Do you ever regret getting a dog?

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I don't know whether it's just because I'm knackered, or because DH has been away all week, or because our pup has been injured for the last several weeks so we can't go anywhere...but I feel overwhelmed .

Has/does anyone ever feel this way too?

I have felt down on off days, but not the dogs fault so keep going for the good bits

Every day when I open the window to let te cat in and the dog goes mental. But at the dame time, every day when I walk her and when she curls up next to me and she looks at me in her smiley way I know that she is both the biggest mistake I have ever made and the best thing I have ever done.

Ive often felt overwhelmed at times, but the good bits outweigh the bad by far and he cheers me up when Im feeling down.

I regretted it this morning. I was hoovering up mountains of hair when the dog came back from walk with DH and had rolled in something stinky. Then he chewed up another of DS's wooden blocks and threw up in the kitchen.

But he is cute, and my 2 year old DS adores him.

Thank you for your replies.

I think I just need to get through this period so we cna start having a bit of fun with the pup.

puppies are difficult. every time i have to get up at night, clean diarrhea, vomit, wash dirty paws or pay a large bill from the insurance company i think "why oh why??" this stage will pass and instead of oh-so-cute pita you will get a great companion. dog hairs will remain though

My dog (she's nearly two now, this was a while ago) has chewed her way through my kitchen skirting boards, dining table and chairs (they were old cheap ones, but still) and DS's brand new overpriced school shoes (aaargh) and her wooden kennel... She barks at anyone who passes within 200 feet of our house (which is very often) and is a hyperactive pain in the ass that jumps all over people (well she was, I've since trained her to sit for petting/attention). I did regret it at one point, when she kept eating everything and weeing in the kitchen, oh and destroyed my lawn...but stuck through it with her. Ahhh, but I love walking her so much, she's so loyal and is really great with both my DS. It's a lot of hard work, is all.

Not yet But there have been close calls...... So far we have a totally ruined sofa, one chewed beyond repair leather dining chair (new last christmas) A stained and poo-smeared dining room carpet and I have lost count of the toys he has destroyed (and that I have hidden before the kids have seen them). And about a tonne of wood chip cleared away from the sticks we let him chew to stop him chewing important things! Oh, and the cats that have to live upstairs because he wants to 'play' with them so desperately.

But but but...... all in all, I'd rather have hime than not.

Overwhelmed, yes... regret, no!

Yes, sometimes. But only for a moment or two. Then I remember how wonderful he is. How happy he is all the time and how pleased he is when DH gets back from work in the evenings. When guests come to visit he gets so attached to them and depressed when they leave. He loves people so much. And is so gentle with my baby daughter....

But when I look at the chewed furniture and the hair ALL OVER THE HOUSE which is still there after vacuuming, sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed.

I think part of it is that I'm worried that all these weeks cooped up in the house will have a lasting effect on her temperament.

I'm also worried that her foot won't heal properly and she'll never be able to go very far.

And of course I'm going stir crazy stuck here looking after her.

I think there are times when having dogs is awful. When we got our 2nd from the Battersea Loony Bin, it took about 6 months of wondering what on earth we'd done. 11 years later he's still with us and much loved. We took on a 3rd dog last year, and have since had so many things chewed and generally destroyed, and he runs off which has been horrible. He seems to be turning a corner and is a super boy despite everything. One day you will have a dog you wondered how you ever lived without.

word - they are amazingly resilient, they really, really are...

I have always found puppies more hard work than rewarding. I think you just have to grit your teeth and keep training in the knowledge that in the not too distant future, you will have a life-enhancing family member.

I'm sorry to hear your pup is housebound? Don't laugh, but have you considered a puppy pram? When we got collie pup in January, I got one from zooplus so I could take her on longer walks with my other collie. I felt a bit foolish but I could take her everywhere. She even accompanied me to Waitrose! Although your puppy won't be at "doggy" level, at least she will be exposed to a variety of different sounds and smells.

It will be 5 weeks tomorrow since we brought Sam, our rescue whippet-based lurcher home from the greyhound rescue.
In those 5 weeks I have wildly swung between "Help I feel completely overwhelmed what on earth have we done" and "Oh wow, he is just the most wonderful dog we are so lucky to have got him" several times.

He is wonderful. Great temperament, the children adore him. Very placid in the house when we are home. Very placid out of the house and on walks except when he wants to do his 10 minutes of mad 32mph running in large circles.

But, so far he has chewed his way through shoes, handbag strap, leather belt, countless pencils (where do they all come from??), mobile phone charger and the entire wooden slatted blind from the front window (that was a homecoming and a half, looked like a bomb had gone off with blind hanging in tatters)
He howls when we leave him home alone (although I only work very part time so this is not for long and I do think he is getting better)

But we love him. He is only young (18 months approx) so I know that in years to come he will be super. He is lovely

Oh tchoo I hope so.
I thought we had turned a corner when the vet took the strappings off...but she still can't bear any weight on the injured paw. She is due another xray on Tuesday and although I'm no vet, I'd say there's still something wrong.

We have a beagle. She cost us a bloody fortune. She has chewed countless numbers of my leather shoes, eaten four pairs of my glasses, ruined god knows how many cushions (always the expensive Laura Ashley ones) howls at anyone who dares to even walk down our street, terrorises the postie and eats everything in sight including breaking into my neighbours house and stealing her food. I work part-time and have to rush home from work every day to walk her before DC come home from school. But when she snuggles up to me and looks at me with her big brown eyes, all is forgiven. I'd like to see my DCs get away with even one of those crimes!!