Can Dogs Handle a Nomadic Lifestyle?

dogs are nomadic by nature, its in their dna

I LOVE LOVE LOVE and applaud that you actually RESEARCHED the breed most suitable for your lifestyle! OHhh, how i wish more people did that! Wayyyy too many people take home a high-energy breed which requires more exercise than they can provide, and end up with problems.

GOOD ON YOU for actually investigating what type of breed would be best for your lifestyle! Yay!

I think it can be done, but, worth considering that you will probably be gone long hours in further schooling, and/or work. Some small dogs can be trained to use a potty pad. Others in that situation hire a dog walker to come let the dog out or to walk the dog. Poms are happiest when WITH someone, not alone. Not saying it can't be done, but, if you have a roomate or good pal to help out when you will be gone more than 8 hours. No dog should ever be asked to 'hold it' longer than 8 hours, and some dogs can't go that long.

I am not sure why you reject rescue dogs, but, i am aware many humans do think store-bought dogs are somehow "superior" or that having AKC papers indicates a "better" dog, but, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if you bring home a PUPPY, you do not know what type of adult dog that pup will grow up to be. No, looking at the dog's parents does NOT indicate what type of dog YOUR pup will become.
The two most common issues brought to trainers and behaviorists are the shy dog (afraid of/reacts to most unknown humans, commonly called the fear-aggressive dog)
and
the dog-aggressive dog (reacts to most unknown dogs). Both of these types of dogs can be very difficult to manage, especially for someone with no experience,
and
both of these neurobiological disorders are brought on by recessive genes, so meeting the parents dogs or even the littermates, will not guarantee the pup YOU bring home is going to be 'normal'. Many breeders are even unaware those are inherited neurobiological disorders, and if you call them, when pup is 9 mos old, and report, "My dog is now starting fights with unknown dogs" the breeder will just shrug and say "you raised it wrong" when, in fact, it's like many human neurobiological disorders(autism, some forms of schizophrenia, and some forms of sociopathy, for example)-------NOT evident at birth.
It's usually only one or two of a litter, NOT the entire litter, further leading the breeder to blame you.

BEST WAY to avoid that is to rescue (or buy, if you insist) an ADULT dog. With an ADULT dog, (especially one in foster care) you can see who the dog IS, (much of a dog's personality is inborn)
how barky is this particular dog? Is this dog fearful? Is this dog hyper, or laid back? How much does this dog shed? Does this dog have habit of eating all shoes it can find? Is he a "digger"? Is this dog destructive when left home alone? Is this dog okay with cats, kids? Is this dog actually healthy? Is this dog snuggly, or aloof? How much daily exercise and playtime does THIS particular dog need to be a happy, 'good' dog? Does this pomeranian usually pee whenever she greets a guest to the house? (not unusual for that breed)

Take home an adult dog, especially one in foster care, and you'd know each of those answers.
Me, i go for adult dogs, most every time.

Also, one more advantage, in bringing home a well-known adult dog, is,
you bypass the puppytimes---------that "cant be home alone veyr long" stage, the destructive stage, the housebreaking stage--poms aren't always the easiest breed to housetrain, and during the months it takes some humans to housetrain a dog, many a floor or carpet or sofa can be ruined, the shoe-chewing stage, the cell-phone chewing stage, the cry-all-night stage of puppyhood, the nippy stage (ouch! ouch! ouch!) and many other stages of puppyhood that might not fit into every lifestyle.

Anyway, do what you want, I'M ALL FOR MOST PEOPLE ADDING A DOG TO THEIR LIVES, what joy they bring!!
but, don't overlook the benefits of bringing home an adult dog, (and YES yes yes, the adult dog WILL latch onto you, and love you, more than he loves his own life, if you only give him a chance). I often think rescued dogs love their human even MORE than pups, cuz that rescued dog HAS known life without a human to love it, and seems to appreciate their human even more for it.

but, it is, of course, your choice to bring home a mystery pup, but, if you are open to considering an adult dog, or a rescue puppy, here is a good place to start:

Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder



OR, you can google your state's name + "rescue" + name of breed you wish for.
LIke, "new york pomeranian rescue" or whatever.

okay, okay, i'll stop, hee hee, i just always like to promote dog rescue, sorry. Most people can't tell the difference between a quality breeder who actually DOES genetic health testing, from a backyard breeder, so good luck!!!


TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION-----------DOGS CAN AND DO MOVE FROM ONE HOME TO ANOTHER, very well, so long as YOU are there, the dog will adjust. The first few days, yes, the dog will be most obviously confused, but, the dog will probably settle in the new home faster than you will, ha ha!!
To the dog, home is where YOU are. However, when you first move to a new home, get dog microchipped***, and keep dog on leash at all times for first week or two, til dog learns his new neighborhood, so he can't get lost.

***one (1) microchip is all you'll ever need, you just change the address or phone number in the computer if you move.

ALSO-------WHEN any DOG IS NEW TO A HOME, take dog out for pee breaks every 2 hours first 2 days, then wean back, just every 3 or 4 hours, slowly weaning back,
so dog re-learns where "his" bathroom at the new house IS!! Best of luck!!!

Re: barking.
I advise anyone who wishes to train their dog to bark less, to first begin by training their dog to a few tricks. For real.
No,---- trick training, although immensely satisfying to a dog,----- will not necessarily reduce the barking.
BUT,
trick training does teach YOU, the human, HOW TO train a dog. If you do not yet understand the basics of how a dog learns, your chances of being able to successfully train your dog to bark less,
will be reduced. Trick training also prepares the dog to focus on you, "okay now, mom's got that clicker thing in her hand! I have to figure something out now! yay!" (sorry for anthropomorphizing, lol)


So, anyone with a barky dog, just pick some simple tricks, and teach your dog the tricks, using POSITIVE ONLY methods (reward what you DO want, ignore wrong moves.) Training dogs should be FUN!! If training a dog is NOT fun, for both you AND the dog, you are doing it wrong.

Here is good site to join, to learn HOW to teach a dog things:Dog Trick Academy - Fresh Dog Tricks Ideas for Dog Owners


After you have taught your dog a few basic tricks or cues,
then you are ready to begin the far more difficult (not impossible, but, not as easy as tricks) task of explaining to your dog what you DO want him to do, instead of barking.

Here is one of my favorite online dog trainers, Kikopup, who is free on youtube, and she often deals with behavioral issues in her videos. Most any behavior your dog is having, you can google: kikopup + name of problem, like google "kikopup barking" or 'kikopup nipping" or whatever. NOT ALL dog trainers on youtube are worth a darn, but, kikopup is positive only.

How you approach reducing barking,
depends on what your dog is barking about. Is your dog barking at an item in your home, the way my rescue dog once barked everytime someone hit "print"? if so, you'd do this:

How to train your dog not to bark- episode 2- scary objects - YouTube

or
Dog Training Tutorial: Training your dog to get over his fears - YouTube

Or, is your dog barking at other dogs?
(very tricky, requires advanced dog-training skills to learn to manage, and best way to avoid this, is adopt an ADULT DOG, but, if you do bring home a puppy, who manifests the dog-aggressive neurobiogical disorder, kikopup has several methods to approach that)

here is only one:
Barking- Episode 3 - barking on a walk -dog training - YouTube
or

Barking Episode 5- Barking at Dogs Behind Fences - YouTube

(kikopup has long series on this issue)



OR, is your dog barking at strangers?

Barking Episode 4- Barking at Strangers- Dog training - YouTube

or, is your dog barking at cars? (another positive only trainer, David Hogan)
Stop Lunging at Cars - YouTube


or, is your dog barking cuz he is home alone??
How to train your dog to be left alone- clicker training - YouTube


so, helping a dog learn what to do instead of barking,
kinda depends on WHAT your dog is barking ABOUT!!! Rescuing an adult dog who is known to be a "not-barky" dog, is also easy way to skip this whole process.

but, do begin with teaching your dog just an ordinary trick or two, first, juuuust to get hang of how a dog learns things. GOOD LUCK!!

Here is good recipe to use for treats/rewards, when training your dog. Keep treats TINY, to avoid a full or fat dog.

Dogs do NOT care how big a treat is, so break up these treats very tiny:
Homemade dog treats-cheap, easy, healthy! - Pets / Animals.

Dogs are happiest where you are.......crate train your animal as it will be their forever home (wherever the crate is is their home) and safe travel container. You can always have some doggie daycare on some days that you work. 12 hour shifts are long for a dog to not go outside but small dogs can be paper trained....or those indoor grass potties

Esme, as usual, has a great idea!!

Re; crate training, not all dogs automatically "like" their crate. Some dogs have to trained to "like" their crate. (never ever put the dog in crate as "punishment" if you want dog to love being in the crate)

How to crate train a dog:
dog training- how to purse train / crate train a dog - YouTube <---you can substitute "crate" for "purse". It's same idea, either way.


Here is another one:
Crate Training- Part 1- Clicker dog Training - YouTube

A dog won't care much if you move a lot. A dog needs company and attention, so I'm glad to see you work 8-hour shifts right now. Other than work, what do you do? Are you home a lot? Do you go out with girlfriends a lot? Do you have activities that your dog could join you in?

You used the term 'lap dog.' By that do you mean a small dog? Or are you picturing a dog that will curl up in or next to your lap and be gently petted while you read or watch TV or talk on the phone? I ask because that 2nd image is more like a cat. Remember that a dog needs excercise and activity. A dog may sleep 16+ hours a day - the hours you sleep and work, which means that the rest of the time s/he is going to want to be doing stuff with you.

If you decide to get a dog, I ask you to rethink the idea of a rescue dog. There are purebred rescue organizations; there are puppies in rescues (not just older dogs); there are really cute mutts too. If you still want a purebred puppy (remember a puppy will need to go potty every three hours at first), do an internet search and read about puppy mills - that way when you look for a breeder, you'll know how to discern the difference between a responsible and an irresponsible breeder.

Dogs are wonderful companions.