To think dogs are unhygienic

[bottomsup12]

I know it sounds judgey but hear me out..

DH would love a dog and I do love the idea of having one when I see them out and about it seems really nice and fun having a dog as a companion. I absolutely love other people's dogs!

However when I get down to the nitty gritty of thinking about the actual reality of having a dog in the house it gives me the ick because...

• I hate dog poo and I don't want to pick any of it up in the garden (DH says he will but I just know this will be slack and I'll end up stepping in it)
• they're butts are just there out in the open and it will be sitting on the floor maybe even the furniture (have a baby so I don't want him crawling around where the dogs arse has been after a horrible dog poo!
• I think they all smell bad! And I don't want me or the house to stink!
• they lick everything on the floor outside and lick things in the house which makes me wince.
• they obviously walk barefoot outside treading in all sorts of shit and the streets are filthy and they'd be walking all around the house and furniture with these gross dirty feet.
• the hairs would be everywhere

I just can't get past all of that but I feel I am being unfair on DH who really wants one and grew up having them in the house

Dogs are absolutely disgusting at times. They eat poo, roll with glee in fox shit/dead things, make themselves I'll by eating other dogs shit and throw up and get muddy on walks and in the garden.
Luckily owning one is not compulsory.

We have a non shredding breed, also not shiny coated, so non-smelly. But he shits, like all dogs and we pick it up in a bagged hand. He also had the temerity to bring his arse into the house and we actively encourage him onto sofas. He also does indeed walk barefoot outside.

I think you don’t sound at all robust enough to have a dog and should stay resolute. Dog ownership is not for you, OP.

And then people have them licking their faces. It’s beyond gross

If you know of babies eating their own shit, you should report it to the authorities, that’s neglect. It’s not a laughing matter.

I don’t read threads that bore me! You could try implementing that idea yourself 🤷🏼‍♀️

They are great for mental health and there's growing evidence that having a dog boosts your gut biome and immune system. However, if you don't want one, don't have one, it's not fair on the dog.

My dog doesn't lick his arse, eat shit or roll in shit. Sooooooo

A dog you don’t want and that makes you uncomfortable in your home (and possibly resentful of all the dog related consequences) is not going to improve anyone’s mental health.

We trained our dog not to use our garden as a toilet. I agree I think that dog poo in a garden is gross.

YANBU i have 3 dogs, they are very, very dirty and unhygienic. It feels like a full time job attempting to be clean with them around, picking up their turds is the least of it tbh. Theres all the mud, mopping, towelling, grooming, bathing, hoovering of dander (insane how dusty their room gets) and fur, frequent vomiting because they eat anything small/liquid enough to go in their mouths regardless of whether its edible. Periodic shitsplosions for same reason. 'Dietary indiscretion' the vet calls it which is brilliant. I'm constantly bleaching, freshening the carpet, washing sofa throws and should take out shares in Yankee yet i'm sure the house has a slight doggy smell. Then there's the car 🤦‍♀️

You can keep them clean but my god it'll be hard work.

Very. Same shit every time.

I agree with everything the OP has listed and like hers, my husband would love to have a dog. I would add dog food to OP's list of reasons why I don't have a dog. It absolutely stinks. It's not as bad as poo, admittedly, but still disgusting and people have bowls of it in their kitchens.

As for the suggestion that some children are as smelly/dirty as dogs, I have to say I have never come across a child so badly neglected that they smelled worse than a dog and I have come across a few neglected/uncared for children in my professional life.

I have friends with dogs who keep their homes and children clean, but you can smell their dogs as soon as you walk into their homes. They can't smell it though.

I agree. I like to have very clean floors and you can’t have that unless you clean the dog’s feet after every walk.

Yes to all your points OP

Dirty, slobbery things

And your house will always smell, even when you think it doesn't

The only creatures that made my dc sick were other dc!!!

Don't get a dog, it's not fair on them but I do t recognise any of your issues despite having a long haired breed who hates baths (and loves swimming in muddy ponds ick)

I grew up with dogs and hated it for all the reasons you mentioned. The best thing about moving out of my parents’ home was not having to share a space with smelly dogs ever again.

They probably are unhygienic, but then so are most kids! You are being very honest about how you feel regarding your worries and in that respect I would probably not condone the dog owning route. It wouldn't be fair on the dog. Also, I'm a huge dog person but I wouldn't have thanked anyone for the extra response when my children were very young. I too, liked at least a hair free home at that stage then we got our first cat and have never been pet free since).

Yep us too, we have two Gundogs and life can be full of mud, smell and mess. But they are bloody lovely.

You shouldn’t get a dog unless you’ve done your research, can cope with all the negatives of owning a dog (and the smell/mess/commitment etc mentioned is all true). I personally think it’s wrong to have a dog if it has to be constantly bathed/groomed to lose its natural coat/smell for you. And most importantly you shouldn’t get a dog unless you really want one. Especially with a young baby in the mix already.
That said, I couldn’t be without a dog and feel sorry for your husband. It would be a deal breaker for me if someone didn’t like/want animals. But obviously this would have been discussed before moving in together/getting married or having kids!

If you don't want a dog, then don't have one. No need to tie yourself in knots trying to justify why.

And if you have a baby in the house, then the extra responsibility would be something you could do without for now.

Saying that, dogs are amazing, and when you have one, you tend to look past the gross stuff (I am sure you look past changing nappies etc).

Of course they are. You can tell a dog owner when you walk in their house or go in their car, because it stinks. I actually love dogs, but also like a nice smelling house so for that reason it's a no from me. I used to live with someone who let her dog sleep in her bed and lock her face 🤮

Dogs are fucking disgusting. Curling out a log then rimming themselves and then licking people.

It only took 4 posts before someone had to compare dogs and kids; must be a record even for MN.

It’s not stress, OP, it’s love. Which is sometimes hard work, but always worth it.

So that’s the real question, not whether or not it’s hygienic (people have lived with dogs for thousands of years and it’s not a health risk at all, unless you have allergies) but whether you will love it.

Never caught anything off the dog but plenty of bugs off the DC. Quite a bit of poo clearing up after them too! Young DC aren’t particularly hygienic in their ways either

House might smell of dog but that smell is competing with smell of teenage boy🤢