To ask if you regret getting a dog?

[Saladmakesmesad]

The plan has always been to get a dog when the kids weren't little anymore, and they're not little anymore. I grew up with dogs and know all the usual things people say (adopt don't shop, dogs are for life, don't get one during coronavirus, research the breed, all dogs are different, get insurance, don't leave it home alone for ages etc). I'm not trying to be dismissive I'm saying I've researched it a lot and am absolutely not rushing into anything at all. I want a dog very, very much and have done for years, but that doesn't mean I don't realise what a big undertaking it is.

But... when I talk to dog owners, they seem to be quite negative. Several told me recently that if they could go back, they wouldn't get their dog, as much as they love them. Another said once her dog dies, she won't be replacing her. Another said her dog recently died and life is much easier now, as sad as she is.

So, overall and even acknowledging that you love them, do you regret getting a dog? If so, why?

YABU: I do NOT regret getting my dog.
YANBU: I DO regret getting my dog.

I don't regret my dog at all.

I sometimes have moments of missing the times when I could just go out for the day and not worry about rushing back and I worry about booking holidays in the future as I cant bare the thought of distressing him by leaving him, and there has been the odd instances of furniture destroying which I obviously wish didnt happen, but these thoughts are just ooccasional. The vast majority of the time I just think about how cute he is, how much I love him and how much joy and energy he brings to my day.

I think that's a very difficult question. I absolutely love my dog and am a 'doggy person' but at the same time, am I sometimes envious of those without dogs? Yes. I don't know what the answer is. I think it's the same as having children. Are they a pain in the ass? Yes. Do I want them? Yes.

Absolutely not.

Regret getting married and having a kid sometimes, though.

@AnotherScentedCandle has it exactly right! Hard work, often a pain, but they love you so much and you wouldn't be without them - a bit like kids really!

No regrets. Zero. My house isn’t a home without them. I have two. They just dragged me out for a evening walk. Really set me up for the evening. They love me unconditionally and I wouldn’t be without mine

I love my dog and we've had her 5 years, she really is lovely and one of the family. But inany ways she makes life really difficult, and when she eventually dies (which I hope won't be for ages) we won't be getting another. It's not being able to make spontaneous plans that makes it hardest for me, when we go out we have to make strict plans for getting back and I hate that, especially as the children get older and more flexible with bedtimes etc. Seems like a silly reason but it really bothers me.

Nope I dont regret my dog but he is a spectacularly easy dog to look after.

Never. I absolutely adore our dogs. I grieve terribly when they have died. They are only a tie if you see them that way. I never have. They bring absolute joy to life.

But you have to be absolutely 100% committed and able to afford one. Not leaving them home alone all day. Training, insurance, medical treatment, medicine, kennels/dog sitter, good food etc. you have to be 100% sure or it's not fair to the dog.

The first two years with a new puppy can feel touch and go at times, but after that pure joy. If you put the work in you reap the rewards.

Marriage, kids, dog- best things that ever happened to me....usually in that order, but not always! I wouldn’t be without mine.

I bought a puppy recently, I hadn't appreciated how much work it would be, the toilet training takes as much effort as a toddler and he's burry which puts the kids off and he shreds cardboard and anything he can so my house looks messier and there's a bit of a whiff where there wasn't before. We're enjoying the walks now but in the winter possibly less.

But actually I adore him! And I'm pleased he's part of our family. Overall no regrets. As pp said, it's like having kids, pain in the ass but worth it.

Bitey not burry!

Yes I do but I'm not a dog person and DH talked me around.

I've heard some people saying what a tie dogs are but I've always been happy to be a little tied down because of the advantages of having a dog. There is no love to compare with the total unconditional love you receive from a dog. They are fantastic company and give you a good reason to exercise.

We are also thinking of having a dog again after a few years without (having decided the heartbreak of having another put to sleep was too much to bear again). I think the advantages of having one outweigh any minor inconveniences.

I'm slowly being worn down on the idea of a dog so watching with interest...

We got a rescue 8 years ago, our first family dog. It turned out he had several issues that couldnt be resolved, even after sessions with a very good trainer. He was nervous and clingy, didn't like strangers, didn't like other dogs and going out anywhere with him was hard work. We stuck with him and he has got better but is still clingy, nervy, and unpredictable around strangers. Our kids are grown up now and we can't go away on the spur of the moment as we have to arrange for someone to look after him. I love him to bits now but we definitely won't get another.

I've had a pretty rough year even discounting Covid and my dogs have really kept me going. I can fall out with the dc, the dh but never the dds! For me, a house is not a home without a dog.

no, my dogs have enhanced my life massively. I love them (we got one and then got another a few months later).

We had ours for a few years and he was rehomed in our extended family when we moved abroad. I don’t miss him one bit.
I like dogs a lot but owning one is a pain. Some people are attached to their pets (fine) but that’s not me.

I was happy to get him but it’s a huge commitment and you can be a dog person without really wanting to own one, I think.

Yes but I'm really not a dog person!

We lost our first dog and said we wouldn't go through the heartbreak again, it would be easier without a dog to go out for the day...but the house didn't feel like a home. We waited 2 years and now wouldn't be without a dog. He brings love to every day. We have lots of people who will have him when we go away though.

We have three and I had never thought I'd have any kind of pet and especially not a dog.

But my middle child is disabled and had wanted a dog for four years before I thought fuck it, let's just do it. Our first dog came when he was 9 and I love seeing how my son gives and receives unconditional love in a way that he struggles to with humans.

Even better, DH (who was firmly in the cat camp) and the other 2 dc adore having dogs.

I think because we have had to change our whole family life to accommodate my middle
child, having dogs doesn't restrict us in anyway.

No regrets but you must be prepared for the commitment. Things like all day trips out don't happen unless you can take the dog too.

Well they are a constant commitment it's true but we all love him so, so much that I don't really care, I just want to be with him. Soppy but true.

I had a dog years ago as a child and then as a teenager, we took on somebody else's dog as the owner had accepted a job out in the Middle East. Although I love them, I don't feel my lifestyle (recently retired, like going away, well I did until the pandemic) is right for a dog. However, I volunteer with the Cinnamon Trust and have two dogs I walk regularly. All the positives of having a dog, but none of the negatives (or vet bills).