Where did your love for dogs come from ?

[bassetfeet]

I am new here and older . No dog of my own anymore after three wonderful life affirming companions that saw me through so much crap and joy too .
Have a step dog now who always always lifts my spirits [and makes a huge mess ]

Dogs have always been part of me since childhood ....a bit of a loner kid so my childhood dogs were just there if you get me ?
if no dogs in heaven then I aint going [ha if I get the chance ].

love to hear your tails

[PeriPathetic]

I became a first time dog owner just 3 years ago at the ripe old age of 40 something.

Basically I love ALL animals, and will one day have a menagerie. As a kid I couldn't have anything larger than a rat due to Mum's allergies (which have strangely disappeared now I have my own home!) but our house was full of creatures thanks to Dad.

Our dog is special, unusual and absolutely adorable. Also a PITA . Don't think I could cope with the neediness of a 'normal' dog, tbh.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

My Dad. We've always had a dog or three. I tried not having a dog once. I lasted a month. It was awful. DH never saw me, I spent all my time torturing my mum and dad with my parents dogs. In the end I broke down in drunken snotty tears and told DH how miserable I was and how much I hated being in a house with no dog. I may have told him I was leaving(we'd just moved and he didn't want a dog messing up his shiny, new house, my previous dog had passed away the week we were moving). This was the Friday night. Saturday we went to the dog pound, Sunday our dog came home. Then I accidentally acquired a couple more.

My Dad raised us to be interested in animal welfare. He was always bringing home stray dogs, injured wildlife and unwanted or neglected exotic birds. I shared my bedroom with a sick pigeon or blackbird many a night. The seagull was, erm, interesting. We were known as the go to family if you had a pet you no longer wanted or found sick wildlife. I spent my childhood nursing abandoned baby birds or bringing neglected pets back to full health.

There was a time we had three rabbits, two guinea pigs, two ferrets, a couple of rats, an aivery, three parrots, two cockatiels, two dogs, two cats and a pigeon loft, but it was always the dogs who interested me most.

Meeting my dog in the pound and reading up on MN got me more interested in the official rescue side of things, discovering my poor ex poundie had many, many behavioural issues got me interesting in training and behaviour which soon became a slight obsession and is new the subject of my new degree course.

[TheGOLDCunnyFunt]

I don't know. I've loved dogs and horses for as long as I can remember (even though I'm allergic to both :() even though we were a pet free household until I moved out, moved in with ILs who have a dog, then DP and I moved out into our own place, few months down the line we got a rabbit, then a baby, then a greyhound :o I'm not allergic to my grund :)

[Rhinestone]

Just always loved them more than people and now have the right lifestyle in the right place to properly indulge my obsession!

[stowsettler]

I remember as a very small child being very scared of dogs. I can't remember exactly when that changed, but around the age of 8 the people across the road got a new yellow lab. He was gorgeous, and I remember being quite tearful that my parents would never let us have a dog.
Anyway, about 3 months later my Dad was up the rugby club when his mate came in and announced, "Bella's having puppies!". My Dad, having already been there about 2 hours and well into his xth pint, piped up, "I'll have one!" (I think he and Mum must've been considering it for a while after I got so upset about the neighbours' dog, but it was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing for him).
Anyway - Christmas Day came and we'd had our 'small' pressies, and Dad said that our main present was downstairs. He presented us with a blurry polaroid and after a while and to my enormous delight I realised it was a puppy. They had been born on Christmas Eve - talk about timing!
Megs was a lovely, placid labrador who lived to the ripe old age of 14, making my childhood even happier than it would have been. I was in college by then and didn't get any other dogs til I was 29. 2 Jack Russell hooligans arrived 10 years ago - and they're still here, making me laugh every single day.
So, in answer to the original question - I think my love of dogs comes from dogs: their loyalty, affection, humour and trust. I can't conceive of ever being dogless again

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

Mine came from my mum, and my gran. I don't remember a time in my childhood where there were not at least 3 dogs in the family.
My mum has had so many rescue dogs over the years and she still volunteers at 3 different animal shelters.
She has 2 dogs now, older rescues.

My DH did not like dogs when we met.
He couldn't imagine living with a dog. But there was no way I could live without one.
So we got our first rescue a month after we moved in together. Since then, I have accidentally moved in 2 more who were foster dogs waiting for a forever home but are now part of the family and 10 short term fosters. The last of which was a rotti which I wanted to keep so much, I would walk round the house trying to work out whether I could fit him anywhere but sadly no :(

My dd has inherited the dog loving gene and volunteers at our local shelter once a week and walks the neighbours dogs every day.

[higgle]

When I was quite young my father, who had a scrap yard, bought what he told everyone was a very fierce German Shepherd to guard the premises (not illegal in those days). I was warned to keep well away due to his reputation.
This dog turned out t be a total softie, though he looked the part, and within weeks he had become my confidente and special friend. He lived in a kennel in the daytime and I'd go and sit in it with him and force feed him the dreadful sandwiches my mother made me for school. When I got into a strop with my parents I'd sit with him in the kennel and cry and hug him, although he was a bit smelly, loved him to bits and ever since have never been really happy without a dog in my life.

[Aquelven]

Think it must be in my DNA.
Was born into a house full of them. Dad had working sheepdogs & mum bred & showed two other breeds.

[bassetfeet]

Thank you all for replying to the post and the stories . We ARE blessed indeed [thanks ].

Nowt like a warm squirmy dog to cuddle up to when life is crap .Or share joy with .

[ijustwant8hours]

There used to be a photo of me aged maybe a few weeks lying in a basket full of collie puppies....

There were always dogs when I was growing up, i had been dogless for nearly 20 years until a couple of weeks ago when I got my pup. He is a nightmare and has turned life upside down, but it feels more like a home with a dog!

[Thinkability]

I couldn't have a dog as a kid due to family stress stuff. Used to go out and 'catch' strays (there were a lot then!) and tie them up in my garden! I was VERY young. Even though some were edgy it didn't bother me. I went to work for a dog charity on leaving school and when I got married the dog came when my oldest was 5. We've never been without since.

I was thinking on the walk this morning that when I get old I'll have to have a little one around so that I can go out for a walk and meet people to talk to. They're a great ice-breaker.

[MothershipG]

I could never have a dog when I was a kid, my Dad really doesn't get the point of keeping pets. Then I went to Uni, then I was working full time, then I had the DC so it looked like I'd have to wait until I retired! But then I got made redundant so I took the opportunity to be at home for the kids...and pretty soon I got my first dog, then the second, and now I have 3!

My Dad still doesn't get it but I say it's his fault I have 3 because I'm having to make up for lost time!

[monsterchild]

Who?s been telling you that I love dogs? That?s a slanderous lie! The dirty mongrels just lie around, stinking up the house with their bad breath and farts. ok, the cat?s gone now
I think it comes from my general love of all animals. And they are wildly fun, aren?t they?

[Scuttlebutter]

Both my parents interested in animals/wildlife from a v early age. Lots of animals around when I was growing up - assorted guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, tortoise, dogs, and I started riding when I was 7 - this led me to spending more time on farms and being around various farm animals. All family dogs growing up were rescues from local Dogs Home and very much loved. 2 came to our wedding - v important guests.

Joined animal rights group aged about 16/17 - became aware of many issues around animals. Parents became badger activists (Dad was until he died last year and mother still is - both very prominent in national and local campaigns). Have spent more time than I care to imagine in doing sett surveys and counting badger poos.

Spent several years getting doggy fixes by dog sitting for friends and walking for Cinnamon Trust (a truly wonderful charity). DH allergic to long haired dogs so we ended up getting a greyhound. We only ever intended to have one (looks round at four hound household).

Now not an animal rights person - would place myself in animal welfare stream, but am hugely interested in the philosophical questions around how we treat animals, and am also v interested in understanding the mechanics of so much of what dog welfare is about. Involved in Cariad, all Wales anti puppy farming campaign, and do a lot of work on Local Authority policies, practices, and stats on strays in Wales. An unfortunate cross over of my love for a good spreadsheet, and my love for dogs! Now volunteer for a number of greyhound charities, and help other charities/rescues in diverse ways e.g. CC applications, websites, help with events, etc etc Most of my friends/social life revolves aroudn animals in some way. Am v fortunate that DH shares this interest/passion though his parents completely non animal household.

[putonyourredshoes]

Couldn't live without them, they just make life better. Some of my loveliest photos are of DD cuddled up in my soppy old Weimaraner's bed. Many of him and her mooching around together and just enjoying each other's company.

His last 3 years were spent with sharing us with her and it was beautiful to watch his generous and loving spirit just accept this new person into his household and never show the slightest jealousy or pique.

God I could write all day about how wonderful he was and how much I loved him. Still do.