The things that no-one warned you about..

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

My spaniel has no "Off" switch.

My collie is far too clever.

(But I love them both to pieces and wouldn't swap either of them for all the tea in China)

Nobody warned you? But they're the first things people say about spaniels and collies, lol.

Labradors constantly shed, they shed a lot all year round, all the time. When the seasons change they shed massively more.

You can brush them thoroughly, remove lots of hair, hoover the whole house and within "hours" there will be hair again. Light-ish carpets and a black Labrador don't go. Thankfully I wear black to work so its not noticeable.

I cannot remember the last time I had a meal at home when either dh, ds or I have not found a Labrador hair in our food.

That even if you were "never all that fond of dogs" they creep into your affections and in no time at all they have you worshiping the ground they walk on
In some ways they are disgusting if there is something decomposed and stinking then they just have to roll in it and if you are really unlucky they'll eat it as well.
It's ironic really that whilst they don't mind stinking of fox poo/rotting pigeons/ fresh horse manure they are absolutely fastidious when it comes to keeping their nether regions clean and can spend at least an hour a day licking and slurping noisily.

nobody warned me I would start to believe my greyhound cross is actually a princess, and ought to be treated as such.

extra soft plush beddies

appropriate levels of affection

She must never be spoken to harshly

and no kennels ever.

(Now WHAT do we do when we go away???!!!)

I thought we were just getting a DOG. But apparently she's a person. Of high status.

Your black lab will suddenly decide she doesn't like sitting on the patio and will sit herself in the large planters and wreck the petunias.

BabyGanoush - home boarding. My lurchers go to a lovely lady who has 4 sighthounds of her own, and has mahoosive fluffy dog beds, a wood burning stove, and a dog paddling pool. They love it there

Oh agree insanity about them getting into your heart. Before I got my dog - after getting to know DD's dog - I was pretty anti dog if I'm honest, a dedicated cat person. But from the start I was just smitten.

Those eyes, that smile, the way she can lift my spirits if I'm having an awful day and the fact that she makes me laugh every day. No one told me about any of those things.

I too thought I was just getting a dog. Little did I know how she'd wrap me round her little paw.

Oh and no one told me that she'd eat cat poo from the litter tray, or hoover up rabbit droppings in the park, and when she can get it chow down on sheep poo.

They are such disgusting creatures but they are such joyful, giving souls too.

Yes, we were warned but I am not sure I was expecting the spaniel to be quite such a one dog wrecking machine nor her, the collie, to be as smart as some 5 year olds. Luckily agility and plenty of mind games seem to keep them both in check...most of the time.

YES Pigsdofly - the eating cat poo isn't something I'd ever experienced or heard of even after growing up with dogs. Having four house cats & our poop - munching pup was an eye opener...!

That puppy and I would have opposing views on the purpose of flower beds... And flowers. (And flip flops. And phone chargers.)

Oh and anytime you sneeze you will have an accusing face centimetres away from yours. Staring at you. Every. Single. Time.

Oh yes, the sneezing thing. The long death stare that says 'you did that just to annoy me/wake me up, didn't you?'

CMOT that sounds lovely!

In all my research nobody ever warned me that whippets think poking you in the eye with their very pointy noses is an acceptable expression of affection

No one warned me that they would change my life forever. Amazing.

German shepherds moult twice a year. For 6 months at a time!

Babyganosh i could of written your post have xcross whippet

Whippets are velgro dogs havent had a pee on my own since i have had her

WeAllHaveWings I have a black lab too and the hair is just ridiculous! He should be bald with the amount he loses every day.

Nobody told me that my lab pup would ingest and then shit out 50% of our socks in the first 9 months of his life.

The amount of mornings I find him squating in the garden with a shitty sock hanging out of his bumhole, which I then have to remove, is incredible. He is like a sock seeking missile. I have tried hard to keep them away from him but he just knows!

That I would be constantly with a wipe of some sort in my hand !

The wiping up drip secretions from the boys is a never ending job , I can just about cope with the all year round shedding but the dripping is horrible !!

Also that black Labradors have the stealth skills of a ninja - despite being a very light sleeper mine still manages to creeps up stairs every night and sleep on my feet

Hi!
I guessed who'd be posting this thread!
They both utterly gorgeous and so lucky you chose them :)
Mind you the both always look like they gave springs in their paws

Not had the experience of a bum sock but have had a very freaked out labrador tearing around the garden with a swinging poo hanging from a hair chasing him !

NotKissing

that a dog so giant seven stone GSD could be so utterly delusional to believe he is really not that much bigger than the cat and that his rightful place should be in my lap

That I could never ever have another wee without a Border Terrier nosing open the door in the hope that he will be given the grand prize of the inside of a loo roll.