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.

tried for all my dogs evey insurance refused point blank as dog was too old

Yes, I think you are right. Dogs are a lifestyle - cats are much more straightforward.

Yes, they can be. Pick the right dog first. We have a smallish breed, not flat faced. He came to us at 12 weeks. He was house trained within a couple of weeks. Dog flap in place. Although we both worked from home (although I recently went back to the office) we regularly left him up to an hour or so so he could get used to it.
He is small enough to pick up away from trouble and can't get onto any surfaces.
We are lucky to be able to budget for pet insurance, vets, dog walker and dog sitter.
What I hadn't taken account though is how much they steal your heart!

I agree OP, really hard work. People just don’t realise the commitment involved with pet ownership. We have had a dog and 3 cats in the past. And whilst I still love pets I would never take on another, my health is also a big part of that decision. Our DS’ are adults now and we have freedom to go away on holiday when we want. I just don’t want the commitment anymore.

My vet bills are nowhere near that. They don't need to be spayed or neutered, they don't need monthly flea and tick treatment, just treat when needed, infact the monthly treatment give some dogs very nasty seizures.

Mine came to me at 11 weeks due to it being around Fireworks season, he was already house trained! Some breeds are very clean and it's not hard to house train.
They don't have to go to the groomer if you do it yourself, I have a coated breed and groom him myself every week for one hour. Invest in a cheap grooming table, they are brilliant.

Eventually they will need something though. Pet insurance covers most things but one of mine is about to have a 1200 procedure that isn't covered. First time we've hit that though. Everything else has been nicely covered.

The only reason I’ve not agreed to have another dog is due to the absolute heartbreak of losing them 💔 just can’t go through that again.

Agree with your post though, OP. So many people don’t give a dog the life it deserves as they didn’t realise the hard work and responsibility it takes to own one, especially from a pup.

I am now that mad lady who normally says hello to your dog first and gives them a fuss (if allowed) just to get my dog fix!

I've had dogs before and loved it, and them, but at this stage of my life with young children I just wouldn't be able to cope with any additional noise and mess. Luckily I have the ideal pet which is a cat that visits sometimes, wraps itself round my legs, then goes away again

By housecat, you mean an indoor cat?
I have two and they are not much work. I do about one extra mop a week, and have to clean out the cat toilets. That's about it. Short trips away don't even require finding someone to look after the cat fulltime; if it's no more than a couple of nights, I just ask a friend to change food/water and scoop poop from the toilets. Pretty easy.

Thanks for reminding me why I won't get a dog though I love dogs! I just want someone to be super happy to see me. Not a good enough reason, I guess.

Agree with a lot of previous posters here. We have a 3 year old Spaniel breed, the puppy stage was really difficult and seemed to last forever. Didn't get proper sleep for months as he seemed to take an age to toilet train so I was up in the night several times to let him out. My hands were in bits because they were his favourite chew toy until he had his adult teeth. He followed me everywhere and not my partner because I was the one WFH and with him the majority of the time and his training went out the window when he hit 'teenage years' and started to push the boundaries. He's also cost me hundreds in vets fees for eating things he shouldn't.

But I knew it was going to be like this when we got him, I didn't expect him to be perfect in a matter of weeks like a lot of people seem to think their puppies should be. We put the effort in to training and both my partner and I were consistent with how we taught him. We introduced him to different situations, dogs, children etc so he was well socialised. He's now a great dog and is generally good as gold but he still has his moments and quirks. Dogs are really worth it but you have to put in the effort and I think a lot of people are don't realise that or just can't be bothered.

What insurance companies did you try?

Mine is insured, won't be without it but there is an excess. It very rare it goes over the £100 excess. Plus vaccination and health check was £50 this week, which really isn't bad at all.

We are in Ireland so tried all that is avaliable here. maybe different in UK.. my sis also works in insurance and tried for me. vets told me not to bother and instead save 100e a month. they also allow payment plans thank god

To be fair.. you can say most of this about getting a husband.. or having kids. 👦

Maybe think about getting an older dog from a rescue centre. Two years ago we got a beautiful rescue dog and never once gave I regretted him. He was two when we got him, fully house trained and although excitable, he's full of love and fun. Walking him gets me and OH out and about because it has to be done. Worth thinking about.

I dont know what kind of husband you have, but mine doesn't wee and poo all over the floor!

Mine is insured too. Insurances don't cover dental for the most part, because it's like a bottomless pit. Or at least, that's true in my area.

I have had dogs my whole life- it was still a shock when my 15 year old boy died and I got a puppy.

It was exhausting. I felt like I didn't remember how hard it was at all.
She is now 5 and I couldn't be without her.

All my DC have left home and she is snuggling by my side as I write this.
Worth it if you can put in the hard graft early days-because it is hard!

I haven't read the whole thread so it has probably already been mentioned. Don't get a dog if you can't be bothered to take it for a proper walk every day. There's a family near me who have a husky type dog which gets dragged up and down the cul de sac by a child, I've never seen it being taken out for a proper walk by an adult. Lack of exercise and boredom causes bad behaviour and aggression particularly with 'working' breeds.

They also smell terribly and picking up dog poo is 🤮 (although absolutely necessary! hate people who don’t)

@Wexone Ah, my mistake sorry. I presumed you were in the UK.
I think it used to be harder to get older dogs insured in the UK but now it's not difficult at all. I know older dogs in rescue often get overlooked because of their age and just wanted to let people know that if insurance worries are holding anybody back, then they needn't.

It's really sad. It's yet another thing that has been added to the "luxury" list (i.e the list of things that make life happier). Poor people - don't bother. Along with so many other things.

Also-controversial re insurance.

We don't have it.

We can afford if something its needed but it is a gamble and DH is a gambler.
FWIW I am not.

Spoke to my vet about it and he said he doesn't believe in it either.
He said ppl get in when dogs are pups.
It goes up and up and ppl tend to give it up just when the dogs will need it as they age. Like anything it is a business.

*our abandoned rescue cat has cost us thousands in vet fees so am well aware of the pitfalls... Just saying if you can't get insurance you could just put money aside so you have it when needed.

So this is not an insurance debate but just saying it doesn't have to be a deal breaker for older dogs.

It’s almost a year since I got my first dog, an 8yo rescue. It has been way more complicated and expensive than I anticipated. I do have insurance and a plan at the vets, which both help a bit. But it turns out he has arthritis and needs to be on long term pain meds. He was ill a couple of weeks ago, needing blood tests and a scan: £600. Today’s job is to attempt to claim at least some of that back from the insurers.

But I love him. And there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing him run across the fields, for the sheer pleasure of it. He wasn’t happy in his previous home, but he is completely happy now, and that is worth everything.

Also, he was fully house trained when I got him, we walk on the farm where I live, so I hardly ever have to deal with his poo and never with his wee.