To wonder would I regret getting a dog?

[Phuquocdreams]

Dh has been talking about getting a dog. I’ve been saying no because of the amount of work, and how it can tie you down. I don’t think he appreciates how much work it is. But then, just for the hell of it, we did some of the quizzes to see what breed of dog they would recommend, and I fell in love with the look of one of the breeds recommended. And now I just can’t stop thinking about having a dog bouncing about the place...and it would be lovely for the kids to grow up with a dog. But...the extra work. And responsibilities, and being limited in our activities...does anyone here regret getting a dog? Deliberately haven’t put this in the doghouse so as to get a wide range of opinions.

Yes to dogs having issues.

My fourth dog ( and my third Golden retriever) turned out to be a nut job.

My first two retrievers were very placid, OK needed huge amounts of exercise , but once they were worn out and fed they would flop for hours.

Not so crazy dog- he was a barker. Barked like crazy when doorbell rang, post delivered, next door neighbours post being delivered, anyone passing in the street, a car door being slammed outside.
And had bad separation anxiety ( even though there was another dog in the house.
He would bark non stop when we left the house, vet tried to help, training didn't help, we paid for doggy psychologist.
Neighbours got fed up, we couldn't go out for a meal in the evenings.

It was a nightmare.

Instead of borrow my doggy how about the cinnamon trust? A wonderful charity.

Ok, ok, I think I have finally been dissuaded!

Little dogs can sometimes be harder work than big ones. IME anyway.

At one point in my life i had a min dachshund and a great dane at the same time. Great dane was the easier breed. And needed/wanted less exercise amazingly. Would NOT go out in the cold or rain.

Old dogs can be as much work as puppies. Our JRT became blind and developed an extremely sensitive stomach.

@Phuquocdreams
There's been a lot of good advice here already and it's great you are thinking so hard about it.
Re the breed - I know someone who breeds JPs. They are cute as a button but quite yappy for me. The hair is a LOT of maintenance. Ignore that crap you see on some websites about a quick brush once a week, it is a daily ritual. They are lively, intelligent and pretty cheeky. I'm not sure first dog material but if you like them I'd recommend finding a good breeder and asking if you can come meet their dogs, spend time with the breed and see their personalities. A decent breeder will not be trying to sell you a pup at first glance but will appreciate you taking the breed seriously.
Be careful, they are springing up more in puppy farms and are much more common in Ireland with pup's being shipped across the border.
As said a decent breeder would welcome talking to you and letting you visit. They will also have a waiting list for puppies - possibly months or even a year. Plenty of time to make sure it is the right decision.
Oh but they are super cute as puppies. I fall in love every time I see one of her litters - but I've had very hairy dogs before (still do) and have sworn never again!

I've never regretted having any of my dogs, no matter what. Even when they have done something to drive me loopy (far too many examples). Its very similar to kids, you can cheerfully murder them at times but they are part of the family - just a lot hairier

My dog found me, rather than the other way around. I had him since he was a pup.

He died a few weeks ago at 14.5, but every moment with him was joy. Family times were so much better because he was there. If I was lonely he was there for a cuddle. I did put things on hold because of him, and I revolved my life around making sure he was virtually always with me. It was a massive tie. But looking back, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat (if I could have ddog back, I’m not ready for another dog).

He literally made my heart melt every time I looked at him. And as he grew older he only became more loving. Life is shit without him. I say get a dog, and make every minute count, because you will miss them so much when they’ve gone.

Unless you are certain don’t do it. I have three dogs and they’re all so wanted and loved, I don’t regret it at all but I can’t deny it’s hard work. Especially when they’re puppies. They rely so heavily on you and if you don’t put in the time and have enough knowledge behind you you can be setting yourself up for problems in the future.

My dogs are well behaved and a delight to have around but I don’t have kids and I work from home/student so I have a lot of time to give them.

They need walked every day whether you can be bothered or not, whether the weather is shit or not. You are more restricted where you can go for days out and holidays/weekends away if you have a dog to consider. A puppy couldn’t be left all day while you work. There will be accidents in the house. I found house training an almost full time job for the first few weeks. Chewing can be an issue for some breeds, and barking. There is daily grooming with some breeds. Food, insurance, medical bills, pet sitters, grooming, replacing equipment, training classes—the costs also add up.

I think dog ownership is wonderful if everyone in the family is on board and fully committed but if you are on the fence I would say now is not the right time for you. It’s a massive undertaking and potentially a fifteen year long commitment which is hard to change your mind about.

It must depend on the dog. I felt guilty about buying a dog from a reputable breeder rather than taking a rescue but I can honestly say that it was the best £500 we ever spent. I did put a lot of effort into training her but she has become a family member, she fits into our lifestyle perfectly (I can count on one hand the nights she's woken us up to go out and she's 9 now) we're lucky to have family who look after her whilst we're away, and I can honestly say that my biggest concern is that her breeds lifespan is 12 to 15 years and I can't imagine being without her.

As a positive input. We did this. And honestly my dog is a doddle, like having a moving soft toy. Pretty much toilet trained within a week and only first night cried a little bit and then that was that. He's a chihuahua and honestly my little boys best friend, the bond they have is just so worth it, even if he was remotely difficult.

I have a dog that I love dearly but my god she is hard work!
If you are thinking of a puppy - prepare yourself before hand by not going out for more than an hour or so for 6 weeks; put away the cost of food/insurance for3 months; up all night for 2 weeks; stand outside every half an hour or so during the day and a couple of times a night for 3 weeks and then re-evaluate - the cute bouncy puppy is part of it - but not the whole story.

I regret the cats on a daily basis and will never have cats again, but I never regret the dog.Our lifestyle suits a dog, though, and it wasn't a big change for us getting her. Plus we had such an easy puppy, she was a delight, that I never had to deal with the puppy blues :D

See it is a really personal thing, as I posted I really do regret the dog but my cat no, not at all and if he wasn't so grumpy with other cats I would get another and when he dies hopefully not for ages I would get another or maybe a pair.

hoover - so sorry for your loss

The insistence on the can't be left alone for more than 4 hours rule seems to be a UK thing. In Australia, it's normal to leave the dog all day. I wouldn't do it every day, but my dog copes with the occasional day just fine. I can see her on the security camera, so I know she just sleeps.

If you both work full time, all the help in the world would not be enough. They need constant attention when they're small, they chew, pee, poo. They need hours and hours of training, continuous training when they're older. It's really not feasible or fair on the dog.

There are great rescues around and an older, calm dog around 3-5 years old could be a possibility. I walk an 8 yr old dog and he still loves a walk. Many smaller rescues have their dogs in foster homes, so they're used to a home environment, often with children, other dogs, are house trained, know basic commands etc.
If you can say which country you're in, we may be able to recommend some.

Please don't.

Far too many people have dogs because they think 'it would be nice for the kids'. Those dogs end up shut in kitchens and never walked. They are often badly socialised and misbehave.

You need to be a 'dog' person to have a dog. They take a lot of planning and are expensive. I am up at 1.34am because my elderly dog came and got me because he needed a wee. I sigh but I don't begrudge him one bit. If you would - don't have a dog.

As soon as people say 'they are a tie' then I think 'please don't have one' yes they are in a way but unless you are jetsetting off every weekend then it can be managed. I have a dog walker a few times a week and work from home a couple of days. I also have a lovely sitter who looks after him in her own home if we go away. This often costs as much as our holiday but I know he is safe. He has to be thought about and planned for whenever there is a holiday, day out, wedding etc.

You already sound like you're resenting a dog that doesn't exist yet. Also as someone else says - picking a dog on looks is a potential disaster. Although a Spitz isn't a bad choice as a family pet they are active and need a lot of stimulation. They can be yappy.

I do realise I sound like a completely patronising cow - however - as I spend a lot of my spare time trying to raise funds for rescues and evenings home checking for them I would rather people didn't get a dog in a lot of circumstances.

My sister is one of those people who spent her childhood years begging the parents for a dog. She got her wish as an adult when she married a guy who likes dogs. They got a dog from a rescue.

She ended up being the one with the bulk of the dog responsibility. The novelty wore off. It was fun taking the dog on country walks and dog-centered days out, but what about when you want to do things without the dog? It's hard to leave them for long. They get doggy hair and smell everywhere, it is a lot of extra housework. Fortunately one set of grandparents was willing to take the dog when they went on holiday, but if this had not been possible for any reason they would have been faced with a difficult situation, as the dog would pine when left in kennels (which cost a fortune, by the way).

She was a good owner to the dog but will not be getting another one. I would only get a dog if I was really into dogs and could not feel like my household was complete without one.

How about seeing if there are any "doggy friend" type schemes in your area where you can offer to walk people's dogs or take them while owners are on holiday? Might be a way to enjoy some of the benefits of having a dog while limiting the big responsibilities.

We bought a Labrador puppy 10 months ago and although I love her dearly, I do regret it. The extra time and energy and stress for me has been huge. My husband works long hours so I have sole care of her as well as our 3.5 year old and 1.5 year old. Picking up poo in the backyard every morning, walking her twice a day, vacuuming and mopping every day bevause we let her in the downstairs section of the house, we had to replace our grass with paving as she absolutely ruined it with digging... But the kids love her and she is great with and for them. I just wish we waited until we had a bigger property.

I have no regrets, but it is hard work. I'm up at 5am every morning to walk / run mine before I head to work, and weekends am lucky if I make it to 6.30. He's an enormous dog (over 8 stone) who thinks he's a lap dog, and is the most gentle, loving creature, but does scare other dog owners who don't know him. We got him as a puppy from a rescue, and he's a mix of a few breeds so have been lucky he's turned out to have such a fantastic nature. His size means all the walking falls to me, as DP didn't want one, and he's far too big and strong for the kids to walk.

We also live in Australia, so winter is pretty short, and not too cold - though have had plenty of walks in the rain. I am a runner though, so have been enjoying the fact that I'm out and about twice a day, and now we're back into spring walks on the beach and in the bush are a real pleasure.

We both work full time, DP is at home twice a week, the other 3 days we pay a pet sitter to come in for a couple of hours each day, and my kids are older so get themselves home by 3 each day.

Our house absolutely smells of dog, no getting round it, and the garden is wrecked but for me it's worth it. I wouldn't have been saying the same when kids were little though, think the stress and workload would have been too much.

@hooveringhamabeads I’m sorry to hear of the loss of your dog.
Your post really touched me, it’s exactly how I feel about my dogs.
They really are so precious aren’t they.
I hope another pup who needs someone finds his way to you one day x

The thing that strikes me is that you both work full-time. You say you would train it but training is much more than buying classes -you do it all the time. It wouldn't be fair to expect the childminder to do that.

I would treat a decision to having a dog exactly the same as if I were contemplating having another child.

Not a dog owner, amd sorry your dream is being crushed OP, but isn’t it a bit unlikely that an au pair would consistently train a puppy like you would? However brilliantly you train it yourselves, you are not there all the time. And if the au pair is brilliantly focused in the puppy, and getting the training right, what about the children!

We got a dog 4 months ago, it’s my first time owning a dog so had no idea what to expect. He was 3.5 months when we got him and is a lovely little thing.

It has its downsides though, he will poo and pee everywhere, I’m always scrubbing carpets. He chews ANYTHING we leave lying around. The other day I came into underlay and a whole roll of kitchen roll chewed into a million different pieces all over DS's room floor. He has chewed through my laptop wire, phone charger wire, hairdryer wire and carpet shampoo wire. I’m constantly brushing and mopping downstairs flooring. Magazines and books get chewed, he gets pretty stinky sometimes so occasionally I come home to the smell of dog. He will bark at 3am if he sees a fly/spider/shadow, he will bark if he doesn’t get on the bed to sleep with me. He will bark if I’m showing too much attention to DS or the cat. My blinds have also been chewed which is going to be expensive to replace. And walking him in the cold rain at 6 am isn’t all that fun.

Do I regret him? Hell no, it’s like having another child and the love he shows me and the trust he puts in me make it all worth it, I absolutely love him so so much and he has been an amazing addition to the family.