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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think owning a dog is not as hard work as everyone makes out?

139 replies

FidoAndHisBone · 08/05/2012 21:28

I had a dog until I was about 25 and I found it pretty straightforward. I lived abroad and often where I lived people don't keep their dogs indoors but mine was.

I suppose the hardest part was not being able to leave him alone, I didn't ever leave him alone for more than about 3 hours but to be honest that was the only difficult part, apart from when he had to be put down, that was devastating.

I am now married with 3 DC and we are planning to get another dog but every single person I've mentioned it to (funnily enough none of them dog owners) has told me what incredibly hard work it is... I am a SAHM so will spend most of my time with him and I love long walks. Obviously I am more than happy to put the time in to train him too!

OP posts:
EdlessAllenPoe · 08/05/2012 21:46

my dog is 11 and needs one proper walk a day (though she likes two) and feeding twice a day.

when she was younger she was very high maintenance and two really good walks chasing a ball every day was more it. she stopped being 'younger' age 8.

other than that she just likes being around and getting fed.

puppies are hard work though - am happy to have adult dog.

Original poster
FidoAndHisBone · 08/05/2012 21:47

Some varied responses at last! Everyone I've spoken to has been so negative about dog ownership (perhaps that's why they don't have dogs?!). I think our lifestyle is perfect for a dog. We live very close to the countryside yet have a vet down the road, we spend our holidays in the UK, usually camping. Our DC's are 20 months, 4 and 7 and fairly well behaved calm children who will treat the dog with respect. DH works from home for half the week so will be around for emergencies. Ummmm can't think of anything else!

OP posts:
rogersmellyonthetelly · 08/05/2012 21:48

Hahahahahahaha, manic laughing. Mine chews anything left within range every time I turn my back. She barks at her own reflection in the window, and at random patches of silence at 3am. She bounces off walls, people, ceilings, digs up my lawn and drives me insane. Thankfully she is very cute too.

Goldrill · 08/05/2012 21:49

I have a lurcher who gets annoyed if you try and wake her before 11am, likes a huge hurtle round the fields for no more than half an hour - and then wants to go back to sleep for the rest of the day. Very low indeed on the hard work scale.

everlong · 08/05/2012 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EdlessAllenPoe · 08/05/2012 21:50

you should always realistically appraise whether the dog you want is going to be too much work for you -

shedding dogs generate more hoovering
non-shedding dogs need more grooming
all dogs if walked in the wet, tread mud in
dogs shouldn't be on their own all day
any dog needs a walk once a day.

SeaHouses · 08/05/2012 21:50

Well try and chose a sensible breed of dog. Our last tent was destroyed because the springers kept throwing themselves at the doors and burst all the zips. Next time I am getting cairn terriers.

Original poster
FidoAndHisBone · 08/05/2012 21:51

We are thinking of a golden retriever or a labrador.

OP posts:
Original poster
FidoAndHisBone · 08/05/2012 21:53

Maybe a poodle/lab cross as they don't shed so much? We have wooden floors so pretty easy to wipe clean.

OP posts:
aquashiv · 08/05/2012 21:55

Mine is usally hard work if I dont walk him as he looks at me and sighs or if I dont give him is favorite food he spits his dog biscuits over the kitchen floor as protest. He will sleeep in our bed under the cover with his head on the pillow like a human turns his nose up at his dog bed. He can be such hard work but is worth it he is lovely kind puts up with the children and lets them carry him everywhere. He dictates where we go on holiday. As we hate leaving him when we go anywhere without him we miss him and it doesnt feel right so now he comes everywhere with us.

Hippymum89 · 08/05/2012 21:55

Labs are fab Smile
Retrievers are also lovely but I'd be worried about the long hair + mud etc

CinnyCall · 08/05/2012 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tropicalfish · 08/05/2012 21:56

My neighbour has a beagle cross that is a nasty agressive dog that hurls itself against the fence. My neighbour is clueless and calls it back saying good boy good boy.
Quite frankly it is selfish to have a dog that is in the garden every sunny day behaving this way. If anyone is reading this that has a dog please dont let it behave this way

whathasthecatdonenow · 08/05/2012 22:08

I also have a lurcher who has sudden bursts of energy then likes to sleep the rest of the day. He's 13 now and was a rescue dog who I re-homed at 7 months. Wouldn't be without him and dread the dark day.

I actually find my cats more demanding - one is diabetic and I'm the only one willing to do the injections so that means I must be at home at 7am and 7pm.

Smokedsalmonbagel · 08/05/2012 22:11

I'm one of these moany people who go on about a dog being a big commitment and hard work. (I'm a cat person)

I had to endure someone I know going on and on about this wonderful dog they were getting. The dog was very cute but they found it to much work and got rid of it 3 months later!

But saying that OP you sound a very responsible dog person!

I guess dogs are like kids some are easier than others!

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 08/05/2012 22:18

We have a pretty boring life so a dog doesn't hold us back.
I got a puppy rather than a rescue this time because I have young children
I chose a toy x breed to cut down on exercise time
Apart from a bit of yappiness and the constant fight against fleas, he is no problem.
I swear fleas were never this much problem before and I have had dogs all my life!

squeakytoy · 08/05/2012 22:21

I have the most bone idle dog in the world.

We set off down the drive for a walk. He sits at the car door.

We get a bit further up the road, he lies down and refused to budge.

Some days he might... just might, go for a walk.. but 9/10 no chance.

We have taken him to dog behaviour experts, the vets... tried walking him with other dogs.. and there is nothing wrong with him, he is just bloody lazy!

He will happily chase a ball in the garden until he collapses with exhaustion, but he hates going out on a lead.

Lovelynewboots · 08/05/2012 22:27

I think the people that point out that dogs are hard work are aware of the commitment that it involves and are not prepared to have one because of that. Have a dog by all means if you are prepared to walk it and not leave it in the house all day (something I don't agree with), but don't expect everyone to love it.

tanfastic · 08/05/2012 22:35

I think it depends on the dog and how busy you are as a person. I have a Lhasa Apso who is pretty chilled but he has an ongoing eye problem which requires daily bathing and a skin condition which means I have to bath him at least once a week. I also groom and cut him myself to save the pennies. This along with walks etc means quite a lot of work. I also have a child, work part time and run my own business so I hardly ever sit down! I wouldn't change it for the world though as I love him to bits.

imnotmymum · 08/05/2012 22:40

Oh tropical I am so with you on letting dogs behave badly. My neighbour has a dog yapping all day drives me bonkers my dog starts in response ends up getting told off !!

Spuddybean · 08/05/2012 22:42

I know people say they shouldn't be left alone for more than a few hours but i do think this is ott. Everyone i know who has a dog works full time. And the dogs are fine.

We had one when i was growing up (fat lazy setter) and she was left all day.

She actually had hip problems so was only allowed to be walked about every 3 days. She just mooched about the house and slept on the settee. Friends used to joke that she was stuffed, and we just moved her about because she would always be sleeping whenever they came over, but just in a different room/position!

For holidays we just put them in kennels for 2 weeks.

gomowthelawn · 08/05/2012 23:30

There is an element of luck in getting a dog. Some are lovely and laid back. Others are highly strung and neurotic. I currently have one of the latter. I previously had one of the former. The latter was a bit of a shock (and he is at times a real PITA), but I love him to bits despite this. Probably won't get another though.

jumpingship · 09/05/2012 01:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tabulahrasa · 09/05/2012 01:54

A healthy, trained, adult dog isn't a ridiculous amount of work...but they start off young and untrained and getting then to the point where they're more fun than work is hard.

And of course with all the effort in the world they might still get ill.

ElaineBenes · 09/05/2012 01:58

I found having a dog easy before I had kids. Now it's much harder because it's one more thing to juggle although we both work so our lives are pretty hectic to being with.

For example, your DH is away, you've had a busy day with kids, it's pouring with rain yet dog needs his walk and kids are too young to be left at home. We're lucky that our neighbours are a dog loving retired couple who are only too happy to take the dog out and also earn a bit of extra cash. Otherwise I'm not sure how we'd manage.

It's a whole different beast once you have kids IMHO and I didn't realise how hard it would be because I'd had a dog pre-kids and thought it was a doddle.