Don’t get a dog

[Manyandyoucanwalkover]

Dogs are really hard work. They don’t come house trained, so expect to have wee and poo all over your floors. They will eat stuff they shouldn’t and then they vomit. They can be very noisy, they bark and they whine. Some keep you awake half the night. The vet’s bills are horrendous. £75 for a consultation, then medication on top of that. They need regular medication for worms, ticks and fleas. Many dogs need trips to the dog groomer, factor in about £50 every six weeks. This is for 10 years or more. Then they break your heart. 🐾💔

Please don’t get a dog, unless you have thought about all the above.

Research the breed, indeed. We went for a 2nd dog 18 months or so ago - already have a perfect border terrier, absolute little prince who can do no wrong, but he loves other dogs and pined for all of those that passed by our window constantly.

I was worried that a 2nd border might be too much "terrier intensity" and they might become reactive, so - we researched low shedding, small, family dogs and also went on the experience of others who had similar.

What did we get? A cockapoo. Biggest mistake of our lives. He's more poodle than cocker so he has a super curly poodle coat and tiny teeth. £30 every 6 weeks at the groomer. Insurance for both just went up to £86pm. He is house trained but he digs, he eats his own shit, he barks at every sound. He constantly counter surfs despite multiple efforts to train him out of it. Yesterday he pulled a coat rack down. He ate a pair of Samsung earbuds. He's hypervigilant and starting to react to other dogs on the lead. He pulls like a train - I have 5 different no-pull gadgets (£80 in total) and had a trainer out (£120 an hour), no change. He drags the terrier around by the neck/leg/tail/any chunk of skin he can get hold of. I'm the only one who will walk him. Most days are spent with DH endlessly yelling at the dog "GET DOWN" "GET OUT" "LEAVE IT" "STOP IT" "NOOOOO". He causes arguments because DH thinks he needs discipline (that's the shouting) and I believe he needs direction, but he's still young and he'll calm down so cut him some slack.

But when the curly fool snuggles up to me on the sofa or in bed, comes galloping back the moment I call him even if halfway across a field, when his tail beats frantically when he sees me and he is so happily relieved when I come back from the bathroom, it's ALMOST worth it.

Yes you have read it wrong - It doesn’t the breeder persuaded me, because they didn’t, it was family who wanted 2.

And yes every word of my post is true in my experience, and not because they are 2 related dogs - just because they are 2 dogs. Pretty sure leads would tangle even though they weren’t related 😂

Im pretty sure I no longer care what you think of KC Breeders, as you clearly know not much at all.

I’m so sorry @strawberriesarenot . It’s the absolute hardest part of loving a dog. 💐

Signing up to mumsnet was instrumental in my decision to neither have kids nor get a dog, not saying that in a sarky way but genuinely it’s been eye opening

I don't know a huge amount about KC breeders you are right.
What I do know is that any decent one (and I think that dog breeding is a largely indecent pastime) would have a waiting list. They simply wouldn't have an unsold pup. They also wouldn't allow someone to take two litter mates, especially not as a last-minute thing. Perhaps you go a bogof deal, who knows? I'm also pretty sure they wouldn't sell a pup to someone who refers to the dog as it.

I can only hope that their lives are not as chaotic as your original post makes it seem.

@redboxer321 You’re deliberately being goady with your talk of backstreet breeding, KC breeding, dog breeding in general, and now BOGOF deals - just waiting on the ‘you should have adopted a rescue’ and you’ll have the full MN dog bingo card.

So sorry @TheMudWasWorthIt your post made me tearful so I can only imagine how you must be feeling. She is such a beautiful dog.

Sorry for your loss, @strawberriesarenot . I lost my last dog over 4 years ago, and still miss her terribly.

I'm too old and decrepit to get another, but dogsit for friends and family from time to time, which is great.

All you people posting pix of your adorable dogs are not helping at all!

Would love a dog. I've never had one though because my lifestyle doesn't fit. I need to be in a position to be able to devote a lot of time to bringing a dog up properly. This forum has taught and warned me of much!

I have a cat companion. She's much easier to manage with my irregular hours. There's lots of gadgets like cat feeders and toys to keep her entertained whilst I'm out. Her other human slave is my DD who loves her and also looks after her when I'm out. Cats are far easier than dogs.

I'll get a small doggy companion after I've retired.

Especially don't get a dog when you can't / aren't willing to control it around other people.

I don't like your dog running up to me and sniffing my baby.

I listened to all that advice for decades.

We got a dog 3 years ago. She has been an utter delight. We brought her home as a pup in Jan 2021. She has never pooed indoors. She has had 3 pee accidents total - all in the first 24 hours. She slept through the night from 4 months!! She is always delighted to see us. She eats everything with great gusto. She is always keen for a walk. She loves to play. She spends far more napping than I realised dogs do. You can leave a dog at home when you pop out. You can take a dog to the pub. Dogs are a joy.

Get a dog. It's so easy.

Do not have DC. They are bloody hard work. You cannot leave them at home. You cannot take them to the pub. They make huge mess. They moan. They rarely eat what they are given without complaining. They never want to go for a walk. They don't sleep for years. It's relentless.

Get a dog.

Not dogs but Shit Machines

Of course dogs are easier than children. Dogs, since they are unable to outsmart humans, have no choice but to fawn & placate you, although the larger stronger ones may kill & eat you.

Bringing up children is important work which benefits society as a whole.
Keeping dogs is a hobby in which you partake for your personal amusement, it is of no benefit to anyone else.

That's a lot. Ours is £30. Was £23 but had gradually gone up.

Awww, hugs. 💐

Our insurance with Animal Friends has gone up to £24 pm. Our girl is 9.

I avoid the vets and luckily have only been once but when we were newbies and thought she’d eaten chocolate. At the most she had half a KitKat! Cost a fortune in injection which didn’t make her vomit as planned and then charcoal which made an awful mess. Luckily, being a mongrel rescue she’s pretty hardy. 🤞🏻

I agree with a pp. dogs are easy compared to kids!!!

What sanctimonious clap trap. People do not have children because they believe it is “important work that will benefit society”. They have children because THEY want to.
If anyone on here had a child “for the benefit of society” please, shout up!

Bringing up children is important work which benefits society as a whole.
Keeping dogs is a hobby in which you partake for your personal amusement, it is of no benefit to anyone else.

Not a dog owner, but came here to say:

Please no. The having children benefits society argument is so annoying. We don't need more people being created, that is a net negative for society. Nobody has children to benefit society, and the majority don't, we take more than we contribute.

It’s pretty poor of your vets to have given an injection for half a kit kit - which would have been nowhere near toxicity. I had to get the injection for mine because he’d eaten a load of dark chocolate out of the bin and my vet took ages calculating it because it’s such a horrible experience for the dog that the vets hate doing it… the previous time ( a whole chocolate orange!) he wasn’t near the toxicity level so they didn’t need to.

<dustbin lurcher>

@0sm0nthus

Of course dogs are easier than children. Dogs, since they are unable to outsmart humans, have no choice but to fawn & placate you, although the larger stronger ones may kill & eat you.

Bringing up children is important work which benefits society as a whole.
Keeping dogs is a hobby in which you partake for your personal amusement, it is of no benefit to anyone else.

Despite the negative comments you have received after this comment, I agree with you. Clearly there are a few child-free people on this thread.

My dog is for me and my family, I couldn’t give a fuck about anyone else, tbh.

Id never be without one, but they’re an extra family member and all that entails.