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

Sometimes I regret getting a dog, but mostly I don't.
I adopted an 8 year old and was really lucky. She came already house trained and doesn't chew anything. She's really loving and good with children. She did have separation anxiety to begin with (I couldn't even go to the toilet on my own, she was like my second shadow), and can still be a bit clingy (proper lap dog, even though she's 15kg!) but now she knows her routine is perfectly fine. She also doesn't like most other dogs which can be a PITA but something I have adapted to.

She does tie me down to some extent, I have to go home every lunch time to give her a quick walk and check on her. Doing stuff at short notice can also be a PITA, but generally she's OK on her own for around 4 hours at a time. I'm lucky though that when we go on holiday she stays at my sisters. Also if we go out for a few hours or the day we usually go in the general direction of my sisters and just drop her off there. My niece and nephew love it (and it saves my sister the hassle of getting their own dog). So I'm lucky like that.

I do sometimes begrudge having to get up early to walk her before work, and having to walk her after work, but when we are out I'm glad I went out, if you follow. She actually makes sure I do actually go out, I have no choice. My partner says she's a great stress reliever for him. I guess she is for me too, she makes me laugh quite often and makes a good hot water bottle.

We got an 8 week old puppy in Feb. I was confident we knew what we were doing (we grew up with dogs). We though hard about it and considered the impacts to our lifestyle.

Boy were we wrong!!!!!!!! We definitely regretted getting him for weeks. He took up every spare minute of everyone's time, he was so bitey he scared our daughter (he is a small dog but she is a nervous nellie), we couldn't leave him alone for 2 mins, he peed all over the house.......

Fast forward and he is nearly 5 months old now. He is getting easier and we are getting used to him. My daughter finally likes him and plays with him. He can be left for an hour at home so we don't always have to have 1 adult with the dog (makes a supermarket run easier to schedule). He is now cute and funny and less bitey.

I suspect he still has some bedding in to do but he is now part of the family. There is someone home with him all day though and he gets lots of walks and attention and I put a huge amount of time and effort into toilet training so he is now clean and dry and has been for weeks. All family are happy to have him (luckily so as he peed on my mum's new carpet) visit and we holiday in our caravan so take him along. I no longer regret getting him, hubby is coming round and my daughter is on the way too. Weekends sometimes need some extra thought and care. No all day trips to shopping centres (not that we did anyway), choosing dog friendly places to eat (often means sitting outside - fine in August but not so good in Feb). Shady parking if we need to leave him in the car briefly....

They change your life in lots of ways and yes it is restrictive at times but the love and joy they give more than makes up for it IMO. No one is ever as happy to see me as ddog is, no one ever forgives any grumpiness from me as quick as ddog, nobody worships the ground I walk on like ddog does, no one is ever as satisfied by the briefest of attention as ddog is. He's great and a joy to have in our lives and any regrets usually last as long as it takes for him to be really sweet so minutes.

oh yes following up what Cath2901 - puppy very different to a dog!

I got mine as a pup. Oh. My. God. He has just turned 14 months and noticeably started to calm down. But the puppy months - good lord. Relentless. And mine was a real landshark - my knuckles bled for about three months...But all the hard work I put into training is starting to pay off - and there are somethings which I let slide which I'm going to have to put effort into (jumping up - he is over friendly and I got a bit slack on this for a couple of months and need to start being militant about this).

If you do get a puppy def take training seriously.

There's a reason they make puppies so cute - because they are so unbelievably naughty!

Ah some of these posts are making me well up!
cath good to know you are out the other side (or nearly!)

The kids have no idea we are seriously thinking about it and we won't say anything until we are 100% sure and we have found a breeder and we're on top of waiting list and at the imminent litter stage.

I think dogs can be really really significant for the healthy emotional development of kids. Theres a guy who's about 21 or 22 who works in a shop around the corner and he almost cries every time he sees my boy because he's like the dog he had growing up. It's adorable.

We have an 8 month old puppy. I don't regret her for even 1 second but my anxiety has hit the roof after getting her. And she's an easily trainable,low energy breed, and we are experienced dog owners (admittaly our last dog was elderly).

I didn't understand how stressful she could be. She chews stuff and could chock on it all the time. Doesn't listen to commands and runs away so I'm always worried she's going to be hit by a car. Will bolt for the road if the gate is left open.
And cries when she's left so now I leave every exercision to the minimum possible.

But I love her so much

Ill be pleased when she is a dog rather than a puppy!

Agree with aargh! you need to have it all organised. I live alone and work FT. I do make sure that I don't work late into the evening, though, so can be home for dog (and parrot). My dog has a dogwalker for one hour in the lunch time period (walked alone) and gets a good walk with me first thing in the morning and as soon as I get home - also a small walk round the block at bedtime. She has a big window to look out of, the radio is left on and she has the parrot for live company (they like each other). She is ok with other dogs so if I go abroad she is boarded with a lovely man (dogs adore him) in his own home with 5 or 6 other dogs at any one time. This is local to me so she is in an area she already is at home in. Going out in the evening for me requires extra planning as I live alone and I have to arrange for someone to come and walk the dog and give her her dinner so she is OK until I get home. For me, it is definitely worth it - after my first dog, who was PTS when I was in my mid-20s I didn't want another dog until I retired but fate stepped in and I had to take a dog 15 years ago who was a homeless stray - I'd forgotten how wonderful dogs are and what a happiness they bring to your life. I would not be without one now.

I love my dog but there are days I miss the freedom of being able to just go shopping for the day. Christmas shopping last year was done in short trips rather than a day out with dm like I used to do.

He's just coming out of the puppy stage and calming down which is good.

Also no decent kennels near us so no holidays but we dont mind this as saving for a house.

A good friend of mine got a dog, despite not really liking them and not wanting one. She got railroaded in to it by the husband and kids.

A few yrs down the line and she massively resents the dog and the restrictions that they now have on their life.

I did try to warn her at the time (as an experienced dog owner) but it fell on deaf ears.

The dog spends a few days each week on its own for 8 hrs which bothers me and I feel so sorry for the dog.

Think VERY carefully before you commit to what will be 10 years plus of daily care, walking twice a day in all weathers, the intrusion on family life, holidays, trips away, vet bills, training etc.

It really is a massive commitment.

I wanted a dog in an abstract sense (grew up with them, desperately missed them, and I was that person in the street who really wants to say hello to your dog) but I wasn't looking to get one

Sorry hit send too soon

Then I moved into a houseshare with a dog, started walking and training him, housemate moved out, voila, I own a dog.

He's not the dog I would have chosen at the rescue centre - then totally untrained, reactive little mutt with few redeeming features and thoroughly deserving of his MN name that he still retains, PestDog.

Things have got much better with enough exercise and pest control training classes and he's no longer such a Pest, though he has his moments. I've had to change my whole lifestyle inc career because of him. Nights out after work no longer exist. My evenings and weekends revolve around him.

Do I regret him coming into my life? Not at all, except for the time I woke up to him vomiting on my duvet at 6am when I did think some fairly murderous thoughts!

I regret owning a dog. Made worse by the fact that I knew I would, I told the family I would and they put forward 20 points on how we needed a dog etc.

So I caved -

they were going to walk him, to scoop the poop (including in the garden), feed him, wash his feeding bowls, clean his feeding area, clean his bedding, bath him, clean his towels, train him, play with him, brush him, brush his teeth, administer any medication, flea treatment, worming, arrange vaccinations and vets appointments, book kennels and grooming.

Ha, bloody, ha.

oh, and all the stuff mentioned still has to be done when everyone is feeling under the weather or jet-lagged, or tired, or hung-over.

Following on from what @onthepage said I'd have to say it was only a good idea if you're entirely prepared to do everything for the dog yourself (every adult in the family should feel that way ideally). Getting one but expecting that others will do the donkey work is a recipe for resentment.

Overall I'm ok with having a dog. She's 11 months old and we've had her since she was nearly 4 months old. She's very smart, a people pleaser and not very food motivated. It makes her tricky to train sometimes when none of my treats get her attention!

I got her for me, firstly. She is my dog. I am responsible for all her care and arranging a sitter/walker etc. I use her as a reason to build exercise into my life - she goes jogging with me.

I wouldn't say I regret having her, but I highly doubt we will get another dog when she passes. Although I take care of all my pets, I'm not a huge animal person.

I've got two dogs and I adore them both. However they rule my life. My work hours have to fit around them. Weekends away can be tricky.
I would think very carefully before getting a dog. I certainly do t be getting anymore when they go.

Actually, having a dog can be a wonderful excuse. Don't fancy that get together you've been invited to? Oh, sorry, can't arrange dog care at such short notice. I think I am rather antisocial anyway, but it's always good for also having 'to rush back and see to the dog' as a get out clause.
Of course my friends and family are quite happy to entertain my dog as well,and I enjoy their company, so that's okay!

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

Babies are allowed almost everywhere.
It’s social unacceptable to not like babies.
Baby’s don’t wreck your house and chew your stuff.
Babies are constantly growing up and improving.
Babies shit in their nappies.
Babies don’t need walked twice a day.
Babies don’t leave hairs all over the home.
Baby’s don’t smell/trash the bathroom when you bath them.
Babies get free healthcare
Most babies come with a monthly allowance to help provide for them
Babies get to go to school after 4 years... for free!

By the way I love our dog despite all this, but my god she is hard work! I definitely considered her joining the family more than I considered our children!

Definitely like having a child, you have to be sensitive to the dogs needs and routines. You have to want to care for the dog because you will be spending alot of time doing it

‘Baby’s don’t wreck your house and chew your stuff.’

That’s debatable, you haven’t met my toddler

Our three dogs are so hard work, it’s like having three argumentative toddlers running around the house. The big dog will steal the youngest dogs ball, the youngest dog will then cry and ask to be picked up (he is a sausage dog), the middle dog will look at the big dog when he has his chew and will start to bark at her, then middle dog will steal the treat he had, and the big dog will bark at me to get it off her, it’s never ending. However I definitely don’t regret getting them, they make life so much more interesting. My mum will dog sit when we go out for days longer than 4 hours as well as stay at our house to look after them when we go away, so we are very lucky in that sense.

The dog puked on my bedroom carpet at 1am and then got excited when I tried to clean it up and stood in it and woofed and galloped around. Then the kid got up and the pukey dog jumped on her. She started crying. My husband woke up and turned the lights on. Cue an entire family wide awake and scrubbing vomit off the carpet with a howling child and a barking dog. 20 mins late lights all back off, kid in our bed, sick all cleaned away, dog on the floor. The dog went back to sleep no problem but I've been awake all night.

Yes I definitely regret getting a dog today. Get a goldfish.

don’t regret getting a dog, but really dislike the puppy stage. I wish we’d got her aged 1.

My first and only dog , I regretted getting him from the day I picked him up and every day after for the following six months. We had him for the next 11 years until he had to be PTS. I miss him