How did you know you were ready for a dog?

[percypal]

I’m thinking it’s a bit like thinking you might quite like a baby? You’ll never be fully ready for that life change but ready enough?

Following as we are in a similar position. Had a rescue long before the DC came along but not had a puppy before.

Great hopefully we can both get some useful info!

I got a new job which meant I could work from home at least part of the week, my dd was old enough to help with dog duties (13yo) and my mum was semi retired and agreed to help out with dog sitting if needed.

We were ready for years, but waited till we were in a better financial situation for insurance etc.

I thought we were ready when DH moved to permanently WFH, I was mostly WFH, & fertility issues meant we thought kids might be off the cards. We then had DS 2 years later so juggling a young dog with a baby, which is quite hard.
I love AwkwardPup but he makes everything a bit more complicated - you can't spontaneously decide to go out for the day. Even the more dogfriendly days out - we have to consider if its too hot for him, for example, or check if dogs are allowed on the beach that month.
We're lucky in that he's got no separation anxiety & can be left for about 4 hours. He's a pleasure to walk but a fiend for stealing socks so we have a permanent baby gate to keep him downstairs. He's bloody expensive, even without a regular dog walker or daycare.
He's also a total delight & makes me go for a walk even when I least feel like it.

I think days out is one thing I’m a bit worried about.

Although we don’t often go big long days out tbf!

We had a dog before DS came along. It was hard work having both. As others have said, says out were tricky unless he tagged along and he wasn't the friendliest. If we went out without him I was paranoid about how long we would be leaving him. When he died when DS was 2, I felt an immense weight lift off my shoulders. Having said all that, we would like another dog in a few years!

I should mention my children aren’t young - almost high school age

We had been walking along looking like potential dog Nappers for years….people drew their puppies closer.

anyway we had a family bereavement, the breeder had a puppy who had been turned down as it was a bitch, and it just seemed like fate. She’s been a dream.

we hadn’t realised how much time it takes with puppies ….it’s full on for a few months. Luckily we got her just before lockdown.

she’s a tie, but we have in laws who take her at the drop of a hat….

When you can honestly answer yes to the following:

• are you prepared to walk the dog twice a day, even day, in every weather, in the pitch black for 45min-1 hour each walk? Before and after work? On Christmas Day? When you are poorly?
• are you prepared to put the time and money into training your dog ie attending regular training classes as a puppy and then afterwards depending on the breed?
• if you work outside of the home are you prepared to pay for a dog walker every day? I personally don't agree with dogs being left for more than 4 hours although many people do but dogs are part of the family and it just seems cruel to leave them all day, be home for 2-4 hours and then expect them to sleep alone all night too
• are you prepared to have a less than spotless house ie hair and mud everywhere in winter?
• are you prepared to put in a lot of time realistically researching breeders and breeds to ensure you get the best fit?
• are you prepared to go back to the newborn stage? Dogs are more tying than babies but don't grow out of it, you are committing to 12 yrs + of that tie

If you answer yes to every question then you are pretty much ready 😊

What @twistyizzy said except not all dogs need two 45 min to an hour walk every day. We have a low maintenance poodle cross who is more than happy with two half hour walks. Research your breed and make sure it fits in with your lifestyle.

Haha the potential dognappers is us!!

@twistyizzy I can say yes to those in theory! Would need to make sure I could find a suitable walker for the days I need to go to work of course.

You just go on days out where you can take the dog! So yes your days out change but you can still have them

Then go for it but research breeders very, very carefully ie avoid Pets4Homes or similar websites as they are puppy farming central! Be completely realistic about what breed will fit your lifestyle best, no point getting a spaniel if you live in a city centre or don't want to spend months training recall etc.
Research breed characteristics carefully and avoid bloody designer crosses which are basically mongrels and usually bred with no thought to the health or behavioural characteristics.

Disagree with the cross-breed snobbery. Poodle crosses are non shedding, non allergic and can be lovely dogs.

Unfortunately it isn't snobbery, it is a fact that a high % of these crosses come from puppy farms. My trainer works with the police and RSPCA on prosecuting them and his advice is always avoid crosses unless you personally know the breeders .

I’d love a lab! So need to make sure we would work for it and it would work for us.

People who have dogs - were you active before you had a dog or did the dog make you more active? I worry I’m not naturally active enough in that I’m not desperate to be out walking every minute of my free time but I absolutely do enjoy being out and about and would almost like the extra pressure to be out more. I completely do understand the commitment required in terms of walking but should it be that I’m already doing that anyway?

Not sure a lab is for you if you're not very active.

Not all poodle crosses come from puppy farms.

Greyhounds are great if you're not particularly active

I got one due to permanent wfh, but hadn’t really understood properly what a tie one would be. Biggest restriction is having a dog with separation anxiety , after over a year of work I can now leave mine about 90 mins, in the right scenario. It’s quite difficult. Holidays - lots of boarders are fully booked plus mine isn’t that keen so I always feel guilty.

walks I’ve found fine, given that mine is keen for one 20 min walk a day and has to be persuaded to get out of bed and have a second. Enjoys longer romps with the whole family at weekends though.

I think I’d be incredibly lonely without him though as a lone parent

Dogs need stimulation more than walking. Hours of on lead walking aren’t that interesting for dogs. So training them in recalllso they can have a proper sniffing run around is great.

ours is medium sized breed. She gets at least a 1/2 hour run on a beach or in a glen twice a day. She can walk for much longer but if she doesn’t that’s ok. So on weekends she’ll get a 90 minute or longer walk which is pretty much what we did at weekends anyway.

we play with her a lot.

We have always been an active family ie horses etc but yes you do have to make more of an effort to get out and about. So this week instead of going sales shopping we spent a few hours every day going to new places for walks.
If you like labs but aren't already active/outdoorsy then go for show line rather than working line as a show lab will be lower maintenance once you've passed the 2 Yr old mark.

I’ve been much less active since having my dog due to his SA and reluctance to walk! Now he can do 90 mins I’m going to continue expanding this by going for my ow walk and returning to swimming hopefully. But don’t assume a dog will make you more active!!

When you say poodle crosses do you mean cockapoo or something?

Are greyhounds ok with cats?

Separation anxiety does sound so difficult and not easy to train them out of :(