After dogs - anyone ever said no more dogs and stuck to it with no regrets?

[ThatsABitExcessive]

I feel a bit guilty posting this but anyway - I really regret getting dogs. I have two - 9 and 6 years old. The eldest is lovely, he’s an absolute breeze and spend most of his time sleeping but he completely destroyed our house in his younger years - pissing and shitting everywhere until he was 6 years old. He would piss up furniture and has ruined a coffee table, a dining room table and a computer desk doing this as well as ruining multiple flooring beyond repair. On top of this he ruined two sofas, two doors and the stair banister. Nothing has been replaced or repaired as there is just no point whilst he’s still with us.

Our youngest barks constantly, I can’t have windows or doors open as she’ll bark at the slightest noise. We have lovely patio doors onto the garden but can never use them. She doesn’t destroy things though and is a clean dog apart from the constant shedding. Dog hair absolutely everywhere, even upstairs where she isn’t allowed.

im getting to the point where I daydream about being dog less - clean tidy house, no holes in the sofa, no smell, patio doors wide open - has anyone else been through this? I love them of course but I’ll never get another. Everyone says I will - but I don’t think I’ll go back on if this time.

Another bug bear - fancy a quick weekend away? Kennels “that will be £100 please” costs more to put the dogs in kennels than the bloody break costs 😂

Our Westie is now 14.

I gave in when our kids were 10 and 11, now of course they have been off to uni and not home. Dog is lovely but I deeply resent the tie and will not countenance another. Ever.

My spaniel has tipped me over the edge, no more dogs when he’s gone. He’s well loved and looked after, but he’s such hardwork. I look forward to borrow friends dogs and doing a bit of do sitting. He’a only 3 1/2 so I’ve years to go.

Agree it's absolutely insane. Mine are usually trained by 10 weeks, give or take a week.

Smaller dogs can take a bit longer. And some dogs are particularly difficult (Iggys, Frenchies, Chis). However it is usually the dogs that are treated like accessories rather than actual dogs that have issues being house-trained etc. and tbh it's usually part of wider behavioural/training issues.

Yes my younger dog was fully housetrained by 10 weeks. Eldest is a frenchie. Not treated like an accessory at all.

My 2 are fab, easy to look after, well trained etc but OMG no never again!
They are never left alone ( we all work different hours so that's easy) my neighbour dog sits for them when we are away, she comes in every 2 hours for a hour every day whilst DS is at work as she loves them and we pay well.
I just can't do the hair, mess and muck and the responsibility of them.
I do love them but have decided to never love another animal enough to live with them.

I go through this phase due to not being able to travel, but I love my dog dearly and if I didn’t have her I would likely be fat

My eldest asked for a dog SOLIDLY for 5 years and gave all the usual “I’ll look after it” “I’ll do it all” but I waited till I was prepared to do it all because I’m a single mum and my youngest has very complex needs. And yep the novelty wore off and it’s me who looks after our beloved dog! Eldest is off to uni this September so won’t even be here!!
we have got VERY lucky with our dog, not a bit of hassle out of her since day one. And for THAT reason I won’t be getting another because you don’t get two the same and I literally have the dream dog right now so know it won’t happen again! One and done in this family thank you.

Yeah my only concern is I’m going to get fat

When our dog died I was so bereft I became skin and bone.

There is also the fact that when a dog gets old and perhaps unwell they can't walk too far, if at all, and so neither do you. When your poor old dog eventually goes you might actually walk more.

I often wonder what the world will be like for all the first time dog owners who got dogs during Covid when their dogs get old and start restricting their lives - can't take the dog out for the day, afraid to leave the dog - it's going to be a shock. People worry about the puppy years before getting a dog but I don't think they give a thought to the old dog years.

This is a valid concern! Dogs do keep us fit and healthy. I think my weight, heart, joints and mental health would all suffer without my dogs. I absolutely have to walk them for a minimum of 40 minutes a day, whatever the weather, even when it’s pouring down.
However, I do feel like my current dogs may be my last dogs. They are very hard work, being difficult rescues, and I do want to travel and have some freedom at some point.

It's easy. After they're dead, don't get another one.

I made this decision wrt cats. Even though I absolutely love them and they're my favourite animal, and I loved my old girl so much it hurt, I won't get another. They're a tie and they're expensive and then they go and die and break your heart into a million pieces.

We're having a break of at least a few years after we lose our current psycho. I love her but she's reactive on the lead so walks are a bit of a nightmare.

Yes, trainers, training, vet checks, blah blah, all done to no improvement. Then the MILs dog attacked her a couple of weeks ago, so we're almost back to square one again with the level of setback that has created.

Losing our other dog suddenly to liver failure a couple of years ago was just horrific as well. I could still cry now thinking about it. People here were lovely about it. Such a sad story, she'd been through so much as a Romanian rescue and been butchered over there which they passed off as spaying her but had created a huge pyometra. Yet all she wanted was love and cuddles. Christ I miss her. She was hugely reactive and protective on lead but such a cuddle slut the rest of the time. More like a cat than a dog.

Neither of us can face the loss of more and more pets so we'll have a break from the tie to the house and bugger off on holidays and to the pub without having to factor in getting home to a dog.

You could still go for walks though or with your new found freedom, join a gym?

I have an 8yo dog who isn't going to live past 10. I won't be getting another after he goes. I love him to pieces, he's got such a lovely personality and is really easy to look after but the kids are growing up and we will be spending more time away from the house so I just can't justify getting another one. I'm also dreading the day when we have to make the decision about when to let him go

YANBU if that’s how you honestly feel, but maybe consider giving them up so they can live their lives out with someone who does enjoy them being around.

I also have two, and one is a nervous barking nightmare. I’m currently sitting with the windows closed and curtains drawn because she keeps yelling at passers by. I won’t put them in kennels (they were rescued from horrible circumstances) so they have a dog sitter. She won’t walk without me so I don’t travel for more than 5 days. It can be exhausting, so I empathise. But I don’t feel as you do.

i don’t think there’s any shame in it, but I do think they (and you) deserve to enjoy your one and only life.

We have 2 dogs very similar ages to yours - no behaviour issues and I love them dearly but the hair everywhere does get me down, I can hoover twice a day and it’s still everywhere. Also the not being able to spontaneously go away. I get a lot of joy from them as well and they have the most lovely nature, but we are definitely going to have some time without dogs once they have gone.

Mine's only 6 and should be around for another 6 or 7 I hope.
But thinking about it... would I get another?
Pluses without... we could go on holiday easily (esp to Australia where our eldest son now lives)..currently our breeders care for her when we go, but they might not forever!
The grind of walking her no matter what the weather.
My house would not be hairy or muddy!

But... since I had her I have met and chatted to more people than I ever knew before after 20 years in my town... I can imagine retirement could be lonely without a dog.
And... she keeps me fit! I'd definitely be less fit without my 2 hours walking every day!
And NO-ONE will ever love me like my dog does!

I adored my elderly rescue and miss her every day. Can't get another dog now though as I work 4 days a week so wouldn't be fair 😢

I have had dogs all my life, was a dog walker for 6 years. I adore dogs.

When my last beloved dog died in 2022 I grieved so much that I rushed into getting a rescue....Huge mistake. We love him dearly but he has so many issues, the rescue centre downplayed the degree of his reactivity and behaviour issues. We have spent a small fortune on behaviourists. We are in our 50's, he's only 5 so we probably have another 10+ years with him.

I will never have another dog again. Having an anxious and reactive rescue has put me off for life.

You’ve had some bad experiences though, I suppose you never know what you’ll get.
I can’t see myself being without one, I can’t think of anything worse than going to the gym! Been there, done that!

My dog is 11, I'm fond of him and he's a relatively easy dog who I will mourn when he dies. But I find him an awful tie and an expense and wouldn't mind having a cleaner, fresher house. I will never have another dog though might consider a cat when I'm my 60s or so..

We got a little rescue dog when I was a kid - think I was about 8 I think.
He was a bit scatty, and loved stealing knickers from laundry baskets and ripping the crotch out 🫠😂 Other than that, he was a pretty great dog.
He lived much longer than average for his breed too - he was 15 when he ended up needing to be PTS 🥺
My mum was heartbroken when they had to let him go, and said she’d never have another dog. We called bullshit and assumed she’d have another small dog within a year or so, but no! She’s never got another one. And did admit it’s quite nice to be able to book holidays etc without having to worry who’s going to look after the dog

My MIL demanded another dog within days of last one dying earlier this year. She's in her 80s and seemingly has given no thoughts to what will happen if she dies first other than saying 'I can't go thru losing another dog'. Ffs. I think, without discussing it she expects us to have the dog! But when our dog goes we want a break!
I'm only put off getting another as our dog is the light of my life.

I obviously haven't met every dog, but I haven't met one yet that wouldn't settle for me, even when the owner was convinced it wouldn't happen. It's taken a few hours, but by the time the owners came home they couldn't believe how chilled their dog had become.

Sadly I can't dog sit at the moment as my mum died last year and I inherited her elderly cat.

We have two dogs now and said pretty early on that once they’re gone we won’t be getting any more. The eldest is anxious/reactive and while she has a very happy life we have to manage every aspect of it and it’s so tiring. We are so restricted in terms of going away even for weekends as we can’t leave her at kennels or with anyone she doesn’t approve of 😆 The younger dog is a real sweetheart so if we had her by herself things would be different. There’s also the never ending expense or having two allergic dogs who need special food/meds/creams all the time.