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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I get a dog?

59 replies

mayaknew · 07/07/2020 21:00

Desperate for a dog so I torture myself looking. Found a gorgeous spaniel for rehoming

Pros:
Perfect time - dh not working (covid not eligible for help long story) and I'm working partly from home
Doesn't cost £££ like buying from a breeder
Gorgeous puppy
Spaniel so dh can take along when climbing
Did I mention gorgeous puppy?
Monthly outgoings should be manageable
Dd1 (15) has been asking for one since she could talk

Cons
Still upfront cost when we are down an income
Still a big commitment to make
Would prefer a hypoallergenic dog spaniels are shedders.

YABU - don't do it!
YANBU - go for it!!

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 07/07/2020 21:02

There’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.

nonevernotever · 07/07/2020 21:05

I was going to say if you have to ask the answer is no, but actually your question is not should I get a dog, but should I get this dog. My only caution would be to find out the reason why she is being rehomed. The real reason. It may be something that is not a problem for your family, but I would want to be sure. And I don't think there is any guarantee that any dog will be hypoallergenic /non shedding, so I wouldn't let that influence me unduly if everything else was right.

ifoundthebread · 07/07/2020 21:08

Do you have the initial upfront costs to get injections, toys, bedding, food and potentially more food if initial purchase doesn't suit, commitment to toilet train at all times. How prepared are you for potential sleepless night with a dog crying not to be by Itself, then crying to be out and a dog with damp feet wanting to be in your bed after weeing on his feet 😂 honestly, puppies are so much hard work.

IDidntChoseThePondLife · 07/07/2020 21:13

Are spaniels good climbers?
My thought - you'll need jabs, insurance etc and some spaniels get allergies so you might need special diet.
Why is dog up for rehoming? are you prepared for it possibly to be destructive? are you sure the photo is of the dog as it is now?
I'd be concerned that it might be a scam, also also it's possible that the dog might have gone already.
My friend's spaniel is gorgeous but is like a whirlwind at home, very high energy and needs lots of walks. Will you have the time?

SimonJT · 07/07/2020 21:18

I have a new Shiba Inu pup, a pup I have planned for for well over a year.

  1. On a scale of one to ten how do you like scrubbing shit from a rug?
  2. How much do you like being bitten all the time?
  3. How much do you enjoy sleeping on the sofa?

Hes lovely and I don’t regret getting him, but hes hard work (as expected) and I fully expect the first 9-14 months to be hard work.

Then there are the practical bits, insurance, when you are back at work can you afford doggy day care?

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 07/07/2020 21:19

Based on my experience having rehomed a rescue two weeks ago, absolutely don’t do it.

otterlielovely · 07/07/2020 21:20

They are big commitments but the rewards are big, too Smile

vanillandhoney · 07/07/2020 21:23

No. I don't think you should.

What happens when DH goes back to work? Can you afford daycare or a walker? You say outgoings "should" be manageable - have you factored everything in?

Food, insurance, jabs, toys, treats, beds, leads, collars, ID tags, walkers/daycare for when you're out of the house all day, additional costs for holidays (kennels etc).

What happens when you go away for the day and can't take the dog? Can you afford ad-hoc care for him? It's not cheap!

ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 07/07/2020 21:24

Nope. Puppies are a bloody nightmare. You haven't all agreed to get one by the sounds of it, you've seen one you like and now you're trying to work out how to fit it in. How do you like spontaneity? Being able to go out for the day without having to get back for the dog? Away for the weekend? How about walking for at least half an hour to an hour every single day, rain or shine, when you've had a shit day and you just want to relax but you've got to take the dog out? Why this dog? Have you researched Spaniels of this type to see what their temperament is like? What experience have you got looking after dogs? Can you afford a behaviorist if you need one?

beatrixpotterspencil · 07/07/2020 21:25

I'm seeing the 'rewards' in the shape of shit, now Grin

Pogmella · 07/07/2020 21:25

What happens when your DH can work again, and you mention you’re working from home ‘at the moment’- what’s the score long term with that?

Can you go to training at the moment, I have a WCS and can imagine training would be crucial if the pup is 6moths or so (btw the most troublesome, chewy, bitey, run off and won’t come back age).

You’d need to price up jabs and training and possibly spaying in a year or so- probably at least £800.

If you’ve decided you want a spaniel why not spend time researching the types of spaniel and saving up? Might be a nice ptojwct for DD to teach DD this shouldn’t be a whim of course

Gatr · 07/07/2020 21:28

How long are your jobs likely to stay at home? If your dp had to go back to work tomorrow what would happen?

Lots of rescues are reporting people now giving up dogs because they got them assuming theyd be off till October are suddenly now finding them selves unable to manage a puppy. Equally they would have also possibly struggled anyway as they got a dog based on temporary circumstances rather than what their routine would look like (eg 9-5 hours)

IDidntChoseThePondLife · 07/07/2020 21:32

@GingerAndTheBiscuits I'd be interested to know more if you have time.... I was hoping for a rescue pup so your experiences would be really useful for my research.

Unforgettablefire · 07/07/2020 21:35

If you have the patience of a saint, are willing to put serious time in training, not precious about house and furniture, don’t mind paying eye watering medical bills for conditions it might come with, and ready to go walking in all weathers with a high energy dog then go for it.
I’d definitely find out first of all the reason for rehoming, as a lot of them come with mental problems that often don’t show until they’ve settled in.

SusieOwl4 · 07/07/2020 21:36

Why don’t you foster a rescue dog first ?

Puppies are hard work

Spaniels are bonkers and very high energy .

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 07/07/2020 21:41

@IDidntChoseThePondLife check out the puppy threads in The Doghouse board. Our biggest problem is the night times as she doesn’t sleep, freaks out when left alone and tries to bite us if she ends up in our room (out of desperation). Daytimes are generally manageable as long as I don’t try to do any work from home and have eyes on her all the time. It’s like having a newborn but worse.

KittyKattyKate · 07/07/2020 21:45

Ask yourself if you would have another baby right now, if you could. Having a puppy is just as hard as having a baby.

PositivelyPrecious · 07/07/2020 21:51

I have a cockapoo. He has never pooed in the house even though we were also told he would shit everywhere but it never happened. He also isn’t bonkers and high energy. So I wouldn’t be put off a spaniel.

However he is very expensive. Separation anxiety so have to pay for daycare when we won’t be around all day. He has a food allergy and is a fussy eater so he is on very expensive food - €80 a month. He eats through his leads so we’re on our 4th in 4 months. And he’s only just started sleeping through the night at 5 and half months. Before that we let him out during the night so we were (Are) completely wrecked.

So I would say expense is the number one thing you need to be prepared for. And then lack of sleep.

2bazookas · 07/07/2020 21:53

No, you can't take any dog climbing, what a ridiculous idea.

Nor can you leave one in the car.

If money is an issue then you should be aware that vet bills can be huge; pet insurance is also expensive, (with an excess payable by owner). Kennel costs are also expensive ( you may need one when you go on holiday to a place that doesn't allow dogs).

If you live in rented accommodation then you may need to ask LL's permission.

TempestHayes · 07/07/2020 21:54

Getting a dog just because you have a bit of extra time in lockdown is a bad idea.

Is the puppy at a shelter? If it's just some rando on Facebook there's a chance it was bought from a puppy farm and now they're bored of it. That's how you get a dog likely to be inbred from a small gene pool (my parents' last dog was inbred mother with son, and he was vicious and had fits, so that's why he was their last dog.)

If it's at a shelter you might get some support.

If your DH climbs that's not exactly fun for the dog. Is it expected to watch? Your DH will find his attention distracted whilst keeping an eye on the dog's whereabouts, or if it's gone off to interact with another dog or whatever, so he's going to find this isn't a very dog-friendly activity. Hiking yes. Climbing, eh, not so much.

But honestly the bit that leapt out at me was you saying that, like many others, you've got a bit of free time thanks to lockdown and WFH. This isn't going to last the next 15 years. The shelters will be overrun with bored, neglected dogs once lockdown's over, WFH is a memory and the novelty has worn off and reality kicks in.

Oh, and you have allergies. And income issues. I mean... it's kind of a rehome waiting to happen.

Delatron · 07/07/2020 21:58

I’m interested in how you take a dog climbing?

Remember they stay cute puppies for about 4 weeks...! They are such hard work.

Mine is now 18 moths. I’m still shedding tears and having stresses as he hits adolescent and the hours and hours of training have gone out of the window. And I start all over again.

And the kids that begged for the dog and promised to play with the dog and come on all the walks? Not so interested.

Just a few things to think about. If I could go back in time I wouldn’t get the bloody dog.

nevernotstruggling · 07/07/2020 22:00

I have a spaniel. They arnt massive shedders. He doesn't not shed but it's minuscule compared with what I expected. It's like 5% of what a cat sheds.

Sarahlou252 · 07/07/2020 22:07

I have a Spaniel. He doesn't shed at all.
What he does need is shedloads of exercise every single day, come rain or shine, he doesnt care that its windy, raining or minus three. He needs something to keep his very active mind busy - training, tricks, scent games, impulse control etc. They are not cute lapdogs, they need a job, or they will find their own entertainment! If you are prepared to put in the work, you will be rewarded tenfold with fun, devotion and a love you never thought possible from a pet.

im5050 · 07/07/2020 22:09

We are experienced dog owners but when we had puppies they always went outside with the other dogs so we never really had puppies inside living with us .
We got a 4 month old french bulldog in December and despite owning dogs - lots of dogs for years I have never had to deal with a mental crazy batshit fully of multi can of red bull energy type puppy .

It’s 10pm I’m in bed and batshit is jumping around on the bed, in fact he’s just stood on my head😁
Puppies have an energy that humans can’t compete with .
We have had to child proof the house with stair gates.and remove anything that looks interesting to a puppy ( my kids are 24 & 26 and I’m back in the baby stage )
He’s already chewed the seat belt in my husbands new car ( but I hid the belt behind the dogs car seat)
His only saving graces free is that he
is reasonably house trained ,doesn’t pooh or wee inside and doesn’t cry at night and no problem leaving him in the house on his own if we need to go out and he makes us laugh all day long as he’s as stupid as fuck.
But his food and insurance is over £100 a month and will only go up . No to mention harness leads beds toys treats and all the other crap you just know your puppy will have
I’m waiting on a custom made bed and pillows for him with his name on the bed - not that anyone else is going to bloody sleep in it 😂😂

He’s now barking at flys and god knows what and trying to bite my feet .

FOJN · 07/07/2020 22:09

I don't know how far you've gone with your enquiry about this particular dog but puppies from rehoming centres usually generate a high level of interest and I've seen quite a few rehoming charities "inviting applications" for these kinds of dogs so they might not consider you the most suitable applicant. Just thought I'd mention it so you aren't disappointed if that's how things work out.

Young dogs have to increase exercise gradually so it would be a while before the dog could go hiking/climbing (?) with your husband.

Dogs are incredibly rewarding but they are a huge commitment and come with quite a few costs you may not have anticipated such as puppy or training classes which you would be advised to do unless you are a very experienced dog owner.