When did you first realise you were a 'dog' person?

[jellybrain]

Have had my mutt for just over a year and when walking her the other day the realisation that I was a dog person hit me full on. Its a lovely feeling isn't it? Before I had her I only liked specific dogs now I love all of them.

[AllergicToNutters]

i do think that I am veering towards mild obsession about dogs! I know about so many breeds, the rescue situation, breeders (harsh lesson learned there), protocol when selecting breeders, insurance etc I can definitely recognise so many more breeds than I could a year ago! And...........I haven;t even got a dog . does that qualify me as a 'dog person'?

[jellybrain]

For sure.

I even kiss my dog - no tongues obviously that would just be weird! - I would have cringed at the thought 12 months ago?
Are you looking for a dog Allergic?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I was raised a 'big dog' person. I became a general dog person when I was presented with a JRT puppy after requesting a Staffy when my house was broken into.

I didn't know so much about rescue then, but knew that Staffies were renouned for being great with children and was heavily pregnant at the time. My ever so clever father, who was sent to pick up the adult Staffy for me changed his mind and bought me a JRT puppy

I still prefer bigger breeds as a rule, but seem to end up with runty little things, they're not as whining and piddly as I first thought. I still have not got a Staffy, much as I'd love one.

[BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger]

I have been a dog person my whole life - I had to wait until I was nearly 30 to get my first dog though

[AllergicToNutters]

jellybrain - yes. I began a thread about my recent experience with an unscrupulous 'breeder'.

[catseverywhere]

I have never in my life before even considered having a dog, I have 8 cats (clue in my name), and I was so not a dog person. Then my partner came along, and she has a lolloping great German Shepherd cross Golden Retriever and a Llasa Apso cross Westie and all of a sudden I am a dog person.

I didn't mean to be, I didn't think I ever could be, and tbh it has been hard work, but just this afternoon, sitting outside on the patio while one dog lay at my feet and the other did his 'winding through your legs and gazing up at you adoringly' thing, it occurred to me that I could easily become a dog person as well as a cat person.

[jellybrain]

Oh yes Allergic, I think I saw it- what a horrid situation it was.
It was because of similar stories that we went to a rescue and the fact we all fell in love with the photo and the website write up.

[jellybrain]

That sounds great catseverywhere Am very jealous that you are sitting on your patio its really not that kind of day here.

It must be like having a huge family is there any 'sibling rivalry'?

[catseverywhere]

Jelly there is lots of sibling rivalry, for a start there is a lot of it between the cats, but add into that the new situation with the dogs, and ohhhhh, it is hard work.

I am fortunate in that we have a lot of space, and I am at home at the moment which means all the animals can get used to each other while I am around, but I am hopefully going to be working full-time soon and I am optomistic that they will all settle down together.

[BarryNormansSofa]

Ever since I was 4 and a yellow lab pup came into my life . My Dad got her , we didn't know she was coming - not sure whether my Mum did actually. I vividly remember the day she was brought home - summers day I was sitting on the kitchen door step and this bundle of yellow come tumbling through the kitchen.

She was PTS when I was 17

Always wanted my own dog when I was grown up but never the right time . When I met my DH he was the same but we had to wait 15 years before it was thr right time for us.

We have a beautiful black lab she is 20 months - I kiss her too !

[GrittersWifeAndProud]

I've always beena dog person, I'm allergic and my mum doesn't really like dogs. So because I couldn't have one, I read a lot of books, about looking after them, breed books etc. Now I have left home (I'm only 20), DP and I recently adopted a retired greyhound, who is my dog really :o and I'M NOT ALLERGIC!!!!!!!!

[musicposy]

When I was 3 and watched Mary Mungo and Midge

I have loved dogs ever since!

[BehindLockNumberNine]

When I was aged approx 8 and for some unknown reason suddenly had a real, deep longing to have a dog. According to mum I spontaneously burst into tears on the sofa and when she asked me what was wrong all I could come out with was : "I just want a dog".
It took another 5 years, and me setting up my own dog walking / dog care service for elderly dog owners in my neighbourhood at the age of 12 before my parents relented and we adopted a rescue dog, a fab lab/gsd mix called Trixie.
Love all dogs, have yet to meet one I don't like!

[AllergicToNutters]

i actually think that I am dog broody. My need to have a dog in our family feels that strong. Not long to wait now!

[Scuttlebutter]

We always had dogs at home when I was growing up, all rescues and all Heinz 57s from the local Dogs Home. Also was hugely into horses and very keen on all animals. Became interested in a variety of animal welfare issues (my parents are well known badger activists). Even when i was single and working full time and didn't have my own dogs, somehow managed to dog sit for friends, spend time with friends with dogs, dog walk for Cinnamon Trust etc etc. When DH and I got married it was hugely important to me that our family dogs were there (v elderly at that time). DH allergic to long haired breeds, so we kept on with dog sitting and CT walking and kept researching and eventually went with greyhounds, something I have never regretted. Interestingly, though he had an animal free childhood he has now made up for lost time and is even more besotted with our pointies than I am. Much of our social life and spare time (who am I kidding? 95% of it is) is organised around friends and activities related to dogs and/or horses. We are now encouraging/indoctrinating young nephews who don't live with any animals, but enjoy coming over to spend time with woofs, and in doing so are being exposed to various other creatures.

[RedwingWinter]

I wasn't allowed any pets as a child. I was always a cat person. I don't know how it happened, but now my house is full of dog hair and I have to go on three walks a day. Shortly after we got the first dog, he had to have an operation and I realized I was already smitten.

[diddl]

"I even kiss my dog"

You say that as if it´s unusual

[GrittersWifeAndProud]

Oooh I can't kiss Sprocket, that'd be too much for my allergy :o

[MiseryBusiness]

I think I became a dog person when my step dad brought home a 6 month old Samoyed pup when I was 5. He was honestly the most amazing thing I had ever seen. From that moment I loved dogs.

Our neighbour had a GSD that used to get through the fence and play with our dog for hours and hours.

We lived on a farm. I think i've always loved animals but dogs and horses hold a special place in my heart.

[Pernickety]

Allergic - I am dog-broody too. We intended to get a dog 4 years ago, when our youngest was 3 but made a big move, couldn't sell our house,and ended up in rented for 3 years. we bought a house last summer and I have been obsessing over the dog-shaped hole in our family ever since. There's been to much to do to the house to be able to devote time to a resuce dog yet (especially needing to build a taller fence and put in a gate to secure the garden) However, I feel like I have always been a dog-person. I'd always be the person at someone else's house fussing over their dog, long after everyone else got fed up.

[AllergicToNutters]

pernickety I'm the one fussing over friends dogs too - you are me!

[Poledra]

When I started sniffing other people's bottoms when I was introduced to them.

HTH

[BarryNormansSofa]

Well aslong as you don't lick your own

[Labradorlover]

Scuttle, my dogs were my bridesmaids and straight after the ceremony we all took them for a walk in the woods

[Elibean]

Aged about 8 I think, when I saved my pocket money and bought a book called 'Mongrels and Crossbreeds'

My Dad is a dog lover, my Mum is not a pet lover of any sort, and I wasn't brought up with dogs (though we had one, highly neurotic border collie/lab girl when I was a teen), but I was definitely a 'dog person'.

As an adult, I've definitely gone for the doggies in my childhood book....mongrels and crossbreeds