just because I don't OWN a dog...

[mykidsand_i]

Why is it that everyone thinks I HATE dogs just because I will NEVER, EVER EVER own one?

Anyone else?

I like dogs. We dog-sit for my mom, my daughter and I volunteer once or twice a month at the animal shelter- we like to go and play with the dogs and take them for a walk...

I will NEVER own a dog, because my family travels quite often. We love to go on trips. If we had to worry about where to put a dog every time we were gone for the weekend, we'd probably not go as many places. PLUS, putting a dog/cat in a 'pet hotel' gets to be expensive.

I get sooooo sick of people telling us "oh, you need a dog"...no we don't. We don't need to spend the money on dog food, dog care, dog boarding...we don't need another thing to 'keep us home' or to stress about while we're gone on a trip...

Dogs are actually more work than kids in some ways. At least with kids we can take them into a restaurant instead of leaving them in a car, or not getting to go in at all...with kids we can bring them on a plane with out a struggle (with my kids anyways)...

Why should we get a dog when my kids get plenty of 'dog time' when ever they want it with my moms dog? Why must one 'hate dogs' just because they don't ever want to own one?

 

[CathrynRose]

So don't get a dog, then?

 

[MnMomtoboys]

Just tell them that your kids are your dogs and see what they say about that.

 

[surfergirl602]

Just tell them that your kids are your dogs and see what they say about that.

Yeah, why not? People say that their dogs are their kids all the time, so I say go for it.

 

[mykidsand_i]

i think my question is this...why does everyone like to 'push' it on me? Why is it that EVERYONE who likes dogs or owns a dog thinks that EVERYONE else needs a dog or their life is worse off? I get it. Dog ownership is great for kids, but really...my aunt has told me TONS of times that "Oh, the girls should have their own dog- they'd take care of it and it wouldn't be much extra work at all for you..." This, coming from my aunt who has 8 dogs, ALL of whom belonged to one of her children at some point in time- none of them were EVER taken care of by any of her kids!

Why do people live in this 'fantasy world' where 'getting a dog for the kids' means that the kids will actually take care of it for longer than a month- until it's not a 'new thing' anymore? I'm sure that SOME kids will actually take care of it, but really? HOW MANY of you all got a dog for your kids, and your kids have 75-100% taken care of it for longer than a month?

 

[MickeySP]

I can feel you.

I had a wonderful dog I adored for 14 years. We had to put him down about 10 months ago. I am constantly getting "When are you getting another dog?"

Umm never. I loved THAT dog, but my life is changed. I travel alot, my BF lives where I can't take a dog. We split time between his place & mine so it would be unfair to any dog. Plus I am past the work & attention they need.

Don't feel guilty, just say I am like the best dog aunt ever. I love them, enjoy them, will play with them but I also get to send them home

 

[surfergirl602]

We got two of our dogs when my kids were very young, but part of their daily chores are to feed, water, let out etc. when they are home. I of course do it during the day, but when they are home, my two oldest (9 and 7) take care of them.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

People do the same thing to couples without children.

 

[terri01p]

 

[Sparx]

People do the same thing to couples without children.

This was my first thought.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Yeah, I have to agree there! We weren't married for longer than 2 months before we got the "so, when will you guys start to try for kids" question. It is SOOOOOOO annoying to me (and many other people) to get that question or hear someone asking that question to someone else. it's like everything has to be 'rushed into'...

We decided to have two kids...we had two girls- we were done. We STILL TO THIS DAY get the "when are you going to try for a boy?" Well, we're not.

It's soooooo crazy that just because one thing works for someone, they think they need to PUSH it on everyone else.

 

[Luvchefmic]

i think my question is this...why does everyone like to 'push' it on me? Why is it that EVERYONE who likes dogs or owns a dog thinks that EVERYONE else needs a dog or their life is worse off? I get it. Dog ownership is great for kids, but really...my aunt has told me TONS of times that "Oh, the girls should have their own dog- they'd take care of it and it wouldn't be much extra work at all for you..." This, coming from my aunt who has 8 dogs, ALL of whom belonged to one of her children at some point in time- none of them were EVER taken care of by any of her kids!

Why do people live in this 'fantasy world' where 'getting a dog for the kids' means that the kids will actually take care of it for longer than a month- until it's not a 'new thing' anymore? I'm sure that SOME kids will actually take care of it, but really? HOW MANY of you all got a dog for your kids, and your kids have 75-100% taken care of it for longer than a month?

Because thses are the same kind of people that question why/when childless couples are going to have kids they either feel a need to "fix" your life OR "Misery loves company" ....KIDDING I have kids and 8 dogs..I don't feel a need to tell anyone what they should/shouldn't have

Ruthie

 

[livie1205]

I am not a dog person at all.....but we have two! When they are gone we will not get another animal.We may end up letting my dss take the older one (he got when he was a baby) to his moms to live since the dog would still be with him...

 

[minkydog]

Why is it that everyone thinks I HATE dogs just because I will NEVER, EVER EVER own one?

Anyone else?

I like dogs. We dog-sit for my mom, my daughter and I volunteer once or twice a month at the animal shelter- we like to go and play with the dogs and take them for a walk...

I will NEVER own a dog, because my family travels quite often. We love to go on trips. If we had to worry about where to put a dog every time we were gone for the weekend, we'd probably not go as many places. PLUS, putting a dog/cat in a 'pet hotel' gets to be expensive.

I get sooooo sick of people telling us "oh, you need a dog"...no we don't. We don't need to spend the money on dog food, dog care, dog boarding...we don't need another thing to 'keep us home' or to stress about while we're gone on a trip...

Dogs are actually more work than kids in some ways. At least with kids we can take them into a restaurant instead of leaving them in a car, or not getting to go in at all...with kids we can bring them on a plane with out a struggle (with my kids anyways)...

Why should we get a dog when my kids get plenty of 'dog time' when ever they want it with my moms dog? Why must one 'hate dogs' just because they don't ever want to own one?

I have a lovely big Standard Poodle whom I am crazy about, but when he goes(he's 10) I think that's going to be my last dog. For all the reasons you listed. We like to travel but we don't like to travel with the dog. We have to figure boarding costs into any trip we take. Vet care ia several hundred dollars a year. You can take an unruly kid into a restaurant but not a nice, well-behaved dog(and I won't leave him out in the car.)

My mother got a dog about 3 years ago, a Border Collie pup. Much as she loves the dog, she cannot fully care for it. She can't walk it or groom it. She has trained the dog to jump up on her so she doesn't have to bend over. Consequently,the dog is not well-mannered, jumps, barks,steals food, and lays all over everything. Because Mom can"t adequately clean anymore every surface in her house is covered with dog fur. She lives on a fixed income and pet care eats up a large portion of it.

We are 53. DH is retired on disability and i plan to retire in about 2 more years. Then we plan to hit the road with our travel trailer. I don't want to drag a dog along to the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas or Yellowstone. In fact, those places can be downright dangerous for pets. And I don't want to NOT be able to do things I want BECAUSE I have a pet. If I ever get homesick for a pet, I think I'll volunteer at a humane shelter.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I don't have a dog but I really don't like them either. I'm definitely a cat person.

 

[MichelleVW]

That's really weird that people tell you to get a dog. I have 3 dogs, 4 cats and 2 horses, and I would never tell anyone they should get a dog....in fact I usually try and talk them out of it since I know how much work they are!

 

[mykidsand_i]

....in fact I usually try and talk them out of it since I know how much work they are!

Yeah, that's what my mom says! She has a wonderful dog (whom we all love...even my husband who is quite picky about dogs). She'll go on vacation and we'll take him. She pays my girls each $10-$20 depending on how long she's gone...but compared to boarding the dog, that's CHEAP!

I figure we get our 'fill' when he comes to stay with us once every two or three months. My mom will bring him over when my girls say they 'want a dog' and they'll take care of him for a week, and to them it gets old. Not as much fun. So, then, she'll come and get him and I think that's the best way for us to have a dog!

 

[Imzadi]

I get sooooo sick of people telling us "oh, you need a dog"...no we don't. We don't need to spend the money on dog food, dog care, dog boarding...we don't need another thing to 'keep us home' or to stress about while we're gone on a trip...

How does a dog happen to enter everyday conversation for you that people tell you that?

Have you ever just answered, "We travel a lot, are you volunteering to watch our dog when we are away?"

Or you can say, "We travel a lot. It would be heartless to leave a dog in the kennel for the majority of it's life."

 

[mykidsand_i]

It wasn't so bad over the winter, but our neighbors on BOTH sides of us are SUPER dog crazy and pushy (one is an older couple and the wife works at the animal shelter 20 hours a week...she acts like it's 'heartless' of us to NOT WANT our own dog)...now that it's spring, this older lady bugs me about it every other day. We've told her why we don't want a dog SEVERAL TIMES!!!

Another 'dog crazy' person in our life is my aunt. She has 8 dogs, 3 cats and if her husband said "it's me or the dogs" she'd choose the dogs. I've actually quit calling her...she's so pushy. Then, she'll say things like "Oh, if you're gone- I'll dog sit". That would never work because she lives in la la land until she's actually asked to do what she says she will- then it's a different story! and she lives 3 hours away...

But, when she calls me (she does once everyother week...I've been avoiding her calls as much as possible) she acts like she's been 'dog shopping' for us. She'll call and say "oh, I finally found the perfect dog for you." Well, it really hit the fan with her today because she called and caught me off guard. My DD8 answered the phone and my aunt told HER that she's going to pick us up a dog this weekend! Didn't even ASK! She told my DD! I grabed the phone and told her to stop with the dog crap, we're sick of it. We don't want one, we don't have time for one, we don't want to get one and not give it the proper attention it needs.

Hopefully that's the end of that. She's done it to my mom before- but actually went through and DELIVERED this strange dog to my mom's house with out even asking if she wanted it. My mom didn't talk to my aunt for about 4 months!

 

[Imzadi]

Nevermind. What I said to you to say to them, obviously wouldn't work. They sound pushier than parents who keep asking when are they going to have grandkids to play with.