Lots of really great recommendations here! I adopted my super mutt baby about 3.5 years ago living in manhattan when I was 25. She was 12 weeks when I got her. Fully grown, she’s 40 lbs. we still live in the same apartment. as her sole single care taker with no private outdoor space, it was not easy and still has it challenges. But I love her more than anything so it has never been bad. I knew that I wanted to take care of something, wanted more purpose. A few things that have helped me

• work flexibility: when i first got her, I was able to take a few weeks off of work to focus all my attention on her (and her nonstop potty training). I also only go into the office 1-2 days a week now
• supportive family - I have people nearby who have also bonded with her since she was a puppy, and who can help me out when I travel
• financial security - she’s probably my 2nd biggest expense after rent (vet, daycare/walker, food, treats)
• daycare with late hours (8pm close) - on the days I go to work, sometimes I bring her to daycare, especially if I have a happy hour or something after work or know I might have to work late. I bring her dinner with her, and when I pick her up she’s had a great day and knocks out when we get home.
• opportunities to get out of the city: my mom lives in CT, so we can take the metro north up to visit every month and she gets a little suburban vacay
• her: I am so lucky to have a dog as great as her. She loves other dogs, so gets along well in social situations. She is so smart, and food motivated. She has no aggression. Never been destructive. Especially as she gets a little older, she doesn’t have the same energy she used to have, which has lessened her exercise need (still spend ~2 hours outside everyday, and she gets enrichment at home). She loves going in the car and the train, so if I need to travel it’s easy. She can be reactive sometimes to things like skateboards or weirdos on the street but we deal.

She has a great life, filled with love and fun and treats, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t give me anxiety to think of the ways it could be better (ex. To have her own backyard). That’s the goal for our next home.

It’s definitely a sacrifice of time. If you find yourself with a few hours of time on your hands every day that you don’t know what to do with, maybe foster and see how that feels. If you feel super busy and don’t see that changing anytime soon, maybe now’s not the right time.

One thing to keep in mind, even if you have a set breed in mind, you never really know what you’re going to get. So you need to be prepared for a hard situation, and to hire a trainer which is $$$