Hey!

Does anybody, living in LA on their own, own a dog? How do you cope with this, while trying to work a normal job and then pursuing acting?

I have definitely seen some people mentioning dogs. It might be easier with the family, but what about people in studios living alone?

I am not living by myself, but since no one has answered this, I'll take a stab at it. Owning a dog is like having training wheels for having a child. You're taking responsibility for another life: they require supervision to a point and they can be expensive. People work 9-5 jobs all the time with a dog at home. However, in my opinion, keeping a dog cooped up in an apartment for more than 8 hours every day (without access to a yard) is not fair to the dog. Plus dogs cannot physically hold their bladders for much longer than that.

So if you want a dog, you have to find a way to make your schedule work. Dogs like routines. Walk the dog in the morning before you leave (for whatever) and walk the dog when you get home. An exercised dog is a happy dog. Come home during the day (in between work and auditions) to take the dog out. If you know you're going to have a long day, either hire a dog walker, take it to a doggy day care, or have a friend stop by to take it out.

Of course, a lot of this depends on the dog's breed and personality. How old is it? Does it have separation anxiety? Is it super high energy? If the dog is a puppy, is yappy and destructive, or is a dog that requires a lot of exercise (like a Border Collie), being gone all day probably isn't going to work very well, unless you go the dog day care route (which can be VERY expensive).

All this said, having a dog is very rewarding. I love my dog so much, and I can't imagine not having her. So much better than cats...