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Original poster

Dog owners: Do you enjoy your dog or is it just hard work?

51 replies

fairypower · 26/10/2006 11:14

I would dearly love to get a dog. It would really have to be a puppy as I have children and would want to be certain of it's history.

Everyone I have mentioned it to thinks I am mad.

I like the idea of taking it for walks, grooming it and going to training class. The things that people seem to look at as hard work are the reasons I want one.

Surely it can't be all bad or there wouldn't be so many dog owners out there.

I admit that I am busy with the kids, housework etc. Would a dog just add to the workload or do you find they enrich your life?

I guess what I am asking is "Is it worth the hard work to have a dog?"

OP posts:
pesha · 27/10/2006 00:07

I have a 1 1/2 yr old flat coat retriever and he was hard work but SO much better since i had his balls chopped off!
Am now pg though and cannot stand the smell of him, has made me physically sick on several occassions. Ive washed him but its just his natural smell, hopefully ill get over it soon though.
I did try to get a rescue dog but all the places i tried either had a blanket rule that they would not rehome dogs with families with children under 5 or they would if they could be sure it was safe but didnt have any dogs they could be sure about and very rarely did so i gave up and bought a puppy. Razor sharp teeth though, like little needles they are!

MacdogOnElmStreet · 27/10/2006 00:11

pesha, some pet shops sell a baby powder spray for dogs.
completely covers their natural pong!
Might help??

bottomburp · 27/10/2006 00:32

i have 7mth old DD and 1.5yr old mongrel and it is very hard work but i really think the enjoyment outweighs it and i feel really happy that my dd will grow up with her doggy.we do 2 walks a day, aiming for 2 hrs ach but usually one is only 30 mins. i use a baby carrier for DD rather than a pushchair and she loves her fresh air and trees, birds, other old ladies walking their dogs etcy'day took 30mins to work out rain cover on bushbaby but she was snug as a bug and dog loved going out in rain and i am so much fitter and happier having a walk every day, gives me good thinking time.nothing worth having is easy.

DottieParker · 27/10/2006 00:41

Oh goodness, of course a dog is hard work you sloths. How many threads does this subject need. A dog must be walked at least twice a day. Good healthcare is not cheap. They are messy, naughty, and poop everywhere. They need training and disclipline. Love and time.

ratclare · 27/10/2006 14:59

depends on the weather , on gorgeous summer mornings ,then the enjoyment outweighs the hard work ,when its horizontal sleet then vice versa! If you are thinking of getting a dog then think about how much you value your home as a puppy will eat it and use it as a toilet

ratclare · 27/10/2006 15:03

just a note to say the halti is fantastic ,got one for my pointer who is very big and strong and with this on my 4yr old can safely walk him ,before he nearly dislocated my shoulder

wannaBe1974 · 27/10/2006 15:15

I know that this is a clichet (sp?) but ...

a dog is for life, not just until it becomes inconvenient.

I would say that unless you are 100% committed to clearing up dog mess from your carpets for possibly the first 3-6 months, are aware of the cost a puppy will be when it destroys your possessions, rips up your carpets, chews your shoes, your kids' toys, and if it is a big dog could do considerably more damage than that, are committed to taking your puppy to training classes, taking it for walks 2-3 times a day come rain or shine, having to find dogsitters if you go away for weekends, unless you are 100% committed to all these things, then don't get a dog.

Dog rescue centres are full of dogs, and the majority of them are there because the family thought it would be a good idea at the time and didn't realize just how much work it involved. And obviously there are the people like the poster below whose dog had an agression problem and obviously it's impossible to keep a dog in those circumstances esp if you have young children, but for the majority, they just don't realize how much hard work a puppy, especially one that is going to grow into a big dog, can be.

I have two dogs, and I love them to bits, but they're both guide dogs, one retired and one working, and therefore they came to me when they were approx 18 months old and the majority of the puppy issues had been dealt with, although my first dog certainly did her fair share of destruction when I first got her, but we had dogs from puppies when I was growing up, and tbh I would probably never go out and get a puppy.

hotandbothered · 27/10/2006 15:28

I'm a halti fan too! Our dog is an angel at dog training classes, but pulls like hell when out for a walk - he is so strong, if he darts in the other direction and I'm not concentrating, he can pull me over. With his 'nosey' he is a piece of cake to walk.
We had him before dd came along, so he's just part of the furniture. Child had to fit round the dogs needs really - fortunately for us (but not for dog)he has hip problems so needs little and often walking rather than great hikes, so dds little legs can cope.

Whoowhoobewhooooooh · 27/10/2006 15:45

fairypower it really depends how old your children are, but I would back up everything wannabe said.

Most rescue centres won't home dogs in families with small children for the dogs' sake. This is because a large proportion of dogs end up in rescue centres because people didn't realise how much work they would be, and very young children simply can't understand how they should behave around them.

Puppies bite: it's how they play. They have sharp little needle teeth, and it hurts. You can train them quite quickly to use soft mouth, but not quickly enough to stop them nipping your kids a couple of times.

Our dog is now 2, and we've had her since she was 6 and a half weeks old (too young to leave her mother in point of fact). She's fantastic, and we thouroughly enjoy her now, but it took a long time to get her to that stage. She rotted the floorboards with her wee (first puppy so I was tentative about crate-training), destroyed our new sofa, barked at small children and hated being left.

I'd say: wait until your youngest is at least 8, or preferably 'til they leave home.

(Incredibly long post: sorry)

scotlou · 27/10/2006 15:55

My dog died in July and I miss him dreadfully BUT he was hard work and we will not get another for a very long time. We had him Before Kids and then it was a different story - I had plenty of time to take him to training classes, walk him etc. We holidayed in Scotland so he came too. Then ds and later dd) arrived and it proved much more difficult walking a dog while pushing a pram. When dh was travelling the poor mutt seometimes had to do without hsi walk as I could not bring myself to take 2 children and a dog out in the rain.
So - yes it's hard work - only you can decide whether it is worth it!

Whoowhoobewhooooooh · 27/10/2006 15:59

Sorry for your loss scotlou . Just the thought of losing my dog...

pesha · 27/10/2006 16:01

And if you are going to get a puppy toilet training is so much easier in the summer, i had the back door open all day with my puppy and we were out in the garden loads anyway and he learnt really quickly. I am sure it would not have been that easy in the winter

Whoowhoobewhooooooh · 27/10/2006 16:03

I can't believe it looking back, but we got used to the dog pooing on newspaper by the back door of the living room when people had come over for the evening, and telling her what a good girl she was while they looked on in disgusted horror.

Motherhood can never be that disgusting, surely...

MrsOhHu · 27/10/2006 17:49

Today I really enjoyed our dogs! I took them out on my own and had time to do stuff with them. Oh joy! We all had a lovely time and I didn't shout at them and they had lots of treats and they didn't pull (amazing amazing amazing!!!). What a difference a bit of time makes. I could not have done that with 2 children as well. I do not expect I am alone in finding that its' the dogs that lose out!

babe1 · 27/10/2006 19:10

Agree that moulting can be a problem. Like the Immac idea I had thought of wrapping my Golden Retriever in cling film... There's not much you can do about moulting except keep vacuuming . On the whole though, I wouldn't be without our two dogs (we have a Lab as well as the Goldie.) they have such a lovely bond with the children. We've all been for a lovely walk down to the beach today . My dh is always quick to see the 'problems' associated with them, but I think there's no situation that you can't work around. They're definately worth it.

Oh, one tip, if you find, like I did, that your dog/s won't take to Halti collars, get a choke chain. I never liked the thought of them, but have just invested in a couple, and they're not pulling so much.

RTKangaMummy · 27/10/2006 19:13

Watch DOG BORSTAL BBC3

NOW

MrsOhHu · 28/10/2006 12:31

Robert came to help with one of our dogs before dd2 was born. He is really good and very non-judgemental.

sniff · 28/10/2006 12:36

I have a dog a she is 1 and a half I also have 3 kids 8 3 and 22 weeks she is hard work but we all love her the house got wrecked whilst she was a puppy to be honest but we bought her from a pup she is very laid back and very good now I am thinking of breeding of her aswell so it cant be that bad!!!

I think the good outways the bad in the long run but the first six months is quite hard

wannaBe1974 · 28/10/2006 22:32

re choke chain - you can get a collar with a half choke - it pulls tight at the back and gives as much control as a full choke chain but without it being a full choke chain iyswim. If a dog pulls though it can still pull with a choke chain - halti's take some getting used to though.

handlemecarefully · 28/10/2006 23:09

I have 2 dogs - a 4 month old cross breed and a 10 month old Bernese.

My children are 2.5 and 4.3

I wish I had waited until both my children were at school. Feel obligated to give them a good 45 minute walk minimum per day, but there seems precious little time as it is without factoring this in. Currently they are an added pressure...and I do wish I had deferred dog ownership until both lo's were in full time education.

...and the dog hair shed from my Bernese adds around 20 - 30 minutes daily to my housework routine.

The kids love them though.

handlemecarefully · 28/10/2006 23:15

Just re-read and my post is rather ambiguous - it's the dogs not the children I feel obligated to walk daily, and the dogs that are the added pressure not the children. lol.

magnolia1 · 28/10/2006 23:26

Sorry, got to add to this!! Choke chains are barbaric and very damaging to the bones in a dogs neck Even half chokers are pretty awful. Halti's are kinder as are harnesses. I have a halti and a easy walker harness both stop my staffies from pulling and believe me a staffie will pull through anything if they want but the halti and the harness really help

babe1 · 29/10/2006 11:06

Yeah, I've tuned in to Dog Borstal, but isn't that trainer Mick an arsehole? Just who does that guy think he is? This week, he refused to train somebody's Chihuahua, because the dog wasn't 'hard' enough for him.
Personally, I prefer It's Me Or The Dog. It is more realistic, the whole Dog Borstal boot camp thing with owners sleeping in tents is all a bit unnecssecary (I just can't spell that today!) There are easier ways of training our wayward hounds.

MrsOhHu · 29/10/2006 11:15

I'm trying once again to stop the dogs pulling on their leads. It involves a LOT of bribery and corruption and it takes ages to get anywhere. I think it will work if I carry on. Robert Alleyne has a good recipe for liver treats, but liver is slippery to cut and takes forever to dry out in the oven. It also stinks! I'm using frankfurter sausages for now. When dh is away or working it's almost impossible to do stuff with the dogs and it's not much fun. Credit to them that they are reasonably ok about it.

handlemecarefully · 29/10/2006 21:33

My Bernese puppy pulled on the lead for at least 2-3 months. It took persistence (rebukes for pulling, stopping in my tracks when she pulled, or tugging on her lead when she pulled to 'jerk' her) coupled with rewards for walking to heel, but in the end it paid off. Stick with it