To think dogs are unhygienic

Don’t get a dog. It wouldn’t be fair to do so given how you feel about them.

Your DH will get over it. Do not get a dog. It would be very unfair to the animal to end up in your home. Let it go to someone who will love it.

OP, if you don’t want a dog, don’t get one. It would sense you didn’t like it. However, the reasons you listed sound more like you’re a bit OCD about cleaning rather than it being specifically about dogs.

I feel sorry for your DH, though. I grew up with dogs and couldn’t imagine not having one now. I also feel like your child/children will miss out. So for those reasons I’d say YABU.

I have a dog, I wish I didn't and we won't have another, he is well cared for and will live out his life with us as that's only fair for him, my DH had him before we met.

I hate the smell so have to wash him weekly, wash his bedding weekly, carpet shampoo the carpet every 3 months. I have to hoover more often, dust more often, he puts his bum on the floor and twirls around (regularly wormed) and gets poo marks on the carpet. It's an extra cost when we go away and I hate dog walking in the rain. I have two young children, maybe if they were older I wouldn't feel so strongly.

He isn't even a difficult dog, he is short haired, doesn't moult and is well behaved, but never again.

I actually think the same about cat owner’s houses.

You are not wrong.

Don't get a dog OP.

If you have a baby and don't really want one I'd definitely be asking your husband to wait and reconsider until the timing is better.

Not all dog breeds have a strong smell. In our family we have a lurcher, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Welsh collie and German shepherd (not all in same house!). The collie and German Shepherd have the strongest doggy smell and the lurcher is barely noticeable. I think it depends a lot on coat types.

I grew up with dogs, but they were working dogs and lived outside (apart from the odd favourite who had 'indoor privileges', but strictly kitchen / TV room only).

I'll be honest, I do find the idea of dogs on the bed or even in the house all the time a bit unpleasant. Don't get me started on people who let their dogs lick their faces...

However, dogs are amazing companions and neither my siblings or cousins or I ever, to the best of my knowledge, ever got ill as a result of being around dogs.

But tbh, I don't think it sounds like you want a dog, so I don't think you should get one. Has your OH looked into things like Borrow My Doggy? All the fun, none of the responsibilities!

just Wait til your kid is older - not crawling hands on floor, putting everything in its mouth and able to not piss a dog off by pulling its tail. Simple

My dogs do all of those things, yes, and more.

Eat fox poo
Eat anything they can find tbh
Dribble saliva all over the place
Snore loudly
Spit their food out of their bowls onto the floor before they eat it
Hair gets everywhere, even inside cupboards and drawers. Everywhere.

I adore them and we embrace the chaos and filth. I clean what I can as we go along but my house is not as clean as it used to be and I'm fine with that.

You'd go mad trying to stop all of this happening so if it worries you please don't get a dog.

You’re not wrong, OP, they’re pretty disgusting. I’ve just put a clean cover on their bed and one went on it with wet paws, instant filth. One sleeps on my chair which is now stained and disgusting. One went upstairs yesterday and left dirt on the stairs. The depth of dust is disgusting, the floors are a disgrace. Saying that, I wouldn’t be without them and they love their cuddles. I have to change before I go to work every morning!

I don't mind dogs but will never ever get one for the reasons you've listed and I'm aware of how much of a responsibility they are!

Plus they lick their own bums and then lick everything including people 🤢

We have 2 dogs. They're GROSS.

They belong to DH as I'm not a dog person, but it is usually me that ends up cleaning up the house due to all the mud and fur they deposit.

And don't get me started about how they use the carpet to itch their bums sometimes. 😫

But without a dog my DH would be a miserable git so we have to have a dog.

I think it's easier if you keep the dog downstairs only?

I love dogs but you shouldn’t get a dog feeling how you do about the hygiene side of them. You will find it stressful as you will constantly be worrying about that instead of enjoying life with a dog.

I like pets but would never want one.
I can smell dogs like a non-smoker can smell smoke.
Rank.

Yanbu. I have a dog whom I love (technically he's my husband's dog) but never ever again will I have another one. They are disgusting. Love them. But they are disgusting.

I applaud you for having the foresight that seems to have eluded most dog owners. Typically they realise after getting the dog that picking up dog shit is disgusting, so they leave it lying around to ruin public spaces for everyone else. Of course every MN dog owner scrupulously picks up every turd....but many of them are lying 🤷🏻‍♀️

You should only get a dog if you are fully committed to picking up every single shit it produces until the day it dies. I couldn't commit to something so relentlessly unpleasant, so I don't have a dog.

With everything you have listed you should absolutely not even contemplating getting a dog and your dh is not a true dog lover if he truly knows how you feel about them.

I’ve had dogs all my life and am a dog walker but they are absolute hard work and yes are pretty dirty creatures. You will not cope when your dog rolls in something dead or decomposing and what happens when you’re out walking and your dog gets his poop stuck and you have to manually pull it out (yes, that happens!)

Dog owning is far from pleasant at times but all of that is absolutely drowned out by the pure love and pleasure dogs bring to their owners lives. And a bit of dirt from them is good for kids immune systems. An immaculate overly cleansed house isn’t.

You also shouldn’t get a dog when you have a baby or very young children, that’s way too much hassle and not fair on a dog as it will inevitably be ignored and most dog’s currently in the packed out rescue centres have come via young families who can’t cope. Don’t be a statistic.

Please DO NOT get a dog, they are not for you.

I don't think you should get a dog but some of your reasons for not getting one are just not true.

There are quite a few breeds that do not shed/moult. Not all dogs lick everything. I have 2 dogs and they don't lick anything indoors or outside.

Not all breeds smell. Most of my friends have dogs and some of their houses do smell a bit doggy but a few do not.

My MIL would definitely have told me if our house smelt of dog and would have loved doing so. When we had cats she said our house smelt. In fact she did say a couple of times that she was surprised we had 3 dogs and our house did not smell

Don't get a dog, op. If you're not totally keen yourself then just don't.

I am left with 4 after being persuaded by my stbxh and dcs to get dogs. I was assured they would do all the walks and cleaning up. Nope.

I wish my dogs no harm. I'm even fond of them and make sure all their needs are taken care of. They do pong a bit sometimes I'm sure.

But I so so long to be dog free. And generally just free of the needs of other creatures.

Nope, they are not hygienic in the way humans see hygiene.
I spend A LOT of time cleaning the house to keep on top of the extra dust/dirt they bring in from living their normal happy lives and I do it willingly because I wanted them and I love them.
They sleep in bed with us and go on the sofas to sleep during the day, the house is clean enough and none of us have caught any diseases from the dogs doing this.
It probably smells doggy to new people (no idea, I can't smell it therefore I don't care!) but I feel we benefit more from having the dogs than we would from a sterile home.
I have just sold the house we are currently in and the buyer commented to the estate agent that the house was immaculate so I don't think I'm doing too badly 😂

1. Nobody likes dog poo. DP deals with dog poo in the garden and I do the cat litter trays. If the dog poos when I’m out with him, I just put my big girl pants on and bag it up. He’s raw fed so his poos are tiny and don’t really smell.
2. I’ve never seen any clinkers on my own dog, but some do have clinkers if they have a particularly hairy bum.
3. My dog genuinely doesn’t smell! My Mum is SO sensitive to dog smell (hates it) and she’s always sniffing my dog in amazement that she can only smell his shampoo 😂 some dogs do absolutely stink though.
4. I don’t have a licky dog, but other dogs are licky.
5. True, but I baby wipe my dog’s feet after walks, full wash if they look grubby.
6. There are breeds that don’t moult much. Mine is short-coated but does moult, unfortunately. I just hoover/lint roller a bit more than I usually would!

All of the above is specific to my own dog, YMMV with other dogs. It doesn’t sound like you want/like dogs much, so don’t get one. Dogs can be pretty gross, mine is! He is awfully cute though.

I like dogs but don't want for the reasons you've listed, but also just how limiting it would be. We enjoy city breaks with the kids pretty regularly, will often go for days out for the whole day to zoos etc. It would be such a hassle to have to think about what to do with the dog each time.