... to want a dog to add to the madness of family life?

[LeopardPrintKnickers]

I mean, my life is pretty damned busy. I have three active kids and a demanding business, and yet I find I'm constantly yearning for a dog. While every part of me thinks I must be mad to add another layer of complexity to my life, I also can't help but think of the positives it would bring.

The cons as I see them are: being tied to the house more (our youngest two children are still primary age so we don't do spontaneous trips away anyway), picking up poo (gag), potential smell in the house, another mouth to feed, walks in all weathers, and the cost.

However, the pros are also there: I think a dog would help simplify my life in some ways - forcing me to take a break and go for a walk (I always feel 1000 times better for getting outdoors, but never do without a reason), encouraging us as a family to get outdoors more, and I think it's great for the kids to have a dog around. I love the idea of a gentle companion for them, and for us too. While our lives are busy, we can work from home and our eldest is often at home as he's at college part-time. The security element is reassuring too.

Am I mad? What were the reasons you wanted a dog? Did you ever regret it? Am I overlooking a massive pro or con?

I don't even know you but am begging you not to get a dog.

The amount of extra work could topple you over. Your plate is full.

If you are really set on the idea, try fostering. You get to look after a dog and see the realities of having one around. At least this way you won't be the one adding to the number of dogs needing a new home.

For so many reasons I will never have another dog.

Yes you are bonkers but dogs give so much more than they take. Mine get walked every day, twice a day on the school run.

My kids are so much more outdoorsy now, because if the dogs.

The dc adore the dogs

My house doesn’t smell (well I don’t think it does)

And well... I love them 😍

Interesting thread with some great advice.

Before we got our dogs (2 whippets who were 5 when they came to us) we

• walked a sick neighbour’s collie. Every day. For two months.

• Dog sat a friend’s dog in our house a couple of times when they went away (lovely whippet collie cross, hairy like a collie, dog hair every where)

Our dogs are 9 1/2 now. Not much trouble in many ways. They are very clean by dog standards, hate getting wet and muddy but we still have paw prints, nose trails on doors and windows, dog bedding needs washing or it wiffs and they aren’t very smelly.

We love them. So does my mum who is fit and active and takes them for a long off lead walk every day we are in work and we walk them twice a day too. Mum also house and dog sits when we go away so we are really lucky. It’s a dog share really.

The dog peed on our new Visprung bed base. It obviously smelled of John Lewis and he didn’t like it. Not forgiven.
I’m so glad we have been dog owners. It’s been great but I’m not sure I will do it again either once they are gone. I will have to stay away from dog rescue websites as a little old lurcher might prove to be too much of a temptation.

I remember being so jealous of other families and wanting our own dog. It is fab walking with a dog, out in the countryside until they roll in rotten fox poo, eat a dead festering seagull, eat dog poo, chase a squirrel and hurt their leg, kill a chicken

We are getting a puppy in August once we are back from holiday .
I work from home so will be in all the time and we have thought long and hard, has taken 4/5 years to get to this point but have found our lives have changed in the last few years where we are starting to spend more time at home rather than going out for the day like we used to and think it’ll bring a different kind of day out to our lives .
Having been to Padstow recently we saw how many families were there with their dogs and we want to be that family.
Our dd will be inside out as she’s always wanted a dog .
Lots of lovely woodland round here for walking to

Don’t think our 2 cats will be too impressed though

Not read the full thread,so excuse me if it's already been said but the biggest con is not being able to go on holiday without the dog, unless you have someone you trust to care for it and/or are happy to leave the dog in kennels which I am not,hence me not having had a holiday abroad for over 10 years! I still think my dogs are worth it though and can't imagine ever being without one.

I also HRTFT but here’s my view- yes, go for it but only if you have great support to help and/ or the financial resources to pay for help.

Once I established a great relationship with my paid Dogwalker plus a group of amazing friends it all got very doable and less stressful.

Puppies are very stressful indeed.

Dogs are really hard work there’s nothing easy about having a dog. They need an awful lot of training and looking after. They are also very expensive in terms of food and vet’s bills.

My three children absolutely adored our golden retriever and she added so much to our lives I don’t regret a single second.

I think the level of commitment and how much dogs change your life is the same as having children. If you think about it logically children are a massive Pita, cost a fortune, affect your working hours, wreck your house and affect your holiday choices. But we go into that knowing the negatives because we love them. If you are dog mad then the positives will outweigh the negatives most of the time. Personally i couldn't survive without at least two dogs.

not being able to go on holiday without the dog, unless you have someone you trust to care for it and/or are happy to leave the dog in kennels which I am not,hence me not having had a holiday abroad for over 10 years!

I wouldn't leave my dog in kennels so he goes to a foster family via a dog boarding franchise (it's not cheap!). In fact, I wonder if being a dog fosterer like this is a good way to see what having a dog is like. I think mine has put a few people off!

We got a rescue who was 6 months old. He'd been in foster so was house trained. We've had him for a year now and wouldn't have it any other way.
He's very easy going, very patient and very loving. He's well behaved and pretty well trained.

I don't know how I'd have coped with a young puppy, 2 young kids and a full time job, but this one just slotted straight in.

I think the main thing for me the absolute joy and unconditional love he brings to the whole family, especially the kids, and this far outweighs the muddy paws and the dog hair.

But I'm under no illusions I've had it really easy and have been really lucky - it could have all been very different!

Mad but they are worth it. Just carefully think about what breed will work for you, some are better at being left than others but all do need exercise. I have mine curled up beside me now