I've never been a dog person but have suddenly started wanting a dog?

[Hullabalooo]

Hello

So just that really. I come from a non dog family and have never particularly liked dogs but something has hugely shifted recently and I've started to want to get a dog almost in the same broody way that I wanted my DC.

I have no idea if this is a passing feeling or not but it's a first as have literally never felt like this before.

How hard is it to be a loving and responsible dog owner? Is it expensive? How much does it add to your life? And is it more or less helpful to have with DC?

Apologies if this is all beginner stuff. I've been somewhat taken aback by this huge shift in my character and am just working it all out.

Never mind putting the OP off, I'm on the verge of taking my own dog back after reading this thread

OP, in the interests of balance, as well as all the hideous and expensive things others have mentioned:

I've lost weight despite swapping running and cardio for dog walking (obviously wasn't doing cardio very effectively)
I sleep loads better, presumably due to being outdoors more.
We're all laughing more (apart from on Diarrhoea Wednesday).
To me it's all of the joy and fulfilment of having a child, with far fewer complications. As with kids, if you read a thread that was all about the practicalities, you'd wonder why anyone did it.

Wow, what a great response! Thanks so much. Still no clearer about a decision but definitely thinking a lot about it. So all this is super helpful. Much appreciated all.

Would you consider volunteering eg the cinnamon trust in order to gain some insight.
My dog was a nightmare pup. Couldn't be left. Recall was a non existent. She chewed everything. Yep. Even me. Toilet training took forever.
She's nearly two now and I adore her. She has rather taken over my life though.
No days out. Have to work round her schedule. (Giant breed. Can't eat before exercise or exercise before food!)

DH and I come from dog owning families and I’ve probably owned every animal goingvfrom horses to stick insects). View a dog as having another child you can’t take everywhere. How it affects you very much depends on the dog. If you get one research research research is the key to getting one. It took us about a year to research breeds which involved reading talking to friends coulleagues random people in parks, pubs and beach. Speaking with breeders, visiting them, going on a waiting list. It’s probably been a total of 18-24 months journey to get our puppy so plenty of time to change your mind. We have a min schnauzer she amazing gets me off the sofa and helping so much with mental health issues. Slept through from day one (tried taking her out in night but she just looked at us like we were stupid). So far only destroyed our coasters and hands. How old are your kids? They will get nipped to some extent if you get a puppy so really need to be able to understand that! Once you have a dog they need to be factored into everything, we’ve been lucky anf house training took 1 week although breed are very easy to train she can already manage sit, stay etc. We have to barricade ds in so he can play with his playmobil. We have puppy visits when out for upto 6 hours so 2 visits a day twice a week which is £20. The same person will do dog boarding at £25?per night or dog day care for £20 so consistency for dog. She’s been fine being left and goes to sleep ( we’ve come back to check looking through the window) no shedding (well minimal) so whizz hoover round. We have prolific lung worm round us plus fairly damp garden so needs worming every month only a few pounds, again bad tick problem so a few pounds flea and tick. £40 amonth food, £35 amontg insurance )lifetime cover 98.9% payouts inc congenital issues). Toys however much you want to spend but prob min £5. Initial set up costs about 1,000 for dog, bed, collar lead, identify tags food, water bowls, food storage, puppy gates etc. About £150. Is nitial jab course £49 ( boosters will cost more - think low price is to sign you up! But they have best recommendations round here). This would inc microchipping but this was done and transferred by breeder. You might need new clothes and boots for walking in the countryside Transfer of kennel club ownership £17. Grooming will be £40 every 8 weeks (not all breeds need this) not sure about cost of plastic surgery on hands as ther have been mauled though lol. Cost of having a dog who will lift spirits no matter what, feel like the only one who understands you at times, gets you to make new friends, teaches kids a million life lessons, better exercise than any gym, loves you no matter what. That is all priceless!

Dogs:

• Make you get up at 6:20am every bloody morning
• Get mud all over the house no matter how hard you try to keep them clean
• Require lots of training if you want to stop them doing annoying things (like jumping up, pulling on the lead, running off, eating swimming goggles, etc..)
• Need walking every day, probably twice per day and depending on the breed that might well mean for an hour twice a day through a field not just a pop up the corner shop and back
• dig up your lovely flower beds
• crap all over your garden
• shed hair all over your house
• potentially eat your childrens toys
• steal food from the kitchen (if big enough and canny enough)
• mean you can't go for that family day out to legoland without getting someone to look after the dog for you
• cost money (insurance, vets and food as a minimum).

What you get for that is:

• Love, lots and lots of unconditional and adoring love
• a bloody good walk twice a day
• a regular belly laugh at whatever stupid thing he has done this time

Personally for me it is a good bargain. I look after him like I look after my kid. He follows me around all day looking at me like I am his Messiah. If I go out for 5 minutes and return he greats me like I've been gone for ever. He curls up on the sofa next to me and holds my wrist gently in his mouth with his teeth and licks it (it seems to be his version of a loving hug). He rolls in long damp grass, ears and tongue flopping and I can't help but laugh everytime.

He is a total inconvenience most days but I love him anyway. DD & DH tolerate him and find him funny and get some of the love but really he is my dog so the biggest bit of his heart is reserved for me. He is currently asleep under my desk leaning on my leg even though DH is doing something interesting in the garden. He'd rather be next ti me when I am boring than with someone else even if they are fun. Where else do you get that sort of adoration?

Everything that is said above plus remember a dog is for life (obviously just a little bit of your life, but all of his/hers) for 10+ years! And after a year or three, even though you still love them, the novelty of twice daily long walks in all seasons, in daylight and darkness, rain and shine can get a bit tedious when life throws you other priorities pulling you all ways and it needs a bit of strength to power through those times and come out the other side while giving your dog the physical and mental stimulation he deserves.

I had this with my Labrador when he was around 3 years old for over 6 months where I had to force myself (or dh!) out for walks, we even hired a walker for several months, but thankfully we came out the other side.

When you think of a dog you really do need to think long term and what life might throw at you as well. Potential dog owners think they have the love and the time and the money so all is ok, but long term 10+ year commitment to whatever their dog will need is often underestimated.

I'm a first time dog owner and was really anxious when reading the doghouse, but the reality has been great. Puppy slept through from night one, was toilet trained easily and can be left for periods happily and now at 9 months is absolutely adorable. Cost wise I spend less on food than I thought but he does need regular grooming which isn't cheap.

A lot of the costs really depend on you. What breed you go for (size, pedigree), whether you buy from a breeder or rescue, and whether they're easy to care for (long coat or short).

But there are costs you can't really escape - insurance, vaccinations, flea and worm treatments are vital especially in the first year. Insurance is a must unless you have thousands of pounds at your disposal - vet care isn't cheap and even something as simple as blood tests or a scan can set you back hundreds if not thousands. As a first time dog owner you really need to be enrolled in training - and not just a quick six week course, find a school that has the three stags of obedience training if possible, or even one that encourages weekly attendance. It's fab to help you learn about your dog and of course it's great for their socialisation as pups.

The Doghouse can be quite...scary if you don't have a dog, but I've found the reality is a LOT easier than it was made out to be here. We've got a pedigree beagle - so high-energy but low maintenance in terms of grooming costs. He's four months old now and toilet trained, sleeps pretty much all night, naps most of the day, is healthy and enrolled in puppy classes. He knows sit, lie-down, "paws on the floor" and "toilet". Of course he doesn't obey every time but he's young and he has a lot of growing and learning to do.

It IS a big commitment - in terms of being tied to the house for a bit, not being able to leave the dog alone (so, dog sitters or walkers if you can't take him with you), holidays (kennels here are a fortune per week, and he'll need to be up to do date on all vaccinations including kennel cough, plus flea and worm treatment) and working hours. Will the dog need to be in daycare, or can you work from home/take him with you? If you can take him with you, make sure your insurance covers you for this.

Food costs - well, again it's largely up to you. We buy in bulk and probably in total he costs me about £150 a month. So that includes insurance, flea/worming, toys, chews and all his food. Puppies need lots of chew toys!

Another thing I'll say is I think a lot of it depends on where you live and your lifestyle as to how "easy" it is. I live in a really dog-friendly area - all the shops allow dogs, most of the cafes/restaurants do, as do all the pubs, so popping in to town is just a normal day out - we don't need to make arrangements for the dog or make sure we're back after a few hours. He just comes with us and slots into our daily life.

We also have parents who are willing to watch him for an hour or so if necessary - like if I need to go to the doctor/dentist, for example.