What's the worst thing about having a dog?

[Blankiefan]

I've never been a pet person but recently have been toying with the idea of a dog. DD is an only and is 7. She could do with a bit of companionship but it'd be my dog I think. I'd expect to do the looking after/ training/ walking. I'd only consider a smallish dog but ideally a rescue dog and not a puppy. I don't know if this is an idealistic view (Do rescue dogs always come with emotional baggage?)

My plan is to wait another year or so to consider it and also to see how life pans out. Currently both DH and I are at home all day and anticipate this continuing (each 2-3 days per week) but I'd like to see that play out.

I'm only at the start of thinking this through but thought you all might be able to give me some stuff to consider over the next year.

@ MJMG2015 he is a collie cross. 3/4 collie with 1/4 cocker. He is currently snuggled up to me. He loves us so much and is such a happy and content dog. He is very bright so training him is easy.

@MagentaRocks

@ MJMG2015 he is a collie cross. 3/4 collie with 1/4 cocker. He is currently snuggled up to me. He loves us so much and is such a happy and content dog. He is very bright so training him is easy.

Interesting mix.

I live loads of breeds, but cocker spaniels are my dog.

Childhood friend had a Collie & I had a CS (blue roan). Can't quite imagine a blend of them, though we'd have loved that!!

Any chance of a photo?

The worst thing .... when your dog has behavioural issues that no amount of time or money spent on training and professional help can fix.

My dog is dog aggressive. If a bouncy off lead puppy bounds up to him he will have a total breakdown and lash out. Bouncy dogs terrify him. Unfortunately owners of bouncy dogs yell 'it's ok, he's friendly...' and then go nuts if their dog gets bitten. I have lost count of the number of times people have made passive aggressive comments about puppy socialisation. Yes, he was socialised. Yes, we went to classes. 100s and 100s of classes. We've been on a residential training course. He has lived with a trainer for 3 weeks for intensive one on one training.

He is still terrified of other dogs, and goes nuts if they approach.

I won't get another dog. I love him, but I couldn't do this again.

Be very careful selecting a dog. A cute face isn't a good criteria. Avoid the most and least confident puppies in a litter. If you get a rescue ask them to be 100% honest about any behavioural issues, and be realistic about what you personally can deal with.

@demelzalala

When they die, they break your heart.

This x100,000 ^

My gut feel is that our lifestyle is probably quite dog friendly - walks in the woods, trips to the beach, picnics in the park, visits to castles.

I wouldn't have said trips to the beach, picnics in the park or visits to castles were dog friendly.

Walks in the woods, maybe / on a lead

Our dog adores the beach and these days many beaches are dog friendly.

[quote MJMG2015]@TibetanTerrier. He has a lovely smile!! Thanks for sharing 🤗[/quote]
Aww, thank you. He's a dear little chap with a funny, very loving personality. I'm retired now so he comes absolutely everywhere with me. If he can't come with me, I don't go. 😊

The hair, holiday care, picking up poo, random green bile puke after eating grass (they don't do this aside from once every few year, and then only on a light coloured carpet), the lulling you into a false sense of security that they don't chew (and then making a beeline for your most expensive shoes, corner of stair carpet, kitchen cupboard corners), the rolling in cow shit/fox shit, the insistance on bringing something 'minging' home after a walk (a very well used sanitary towel in my case 🤢). The random barking at 3am after never being very barky (that makes you wet yourself), the mega vet bills if needed, the house smelling 'doggy', and it will always smell doggy (you'll just go nose blind). Apart from that they're fucking awesome! And once they take over your house/life you'd not be without them.

When they die.

When you are really ill - like flu and not just a cold and you still have to take the dog for a walk, fed them etc. When all you really want is to stay in bed and sleep.
Everything else I could do. But being ill with pleurisy and still having to do all the dog related stuff drove me to tears.

The tie is huge. I can’t leave mine at an ordinary kennels (nor would I, some are horrible) due to his dog aggression. This is also a huge pita for even simple walks. Organising a day out can be tricky.

Hair!! It gets everywhere and I find myself running the vacuum everyday in the lounge. But I love them and wouldn't change it for the world.
To all the posters saying holidays/days out etc I've never had an issue. Kennels for longer holidays, pet sitters or family for short weekends (though we usually plan dog friendly weekends away). Most dogs, once they are out of puppy age, can be left be left on their own for a good few hours, mine love the car which is a bonus

@Sunnydaysstillhere that's a very useful tip, thank you! What vegetables do you give? Will lurcher eat them? I've tried eg raw carrot to chew, but no interest

Having a 40kg, 15 month old dog who woke me up at 5:30am by jumping on me with his favourite, and very stinky Smellifant dropped on my face, as his tummy doesn’t understand the clocks have gone back.

Whilst his equally giant (if not heavier) 10 year old brother has hogged the duvet all night.

But I wouldn’t change a single thing. Well, maybe the farting.

Saccariferous have you looked at the Yellow Dog items? We had a lead cover for our elderly dog that said 'My dog needs space'. They do all sorts of items including coats for dogs and tabards for owners. It warns other owners and if they fail to control their dog you have at least warned them. We found it worked most of the time.
Knowing when to put a dog down is indeed hard, but it is part of owning a dog.

@demelzalala totally true, we never had another dog after losing ours (PTS) at 13, when you have had them from a pup, it is totally devastating.

To all the posters saying holidays/days out etc I've never had an issue. Kennels for longer holidays, pet sitters or family for short weekends (though we usually plan dog friendly weekends away). Most dogs, once they are out of puppy age, can be left be left on their own for a good few hours, mine love the car which is a bonus

But it's really important to recognise that not all dogs are like that and you don't know what type you'll get in advance!

Mine is great in the car but he can't be left longer than half an hour or so due to extreme separation anxiety. Some dogs (even as adults) will mess in the house, become destructive or bark and cry for hours if left on their own.

If you have a dog that can be left that's great and obviously makes life a lot easier, but if your dog isn't like that it can make things really difficult - DH and I can't even go for a meal out or to the cinema without arranging constant care for the dog. A dog walker popping in for an hour just wouldn't cut it - luckily he can go and stay with family

I agree with the death of dog thing too. it affects the whole family in ways you just can't imagine until it happens. My husband's grief blew me away, and my daughter who was going through a rough patch anyway was devastated. Son, who was away felt alienated and separated from us because it was like a furry little brother dying. Not a day goes by without me thinking of our last dear dog, who despite the loveliness of his successor, will always be top dog in my heart. However these days I remember him with smiles and laughs, only occasionally getting leaky eyes. That dog taught us to be dog people, and his ashes are in a pretty box on our bookcase, with instructions that they're to be buried in a woodland alongside me when it's my time. Its a somehow comforting thought.

@zenasfuck

The worst thing - they don't live forever 😢 Everything else pales into insignificance considering the live, affection and fun they bring

The loss of a much loved dog (or any pet) is heartbreaking. But I keep coming back for more and have another one to love, walk, brush and vacuum up endless fur.

I could not imagine my life without a dog, they bring so much fun and get me out walking every day, come sun or rain.

For me the biggest problem when dc were younger (they’re now older teens) was limitations on long days out, weekends away and holidays. I’m holiday obsessed!! Being only able to go out for a max of 4-6 hours on a weekend Without the dog ( and even then That’s with an older sedentary dog). We leave our young dog for 4 hours max and only if she’s tired out from a very long walk. That’s quite a tie..

We first got a puppy when dds were 5 and 7 and I remember clearly feeling a bit depressed that we’d regressed to the ‘baby stage’ again as a family as life seemed more limited again suddenly.

Ive always loved my dogs but do find them a bind. I was the most resistant/ practical one in the family when it came to getting a puppy. They bring great joy but I wanted to give a realistic view of the possible negatives.

Older rescue dog worked well pre children
for DH and I. I doubt a rescue dog would be sent to a home with young dc. That was our experience anyway.

Their privates and bum on your carpets, sofa, bed etc.

My granny keeps the dog in the shed. They made it really nice with cushions and dog bed and a radio lol. Sont ask me why for the radio. Its apparently to keep him company because she wont have his trails of urine running through the house. Fair enough.

We loved taking ours on holiday, but it did limit us if the weather was bad because there aren't many indoor attractions that allow dogs.

And, yes, when he died it was awful. He was old, but died suddenly at home in my husband's arms. It was traumatic. For weeks afterwards we kept making a move to walk him at his usual times, and then remembered he wasn't there any more. We still miss him every single day.

I have a 13 week old puppy and have had no broken sleep at all, so that's not necessarily the case. The biggest thing I would say (having had my last dog for 15yrs) is the tie as people have said but your lifestyle seems very dog friendly to me

The additional level of organisation required on top of sorting out the 2 kids. DH is WFH not but prior to that was the expense of paying for doggy day care: Honestly I love the dog to bits but sometimes it is really hard work.

Our dog is 15 months old. I love her, but my god she's a twat. She chews everything (windowsill, sofa, plastic tubs, electric cables), eats everything (an entire cake off the side, stolen back sandwich etc), she has recurring ear issues. Added to that she has done behavioural issues which partly stem from my ds "encouraging" her to play bite cushions and blankets when she was a puppy. Obviously we didn't encourage this, we stopped it, we told him not to, but every time I turned around he was covering himself in sofa cushions and she was attacking.

This means she snaps and bites when she is excited or overstimulated. We are working in it with a behaviourist, but it's draining. It means I get mauled and attacked by her on walks, when she loses it (she's 26kg and can get her paws in my shoulders)

Sometimes if feels like we are constantly stopping her from chewing or eating something she shouldn't.

But we love her. She sleeping now with her head on on my chest. When we think about rehoming for safety (the biting and the kids) it is heartbreaking.