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

[fairypower]

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?"

I have said this before but getting a dog is like having children. It's for life, it requires proper training and behaviour and if you bother to put the effort in at the start, you will have a beautiful loving obedient companion that you would trust with your life! I did my research when we wanted a dog. We wanted a gun dog to pick up when we go shooting, but a small manageable breed so we went for a working cocker. As a result he suits our lifestyle perfectly and is no bother at all. As well as taking him gun dog training on a Sunday morning, I have been doing obediance training with him now for three years. He's just passed his Kennel Club gold standard and I'm now also a member of the committee at my dog club. Not only is it good for him but it's sociable for me. Everyone says what a lovely little dog he is, and how well behaved he is, and more importantly how happy and content he is cos he knows his place and doesn't compete for dominance. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good training school and starting as soon as your puppy has had his second injections. It is like having kids though. I couldn't imagine life without him now. All our family love him and regularly want to look after him if we go out. I'm just hoping that when I have my first baby next month, my relationship with her will be as loving and rewarding as life has been with my dog, weird as that sounds! He is a lovely little dog but I also think a lot of it is down to the fact that we though about what sort of dog would fit in with us, and we spent time training him. I love taking him to classes now, it's good fun. And our hour out on the bridleway each day is a wonderful time out and good exercise, although you don't need to give a dog a long walk every day, just play with it, give it some attention and stimulation and that can occasionally take the place of a walk in bad weather! If it's got somewhere to go to the toilet, that is. Basically just do your research and treat it like one of your kids; bring it up properly to start with and you'll never imagine life without it again, just like having kids I imagine.