Anyone got a dog and regret it?

[T00much]

and if so, why?

We really want a family dog but am worried that it will be restrictive. I work from home but obvs leave the house to go shopping/exercise classes/meetings.

Also holidays/weekends away - would feel guilty leaving the dog

They are restrictive but they're worth it completely! We have doggy daycare near us who will pick ours up about 7.30 and drop him off about 5.30pm for £20 (he spends all day playing with other dogs and he loves it). Means when we want to go out for the day he's happy :-)

Also a well cared for dog can comfortably be left for up to 4 hours so going to the shop etc it's fine :-)

But yer they are a restriction of life tbh.

If your DC are small, your life is somewhat restricted anyway in terms of going away on a whim, etc...

I'm really tempted to get one. But my parents have always had dogs do I'm well aware of the commitment.

It's weird, I didn't weigh up having kids half as thoroughly as I did getting a dog!

I would only get a dog if you’re prepared to walk it twice a day and not leave it more than acouple hours on its own. Afew hours is a lifetime to a dog. I think it’s cruel as a colleague of mine leaves her dogs in cages all day and they only get let out in back garden at lunchtime. They also rarely get walked. If you want to go out all day for instance and not return home i wouldn’t get a dog.

I think like a pp said if you have kids you’re already restricted. Before kids I wouldn’t have gotten one though as liked my freedom while I had it.

Yes I do have primary aged kids.

Walking twice a day not a problem. I can do long walk after dropping kids at school and either a shorter one before pick up or while they do an after school activity or DH could do it when he gets home (would an 8pm walk be too late?)

whatsgoingon same here!

DH said to think of it as having another child (which I would at the drop of a hat if I was younger)

They are totally restrictive and I do feel guilty going on holiday. But the upside is so worth it to have a friend that is always pleased to see you

PasstheStarmix

We still go out all day just to places where we can bring our dog

Yes it is restrictive but worth it in my opinion

Yokohamajojo That’s great but my colleague works so she can’t so she leaves her dogs all day and then goes out after work! It’s awful

I'd say think of it as having another child in terms of work but I actually find my dogs more restrictive than kids as there's very few places you can't take your kids. Ok so you're not going to leave your primary aged children alone for four hours or pop them in kennels when you go on holiday so in that way you have a bit more flexibility but think about how many places you go then think how many of them you can take a dog to. Visits to friends/family, would you be able to take the dog? Days out to parks etc, dog can go to most parks (but generally not farm parks, days to farm parks cost us £20 more for day care) but can't always go to all bits. So if you like going for the day and popping to the cafe for lunch or stopping at shops on way home what do you do with the dog? In the summer you can't leave it in the car. I also find the shopping days of browsing Ikea for a couple of hours, nipping to b&q etc then stopping to feed/entertain/bribe the kids are now less of an option. Before you know it you've been out for 6 hrs.

Not trying to put you off......I do love having my dogs......but they do definitely restrict what you can do. The amount you are willing to change what you do to accommodate that is what you need to consider. My old dog was perfectly happy being left for longer periods of time, asking as she had the run of the house and a window to look out of she was quite happy. My current dogs do not cope well with more than about three to four hours. It is very restrictive

I kind of do.
I love him to bits and he’s not here right now so I miss him but life is so much easier without him
If I could turn back time I wouldn’t have him - and I feel really guilty for writing that

user a lot of what you say has been going through my mind. It's the lack of spontaneity, being able to go on bike rides then a spot if lunch aftetwards without having to go back for the dog

When we were first thinking of getting a dog, my sil said “Imagine having another child, but one that will never grow up”

bert 😂 she has a good point. I can see that can be seen as a positive and a negative!

I love our dog and would never be without him but he has completely changed our loves and when i sit and think about being so tied for the next 15+years its a scary thought.

Before we got him we were assured we would have a dog sitter whenever we needed one. We dont. He's small and a lap dog and not suited to kennels and he is like our baby so i wouldnt send him anyway.

Basically we will never get a break away without him. As he his home all day whilst we work we are restricted with what we do on an evening so we dont leave him again and on a weekend we try to go places he is allowed so hes not left for long.

We can usually get a sitter for a couple of hours at a time maybe 1 / 2 nights at a push but i know they do t like having him overnight so it puts me off asking. We are planning a wedding for next year and im already worrying about where he will spend the day and where we can honeymoon with him included.

He pees all over. Natural for his breed and we have to live with that. He is an attractive / cute dog so gets lots of attention but is mega anxious and protective and we have to live with that too.

I love him im so happy we have him but i'll never do it again.

I am thinking the same as you op. Our old poorly dog was pts two years ago and we miss him too much. We thought long and hard about a cat instead but have decided we are more dog people. We have 3 dc though age from 12 months to 5 years old, so very busy anyway. But we miss a doggy presence!
I think we will wait a couple more years.

Also ours costs us around £150-£200a month in food / treats / toys /insurance / fle and wormer / jabs / dog minder to check on him when were at work.

Same as a PP we have a puppy minder who picks up and brings back for £25 a day. My dog goes to her 2, sometimes 3 times a week, and has a total ball.

We go on holiday twice a year, 3 weeks total, and she goes into kennels. I miss her loads but she is safe and cared for and there when I get back! She doesn't seem unduly affected just very very pleased to see us.

I only ever got a dog on the proviso the above arrangements would be in place. We only really leave her for 2 hours max on her own.

And no, I am completely in love with her, and would never regret getting her. The second one we are getting in a month however......i'll have to let you know!

For various reasons, we didn’t really have a choice about getting our dog. But we are incredibly lucky both with her and our circumstances. She has an extended family that she loves and where she goes when we are away for any length of time, and friends who never go away where she can go overnight at no notice. We also have neighbours with a dog and we have reciprocal dog supervising duties if either of us are out for more than a few hours.

We also live in the country, and she is small enough to squeeze through the cat flap so she can let herself in and out of the garden.

Not sure how i’d cope without all of that, to be honest, as a dog person by default!

I’ve always wanted a dog, waited and waited and now I work from home it’s possible- primary age kids too.

You have to be organised and you have to consider the dog’s needs. Your walking schedule sounds fine, and similar to ours.
Our dog is welcome at all family members houses but I’d not assume taking her to friends, and some I know are definitely allergic/house proud/don’t like dogs. But then I’m not likely to spend 4+ hours at a local friend’s, and for non-local friends we’d arrange a dog sitter for a whole day out.

Lunch out - choose dog-friendly pubs/cafes, sit outside etc.

Days out - recently to the beach, to National Trust etc etc

Holidays - we camp/Center Parcs takes dogs if you book early enough/dog-friendly places are everywhere. For an abroad holiday just factor in the dog sitting as part of the overall cost.

One of the reasons I wanted a dog now is because once the DC are older teens we’ll not need to organise childcare and babysitting as much - so whilst my life is restricted anyway I may as well embrace it. And I adored my childhood dog so much I wanted that for my DC too (but secretly really for me...)

You can’t just extend your day on a whim, but that saves us money on random lunches out, tbh!

One side of the family are dog lovers so would welcome the dog with open arms when we visit. The other is not at all so the dog wouldn't be able to come with us.

Our summer holidays are mainly camping or visiting dog friendly family overseas so that wouldn't be a problem.

I wonder if regardless of the fact that I work from home we should get a regular doggy day care, say once a week so that 1) dog gets used to it so it's not a shock when we do need to send him/her there 2) I get a dog free day to get on with stuff 3) should my work situation change in the future the dog will be used to having days without me...
?

Thats a good idea toomuch our dog really hates being away from us and thats probably because i was off for 3 / 4 months when we got him.

Having our dogs changed our life style that’s for sure, but for the better. We got out and walked all the time (this was before the kiddies came along). Weekends were spent doing nine mile pub walks around the Cotswolds. Happy times.

Three dogs and two kids later and I have to say, having three is hard. They are still walked twice/three times s day and we always go out at the weekend with dogs and kids and bikes etc. It’s a ‘handful’ as people comment but we all enjoy it. We do have to be mindful of time away from the house (I’m at home normally) but we have a lovely lady who walks all three dogs for £10 if we’re going to be away for a while.

Financially they are expensive- my vet bill was £500 yesterday- as they all need medication at the moment. Then there’s boarding costs when you go away etc.

I think go in with eyes open but don’t forget the positives a dog can bring to your lives.

Wow I couldn't cope with 3!! Neither do I have the space or the money.
Would definitely get insurance.
Need to have a long think and chat with DH about holidays/doggy daycare/weekends & walks

i just cancelled a weekend in Europe this weekend because I'm not comfortable with the place I was going to leave my pup...so its that kind of thing. The home boarder he used to stay with has moved so it is a massive pain trying to find a new one...

if you're going to give your dog a good quality of life it is a huge commitment - but I think if you put a support network in place it can work well.

i work at home and he goes out for group walks 4 days a week - this is so he gets a proper run without me having to worry about scheduling that into my day (I live in centre of town without a car so its an effort to go out to the country where he can have a proper run - fine for weekends but not so much on weekdays) and also so he doesn't become too dependant on me. And its good to have a break tbh because he is very distracting! He has a ball on his walks and comes home very happy. He goes out with one person three times a week and another person once a week - this is so that he is comfortable with different people and I have different people I can call on if I need help.

As well as his group walks we go for wander around the block about 15-20 minutes three times a day (first thing in the morning, about 5pm and then before bed) so he can go the toilet (he only goes in my small courtyard in emergencies) and have a sniff around.

If I'm out for a night I arrange for someone to come and hang out with him. Most Ill leave him for is 4 hours - and not regularly.

So yeah it is an organisational challenge and costs lots of money (as well as dog care insurance, food, toys, bedding....).

But provided you set up that network and are realistic about the cost OH MY GOD its the best thing I've ever done!!! I love my pup soon much and he has improved the quality of my life so much. He is AWESOME.

I do feel very strongly about the responsibility to give a dog a good quality of life though - I am very conscious that every day his enjoyment for that day is entirely dependant on what I provide for him. He has a friend who comes out on walks with him - but for the rest of the day that dog is on his own from 7:30 am until about 7:pm. So while he gets out for a good walk in the day I think that is way too long for him to be alone the rest of the day. Obviously he's not neglected and his quality of life is certainly decent - I just don't think its fair on him to be alone for such a long time.

oh also overseas with a dog (unless driving) VERY difficult.

Good luck! I can't imagine not having a dog in my life now!

We have insurance but two of the three dogs are no longer covered by their policies for their skin issues.

We have a doggy day care centre locally. They have a brilliant play area which includes swings and tyres to play on/with. To give you an idea, it’s £15 from 8am - 6pm per dog. They can accommodate 35 dogs so great for socialising.