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

I love my boy to death but if I could go back in time I probably wouldn’t get a dog. One of the reasons I got a dog was to help my mental health but I ended up with a dog with separation anxiety which caused my own health to relapse badly

I’ve also ended up having to rely on my parents to help out much more than I expected because of his anxiety. It also doesn’t help that there aren’t many places I can take him where I live here in Australia. No dog friendly pubs here (some places you can sit outside with your dog) and no dogs on public transport.

On the plus side, he is a very affectionate little guy and the extra walking and social side of dog ownership has been good for me.

I was previously a long term cat owner and think I would have been better off getting another cat/s.

We always had dogs when I was growing up and I 'inherited' the last of them when my DCs were small. I thought I knew what I was letting myself in for, but I had no concept of the restrictions she would place on our life. She was an amazing dog, who lived for another five years, and we all loved her to bits but I would never get another one.

We have two rescue dogs, it has completely changed our lifestyle but they are worth it. I have also made new friends through having them too.

It's really important to consider the characteristics of the breed rather than just appearance. We both work full time so didn't think we could really have a dog but then my FIL who is very knowledgeable about dogs suggested we look into greyhounds.

They have such an amazing temperament, very calm and gentle. They are loving and quirky and a good rescue can match the right dog to your circumstances. The added bonus is there are so many needing loving homes once they retire from racing.

They also don't need a huge amount of walks (2 x 20 mins is recommended) but are happy with more.They also sleep for at least 18 hours a day so are happy to sleep while we are at work until the dog walker comes then it's back to sleep until we get home.

Puppies are very very hard work so, make sure the breed is a fit with your lifestyle and may be look into rescue too? A lot of rescues have dogs in foster so they know alot about the dog.

good luck! xxx