Advice please, should I adopt?

[Deadringer]

We had to get our old boy pts about 2 years ago. A friend is rehoming a beautiful golden retriever, because she underestimated how much of a tie she would be. Dog is 7 months old, gentle, house trained, good on the lead, no issues at all so far anyway. I have met the dog and love her, but, I haven't had such a big dog before, and more importantly, i honestly don't miss having a dog, and keep thinking of all the negatives, i am not especially house proud despite being a mumsneter, but there will be hair/muck/ smell etc and of course the cost. My family however, all adults and late teens, really really want to take her. Dd20 is desperate for a dog, as she misses our old one terribly. I know she will walk her and take care of her, other dc will chip in too. We have a good sized garden and there is nearly always someone at home, adult dc work from home a couple of days a week, as does dh and I am home a lot too. The decision is being left to me 🙄
Advice welcome

Great breed for a family dog and sounds like she already has good traits. But if it's all going to be left on you once the few days excitement has passed of having a dog again that would be my issue. Luckily in our home I have no problem walking my lab and we are similar I'm nearly always in or she comes with us. Aslong as you can afford the cost then it sounds like you could be a good fit for this dog tbh

Get the dog.
You'll all enjoy it once it's there with you.

What you can’t do is say yes, regret it, then pass her on again.
There’s some good points in your post - you’re obviously thinking about the negatives rather than being blinkered by the cuteness. But there’s some red flags mostly notably
i honestly don't miss having a dog.
Sounds like you’ve realised what your friend didn’t - they are amazing and adorable but they’re also hard work and a massive tie. If you do say yes, I think you have to be 100% honest with yourself about how much your family will genuinely do for the dog - or will it gradually all get left to you.
My friends and family can’t believe we’re dog free after absolutely years (lost our last oldie 18 months ago). But the truth is I have seen a bit of freedom in the intervening months, not just the tie to the home, but no constant cleaning and walking in all weathers. Of course I miss all the good bits. But no matter how much all the family are desperate for a dog and how much they say they will do, the reality is the DCs are away at uni for months on end and I work from home and DH doesn’t always, so I will inevitably be the main carer. I’d love a dog again, but I’m not prepared for all that entails again, not yet anyway, and so we won’t be getting one until I decide it’s time. Sounds like that’s sort of where you are?

ImNunTheWiser advice is almost certainly better than mine 😁
I am also dog free at the moment and have resisted several dogs needing rehoming since old girl was PTS. As former dog owners you do properly understand what you are taking on.
I think I might get another dog at some point though.

To complicate things slightly, my eldest dd also wants the dog, she is living with us temporarily, moving in the spring to a cottage in the country with a big plot of land. If for some reason it doesn't work out for us, she wants take the dog with her when she moves. My friend would prefer if she stays with us though, as she thinks she would be better in a family.

Pic of lovely dog.

I have a goldie. He's gorgeous and I love him to bits. When we got him there were three adults living at home plus another adult at uni but home most weekends. Fast forward a year and a half and there was just me and the dog at home.
He's nearly five now. My life evolves around the dog in terms of walking, feeding and making sure he's not left at home alone too long. I don't like walking him on streets in the dark so at this time of year it feels like no sooner have I got back from one walk in the morning, than I'm off out again for his second which seriously cuts down the amount of daylight hours for other things! If I want to go away for the weekend or out for the day I have to ask my son to come and stay or arrange for my ex to have him.
I wouldn't be without him; he has been my reason for living these last 3 years but if I'd known that he was going to go from being a family dog to just my dog and all which that entails at the time of getting him, I would have probably have opted for a cat!

My suggestion would be to ensure every family member gets up before work, and walks for an hour no matter what the weather, and then does the same in the evening when they get home. If they can do this for a period of time without grumbling, then get the dog. If they can't you know it will all be on you. I'd suggest at least 2 weeks.

Lovely dog though :)

Has your friend approached the breeder to take the dog back? A lot of good breeders have a contract where dogs have to be returned to them, to prevent them being passed on. I would check that before taking on the dog in case you get caught up in any drama.

Aw she's lovely 🥰

Oh My God, she’s adorable, forget everything I said, get her! 😂

Just kidding….😁

Only get her if you're prepared to do all the work involved in raising her, training her, feeding her, walking her etc.

Don't rely on your adult children to keep their word - they won't want to get up early to let the dog out if they've been out with their mates until 2am, nor will they want to take the dog for a walk in the pissing rain while they have a hangover.

By all means get her, but only if you want her.

How can you resist that face 😁

Thanks guys lots to think about.

Just because you put the picture I’m going to have to vote to get the dog!! How could you say no 🐾

We have a goldie who is 2 in March. Best decision I ever made.

Adore that dog!

our dog died about 18 months ago and we got another rescue dog.
Now our rescue has a few issues which mean he can't go and stay at a friend's when we go on holiday which means we have to have someone to house sit.

If I could go back and have a choice, I would not have adopted him.

Now, 2 years down the line, ds (the big dog lover) and dd have left home. Only dd2 is left and she only has a couple of years before uni. That doesn't only mean that dh and I now do all the walking etc, but it also means that if we are out for the afternoon, there is no-one else at home. That has restricted our lifestyle much more than it ever did when there were 5 of us at home.

He is big and hairy and moults and has muddy paws etc, but it is the tie and lack of freedom which is the crunch. That is the things which I would like to change.

Some of that comes from not having an easy way to go away even for a weekend. (our old dog was welcome at several houses for a weekend/holiday).
Some from the daily tie - 5 hours and we need to be home or get the dog walker in.
Some from all the attention/walking falling back on me and dh now.

No. If you have to ask a bunch of strangers on the internet the answer should be no. You have doubts and personally I think that should be enough of a reason to say no. It's a massive commitment which shouldn't be entered into unless you're 100% sure.

Thanks for replies. I feel that the dog could do better than our family for her forever home, a nice outdoorsy lot with teens and maybe preteens that will have time and energy to play lots with her. I told my friend that if she can't get a 5 star home like that to get back to me, so fingers crossed she does.