Thinking of getting a dog for emotional well-being

[Cokeacola]

But I’m also concerned about what stress a dog could also bring

what has been your experience of having a dog ?

I'm thinking Labrador, springer or beagle

What age would you allow your dc to take the dog on a walk ? Alone ?

Having a dog has been the most anxiety inducing experience of my life! He is amazing but has a health condition and it's far more restrictive to our life that i ever could have predictive.

Only our 19 year old walks him alone.

We've had a dog since Halloween. She's an amazing stress reliever in a way. I'm autistic and she helps me calm down, listens when I talk and it's so lovely to be greeted when I get home by someone other than squabbling kids.

BUT, the stress that she causes by chewing, getting into everything, nipping, destroying anything she sees is horrendous! She's 9 months old and getting a lot better and it's just a question of patience and training but God it's hard work!

No idea what breed she is, she's an overseas rescue.

DD2 (11) takes her for walks around the block but longer than that and someone goes with her.

I got a dog and he's not done my emotional well-being any good at all. I love him dearly but I would never, ever get another dog. It's been very stressful. (Having to walk him even when I feel like shit or am injured, not being able to go out on spur of the moment days out, the stress of finding holiday boarding for him...)

Springers are not for the faint hearted! I definitely would not get any working dog for emotional well being

This would be a ridiculous idea. You are romanticising owning a dog and not thinking about the practicalities or realities of it.

Its full on and exhausting! Massive commitment and the breeds you mentioned are all very hard work.
I have a shih tzu who will be 2 in May, I love him to bits but when he was a puppy I was regularly in tears. Also my house now stinks!

I certainly wouldn’t go for a springer, beagle or working lab if I wanted a stress free life!

We have a very “easy” rescue who came to use aged 3ish so we skipped all the stressful puppy stage. But even as an easy dog we need to factor in walking, not leaving her more than 4 hours alone, the fact she has been throwing up this week, that she can’t ever go off lead in public, that cats send her into a frenzy, that we need to pay someone to care for her if we ever want to go away as no family
to have her, vet visits for her anal glands, cost of food, treats, health care plan etc etc. She’s a gorgeous dog and we all love her very much but they do add a layer of stress to your life, for all their benefits!

I don't think it's ever a good idea to rely on an external mechanism for your own well-being, whether that is another person, or a pet, or an inanimate object. Your mental health is yours to own; bringing a dependent creature into your life and expecting it to support you isn't fair.

Dogs cost both time money. Please make sure you can provide both, can you commit to give it all the exercise it needs?
A 10 minute walk isn’t enough for for the breeds you mention.
Are you prepared to spend a good amount of time out walking regardless of the weather or if you feel like?
Can you afford to spend money on vets bills, regular worming and flea treatments plus annual injections plus to treat any health issues?

My boy doesn't like being left at all, I've tried training, that definitely makes life even more complicated. Also there are often times when I can't be bothered to walk him but obviously still have too.

My 15 year old walks him sometimes.

I have a spreagle (spaniel beagle mix) and he is lovely, I have been diagnosed with ptsd caused by childhood trauma and anxiety goes with that. I have had him from 8 weeks and he is amazing. I can't imagine my life without him. I am the one that does that majority of the walks. He really does help me with the anxiety I suffer. However, it's a very big commitment getting a dog I did think about it for a long time before getting him. You have to think about the money side of it, and If you want to go on holiday ( we can't take ours to kennels it would be to stressful for him). He needs walking most days (if your not going to walk them everyday you will need to play with to tire them out). The dog will always be there you won't have a moment to your self. Mine is also very clever and as a working dog needs to be stimulated. He is one of the best things I have ever done but he is hard work. Think about it carefully. Also I have seen videos online about when dogs have their final day and even though mine is only 1, I look at him and cry sometimes cos I no he won't be around forever😭. Which is something I didn't think about before getting him. I know the pain is going to be unbearable

I've always had dogs in my life. Absolutely love them, live them, breathe them. However, they are hard work - you get just as much back in return but it's like having another child.
My Doggo is 15 now, but his puppyhood was so stressful. The breeds you have mentioned are very consuming in terms of training/ exercise etc. However, if you put the work in you'll have a companion who you will cherish and will be an absolute rock and joy to you.
With regard the children - don't assume they'll automatically love the dog and want to be involved. My daughter loves our boy on a level, but really isn't a 'dog person' despite me adoring them and thinking she'd be the exact same! 🙄

Not a good idea. You need to find a sustainable way to improve your mental health without using an animal - they are not toys to be tried and then tossed aside when they don’t work for you. They are like humans in that they have their own identities, neurosis’s, emotions and needs.
They need lots of exercise and interaction from you, and are expensive. Your days revolve around the dog not you and your needs.
I say that as someone who has struggled with her own MH issues and has spent 50 years rescuing dogs and cats.

I have two rescues, and they are wonderful. But they are hard work and defo not good for your emotional well being if they get ill, etc. Dogs are expensive, and a tie as you have to consider their needs in everything you do, where you go, etc. The breeds you mention are all full-on breeds too - maybe look more into the reality of having a dog and consider an adult lazy-breed dog (retired grey hound?)

I love my spaniel dearly but he often causes as much stress as he does joy!

Don’t get a high energy dog and expect it to improve your MH. My 16yo walks him on their own but my younger two don’t.

Dogs are great but they’re also a massive pain in the arse. I wouldn’t recommend getting one for emotional well-being any more than I’d recommend having kids for emotional well-being tbh.

I've got a sprocker spaniel and a cocker spaniel. Training is daily, give an inch and they take a mile. Both are hugely prey and scent driven, and very hard work in terms of walking, bathing constantly (mainly feet and legs), and need a good 90 minutes free running a day. They're my absolute world, and come to work with me but both suffer from awful separation anxiety and it's a huge tie. I've been having to look after my Dad over the last 6 months before he died and both dogs reacted badly to be left more with DH and my DC and honestly it added just more stress to my plate.

Dogs are wonderful additions to your life but equally a massive commitment.

Oh yes, good luck with assuming your children will stay on board with the whole “dog walking every day” thing once they hit secondary school age.

The dog will be your responsibility.

Dogs are too stress inducing for me. The responsibility would cancel out any emotional boost.
Having to constantly make sure there's nothing dangerous around it can't eat (chocolate, raisins, button batteries), are walks OK (reactive dog, other bigger snappy dogs, little children who might prod dog), odd bark at night (burglar).
Love them but would never have one.

Those are all large ‘in-your-face’ dogs. Huge physical and logistic impact on your life. Before you start considering the positives. And these will have to be huge to outweigh the more difficult impacts. Every time I see dogs like this I thank goodness I have this tiny mop. He is tiny. Pops in a car, bed, my arms, the baths, other people’s houses seamlessly. He doesn’t shed, chew or smell (much). His poos are tiny! You barely notice him around! So his positives massively outweigh these minimal negatives! He is a waggy greeting in the morning or when I come home. He snuggles up to me on bed. He melts onto my knee without me noticing ❤️ He will sit cuddled up with me for hours. He gets me out meeting other dog-walking pals.
Now he is amazing as a mental support dog. All he has is positives ❤️❤️❤️
The dogs you mentioned. They’re dogs for people who want a dog and are prepared for the long shlep they’ll need to put in. And they will because they love dogs and are happy to make it work.
But if you want one for you consider one that is minimal shlep and hard work. Otherwise (as often seen on here) you’ll soon find yourself out-dogged. And that’s no good for you. Or the dog.

The beneficial physical and mental rewards of HAVING to walk a dog at least once but often twice or three times a day are huge and can be transformative. So that’s all good!

However, you have to have that unswerving commitment to your animal in the first place, come rain or shine, when you are stressed, tired and ill, in all weathers and at all (inconvenient) times to get out there and do it consistently day after day after day. So if you are fairly sure you are capable of that (and can afford back up
when you are ill, and travelling, and you can afford expensive veterinary care and training lessons) then you should go for it!

The breeds you have chosen are pretty full on and very high energy though, and in some cases may need quite a lot of training, so make sure you are fully committed before making your decision.

We have a lab cross rescue who's 5 months old. He definitely brings lots of added stress. Tries to chew everything, jumping up and nipping in his zoomy moments. Walking is not always a joy because he pulls like mad, gets over excited by every dog we see and does not yet have a trusted recall.

I worry a lot about his training, and if we are doing a good job - he's a joy to train, catches on quickly for the most part. But we are not experienced dog owners and I really want us to do right by him. So that brings added stress and time too.

He's beautiful and I love him to pieces, but what a life changer!

And also I wouldn't let my 13 year old walk him without an adult because of the pulling/jumping etc.

Don’t get a working breed like a springer or beagle if you want stress free. Spaniels never stop, and my experience with beagles is that they go selectively deaf and bolt off chasing a smell/cat or that they bark/sing at just about everything.

Get a dog if you really want one, but don’t get one to help with your emotional well being if stress is triggering. Dogs are nothing but stress!