Do you regret getting your dog?

[mildlysweaty]

NC

I can't comment as don't have my own experience (yet?), but interested in anecdotes as feel it could help our decisions. There are some doubts lingering.

Thanks!

More naughty behaviour

Dogs 1 and 2 no not at all. Dog 3 yes absolutely. But I love him and he’s mine and will spend his life with us. Would I get another springer? Not in this lifetime!

No, never. She is an angel. She has made our lives so much happier.

Wainwright's, I think it's called. Husband bought it when he got the pup. He seems to like it. He's had the wet meals and the dry kibble.

Gosh, what breeds are those dogs?

Love my boy more than life itself & he enriches my life massively ,
However it's a big commitment & have to consider him in my daily life, how long he's been left along etc , plus he costs me a bomb ( food , insurance , dog walker )
But nope absolutely no regrets

She gets me out the house so is like a gym membership, but I don’t enjoy her and I have no feelings towards her either way. She’s not a bad dog but I loathe the responsibilities of her. Dh wanted her desperately and I thought at least it’ll get me exercising more. I feel bad about not having any feelings for her, but she’s simply nothing like my old dog who I still miss all these years later. I’ll never get another dog after this one, I hate the tie it is.

I haven't read everyone else's but here's our story.

We dog sat lots of other peoples' dogs. That suited us for ages, just a dog when you wnat one. But over time I realised that I loved that is made me go out for walks every day, I work from home so this is free exercise.
So we got a dog, adopted a rescue springer.

yes there were issues, and he was naughty and he sometimes ran off when out walking and he could smell food.
But he was basically pretty easy, and we had several friends who wold happily have him in their house and dog sit him. He was reliable and gentle.

Then he died.
We pretty quickly got another rescue. In hindsight we were too hasty, and we were too optimistic about what we could change. He is lovely, and a great character and I love having him BUT

• he's reactive to other dogs, although much, much less than when we first got him. This means we always walk him on lead and have to be careful around other dogs. It also means we can no longer dog sit our friend's dog, because he is defensive of his house. It also means that he is not easy to walk, unless you know him well, and can spot if he is beginning to react. he is a big dog .
• he is an escape artist, and we have a very secure garden (6 foot walls) and he gets out. We had to put a wire fence on top of the walls. This means he can't really go and stay at other people's houses when we are away
• because of 1 and 2 above it is really hard to find a dog sitter when we go away and it is expensive.

So do I regret getting him? yes and no. If I could turn back time I would take longer to find a smaller dog with different issues.

But havign a dog in principle - no I don't regret that, and at least he doens't get separation anxiety and is fine to be left.

Gosh, what breeds are those dogs

@Cavalierchaos

A Labrador
A spaniel
A rescue from Eastern Europe - breed unknown

The rescue is the worst of the bunch, but even the lab and the spaniel (which are lovely dogs) severely restrict the owners lifestyles. And I mean severely

Kids severely restrict peoples lifestyle.

I only regret the years I have spent dogless.

Hugely, and it blindsided me completely. I loved my old dog so so much. Pre kids. DH wanted one this year and I thought I'd feel the same. I don't. Post-kids I have changed a lot and can't stand having one around and I never expected that at all. She just does dog stuff, eating the occasional kid's toy, barking a bit, mud on sofas digging flowerbeds but my tolerance is basically zero. I hate it. I'm also much more sensitive to smells since my pregnancies and have become super=phobic of dogshit since living where some dickhead owner used to let his dog shit by my doorstep most days and I'd have to clean it up whilst having really bad pregnancy nausea. So the shit is a huge issue and despite DH's promises to clear the garden of it he doesn't and I have to be so careful and check the whole garden whenever I take my toddler out there. I waited for this garden for years it's just contaminated and ruined for me. She's a sweet good girl but I do not want to live with a dog now, even though I still like other people's. She's a rescue who was hit by a car (we live overseas) and although there is a loving home for her to go to I can't bear to get DH to rehome her.. Might end up just leaving myself.

Kids severely restrict peoples lifestyle

Of course they do. But for me that’s worth it, whereas a dog is not worth the level of restrictions for me personally.

I also think in some ways dogs are more restrictive- I don’t have any friends or family who refuse to have me in their house with my DC, I don’t have to not have guests due to DC, I can take DC to hotels and restaurants (except perhaps very posh ones!) . I can take DC abroad on planes.

Also (unless DC have additional needs) the period of being severely restricted is limited as they grew up.

@Alcedo very honest post. One of my friend’s dogs does quite sloppy poo so even though she picks up the “lumps” there is always a lot left behind. It turns my stomach & I hate DC playing in her garden, cartwheeling and doing handstands in all that - yuk.

We have 2 dogs and although I don’t regret having them as they bring so much joy to our lives there are negatives

puppy blues is a thing. Our oldest was terrible for nipping but quickly grew out of it. Didn’t have it with our youngest.
Toilet training is hard, our youngest took a lot longer than our oldest.
lack of spontaneity, we can’t just go out for the day without them.
holidays. I feel bad leaving them so we have decided no mor abroad holidays for a while.
picking up poo - especially if it is sloppy and encountering those that don’t pick it up in the woods etc

but, when I come home from work they are waiting at the door so excited to see me. They like to snuggle into me and the oldest will curl up on my lap, and they do content noises when sleeping/relaxing. They are well trained and their recall is excellent so can easily let them off lead in the woods/on the beach and having to take them out helps with my own wellbeing.

I was going to say kids severely restrict your lifestyle and I thought I had better not!

I did say it and I knew I would be contradicted by someone with kids but no dog 🙄

But kids grow up and become more self sufficient in the general course of things. I can leave my 12 and 14yo for longer than I can the dog. When they are young adults, the dog will be the same amount of needy.

I did say it and I knew I would be contradicted by someone with kids but no dog

Sure I don’t have my own dog….. but the very reason for that is I regularly help out with a family member’s dog that is too needy / anxious to go to kennels / dog walker, can’t be left home alone for long, has required lots of vet investigations, will only walk in specific (very quiet) places that involve a car drive…… and helping out with this dog has completely put me off getting a dog of my own ! Honestly if I didn’t help the owner out their life would be even more restricted.

He’s a beautiful dog and very loving but my aspirations to have my own dog have well and truly been killed off by helping out with him!!

Not all dogs are like that. Some have special needs just as some children do. In any case, having your own dog is very different from "helping" with someone else's dog.

Okay. But you've presumably still had to do 12 years of responsible parenting and being there for your kids and working your career and social life around them. So now you're saying a kid of 12-14 doesn't restrict your lifestyle, thus we can presume that a younger kid probably does...
So how is that less "needy" than the average dog that lives 10 or 12 years? They both need you for the same length of time.

Not all dogs are like that. Some have special needs just as some children do. In any case, having your own dog is very different from "helping" with someone else's dog

yep I get that. Not saying people shouldn’t get dogs. Or have kids. Just saying people should make sure they are fully informed & aware of the implications before doing it.

I used to want a dog and a horse, literally dreamed of it. Got a horse on loan and helped with a family members dog and it put me off ever getting either of my own.

Just my personal experience of course.

You can take your kids with you everywhere though, you can't do the same with your dogs.

I don't know if it's a regret - I fear her passing. I fear the pain, the grief, the emptiness. The thought makes me feel sick and gives me chest pains. I regret opening myself up the the future pain I will have to endure. We don't deserve dogs. I've spent 8 going on 9 amazing years with her so far and knowing they will come to an end breaks me.

Otherwise zero regrets from day one I've been committed to her. Just fear the eventual ending.

You can. It depends entirely upon what your chosen lifestyle is.