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 😂

This ☝️ My youngest will have to be my last though. She’s 2-years-old and I’m 66.

My lovely dog died last summer after years of being a dog person. Yes I agree with previous comments, I'm getting fat, he was an energetic collie.

However I have 3 cats and they are an absolute joy, one sleeps on my feet, the other practically on my pillow and the oldest one hogs the entire sofa to herself. When I had a dog I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate my cats. I think I'm now a cat person

I've now had 4 dogs from age 10-49 with breaks, and 2 died.
Iove them beyond belief but could do with a rest! Every time I listen to the divine comedys dogs and horses, I cry so much.
Totally double edged sword

Dogs are hard work and I absolutely adore them. My last was a boxer who was mental, boisterous and huge! I regretted having her many times but I loved her so much and spent so much money on training as she was a rescue who very dominant over other dogs so was a nightmare to walk.
I kept her and she mellowed massively as she got older. But then she was incontinent for last part of her life. It was HARD.
I was devastated when she had to be pts. I still miss her years later. But I just don’t think I have the energy for another so I can definitely relate to OP.

I had a dog in my 20's, she was fantastic but I hated not being able to have a spontaneous night away and always rushing straight home from work.

Having to stand on the doorstep at 7am freezing my butt off in the winter so she could have her morning tinkle, all the dog hair and barking at noises only she couod hear, constantly tripping over her as she was always following me round the house.

Loved her to bits but 20 years later I've never wanted another dog but absolutely love fussing over other people's.

Maybe get different “professionals” in

ones that know what they’re doing

I swore black and blue that I'd never get another dog after my rescue was pts in 2021, just after the last lockdown.

Last September, I rehomed an 8yr old and thought to myself 'why on earth didn't I do this sooner?'!

It doesn’t always work like this. I’ve had dog (rescues) for years and sometimes there are behaviours that can just never be successfully corrected.

Our dog died 18 months ago. I miss her every day, she was my shadow. I don’t think I can go through the loss again. It was and still is, so painful. DH would like another dog, but it won’t be any time soon.

My last dog ( best dog ever), died over 30 years ago. I've never regretted not having another.

The behaviour listed by the op…. Is very much not unusual or special enough to be too much for a decent professional

If you can actually recommend a behaviourist I’d be interested. I know I have to go through the vet but the person they recommended - and who is qualified and seemingly well regarded - was hopeless.

She spent three hours at my house chatting, largely with the vet who came along too. The dog wasn’t even in the room because she’s nervous of strangers. The behaviourist told me that she wouldnt allow international rescue but that if she’d met us earlier she’d have immediately prescribed medication. The latter point fair enough, but what now? Then we went for a walk, where she said nothing to me about how we were walking, how my dog responded to things, but expounded her views on dogs that bite and that they should all be destroyed at the scene. my dog has not bitten anyone and was not aggressive. That was it. I got a report that said ‘try throwing treats on the floor when you walk so [dog] uses her nose’ and ‘I’ll follow up in 6 months’. Do you think she did??

When mine go I will 1000% never get another one. I don’t want the responsibility, I want to be free from all responsibility. Hopefully the kids will be gone then too and I can live my bestest life lol

Your vet came to your home for three hours? Did you have to pay them?

Our three year old dog will be our one and only. I’ve already told DH & DC. Never again.

I lost my beloved dog in March. She was very much wanted and absolutely adored by both DH and I.

However, the last 5 years or so have not been easy, She had tumours removed 4 times, had major spinal surgery in 2020 which resulted in her being partially paralysed temporarily and a lot of rehab was required. She did recover. She was nearly blind, going deaf, had dementia I think and the last two years have been a tag team of one of us being in the house at all times, we might have left her max for an hour or two.

Whilst we miss her massively and never a day went by we regretted getting her I have to admit the new found freedom has been quite eye opening. Also, the house is so much cleaner. I don't miss having to hoover all the time (dog hair) and she was quite slobbery.

I am not in a great rush to go out and get another to be honest. They are such a huge tie and also latterly our dog was costing £££ - probably about £600 a month.

Our dog is beyond wonderful, she has never put a paw wrong and enriches our life beyond measure. The children adore her, she doesn't shed, is quiet and thoughtful and never barks (whippet).

I would never get another dog if anything happened to her as im too worried I'd get a psycho dog.....

I said as soon as I moved I'd acquire a dog as quickly as possible - but it hasn't happened. I keep making excuses. Holiday cover worries me a lot. Finding someone I trust, not to mention the cost.. it can be £30-40 a day around here. Plus I have new pale coloured carpet throughout - pee and poo, anyone??
Potential heartbreak is the worst. I lost both my little dogs over 10 years ago now (to cancer and a congenital heart condition respectively) and I still miss them every day. It's agony when they go. Do I really want to set myself up for that again?

Maybe just stick to the point of the thread? I don’t need your advice thanks, you don’t have the background or the information. I posted the bare details - I’m not going into it further as it isn’t the point of the thread and you’re not going to derail it.

@DogsandFlowers nothing I said was untrue. Some dogs are harder to train than others, and part of that is because they are babied. As it was, OP admits she has a Frenchie - which are notoriously hard to train…

My vet comes to the house anyway, they’re mobile, but on that occasion she asked if she could come with the behaviourist as she was also training. I only paid for the behaviourist!

We lost our dog 2 and a half years ago and are not getting another one. As others have said it’s mainly the tie, added to the cost and then the heartbreak of losing them.

when we got ours the kids were 10 and 7 so the dog fitted into our routine and we didn’t go out much because of the kids. Roll on 15 years and the kids are now adults, 1 has left home and the other works very random hours as cabin crew. DH and I both run and over the last couple of years have upped our distance so now we can easily be out of the house for 4 or 5 hours on a long run. Also, we both work hybrid and I like going to the office when it suits me and going to the gym straight from work if I want to.

TLDR: dogs are a massive tie and having had one I now live my freedom

We have 2 dogs. They are great, really wasy going and I love having them. One in particular is the love of my life. After them though we are taking a pause on dog ownership. The kids will have left home when they are gone and we want a few years free of any responsibility at all.

I can't see me staying dog free forever though. I like that they force me out twice a day for walks and I like their endless patience listening to me wittering on to them as they follow me around the house.

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 🫠😂

My first lakie went through a phase of removing my knickers from the laundry basket. He didn't rip the crotches out though, he would proudly present them to visitors as though they were a gift fit for a prince!

Sometimes he would run off up the garden with them, just for a laugh. My ex once got a pair caught up in the strimmer when he was cutting the grass.