Has anyone ever regretted getting a dog?

[jt2345]

Just that really!
I'm thinking about getting a puppy and have been thinking for a while.

I have grown up with family dogs and know how much of a responsibility they are.

Just wondering 😀

X

I love dogs, grown up with them BUT i do not like owning them. I prefer my cats in this instance. As much as i sit and think it would be nice, i know ill regret it. My cats required some element of training (not on counters/ scratch furniture etc) but no where near as much as dogs

I'm seriously thinking of starting up a dog walking business.

You and everyone else.
I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cynical, but every new dog owner thinks they'll start a dog walking business. If you do, good on you. But remember, you've got your puppy honeymoon glasses on.
Just focus on enjoying and training your pup. Try not to jump too far ahead. Congratulations.

@TheVanguardSix it's actually something I've been musing for years, long before we got the dog - I watch a local one walk her first lot in her pj's past my window while I'm having breakfast - that's £70 before she's even dressed in the morning lol,but this situation it seems there will definitely be more demand. I live in a very doggy area with lots of professional people so had even been thinking of a cleaning/dog walking combo. I don't have any glasses on, I've had dogs all my life minus the last 6 years and work term time only currently- and full time care arranged for pup for when I'm working/ out for the day/on holiday that pup can't come, it isn't any solution to any problem - maybe came across that way!

Can I just say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted so honestly on here with their experiences.

I had been thinking of getting a dog but on reflection, after giving consideration to many of the issues that have cropped up on this thread, I’ve decided that it’s not the right thing for our family.

You always hear people talk about how amazing and loyal dogs are but not so much of the negatives so it’s easy to forget them and not consider them when deciding whether a dog would fit into your life, so thank you again to all who has posted on here.

Had a rescue dog when the children were babies and growing up through childhood. Wonderful family dog, loved her too bits. At 12 years old she died from cancer. Cried my eyes out.
And never bought another dog. Got my life back. Wonderful memories, but it is like living with a permanent toddler the amount of care and constant thinking about that they take.
12 years of walking her every single day ...
No thanks, done that, never again.

I regret it for me but not the dc, they love the dog dearly.
DH and I have realized that despite growing up with dogs we don't want one in our life.
Our dog is 6 so I reckon we are half way through.
Our dog isn't really like the breed descriptions, we had tried to do our research but even if the dog was less reactive to everything and everyone (which would help a lot) the sheer hassle and cost isn't worth it.
I am looking forward to being dog free when the time comes but glad I have given the dc something they have valued.

Both my current dog and previous dog have been hard work. Both rescues that have been damaged by previous owners. Despite this they've given us a lot of fun and pleasure. My current one, I feel more that giving her a nice last few years is my duty and reward. I don't dislike having her but it's not terribly rewarding. But she is a sweet and unassuming old girl and we rub along.
I won't rule out another dog but when this one goes I won't hurry to get another. It is tying and this dog is not very portable and gets stressed in unfamiliar places and panics if she is not with me. I don't really like putting her in kennels but she isn't keen on being left with friends either!

Really useful thread - thank you to everyone who has been so honest. I love dogs, which is why I don't own one.
It occurred to me about a year ago that getting one might be an option, dc2 would love one. But certainly for the next few years, we don't have the lives to look after one properly and enjoy it.

Maybe when the kids are grown an older dog might be an option. Maybe not.

Yes I regret it.. love her so much and it's a big commitment I will keep to. She's not even a hard dog doesn't need to go on big walks so none of this going out in the snow /rain/ hail stuff.

It's more the spontaneous side of life you can't do. Always have to consider your dog. Also the extra cleaning always dog hair about no matter how much hoover/ cleaning you do. And the cost of food/ treats / insurance/ vet bills.

I do love her and will miss her when she is gone but I would never get another and recommend to others to really think before getting one.

@MyBlueMoonbeam Yes, a kindred spirit.

@SoupDragon

If you think I found it easy looking after a new baby 4 dogs 2 horses a cat & a goat in the middle of bloody nowhere with 0 help you are more deluded than I thought.

I still do not regret taking on my dogs which is the subject of this thread.

I did the first year as he had his moments but after that he’s calmed down and is just lovely. We decided to get him when we did because we knew we’d be around home a lot for the next 10ish years because of the age of our kids. He’s been the best thing for our children through their teenage years (& us). Not sure I would get another one when he goes (Because of the commitment) but also can’t imagine an empty home. So the first year I was why are we doing this, and the next 9 years def not regretted getting him 😍

@MyBlueMoonbeam I am not deluded in the slightest. You are the one who made a smug "oh, AND I did it with 13 goldfish , 7 cows, newborn octuplets and a cat" comment when others have said that they struggled. If you can't see that well... 🤷🏻‍♀️

You said it was disgusting that people didn't think dogs were "amazing". No one has said they aren't amazing, just they regret being a dog owner. Which was actually the point of this thread. The OP wanted honesty, not fluffy wuffy "my dog is soooo AmAzInG!" and the reality is that they are a total tie and you have to think about all the responsibilities that go with them. The poo, the smell, the fur, the not being able to go on holiday without them, not being able to go on spontaneous days out... everyone knows puppies are cute and dogs are amazing.

Your attitude and comments are exactly the reason I hid the Dog House topic. No one is allowed to be negative about their dog owning experiences. If no one is honest, more dogs end up in rescue when the reality doesn't match up to the fantasy. Saying that it is "disgusting" when people are honest is, quite frankly, rude and unhelpful.

I'm hiding this one now.

How did that work out for you?

It'll work out better for me.

No, my dog is 8 - I had her before children and honestly she's my everything.
She is such a good girl, I barely now she's around just when she wants cuddles.

We considered getting another dog, BUT I think we will regret it as our dog is so easy and will just make our life more difficult.

When my son asks me to go on holiday I sometimes think I was selfish in my choice as it is harder to plan/book a trip but when my mum and dad passed away he was my wee furry rock, so no.

I don't think I've properly regretted it but I did go through a phase of- oh shit my whole life revolves around the dog. But then I fell in love with him and wouldn't be without. He's worth the sacrifices-long care free days out, 2 week holidays etc .

Yes. It’s so restrictive. And I had the puppy blues big time. I find the training hard. She’s 6 months and a complete Velcro pup. I love her.but I’d love her more if she was someone else’s.

Dh loves her absolutely and unconditionally. She can do no wrong.

Think about our climate emergency before getting a dog - they have a high carbon paw print.

I have to admit that the thought of having new a puppy fills me with dread.

Over the last twenty years I've had 3 lab puppies. At the time you just get on with it, but looking back it's quite tough. I do remember the fun times too though!

If you don't commit to the work in the first couple of months it can continue to be hard work. I made that mistake with my first puppy. Still pissing and shitting in the house at 10 months old, pulled on the lead, jumped up at people. I was shit at it. All my others have been well trained!

My last lab was an adult rescue.

Currently I have two ageing Labs, (8&9) and they are so easy.

I slightly regret falling in love with Labradors but only because they shed

@CMOTDibbler - am committing the cardinal sin of not RTFT, but got to your post and had to just say “nail on the head”!

The puppy stage is hard! The puppy blues is definitely a thing. There’s so much to try and take in to try to ensure you bring up a well behaved and well-rounded dog. Plus, you really need to research your particular breed - they all have their own nuances and different ways of trying to train them, depending on what type of dog they are (ie what was the breed originally bred for = work out what their core strengths are and tailor training around it).

I LOVE my girl to bits, but am not sure if I will have another dog again (also due to my health reasons), but I can’t imagine my home without a cat.

@MrsMiss - that sounds really hard. I have no training whatsoever, but a couple of suggestions that might help a small but. Do you have somewhere “safe” where he can go for a kind of time-out. My girl has he4 own room (conservatory) where she sleeps and have a gate blocking from the hallway. Maybe every time he jumps up, he gets taken to a quiet room for 5 minutes and then brought back into the household?

With regards to the chewing, one thing that was a great help here was buying an antler bone. The great thing about them, compared to a normal type of bone you might treat them to from a butcher, is that they don’t go “off” or rotten. And they last for ages. They’re not cheap, but when you look at the cost vs time then my girl, who is 52kg so had quite a big one, it was about £30 and lasted a good 2.5 years. Every time he goes to chew something, give him the bone instead. They often chew because they’re bored and so giving them an acceptable item keeps them occupied.

@SoupDragon - you are so right. There is nothing to say that we all need to state how amazing dogs are. I don’t doubt that everyone on here loves their dog, but the question was “do you regret it”. And so we’ve all tried to answer honestly. We all LOVE our dogs and would never rehome them, etc - but there is no shame in being honest and highlighting how hard it can be for some. I’d much rather those serious about getting a pup read something like this that might make them think more seriously, rather than going out and getting the latest fad type pup and sending it to a rescue 6 months down the line. Luckily, I think most here have this responsible view rather than lambasting people for not posting a golden glow review.

I too have always loved dogs. I researched my breed properly and chose her for what fitted in with my lifestyle and the fact that I already had cats. I pictured walks, pub visits, beaches, basically her being my best friend everywhere I went. The reality has been so different. Partly her - traits definitely not typical to breed (and have found out that other siblings are the same) and partly due to my health. On that front, she has been amazing - she’s an older girl now, but for the last 3 years has adapted to our new normal, and I love her for it. I will be heartbroken when she is no longer with me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t dig deep and say that I probably regret getting her.

I have mentioned this before. I love our dog, but we got him at the wrong time (when my son was 18 months old) and fucking hell that was so hard, I was at one point trying to toilet train them both and having to say to my son, no dog goes in bushes you do not, was probably the highlight.

The he got attacked 4 times in very quick succession which made him dog reactive, there were a few other things as well that happened, which was partly my fault and he is now reactive to everything, we were coming on leaps and bounds before lockdown but he has gone backwards again.

Having said all of that, we have 2 cats and he sleeps on the bed with them, he stands out the way and allows them to eat his food, He is my complete shadow and his recall is fantastic.

I will also say that this lockdown has proved how stressed my animals get with humans in the place all the time, they need a time out, which we have made for all three of them (and the humans)

No, the only thing I regret is picking up a free pup in a developing country who wasn’t health tested and has been plagued with the cruelest of ortho issues. Bitterly regret that as I had no idea how much I would love the dog.

I’ve never regretted getting him, not the 11 years of getting up every single day by 7, not walks in rain and snow, not the thousands of poos picked up, thousands of hours of doggy daycare, thousands of pounds spent on vets. I don’t regret the international moves where I have sobbed with worry about him on the plane, and not even a single regret now with the agony of orthopaedic issues which have cost so much money and so, so much more heartbreak.

As I get ready to say goodbye to him, I know I would and will do it all over again in a heartbeat. I got thousands upon thousands of hours of absolute joy, love and laughter. They really are such utter, utter little heart thieves. I hope you are lucky enough to get chosen by a (perfectly healthy) little heart thief too

For us the time was right when the children started secondary school. There were fewer long days out as they had homework at weekends or had outgrown the types of places that you go to with your parents all day. I wouldnt have coped well with young kids and a puppy.

@CMOTDibbler. Very funny but very true. I don't regret ours and we will almost definitely get more dogs but it's not for the faint hearted.