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.

My scruffy little diva, bloody hard work - and I suspect Dh loves her more than he loves me!

Dave looks lovely xxx

We have a 4 month old puppy. We’ve had him since he was 9 weeks.

He has brought us nothing but unbridled joy, and filled the massive hole left by our beloved old dog who died last year.

Yes, we had 2 weeks of some overnight accidents, but he has been completely house-trained since then. He sleeps alone downstairs (there was no question he’d do this as I don’t want him upstairs), he gets up when we do be that 7am or considerably later.

This is our 3rd dog since 1997. Each one has been a joy from day one.

I would never say ‘don’t get a dog’. If you love dogs, you’re responsible, can afford it (ours was just shy of £2k) and you are at home most of the time - it’s the best thing you could do.

I have had 5 dogs through my life all needed different amounts of time to train but they all give unconditional love like nothing you will experience with humans. I can not imagine life without a dog but they are expensive so don’t get one if you can’t afford it, they deserve the best you can give. My dog at the moment loves nothing better than climbing on you and kissing you till you end up laughing and then curling up with me.🥰

People often get these lovely large working breeds without realising they aren't going to fit their lifestyles and homes. As well as that, pedigrees often come with health issues, and then, whilst adoption is great for the dogs who need homes, there's more and more overseas adoptions coming into new homes with health problems and behavioural issues which are going to cause new owners a whole host of stress and financial strife.

You need to think carefully about the size of the dog you can manage, how much enrichment and exercise you can realistically offer him/her on the regular, dog size will dictate the amount of food it will eat and the cost of food and the cost of the vet bills too. So the smaller the breed the lower the cost. Mixed breeds/crosses that are smaller breeds tend to have much longer life spans and are cheaper over all too.

As an example, I have a 4 year old mixed breed female. She's a wee white curly haired poodle/maltese/westie mix, I paid £400 to have her spayed via Laprascopic surgery, with pre op bloodwork. I pay £30 a month to the local vet for a pet plan, and that covers her monthly flea/worming, unlimited consultations, nail trims, yearly vaccinations. I pay £15 pet insurance. She's in good health, she goes with a dog walker/trainer once a week so she's well behaved around other dogs, not cause I need a dog walker for any other reason. She's a total lap dog and velcro dog, she's daft, never chews anything she shouldn't in the house, avoids walking through puddles, loves people and can walk for miles but equally happy to have a lazy day trotting about in the garden and sunning her belly. And I save a fortune on grooming as learned how to do it myself. Would hate to have been put off of owning a dog by a post like this. You just need to make sure you choose the right dog breed for you and your family.

If you take time to understand how to house train and train your puppy the mess should be minimal. Too many people jump into pet ownership without knowing what is expected of them. Get the basics right and having a pet is incredibly rewarding. You have to have common sense and capacity to love and care for something other than yourself first and foremost.

I have a dog, she was free and is a black mongrel. I didn't want a puppy and usually prefer the rescue route, which I know isn't something a lot of people are willing to do. We got her a couple of years ago when she was about 11 years old. She was housetrained, walks like a dream on the lead, great recall ( although this is not as good as it was due to deafness ), happy to be left for a few hours snoozing on the sofa and has trained us to within an inch of our lives, to cater to her every whim

I'd add - don't get a dig when you retire. A good companion and reason to get out of the house when you are 65, is much more of a challenge when you are in your late 70s and in failing health

If you get a dog in your mid 60s it will have slowed down as much as you have when you’re in your late 70s. I was 66 when we got ours, she’ll be an old lady too when I’m 80.

They also cause huge heartbreak as they don’t live as long as us. We’ve just lost our beloved stinky dog of 12 years. The house really doesn’t feel the same without her 💔

I don’t get the puppy appeal, which is why I always have rescue dogs. Came house trained and independent, can be left, is crate trained and is the kind of dog which lots of people comment on, as he is really quirky, funny and handsome. Yes, he’s expensive now he’s reached his senior years but had no issues for the first 10. Main cost has always been walkers and dog care.

Always had dogs, cats, and other pets, and I wouldn't want life without them. Yes, they are a responsibility and you need to be aware how much so before going ahead. Vets' bills have become increasingly more expensive so you do need to make sure you have the funds to look after their health, pet insurance etc. So I agree don't get a dog unless you know how to look after it properly, training takes time and patience, so if you don't have these qualities it's not fair on them. Xx

Why are some people writing Pooh instead of poo?! 💩

Dogs do not need regular worm & flea 'medication'.
Nor do they need annual vaccinations.
All a con by the pharmaceutical companies who incentivies the big vet companies.
Furry rabbit ears & a worm count of their poop will usually do the trick, we have done this for 3 years & both dogs have been worm free. After their initial vaccinations they can had a titre test & they are very likely to still have immunity so need no further vaccinations.
We also find coconut oil rubbed on their coats keeps the fleas away, again this has worked for us for 3 years.

They need annual vaccinations if they go into kennels.

Dogs do not need regular worm & flea 'medication'.
Nor do they need annual vaccinations.

This. It is such a monumental rip-off.

Our last dog had her puppy vaccinations and nothing else. When she was 9, she had to be admitted to a vet clinic to get something she’d eaten removed from her throat. Part of the admissions process was to test her immunity. Despite having only her puppy vaccinations, she had FULL immunity to everything - 8 years on.

I would never have my dog immunised annually.

I have a dog, love him to bits. I honestly don’t find him too expensive at all though. He’s a whippet, so the only grooming he needs is his nails clipping every three months - £10 each session. And I never understand it when people take their dogs for flea and worm treatment to the vets, unless their insurance plan covers this. I treat mine with over the counter stuff, which is just as effective, and a lot cheaper. And also people who take them for regular check ups. It’s like a human going to the GPs for check ups if nothings wrong with them - people just don’t do this, so why do it with your dog unless they’re displaying signs of illness? sure there might be times in the future that will be expensive, such as illnesses whereby an excess is to be paid, but on the whole I just don’t really find I have to outlay a lot of money on him.

We got a dog, and after six months he became aggressive and bit me quite badly, we had to rehome him, it was utterly devastating for the whole family 😢

I love dogs more than people but I would never be able to commit to one again, much to my children's disappointment. I couldn't take the heartbreak of losing them either, it's absolutely devastating.

We have a Shih Tzu. She is 3. She isn’t much bigger than a small rabbit and has cost our insurer over £20,000 in those short years! Her insurance has tripled but that seems fair! Grooms every 4 weeks, pet plan, amazing sitter and all the other stuff including toys that she won’t play with!

worth every single penny.

if you get a dog, get good lifetime insurance.

All true

My dog is honestly my single source of serotonin. She genuinely makes me so so happy.

I think dogs should be prescribed for people with depression and anxiety! They’re better than a pill that’s for sure.

I do agree with the sentiment of the OP though- if you aren’t responsible enough to deal with one then don’t get one.

I think dogs should be prescribed for people with depression and anxiety! They’re better than a pill that’s for sure.

I get your point @bonzaitree but it very much depends how bad a person's depression and anxiety is. It can be really unfair on the dog and can actually make the person worse if they are so depressed they are unable to meet the dogs needs.

Also, please don't get a dog if you don't look after it
We have spent the whole evening hearing the neighbours dog barking. Non stop.

Completely agree! I’m was more talking run of the mill depression rather than serious MH difficulties.