Am I ready for a dog?

[duplodancer]

I've been going back and forth for so long. I don't know if there's something obvious I haven't thought about!
Grew up with dogs, as did my DH. Have family dogs to stay occasionally too but am never responsible for them.
Kids are 5 and 8, love animals. Have a smallish garden but can walk from door to open heath and woodland within 10 minutes. Both of us are keen runners and walkers. Currently have very flexible part time work from home job.
But... we like going away every few months. Not just holidays but to visit various relatives who themselves can't travel and are a flight away. Could occasionally get help from friends and family but not always. What if I get the dog and can't bring myself to put it in kennels?
Plus, the dog poo, will it drive me mad with the kids stepping in it every time they go into the garden?
Honest thoughts please - do I sound ready? I'm obsessing over it. What should I consider? Thanks in advance.

Poo is easy - train the dog to poo in a specific area in the garden - so much easier to pick up. Dogs will usually poo at set times eg after breakfast and meals so again easy to pick up as soon as they have done it.

You would have to man up to leaving the dog if you wanted to go away but usually if you find a good dog sitter and you know the dog is happy this is doable.

Sits back and waits for the doom and gloom threads to say you are not fit to be a dog owner -don't take this personally it seems to be the vibe of the doghouse at the moment

First dog poo will only be stepped in if you don't pick it up. I know roughly when my dog is due to poo and I keep an eye on him and clear it up straight away.

Going away is hard. I board him with the person who looks after him at day care rather than kennels as I like him to be with someone he knows. Whilst he loves going he is definitely unsettled for a bit when we return so I would hate to put him and us through that regularly.

Do you have any nearby dog rescue's where you could act as a foster home? It would give you an opportunity to spend some time with a dog living with you without committing yourselves and you'd be helping a dog on its way to a forever home.

With regards to the going away finding a good pet sitter is key. Although some do remarkably well in kennels it isn't something I could ever do with our dog as being a rescue himself I'd be worried he would think he'd been abandoned again.

I'm just giving Valahalla a virtual high five!
OP, you sound pretty well set up, good luck! It's exciting

We use a dog sitter for 3 days a week when I’m at work. They are a ‘home from home’ environment with lots of dogs in different rooms (quiet rooms, less sociable dogs, playing dogs, sleeping dogs) and my 6 month old woofy loves it! They also do overnights/holidays and I have to regularly leave him there for the odd overnight. He’s totally fine about it and we’re happy to leave him as he obviously has a ball with the other dogs.....he’s a sociable lad. We looked at kennel environments too but quickly backed off.

You wait for them to poo in the garden and clean it up. I never stepped in it as a child ...

We got our first dog a year ago when kids were 4, 9 and 12. No one has stepped in poo yet and whilst we are generally good at picking up in the garden, we can get a bit slack for a day or two....but she normally does at least one of her two daily poos on a walk anyway so that is obis picked up at the time! We have been away without her for a week before Xmas, a long weekend and then 2 weeks over Easter - we have found a dog boarder in she loves. She is a lab so very gregarious. I was very worried and researched like mad and we planned the year when getting her so I was basically at home the last year but actually she has been so easy, we adore her and as far as trips go....she is fine and we can't wait to get back from trips to see her.

This is very reassuring. I think I'm going to go for it. Thanks so much for all your advice. I will be back with more questions no doubt!