To ask your experience of getting a dog?

[DefrostingBuble]

I have wanted a dog for years and finally my DP was in agreement this year so after much research I went on a waiting list for a puppy.

Everyone I know, knows how much I have wanted one for years. I have three children - two are not bothered one way or the other and the youngest is as bad as me with wanting a dog!

The breeder has contacted me (there’s been regular updates, it wasn’t out of the blue), to say someone has dropped off the list so there is a puppy available from February and I can visit next week if I would like.

Now I am this close, I am getting really anxious that what if it’s the wrong thing to do. I am an over thinker with anxiety issues anyway.

I just wanted to hear your experiences of bringing a puppy into your family - good or bad! Was it as you expected? Harder/Easier? Better/Worse?

I know only I can make the decision but would just love to hear your stories.

Terrible. Puppies are hell on earth. Worse than a baby. We currently have one here again (daytime only) as my nanny got one. She's a fantastic dog owner, no kids herself, experienced with dogs. She's tired and stressed.

I personally would never get one again until it's just me and no major responsibilities like small kids. The barking, pooing, whining all night, damage to the house, etc was too much when I got ours 6 yrs ago and the kids were small.

But clearly they are worth it if you can survive the first year of hell.

It was fine. You have to get straight on with training and socializing. Dont expect them to toilet train immediately. Expect them to bite and read how to stop it. Dont let them do anything as a puppy you dont want them to do when they're fully grown. It'll be fine

My experience is that I love my dogs more than anything and would never change having them. However, they are incredibly tying as you can't go anywhere without planning their care. Like a full day out with the kids can't really happen unless the dog is going with you or someone else is going to look after the dog for you. You can't go abroad unless someone else is going to have your dog.

Also make sure you have good insurance. Vet bills are really high, especially if they need specialist treatment. Mine did and the insurance refused to pay out.

Another thing, don't assume what your new dog will be like. For example, I always imagined myself out and about for the day with the dog, him running around with other dogs having the time of his life. The reality is he hates all other dogs so I have to avoid parks and I even have to cross roads if another dog is nearby!

They are really great though and I can't see you regretting getting a puppy, they're just a lot of hard work. So are kids though.

It was definitely harder than I thought, I've never owned a dog before and always had cats so I was surprised how dependant they were, they are kinda like babies but at least babies poo in the same place and it's legal to lock puppies in a crate when you need an hour or so to yourself haha I had two puppies at the same time (I didn't know you weren't meant to do that) and honestly it was hell but they're both two years old now and the loveliest dogs in the world (might be bias on that one) it's hard at first, you'll probably get puppy depression but it doesn't last forever and after the teenagers years, it's awesome (kind of like with kids )

I would absolutely never get a puppy, there are thousands of dogs looking for homes.

We’ve always rescued and have had largely positive experiences. Obviously a lot of work at the beginning with training and making the dog realise their place in the home, but overall incredibly worthwhile!

I did a lot of prep and I still found it hard work. But my pup has been really rewarding.

I’ve had my pup for nearly 8 months now and he still needs a lot of work every day. He’s going through a teenage phase so doesn’t want to do as he’s told which is annoying. And then we have magic moments like yesterday when we were playing chase in the park and he was giving me a lot of eye contact so we felt really in sync. I could just tell that he was having the best time playing together and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. Later he wandered over, farted then slipped off to the end of the room to leave me with his stinky stench. So much for being a team!

@Nottherealslimshady covered pretty much everything I was going to say. So important to train from the off, I don't mean expecting them to learn everything instantly but you must be consistent.
How old are dc? Who will look after dog if you are on a day out / holiday / work commitment?

Puppies are extremely hard work. I hope in all the time you’ve been wanting a puppy you’ve also been doing a lot of homework regarding the practicalities of looking after a dog. It will be with you for 10-15 years and will require feeding, walking and entertaining every single day.

You will need to train it to stop it being a menace. There is a good programme on Channel 5 at the moment about puppies, suggest to find it and watch the back catalogue.

I have four dogs and every time I have brought home a new puppy over the years I have had that feeling of “what have I done???” when I am reminded again of how much work puppies are. Don’t underestimate it. Decide on rules and routine before your puppy comes home and stick to them. Don’t wait to start training. Don’t forget a puppy is a tiny baby and there’s a big adjustment period and learning curve to tackle. Having said all that all the ground work you put in in the first year or so is absolutely worth it because for every dog I have raised I am left with the feeling of “how did I ever live without them” even if the initial puppy phase is a rough ride. It’s hard to advise fully because they’re all individuals. I have two that were the easiest puppies and slotted in fairly quickly and two that were extremely labour intensive and tried my patience and nerves daily. But they’re all more than worth it to get the wonderful adult dog at the end.

Depends on the breed. We have a border collie, who my husband always wanted. I stopped working, so was a good time to devote time into getting a puppy. 2.5 years later, he’s great, but boy he’s hard work. We have adult children out at work, so it’s just us and dog daytime. He has 3 good walks a day, training both physically and mentally is non stop.

Puppy stage with the nipping is hard to get through. Really all family members need to want a puppy as it will impact everyone, from inside and outside the house.

I rescued a puppy. So much energy, learning her behaviours. But it’s not hard. I don’t get the hard work thing. Just train them. It should become second nature. Outside every hour to toilet train, lots of treats, complete family involvement. I got another rescue this year. Perfectly behaved.

My little angels. Best in the world. Considering a third.

Much harder than I expected. Having a puppy was a little like having a new born. I'd never had a dog but DH had.The rewards were much greater than I expected especially for the DC's. Having a dog is a big commitment. Walks, additional cleaning, planning their care for when you are on holiday or going out, flea and worm treatment etc.

The first few weeks were hard and I cried an awful lot thinking I wasn't doing things right. However, after the initial few weeks, we have a pup who is really well behaved and everybody he meets absolutely adores him!

We decided that ours was going to sleep in the kitchen with his crate door open so he can go in as and when he pleases. That first night we brought him home, we settled him in the kitchen, had a cuppa in there and then we went to bed. He cried for 10-15 minutes on/off and then slept all the way through. He has a chew toy we give him specifically for bed time and he's continued to sleep through the night.

I would definitely recommend crate training. We didn't want to put him in his crate (hence why we left it open) but he was a huge destructive chewer so we made the decision to start crate training him in a much bigger crate we had bought him and he loved it!

They're very 'bitey' so expect that. Puppy teeth are the devil! We realised that when he started to get like that, he needed a nap so we would put him in his crate for a nap. He goes in there throughout the day now for nap time and it's massively improved

Get a Kong! They make meal times last so much longer and it tires them out too!

It was both easier and harder than I thought it would be. I kept Dpuppy on a strict schedule of naps and playtime etc, and she reached a lot of 'milestones' earlier than I expected. But the whole thing was still exhausting. For four months I couldn't ever relax as I was constantly looking for signs my dog needed a wee, or couldn't go on the stairs, or woke up at 6 every morning. Putting in the work early makes a ton of difference however. My dog is 3 and I have no idea where she is, because she never touches or destroys any of my stuff, meaning she gets to roam the house as she pleases. I bet she's in the guestroom snoozing on the bed, though sometimes she likes to sleep in the computer room.

Honestly, the best advice I've ever had is that the more you restrict your puppy's movements early on, the more freedom you can give them when they are grown. Don't set them up to fail. I kept puppy on the lead in the house until she was a bit older and some family members thought it was cruel, and now I'm reaping the rewards. Good luck with your pup

Awful. I will never ever have another dog.

I actually found it ok, but mine was 20 weeks when I got him. Only issue we’ve had really is the toilet training- he’s a notoriously slow breed anyway, plus that first 6 months without any training meant it’s been difficult to crack.

I purposely got a low maintenance breed though. In many ways I find him easier than the cat, as I can take him most places so long days out are easier, plus holidays I can leave him with family rather than faff finding a cattery or sitter. Plus there’s not that constant worry of will he come home when he goes out!

Manage your expectations for the first month or so. Little puppies are super-cute, but bloody hard work! And they bite a lot. But after that it will be amazing.

Be prepared to deal with a lot of poo and wee. Toilet training takes a while....

They do change your life, though - they’re a big commitment. I’ve lost hours from my day that I now spend with my boy beagle. From day one you’ll need to be working on their socialisation and training, and you need to make sure (as I am sure you have done) that you understand your dogs likely needs in terms of physical exercise and mental stimulation.

I love my dog SO much. But I also get an awful lot of joy and love from my cats for a LOT less effort.

I’d waited 20 yrs for my husband to agree to a dog and didn’t find it hard at all , and he’s not a particularly easy dog as he’s a bit thick . That said we had horses growing up so I’m very use to having to revolve ones existence around an animal .

@DefrostingBuble I forgot. Invest in some cheap and cheerful soft slippers that fully cover ankles! They tell you to ignore your puppy when he's biting you to bits, which is a lot easier said than done, and I've definitely cried in despair on more than one occasion. It was a lot easier to turn around and ignore when the land shark could no longer assault my ankles to the point of bleeding. Turns out, they do get bored of it if there's zero response. (Especially if you heap on the love when they stop trying to eat you).

Puppies are hell (and mine was easy, relatively speaking). I have a lab, he is now 14mo and a teenager. As a large breed he takes a long time to mature, he’ll be a ‘puppy’ (emotionally and in some aspects of his physical development) until he’s around 2yo. He has been quite easy to train in most ways but we have stay on it every day and there are still things that he struggles with (on lead walking!). As a teen, he is surprising us with new behaviours, embarrassing things like thieving other dog’s balls and refusing to give it back when we’re out on walks. He just turns it into a big ‘chase me’ game, the key is to ignore him but it can take 15-30mins to get the ball back off him and thankfully most owners are patient and remember their dog going through a similarly knobbish stage but you do feel like a useless part being outwitted by a dog.

He is really calm and well adjusted for a teenage dog. Make sure that you know and are happy with the temperament of the dam (mum) and before you get the puppy. There’s no guarantee that your pup will have the same temperament but you stand a better chance of having a dog with a similar mindset. Also if you want a calm dog, raise it in a calm environment, try to keep that in mind when they are doing their snappy zoomies and you want to scream .

Don’t underestimate the level of commitment a dog takes. They take over your life. They are wonderful and as I say, mine is pretty easy given his stage in life but they seriously restrict your ability to go anywhere and do anything! You have to forward plan everything to the nth degree.

If you have children & remember the baby stage then you’ll be fine with a puppy. We got a puppy 2years before having children & it was so fun. We found so many new walks & really explored our area! We were in a flat so potty training was harder, but we managed. Best decision ever, I can’t imagine not having my sweet pup & my son adores her! My husband thought it would be limiting, but now we just prefer dog friendly places & holidays as we genuinely want her to join us! Good luck with you puppy!

I got my ddog (who sadly died of old age 2 years ago) when I was 23 and pregnant with my eldest. I don’t remember the puppy days being traumatic at all. I lived in a very safe and remote place, and it was spring so I used to keep the door open all the time, and he picked up toilet training in no time at all. I remember the first night I got him home I tried to get him to sleep in the living room and he cried and cried, so I let him sleep in my bed next to me on the pillow and he was fine. He slept with me every night until he was about a year old and decided himself he preferred his own bed. I had all these maternal hormones going on and he basically became my baby, I was obsessed with whether he was ok and what he needed, and yes he was ridiculously pampered and mollycoddled but it never felt like a stress, we just connected really quickly and had the most amazing relationship for the 15 years of his life. The only annoying thing he did when he was a pup was try to chew my flip flops as I was walking along, I went through quite a few pairs of them . I don’t think he ever fully grasped that he was a dog and not my eldest child, he even had his own car seat in the car as he’d always try and sit in dd’s. But he never really needed much training, because we had this weirdly intense relationship going on from day 1, and he couldn’t bear it if I was cross with him, so he would just behave himself! I think I was lucky in that I was at home being pg the whole time and could spend all my time with him with no dc or any other responsibilities. I guess it’s harder if you have to juggle work/kids etc with having a pup.

I'd never had a dog before but had done lots of prep and had no young children in the house.

She was so easy. Intelligent, easy to please, so easy to house train. An absolute joy.

But I'd never have another. I willingly forego holidays abroad, days out where she cannot come, because I love her and I often put her needs above mind. But not again.

I also wasn't prepared for just how much I love her... I knew she'd become part of the family, and had seen family members and friends grieve when they lost them. But I hadn't expected the depth of love, and she will be my one and only.

We got a puppy 2 weeks ago. She's 10 weeks old now.

I'm working from home so can manage but it is a full time commitment. She's lovely and doing really well, but you do need to have eyes on them all the time. My youngest is 13 so everyone can share the responsibility.

I would say be calm, be consistent. It's not easy but it's loads of fun.

Who will look after the dog when you go on holiday?
Who will look after the dog when you want a day out?
Who will walk the dog with no whinging if it's pissing down and cold?