have you loved or regretted getting a dog?

[layla]

This question goes out to people who didn't really want to get a dog but kind of had their arm twisted by family and went on to get one.Did you regret it or love it when you didn't think you would.It's not that I don't like them,it's more that I don't like the mess and the hassle of taking them for walks and feeling that I'm never alone in my house.But the kids would love one.

have just read the thread,I would say definately don't do it.Take care of someones dog for a week or two in the winter,in rain.Do this loads of times and if you still love it then I'd say get one.

I had my arm twisted by dh to get a dog although I did get to chose the breed. I have never regretted it and often wonder what we did without him.

One breeder told me though that we did the right things getting him before we had a baby rather than afterwards.

Yes I must say that I wouldn't have a puppy with a young child, puppies' teeth are razor sharp and they don't understand bite control for a while. I think if we had had dd first I would have waited a long time before having a pup.

We've always had rescued dogs, Molly is a lurcher, pre dds, and now nearly 14. They're a lot of work, masses of exercise when young, but she's now getting older so needs less time but as everyone says I feel guilty for neglecting her and at the moment, for personal reasons, I pay dogwalkers a fortune to take her out. She's amazing with the girls. Wouldn't get a puppy and would get a dog pre children.

CountessDrac- only just got back on (bleary-eyed through lack of sleep!). We got her from a breeder in Ipswich & she is just the cutest thing! We were expecting messes & chewing & a pain in the neck, but she is so good (fingers crossed). I love the way she bounces.

She only had us up twice last night & both times needed a wee. Straight back to sleep.

The kids didn't want a dog, but think she's wonderful & are vying for her attention. The cats, on the other hand, are none too pleased...

I'm so jealous! What's she called?

Evening everyone,

I was intrigued by this thread as my sister and I grew up for a large part of earlier years with various dogs and always found them to be the best! (although we also had cats, birds, fish, frogs - the list is endless!)

I guess it would be safe to say that whether you do or not depends on a lot of factors such as your own personal experience of handling dogs, the breed of dog, how children are taught to approach them (we were taught to have great respect for ours) and whether you are able to give the time.

On the plus side my sister and I learnt from an early age about life and death and what it takes to care for something that relies on you without question. I hope this makes sense.

My partner and I hope to have a dog in the future and I can't help thinking that various pets made our home what it was when we were growing up.

Anyway, I sound like some rambling old sage who has been around too long . . .

Take care,
Libb xx

CD she's called Portia. She's still waking twice a night, but both times for a wee. Just be glad when the weekend comes & DH is here to do the garden journey in the night.

Have a huge piece of advice for anyone considering getting a puppy or for those who already have a dog that wants it to be better behavedit's a bookThe Dog Listener by Jan Fennell. Look for it at your library or bookshop. The premise is that a dog cannot be trained unless it believes you and every other member of your family to be dominant to it. It is an incredibly easy and kind method to follow--no yelling, no hitting, just ignoring the dog. Our dog is very well trained having used her method. Having said that, as good as he is, only get a dog if you (the primary carer of the dog) want it, not DH or children. You will become resentful otherwise. Good luck!

My dad bought a dog for my mum for her birthday when I was about 8 years old ... my mum didn't really want one but we all persuaded her that it would be a good idea.
It was a disaster ... he was a Wire Haired Fox Terrier ... no matter what we did we couldn't house train him ... my mum would walk him rain or shine and he wouldn't do anything but then as soon as he came in he would do his stuff on the carpet.
He was mad ... he used to chase us and nip our ankles ... I hated him. I had permanent scabs on my ankles. You couldn't stroke him because you never knew if he was going to go for your hand.
When he was about 5 years old he went for my mother (the hand that fed him) and nearly broke her arm. My parents had him castrated as the vet thought that might calm him down. It didn't ... a few weeks later he went for my brother's girlfriend and shredded her leather knee length boots. He was then put down as he had to be kept chained up in the garden all the time ... so he had no quality of life ... and he was a danger to children.
My DH would love a dog but I have been put off them because of that experience ... I have told him that when DS is old enough to do all the looking after I might reassess the situation ...
DS is frightened anyway ...
Now a cat ... is a different matter!!!

We have had our dog for 7 years, he came along before the children. He is still very well loved by us all but does not get near the amount of attention he used to. They are brilliant to have with children as they learn to be caring and how to treat animals. Still they are a big tie and I think it is best if you have family/friends with dogs who could look after it, especially with holidays etc.

As someone who loves dogs and has had several, and seen how various different breeds behave around kids I'd say just follow a few basic rules - don't get a dog for a very young child unless you're prepared to supervise everything and everyone 24/7, they're too small to understand what pushes a dog's buttons etc and most dogs will react with a scary bark, even if not a bite, when someone suddenly pulls their tail or startles them. It's the unpredictability of small children which is hard to deal with. I'd also agree with others on here that (most) big dogs tend to be better tempered and less snappy than small ones. Terriers can be right vicious little buggers, Jack Russells in particular. Belgian Shepherds are a very good breed - look like scary Alsatian crossed with wolf and just as good at guarding, but with very reliable temperaments. One of my beloved Belgians, now dead, could have knocked any child flying if he chose and had gnashers on him like the Hound of the Baskervilles, but when confronted by my niece just toddling, stopped in his tracks, gave her a quick sniff and very delicately backed away from her and went round the other way. He wasn't particularly used to kids either.

Dogs are lots of work, no two ways about it, but on the other hand, I can't help thinking that for children 9 or 10 or above, taking a decent-sized dog out with them, when they go to the corner shop or whatever, will keep them much safer than they would be otherwise, not to mention the responsibility it teaches them about how to look after an animal.

I've got 2 border collies, and although lively, are golden with the children (3&2)

layla,

I havent' had time to read all this thread but believe me - don't go there. Before our dds (4 & 5) our dogs were my babies. But now - aaagh! They bring half the garden into the kitchen (we moved house when dd1 was 2 days old and kitchen/garden entry has a new setup - no utility room) bark incessantly at our children - presumably because now they're the only ones with time to give them fuss and roll in squirrel poo in the absence of anything else. I really resented DH taking them for a walk when he got home from work when in the early days all I wanted was a bit of help with the children. They're smelly and for reasons too long to explain will only eat freshly roasted chicken with garlic and herbs which, after cooking 3 separate meals for a 4 person family is the last thing you want at 8.00pm. As I 'inherited' Max the springer and Gemma the border collie, they were used to pooing in the garden, rather than on a walk. Before DDs we had to tiptoe round the poo in the garden, but now we have a rather unattractive 'inner garden', surrounded by horrible green meshy stuff, to prevent them from contaminating the children's bit.

Cleaning the kitchen floor: possible if it's dry outside, pointless if it's not.

We even have a babygate still on the kitchen door so if it's wet outside we do still manage to have some semblence of a carpet. Max was a rescue dog too and anything (shoes, toys etc)left on the floor will be rescued and destroyed.

Having said that, they are much loved. I don't know how old your children are, but with children in tow, you've probably got enough on your plate!

Tell them guinea pigs are great fun!

I got my dog when I was single and she was really good company for me - loved her to bits. When dh moved in we treated the dog like a child and fussed her dreadfully so that she was soft as anything, gorgeous but also daft as a brush.
When dd was born we did all the "right" things - gave her a blanket the baby had slept with in hospital to get the dog used to the smell amd made sure the dog was already home when we brought dd back so the dog didn't feel like the baby had taken over her domain.
First year was fine but when dd stated crawling and being curious about the dog, the dog hated it and got very nervous of dd. Eventually, the dog snapped at dd. Nothing awful happened but it made us realise that it was very unfair on the dog having had this huge shift of attention in the house.
Luckily, my dad took the dog in. He lives alone and she and him dote on each other. Dog still visits and stays when he's away but we never leave the dog and dd together. Feel very guilty as we never wanted to be the type of people who ignored their pets in favour of their kids but I feel we are. Only consolation is that the dog is happy as larry and I'm sure she wouldn't be if she was still here all the time.
My advice: Only get a dog if you have the time and commitment; if your kids are old enough to devote their time and energy and if the family dynamic isn't likely to change suddenly for a while.

Gosh, I could have written that story, Moomin. We rehoused our previous dog with my parents because she got antsy when dd1 became mobile. The dog actually had a wonderful life with M&D and died at a good old age.

I have got a toddler and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and they are fine together. The dog is very protective of the toddler and gets distressed if she thinks anyone might be hurting him eg if she hears him crying upstairs or if he play fights with his older brothers.
I would never however leave the two of them together without supervision as the toddler can be a real torment at times.
If you have a dog and also have small children it is very important that the dog can have a private space to retreat to away from being poked and sat on by human puppies.

i twisted my dp's arm 4 years ago and we got a boxer puppy! He's always been like my baby then dd came along 2.6 years ago! I was worried about the size of him, getting his nose pushed out,,,,but he's great with her! The first time we all went out together, he wouldn't even leave the side of the pram to have a run! He has never been vicious but i do often worry about the size of him and what if....!! But the benifits are great, dd is a total animal lover! One thing i would say is, get the dog on Program tablets straight away! (one a month to protect against flaes and tics) We moved a year ago into a house with a huge garden and the dog got fleas!....It took me MONTHS and MONTHS to get rid and the situation had me in tears and at the end of my tether! He will be flea free for life now thoughAlso my dp works away and although he's really soft (the dog) he sounds VERY vicious when he barks so good when i'm alone!

I HAVE A BOXER DOG CALLED HARRY, MY PARENTS HAD TWO BOXERS THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD AND THEY WERE BRILLIANT AND SO IS HARRY. HE IS 4 YARS AND OUR DD 2, SHE ADORES HIM AND WILL SIT AND WATCH TELE CUDDLING HIM ETC
I THINK YOU HAVE TO TEACH KIDS KINDNESS TO PETS AND YOU WON'T GO FAR WRONG. I ALWAYS THOUGHT IN THE EARLY DAYS I WOULDN'T TRUST HARRY 100%, BUT I DO NOW. HE WOULD GIVE HIS LIFE TO PROTECT HER, IF HE SEES ANYONE HE DOES'NT KNOW GET TOO CLOSE HE WILL GROWL TO WARN THEM OFF.
I HAVE ALSO TAUGHT HER NOT TO TOUCH ANY OTHER DOG AS I BELIEVE IF THEY'RE NOT YOURS THEN YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM, EVEN IF THE OWNER SAYS THEY'RE FRIENDLY.
HAVING SAID ALL THE ABOVE I WOULD'NT GET ANY OTHER DOG THAN A BOXER, I WOULD'NT TRUST ANOTHER TYPE.I WOULD'NT MIX MY DOG WITH OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN JUST IN CASE, HARRY GETS PUT IN ANOTHER ROOM IF DD HAS FRIENDS OVER.

HAPPYFACE, agree with everythig you said there! dd knows not to touch other dogs she doesn't know and i watch my dog(or put him out) when dd has her cousins over! Aren't boxers great!

I have an 11 month old border terrier dog who we chose becuase they are supposed to be good family dogs, and am now 5 months pregnant and keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't get jealous when the baby arrives. He is really good with other people's children though and I am hoping that he will be protective but gentle.

He seems to know that I am pregnant and spends ages with his head on my tummy now, which he never did before. He is treated like a baby at the moment and I know I will have to be careful, but I grew up with dogs and hope that our little one will appreciate having him around as much as I do.

I think the other people on this stream are quite correct though - you should never get a dog unless you are 100% committed to it - they are nowhere near as easy as cats (I have two of those as well)and really do need lots of attention.

Thanks folks for all the advice.I'm determined now I definately do not want a dog.It's been so helpful to read all your advice.

Newsflash- our puppy slept through the night for the first time last night!!!

(Guess who woke up with a jump at 4.33 am wondering why I hadn't been woken at 2 am & had to go & check she was ok..... )

We had three fantastic dogs when I was growing up and I dream of getting my own - just not sure if really ready for the hassle yet. However, that doesn't stop me spending hours trawling through a book of breeds that my mum has. So here, for what it is worth, is my list of dogs that I would like in my dream world...

Anatolian Sheepdog
Bearded Collie
Catalonian Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Tibetan Terrier
Red or Gordon Setter
Bernese Mountain Dog
Horawart
Landseer
Leonberger
Husky
Wemaraner
Irish Wolfhound
Eurasier
Alaskan Malamute
Ridgeback

This list is in no particular order and is by no means definitive. There were a lot of other dogs I'd like, but they were a bit too close to a Wolf to be guaranteed child friendly so am now considering getting rid of the child

Staffordshire Bull Terriers rule.