Any dog people decided to NOT live with another dog?

StupidFaces · 2023-04-23T07:05:13+00:00

I’ve been a dog person all my life, they’re my main interest. Everything I do is related to dogs. However, I’m starting to daydream about having a clean house, being able to leave the patio doors open without a dog flying in and out barking and dragging mud everywhere … being able to just pack up and go away for the night without having to worry about dog sitters, having a FRESH smelling house … So, to dog people … have you ever decided to not get another dog and does the novelty of clean, free and fresh wear off after a bit?

Gtsr443 · 23/04/2023 08:09

I've always had dogs - loads of them - but after my last girl died a year ago I can't face the trauma and heartbreak of losing another so I'm living without a dog for the first time. Not sure if this will last though ...
The flexibility of not having to dash home for the do

Gtsr443 · 23/04/2023 08:10

Oops.
Dash home for the dog is a welcome change.

OhSmitty · 23/04/2023 08:13

I did. We got our puppy before we married. After she died it was so heartbreaking we decided not to get another dog. The kids were little, our lives were busier etc.

10yrs later however, we've got another puppy. I'd forgotten how difficult it was with a puppy but the break allowed us to really decide a dog would add to our lives rather than tie us down.

Girlintheframe · 23/04/2023 08:19

We decided after our last dog died to not get another..well that lasted 6 months. Yes there are quite a few positives of not having a dog to look after but for us life just wasn't the same and we realized for us life is better with a dog in it.

AllAboutMargot · 23/04/2023 08:20

No more dogs for us after our last dog died. We had dogs for 20+ years, both now retired and we have so much freedom (yes, and a cleaner house - especially the sofa and our bed - clothes always feel cleaner too not covered in hairs).

But ... I'm forever stopping to talk to dogs and cuddling them if I get the chance. I sometimes get tears in my eyes thinking how much I miss ours

Kaffiene · 23/04/2023 08:21

Yeah me. Always had a house full of dogs & cats. But separated last year & moved into rented so couldn’t bring any pets with me. Hated it at first but a year down the line I could have pets but just don’t want to.
I love the freedom of not having to rush back or always consider the dog in my plans. Never thought I would feel like this. Also, I hate the admit it but I am really starting to notice the smell & hair in other peoples homes.

Iheartmysmart · 23/04/2023 08:33

I’ve had dogs in my life for years but once my old boy goes I doubt I’ll replace him.

Life has changed massively over the last few years, I got divorced and now live in a flat which means numerous walks a day rather than being able to let him into the garden.

DS has gone off to Uni so he’s not around to help and my mum needs far more support since losing my dad last year. I work from home but long days in a new role and to be honest I’m knackered!

I occasionally drop my dog off to my ex-DH and just being able to go back to bed with a cup of tea first thing rather than dash out the door to walk the dog before I’m even properly awake is bliss!

Buildingthefuture · 23/04/2023 08:35

Nope. Never, ever for me. I would never just have one either. I’m always heartbroken when they die and it’s my others that get me through.
We do holiday without them sometimes and whilst it’s nice for the first few days not having to get up and see to them, and having clean floors, after about day 4 I just miss them and stalk other peoples dogs 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Irequireausername · 23/04/2023 08:53

I dream of being pet free. When these have gone, that's it for me. Don't enjoy having pets anymore, got a lot more going on now and feel i've outgrown the need.

Original poster

StupidFaces · 23/04/2023 08:56

See another thing for me is the sheer number of irresponsible dog owners around these days. In the past week alone there have been two posts on the local Facebook group about offlead dogs “attacking”/bothering their dogs. I feel these days there is just so much potential for things to go wrong due to other people’s stupidity. With my current dog I dread walking her as I’m in constant fear of other people letting their dogs run wild. It just doesn’t feel fun anymore 😞

OP posts:

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 23/04/2023 09:11

Yes, but only because of the ‘tie’ factor once dds had left home. We wanted to be able to go out for the day, to be able to decide last minute to go away for the weekend, etc. Around here kennels usually need to be booked well in advance and of course cost £££ - and we never had anyone we could leave the dog with.

I will admit it was nice that the kitchen floor stayed clean and we didn’t have dog hair everywhere, but I did miss our last beloved dog terribly after she was eventually PTS.

TBH I’ve often thought that if I’m ever left on my own, I’d much rather have a dog than another man! (Nobody could could ever replace dh). I wouldn’t give a toss about dog hair up the stairs, etc.

TakeMyStrongHand · 23/04/2023 09:57

StupidFaces · 23/04/2023 08:56

See another thing for me is the sheer number of irresponsible dog owners around these days. In the past week alone there have been two posts on the local Facebook group about offlead dogs “attacking”/bothering their dogs. I feel these days there is just so much potential for things to go wrong due to other people’s stupidity. With my current dog I dread walking her as I’m in constant fear of other people letting their dogs run wild. It just doesn’t feel fun anymore 😞

This is so true!

We lost our wonderful dog in 2017 and thought we would never have another one due to the ties and responsibility. DD and I missed him too much and couldn't live without one. DP didn't agree but we got another dog and this one is a bit of a nightmare in that he can't go to anyone else to be looked after so we are tied to uk holidays. I love him so much but I look forward to when he isn't around.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2023 10:01

I wouldn't say I'm a "dog person" insofar as not everything I do is dog related but I love mine dearly. However, I won't be getting another dog. If I need to scratch my dog owning itch I'll borrow one!

BMW6 · 23/04/2023 10:09

I won't get another when we lose ddog.

The grief is going to be terrible, there are too many big aggressive dogs around now so walkies is a worry, we want to be able to go places on a whim and we're getting on in years now.

After a number of dog free years I may consider fostering.

IrregularChoiceFan · 23/04/2023 10:13

I'm a cat person so slightly different but we have decided after these two die that will be it. Animals tie you down to the house so much. You can't just go away without a care plan in place and you can't often take them with you. I often say having pets is more of a tie than kids and I'm only half joking. At least with children, if you decide to go to Spain for the week, they can be be a part of that plan!

Eggseggseverywhere · 23/04/2023 10:15

Had to collect dc from a play date a while ago. The most amazing house! Had a sofa and chairs in the dining room along with a humongous table.. Felt like in a stately home drinking tea! The kitchen was bigger than the entire downstairs of my house! And our home is big..
Came back feeling a bit of a failure as we rent and always will.
Opened the front door and heard the clattering of claws on the wood floor.. 16 happy feet behind that door.
Never swapping that feeling for any clean, tidy place!

KimberleyClark · 23/04/2023 10:19

Our last dog died five years ago and we are still in two minds about having another one. She was a 16 year old JRT with all sorts of age related issues. TBH we enjoy the freedom and being able to go out/away as we please. We do have dogs in our lives, DB’s lab that we look after when they go away and neighbours’ dogs that we walk during the day when they are working, but tbh we like being able to hand them back!

BiteyShark · 23/04/2023 10:22

We won't be getting another. At the time we could we will most likely be retired and wanting to do things that are not compatible with having a dog.

Veenah · 23/04/2023 10:56

My neighbours felt like this after their last dog, they now occasionally foster for a rescue nearby which they enjoy but they can also take holidays etc without worrying about a dog.

JMSA · 23/04/2023 11:03

I adore my dog. But really, I wanted my children to experience owning one (as I did, and our wonderful Staffie added so much to our childhood). I wouldn't own another after this. Not only would he be a hard act to follow, but why would I want to tie myself down now that the kids are getting older? A retirement free of responsibility is the dream.

LakieLady · 23/04/2023 11:07

I've decided not to get another (lost my last one 2.5 years ago).

At 67, I don't want to leave a dog needing rehoming when I pop my clogs and I have a lot of arthritis that will, in time, make exercising and grooming difficult.

I dogsit for friends and friends of friends though, and have lovely canine houseguests from time to time, which is really nice.

mimiasovitch · 23/04/2023 11:15

After we lost our last dog I really enjoyed the hair and mud free home we had, and the freedom to just go away etc. Then after 6 months the urge hit and we ended up with a much larger, hairier and muddier dog. She's now 7 and the love of my life, but when I got home from work at 11 last night and crawled into my nice clean sheets to find grit over them I did have a little fantasy of a house that stays clean for 5 minutes.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 23/04/2023 11:19

@Eggseggseverywhere , do you know the Pam Ayres poem called Tippy Tappy feet? It’s very poignant, about so badly missing those very noises after a beloved dog is gone.

WoofWoofBeachLife · 23/04/2023 11:23

@Eggseggseverywhere I moan regularly about not having a clean clean house but I totally get the 16 tick tack of paws and I recognise each of my 4 with how they walk and sound on the floor haha. We will always have a dog just maybe not 4 😂

WoofWoofBeachLife · 23/04/2023 11:27

I've done the big house, stepford cleanliness with the exh and hated it. I had dogs then but he moaned everyday about the hair, mud, walking and feeding them. I'd love my home to have a room that's dog free for us but I would miss their wee faces and cuddly bodies next to me. We are planning a separate sitting room to relax and read, no TV or dogs. I'm with them all day 7 days a week and miss them if we are out. My DH agrees we will always have one dog, although he's a softy and adores the dogs he likes time without a dog and their demands.