Anyone regret getting a dog?

[BarchesterTowers]

I’m sitting here with the dog we’ve had visiting for a few weeks. He’s been on the beach, I’m loving having him here. Anyone regret having got one?

Agree with Bowchica about the lifespan. First dog was with me for 15 years and left me heartbroken when he passed. Second dog was with me 14 years and he passed in April. Again heartbroken but no doubt I will do it all again

Getting my dog was the best thing I ever did. He is adorable and brings joy daily to my children.
Trust me though, I was not saying this during the puppy phase. Mine isn't the brightest, and it took him AGES to get the hang of toilet training.

I regret that time travel doesn't exist otherwise I'd always go back to the day she got put in my arms and my heart truly fell.

I am madly, deeply and truly in love with my dog. She makes my heart burst. DH is the exact same and we have our own little code now and she is our family.

I honestly can't explain how amazing having a dog is. I assume people feel like this about their children but I'm more paw-ternal

Yes. We got a Boader Terrier after having Staffies and Bull Mastiffs my entire life, they are a completely different animal. DH chose the breed as his friend had one and although he was scared of dogs he took a shine to the BT.
Had him for three years, and he never calmed down, was nippy, barked constantly if left alone (for example, at school gate when a walked ten foot to collect kids he would bark the entire time), would wee on guests in excitement.

@Saucery this made me cry. Sorry for your loss.

We are a family of five and are all madly in love with our nearly two year old dog.

My only regret about getting a dog is that they have short lives compared to us and losing her is going to be so hard for all of us. I sometimes get quite tearful about it because she is just so loved by us all.

Getting my dog was the best thing I have ever done, the joy and love she has brought to my life is immeasurable, however she is getting old now and I know that in the not too distant future I am going to loose her, I really don’t know how I will cope, it scares me what’s ahead.

Never. I love my dogs more than some if my family! They never fall out with you, are always thrilled to see you and know when you need a hug. 2 soppy lurchers. Couldn't be without them.

So far so positive. Its such a big commitment....

We never regret getting our little rescue Lhasa apso, even if he is nothing like the dog we thought we wanted. We set off to get a Staffie but the rescue had allocated him to someone else. He is gentle, loyal, chilled, perfectly mannered and a much loved family member.
The cat on the other hand is a nightmare, she has destroyed a new expensive sofa, set herself on fire by sitting on a candle, uses the car bonnet as a scratching post, constantly gets worms as she kills and eats mice/rats which she then vomits up around the house. She even comes inside to blatantly wee on the doormat, completely ignoring her litter tray. She wakes us up at night howling on the doorstep (has a cat flap so can come and go at will), howls even louder if we lock her in. It is like living with a vandal and if she was human she would have ASBO's
We would never get another cat.
To be fair we didnt even set out to get her, she just turned up one day as a stray, not chipped, vet asked if we could keep her a couple of weeks to see if the owners turned up. Haha! That was 10 years ago and her owners probably fled many hours drive away.

@Serin

Another one here, whose cat is way more high maintenance than her dog

Exactly, Dieu!
Whoever invented the marketing campaign for cats did a spectacular job.

I do. And I'm the biggest dog lover of them all! I truly love my dog, he is amazing and has changed my life for the better but I don't think I would get another one. If I did, it would be a smaller breed, that's for sure!

I underestimated the commitment, the fact that every decision you make has to take into account the dog. Every action has to be planned around the dog. Spontaneity is out. Clean house is out. Lay ins and lazy days are out. Dog hair on everything. Expensive.

Perhaps it would be easier if the load was shared but now I am single, it all falls on me and its a lot of work.

The level of life long commitment is daunting at first, and puppies are hard work. It all settles down though.

@familydramalama, sorry!

It’s a part of owning a dog that I underestimated. She died very suddenly and unexpectedly, although at a ‘good age’ and I wasn’t prepared for that. Previous family dogs got very old gradually and that’s what I thought we would have. Missing her like hell. All the practicalities that we found annoying don’t matter now. Can go anywhere, do anything we want, but the thing is, we don’t want to! It’s a process, however and we’ll go through it.

I agree with both the posts saying 'Best thing we ever did, should have done it years ago' and 'It's such hard work and I'd never get another one'.

I suspect that's because I'm fundamentally a bit lazy and also permanently shattered, so the dog does get her two walks, food, vet trips, love and cuddles, but not the level of stimulation and training that she would ideally like - and she's a muddy mess quite a lot of the time.

Extra love, extra guilt. It's parenthood written small, really.

Re: the two walks bit! I work from home so she also has full time company and someone to let her in and out from the garden. Two strolls round the fields wouldn't cut it if she was home alone the rest of the time.

Puppies are a bit like toddlers: absolutely bloody awful but worth it in the end.

And its not just the walks they need, but especially if they're a smart breed, they need interaction at home, games, activity, jobs to do, otherwise they become destructive arseholes who will eat the house in ways you can't imagine.

So people are very dog-phobic, and even if you know you dog is soft as shite, some people hate and fear them, and you can receive some v negative feed back when out and about.

OTOH, you'll never know love like it.

no we had our sweet jr poppy put to sleep a few months ago even as a pup we had her at 4 weeks yes we had to rear her she was always a laid back chilled pup then dog no biting mess etc when she went to rainbow bridge at 15 she took a big peace of our hearts we still miss her and cry about her
we have 2 rescues now patch who is a growly grumbly dog but we love to pieces and would never swap
moo is a chihuahua who is severely traumatised it made our christmas when for the first time he came down stairs of his own choice and sat on us. he is not very well house trained but we are concentrating on showing him life is good not bad at the moment i feel he will be a lovely dog once we have got him confident

I have deep Patterdale regret on occasion. Lovely lovely cuddly dog in the house, but my god when she's out... I've had dogs all my life but i've never had one like this one!

Love her to bits but...never a Patterdale again!

Never! We have a 3yr old rescue Greyhound, not retired as he never raced but they are the most laid back, loyal dog you could ask for! I wouldn't be without my boy now. It's all about getting the right breed for you and your lifestyle.

My two are the best decisions I ever made, they are so inextricably bound up in my heart that they are just a part of me and I of them.That's not to say that I don't find myself muttering 'oh for fuck sake' fairly regularly when one or both of them decides to roll in fox shit for the millionth time in a week though.

To me dogs are joy and love made flesh, and we are privileged to share their lives. But with that, they are an enormous amount of work (especially puppies), a huge lifelong responsibility and a massive, long-term commitment and really not for everyone.

If more people understood the amount of time, effort, patience, money, commitment, mess and hard work that can be involved, then far fewer would get dogs in the first place, and that would be a good thing.

If more people really understood that a dog is not a passing notion, or something bought for the kids, or a must-have lifestyle accessory (be that lifestyle 'Instagram influencer' or '2.4 children and a Volvo'), or 'just a dog' that can be discarded if the reality is just too much like hard work, then far fewer dogs would end up being sold on via the internet or handed over to already overburdened rescues. Dogs deserve so much more than they get in so many cases.

If you do want a dog then do your research - which breed/type of dog is the best fit for your lifestyle? Which one can you best meet the needs of? A week of daily beach walks is lovely but can you commit to walking a dog twice a day, 365 days a year, in the pissing rain as much as in the lovely sunshine, for the next 12-15 years - do you want to? Think about your day to day life, routines, work (if applicable) and home - does a dog fit with that, and if so, what kind of dog?

Knowing an adult dog of a particular breed is no guarantee that you'll get one similar let alone the same. A well trained mature dog is a completely different prospect to the puppy or adolescent version. If you want a puppy then research breeders thoroughly, research what health conditions affect your chosen breed and which health tests breeders should be carrying out, meet as many dogs of your chosen breed as possible - breed clubs are the best place to find reputable contacts. If you would prefer a rescue dog then research reputable rescues - dogs end up in rescues for all sorts of reasons and it is perfectly possible to find rescue dogs with no issues - I've had one myself.

Sorry for the long post - it's probably my biggest soapbox, comes with the job territory - and I'm still visiting family for the holidays so have time on my hands

• should be 'that's NOT to say...'!

I absolutely agree with @VetonCall and would just like to add that too many people get working breeds without any idea of just what that dog is bred to do. The number of people I know who get Border Collies because they 'want a clever dog' with no understanding of how much stimulation and work that dog needs just to keep it sane, is beyond counting.

I have working breeds (the Patterdale - sigh - is the latest in a long line) and I try to make sure that they get as much exercise and work in line with their breeds as possible. Many breeds just aren't suitable to be the kind of pets people want them to be, but they've 'fallen in love with the breed' and won't be told.

Yes!

We got a 3 year old rescue 5 years ago. We got her two years after my dog died at the age of 14. I really wasn't ready for another (still missed (miss ) my first) but the rest of the family begged, and promised to all the caring for, walking etc. Well that didn't happen and I didn't bond with NewDog because I resented having to care for this dog I didn't choose to have.

However she is a very sweet and good dog and I do love her now (i did look after her well from day one, i just wouldnt have been sentimental about her or wanted her on the sofa with me - she is now snoring on my lap) . I don't know if I'd ever get another though (not an immediate issue - she hopefully has another 8 years in her). My first I had from a pup, pre dc and I really, really wanted her. Had done loads of research, met dogs of her breed and was well prepared.

It took me about two years to come around to my new dog. The rescue we got her from have an excellent reputation for getting the measure of their charges and matching them to suitable homes so we knew we'd be okay with her. I think, because you are adopting a dog you need to be as prepared as possible. You owe it to your new family member.