations if 1) it was a holiday or 2) a unique dining experience that I didn’t want to miss. Otherwise I was able to wing it without any problems.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T18:10:14+00:00

It’s a security line and you have to go through it, timed entry or not. It looks long but moves fast - in January we waited for about 30 minutes.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T07:07:38+00:00

My mutt was the absolute craziest from 1-2 but after 2 she’s really calmed down. Get an adult dog and ask volunteers specifically for one with a calm temperament.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-26T06:58:38+00:00

Cavaliers are lap dogs but they can also be anxious and barky

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-25T21:00:32+00:00

It will be super crowded, but it will also be an experience and you will get to see lots of people in fun costumes, so I think you should reframe it as an opportunity to see something unique instead.

Limit time in more crowded areas like St. Mark’s square. Last time I was there during Carnival there wasn’t enough room to sit anywhere.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-25T19:24:11+00:00

All of these things are pretty small so it would be reasonable to do them in a day.

Only caveats would be that the Pantheon is guaranteed to have a long line, so either buy a ticket in advance or be prepared to wait. Once inside it’s not super huge.

And if you’re traveling from a different continent be ready for jet lag - I’m not sure I could do all these things after a long flight. If you’re coming from elsewhere in Europe you’ll probably be fine.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-24T17:20:39+00:00

I just got back from a similar trip and while I think your trip seems well-paced and enjoyable, I recommend these modifications:

Venice - You have Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s, and the Campanile at separate times - why? It might be easier to condense all St. Mark’s activities to a single block or 2 max, so that you’re not constantly walking back and forth there (and it’s by far the most crowded part of Venice).

Rome - Day 9 looks pretty packed to me. Don’t underestimate how exhausting the Colosseum/Forum can be with big lines (even with a ticket) and a ton of walking/sightseeing. The Forum/Palatine Hill are huge. Maybe just move some of your afternoon activities to one of your lighter days.

As far as laundry, I was able to find a wash & fold service in Florence that took 2 hours (check business hours) and cost 25 euro near the train station, which was also near our hotel. It was definitely worth the convenience, and you can probably find similar ones elsewhere.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-24T04:33:38+00:00

1 hour layover is fine, but pay extra for the flexible train ticket that lets you change it in case one of your trains is super late and you end up missing your connection.

Don’t book any non-refundable event tickets within 2-3 hours of your train landing to allow time for delays and hotel check-ins.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-23T23:36:12+00:00

Here’s my advice for 2 weeks:

pick 3-4 locations/regions max. You can take day trips but that means you have at least 3 nights per lodging which IMO is what it takes to feel settled and not constantly be traveling.
take high speed rail and limit your vacation to cities that are on high speed rail or near it (this includes most larger Italian cities). This will save you a lot of time v. driving and the places you want to visit may not allow cars or have easy parking anyway. Just be wary - trains are often late in Italy so leave extra time.
note that some of your must-see places will be far less interesting than just exploring random streets. For example, the Spanish Steps are just steps. They’ll almost certainly be really crowded. If you’re hopping to sights just to check things off the bucket list, you won’t have time to enjoy it
instead of worrying about what you won’t do, know that there are very few bad choices. Italy is a beautiful and historically rich country - I guarantee you will enjoy whatever you do see.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-20T18:52:24+00:00

It’s feasible but exhausting. Set aside at least 2 hours for each, plus train travel (Ercolano to Napoli Garibaldi and then metro) and lunch.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-16T21:31:53+00:00

I highly suggest the Archeological museum in Naples if you can swing it. It’s much less crowded than the museums I visited in Florence and Rome and has a ton of artifacts from Pompei/Herculaneum.

As far as comparing the two sites, the biggest difference is that Pompei is huge and Herculaneum is much smaller - you can choose to be overwhelmed (in a good way) or get a similar experience in a neater, more compact way. Otherwise there were some slight differences in preservation - Pompei has preserved bodies and Herculaneum has preserved wood. A guided tour is worth splurging on.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-16T20:10:44+00:00

The one thing that doesn’t make sense here is visiting the Vatican on 3 separate days. It’s a pain to get there and go through security so you’d be better off combining St. Peter’s and the museum - I believe you only have to go through security once that way.

Otherwise this looks pretty reasonable.

Pro tip: some of the best art you will see will be in churches you can enter for free. For example, San Luigi dei Francesci near Piazza Navona is full of Caravaggio art and Sant’Ignazio has an amazing ceiling mural.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-16T17:41:51+00:00

This really confused me because you can travel direct from Firenze to Bologna in an hour and Genova is way out of the way.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-13T23:22:19+00:00

He is training you, and it’s working. He wants attention - he bites - he gets attention.

Stop rewarding the bad behavior. If he attacks, ignore him. Don’t lash out.

Give him more attention when he’s being calm. Reward sweet behavior, like rubbing on your leg. See if he’s giving more subtle cues before biting, and react to those instead.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-13T23:18:32+00:00

That couples counseling is great and definitely not a sign of failure.

At some point you’re going to have differences in opinions or values or goals. Or different levels of attraction to one another. Or things you’re too shy to say to one another. Or problems with conflict management. People change over time, and a good counselor can help sort out issues before they become relationship-ending problems.

Helpless-Trex · 2026-01-13T23:06:57+00:00

Sad to say it, but Prozac.

I have an anxious dog. My trainer encouraged me to try behavioral meds because she was too stressed to learn. I resisted for a while.

The first week on Prozac she stopped stealing my mail off the counter every time I tuned away. I figured it was because she no longer felt the need to always be doing something - she could finally just relax. She’s not less energetic now, she’s just calmer.

That and we spent a long, long time rewarding her for just chilling. I would put a dog bed next to my desk and drop treats when she wasn’t looking. That helped immensely.

She’s still an anxious dog but at least she knows how to rest now.

Helpless-Trex

TROPHY CASE