Don’t get a dog

My GS was easier than my rabbits. He fitted in with my lifestyle, my holidays were camping. So I'd extend it to any pet. Having rabbits is similar to a small dog. A proper hamster set up is around £200. My DD needs the free child place when booking holidays, her dog is £350 to board.

I love dogs. Well done to all of you who have the time and energy and money and space for them so I can enjoy seeing them on my walks.
I will have to wait until I am retired. Until then I am a cat worshiper 🥰

I am not sure I will get another dog after this one goes. The main reason for me is the f-ing weather. Just sick of the wind, the rain, the mud... She hates it too and looks at me as if to say can you not put the sun on?
Then there's her wet clothes, my wet clothes, trying to clean her feet which she hates, but which I feel I have to do because of the fear of Alabama rot.
There's a bunch of other things too, like food being discarded everywhere and the constant scavenging. Not her fault obviously, it's the filthy people who refuse to use a rubbish bin, but it is wearing.
Other dog owners. A big boisterous dog came running up to us the other day. She was on the lead as she can be reactive. Don't worry if she tells him off, he needs to learn, said the idiot owner. I told her that was her job and got a mouthful of abuse. One incident among many.
Costs are crazy as others have said.

The main reason though is the weather. Not just the everyday misery but I think if you live in the UK - and most of us are trapped here now thanks to BBBrexit - you need to get away for a couple of weeks for some guaranteed sun and that's not always easy with a dog.

Having said all that it's actually blue skies out there today which is great in theory but sadly it brings out all the idiot dog owners.

I was thinking of it, but have seriously been put off by experience of a family member.

We grew up with a family dog, much loved but it has put me off for life ever wanting one. I clearly remember the sheer amount of work required and will never subject my family to that again. I feel life is busy enough as it is, I can't imagine on top of a hectic day going to walk the bloody dog.
I often see people out coffee in one hand and a bag of shit in the other or waiting to pick up shit while drinking a coffee and think that is why I will never, ever get one.

I spent over £1,500 on my cats' treatments last month, I'm still waiting for them to chip in 🙄

Sound advice! Our dog is ten years old and still exhausting. I love her to bits but would never get another dog, this was our first. Add to that, trying to go out for a long day or go on a dog free holiday is a nightmare.

I would say the 'hidden' issue of dogs are ..

1. There's so many around due to 'lock down puppies' that there's a bit of a backlash against them. Much more dog poo on pavements, very few cafes , pubs or even restaurants that are dog free.

1. They are so incredibly tying. I am so very frustrated on the things we have missed out on due to the dog.If you haven't got incredibly reliable dog care you can use at the drop of a hat, then be prepared to miss out on loads of things.

1. Dog boarders are very scarce. If you think when you get one 'oh I'll just use a dog sitter/boarder/kennels/ walker , then be prepared for a shock. We have to book ours a year in advance..literally plan our years holidays around when we can book him in. Dog walkers are popping up all over the place with no real reputation or background, but desperation means people are prepared to give there house keys to strangers.

I would never, ever have a dog again. As lovelans loyal as they are, the hassle, commitment and cost far exceeds the good points.

We just got our first pup, after much deliberation and research. Turns out I am a massive softie and have fallen hard. We have been lucky, she sleeps through the night and is happy being left for an hour or so already. Puppy classes starting imminently.

One thing, I really wanted to get a rescue, but every single dog was either no young kids in the house and/or needed to be with another dog. We waited over a year for a suitable dog, but zilch. We ended up getting a puppy from a family we know.

Exactly why I don't, and will never, have one!

I love dogs but they're babies that never grow up. They have their own perdonalities and you never know what you're going to get. Some are nervous and don't like being left or don't get on at kennels, so holidays become difficult or out of the question. That would be too limiting fo me.

Definitely a lifestyle choice!

We rescued our first ever dog. She came aged 2 so skipped the puppy stage. Never chewed or whined. She’s an absolute delight and we love our walks. Have spent £50 at the vets in 7 years but as she’s now 9 that will probably change. She’s cheap to feed but gets groomed every 8 weeks for £40. She looks fancy but paid the shelter £130! 🥰

Nice post OP but let’s be honest…the sort of twats who get a dog who shouldn’t have one or won’t be able to cope, won’t read this post and think ‘ah yes, OP is right, I shouldn’t get a dog.’

They’ll get one anyway as they’re selfish arseholes.

Dogs are animals and keeping them in a human environment and asking them to abide by human rules is unfair on them. And, as the OP has so well outlined, trying to do so is a total pain.

My son got a cockerpoo - she will be 3 in June. She is totally loved - BUT she makes poos in hidden places when they visit me even when she has only been inside for 20 mins. and she does not asked to go out. She has a dog walker who charges about £30 an hour when there is no one at home - who she also adores.
If they are both out at work she goes to him - he picks her up with key to house in morning and drops her of in afternoon. She gets very long walks/ runs in nearby park evenings and weekends at least 3 times a week with one of family for 1-2 hours as they like to stay fit but she enjoys water and mud and they have to bath her after every walk! She also has garden of course. THEN - vet's bills - she has no great health problems (yet) but sees vet quite often. She is groomed for hair cut every 6 weeks because her curly coat ( which is going grey now) is so fast growing and because she loves mud so much. Food - only a certain brand - I don;t know the cost. She is NOT a hearty eater but enjoys any bic pen that has fallen on floor!

This might be a breed specific thing. None of mine have rolled in foxshit! And we are pretty rural, and there are definitely foxes about! Mind you my old neighbours jack russels ate our cats poop so much she came and complained. Aked me to change what I fed them!😆

I also not been on abroad for 13 years (our choice)

YANBU

We love our dog, had him since he was a puppy, we love him very much, brought a lot of joy to the family, he is 13 now, it will be so heart broken for all of us at some point.

We spend about £160 for his insurance, food, dog park monthly on top of occasional vet bills. This goes up every year.

I don't think we could do it again unless we can retire comfortably (doubtful). We would also put money aside every month instead of getting insurance.

Yep this was my dog last week. Nightmare to clean off!

OP you are so right though. We got our Weimaraner 1.5 years ago, my partners 3rd of the breed. He is amazing with dogs and took complete control of the puppy stage but it was still so so hard. I had no idea.

Wouldn't be without her now mind 🐾

It is expensive and time consuming, but saying ‘I have money so poor people don’t deserve a dog’ is quite harsh. The love and joy we get from ours is amazing.

Did someone actually says that? I haven’t read the whole thread.

It’s not a case of not ‘deserving’ a dog, but you have to be realistic about whether you can afford one. Some people can’t. The dog doesn’t deserve an owner who can’t provide properly for them. Good potential owners prioritise their potential dogs needs over their own desire to have a dog.

It's the long term that's the thing that always stops me. At the moment we're in a good place to get a dog (young child so rarely out at weekends or evenings, holidays are limited, one of us is always WFH), but I know that won't last for the next 10 - 15 years and that's what you've got to consider when getting a dog. I know so many people who get dogs because it works right now and then end up either restricting themselves long term or, worse, neglecting their pets because they no longer work with their life. Post COVID return to the office was a classic one.

We have six and often I have nine here.

They are wonderful.

OP is sensibly trying to save the poor dogs taken on by folk who have a romanticised idea of dog ownership, then dumped in a dog rescue. This is a good thread.

Yes I agree with you. People don’t think and people don’t respect living creatures all the time. I feel for the dogs given up so easily.

If you read to the end, it’s don’t get a dog UNLESS you’ve thought it through thoroughly. It’s sound advice, a bit of a shame people don’t use their common sense and need to be told, but they definitely need to be told!

Too many dogs are given up and a lot of those could have been avoided if the person had actually thought about it properly in the first place.

Dogs are living creatures, they’re not like strawberry ice cream.