OT- Should we get a dog?

[kellia]

I am really not a dog person, I fully admit to being a clean freak and am a little OCD, the thought of doggy breath, muddy paws and who knows what else are not my idea of fun. However, my kids really want one, especially my boys. We have a 6 year old cat who is not very playful anymore and my boys are breaking my heart trying to get her to play with them all of the time. Also, since dh and I are going back to school, I would feel a little better with a dog there with them, hopefully they'd be protective or at least the bark would scare people off, not to mention keep them entertained.

So, please tell me the basics- how much do they cost, what is the vet going to cost me and how often, how much does dog food run? Any suggestions on breeds that are good with kids, not too bad for allergies and don't shed a lot? I don't like little yippy dogs but don't want a large one, either. I guess we are looking at a mid-size! Also, how long can you leave them alone without them needing to go "outside"?

Thank you!
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated! I don't want to get one if we aren't ready for it!

 

[trulygoofy]

A lot depends on the breed or the individual dog. I have had dogs that would stay in all day and not have an accident, and I have a mini poodle that needs to go out quite a bit. I am allergic to dogs and we have three! I obviously love dogs. Some dogs are less likely to cause allergies, like a poodle (they require MAJOR grooming) or a Spanish Water Spaniel, but any dog can aggravate allergies. I found that they do not cause a much of a problem when kept well groomed and bathed. We had a Golden Retriever that pretty much house trained himself. He wanted to please everyone so much and he was great with kids, but they have longer hair. There is a lot of info about particular breeds on the internet, but a mix breed is great too. If you go to a shelter or PetSmart when they have rescued dogs there to adopt, you may get a better idea if you are allergic to a particular dog after handling them.

 

[HayGan]

Ask yourself this, does your family really have the time for a dog. Dog are typically unlike cats in that they require a great deal of attention. First of all dogs, unlike cats, do typically have to go outside to go to the bathroom. Are you guys home regularly home at the same times to do this? If you have alot of activities on your schedule this might be very tough to do. Does someone in the house have the time (and dedication) to always be taking the dog out for a walk or give them alot of attention or will the dog be left on their own most o fthe time? Do you go on alot of vacations where you would need to board the dog or have someone watch it? Do you have someone that would or could do this for you?

In alot of families, mom and dad end up with the responsibility of the dog so make sure if you get one that you are prepared to take care of the dog for the next 10 years of your life by yourself!

I'm not even touching on the costs which can be a simple as a yearly vet bills and some food and toys to major bills if anything would ever happen (God forbid!)

Getting a dog is a BIG commitment! Just make sure that you address all the issues before you give into the pressure!

Good luck making a decision!

 

[ohiominnie]

We got a dog because we wanted the kids to have a pet. We wanted them to learn to be responsible for it. We wanted to fullfil the "boy and his dog" dream. We wanted to have something warm and furry to come home to that actually cared you were home (unlike our cat)

Short story....we got a dog. It was 8 months of pure and total heck. My house was trashed. Our schedules were turned up on end. Nothing was ever clean enough (I'm not a clean "freak" but I do have certain standards) The dog was the dominant dog in the litter and cared very little about us. She was turning aggressive to us at times. Did I mention our schedules revolved around the dog and her potty times?

Maybe we got the "wrong dog." That could very well be. But we have completely and totally sworn off dogs for the remainder of our lives.

I know lots of fine people who have dogs and are perfectly fine with them. I know many many who love their dog to bits and consider it one of their children. We are not those kinds of people.

(this is a YMMV post)

 

[ohiominnie]

In alot of families, mom and dad end up with the responsibility of the dog so make sure if you get one that you are prepared to take care of the dog for the next 10 years of your life by yourself!

Totally agree here. Feeding, brushing, walking, cleaning poop up out of the yard, schelping the dog to the vet, the park, doggie day care, training classes, etc. I was this close {---} to nervous breakdown when we determined the dog was just NOT for us. My dd was heartbroken for a few days. My son cried for about 10 minutes when we handed the dog over. Now both of them look back on the experience and know we're better off without the dog. Besides, if we still had the dog we probably wouldn't have taken in the stray kitty!

 

[java]

NO! Don't do it. I am sitting here listening to dog number 2(Yes we were almost out- dog number one is old.... but then puppy!)bark her head off. See she wants to play some more but the kids have homework. She doesn't understand homework- she only understands food and outside.
Costs vary. Dogfood is about $40 every month? bully sticks to keep her from chewing every piece of furniture in my house- and even non-furniture walls and floors- $8 a stick *lasts 2 days of piece and quiet. Vet so far has probably only been $200(but she is only 7 months and has not gotten fixed yet)
The big pain is what to do with them when you want to go away. Unless you have a very reliable neighbor that will come in and watch your pet- you will pay around $25 a night for the puppy to stay someplace. Start up costs- crate/bed/ bowls ect can run around $200 or more depending on the size of the crate. Remember they don't stay cute puppy size very long. Then you have a DOG! Right now the Lab(my 9 year old daughter's dog) weighs about 10 pounds more than my daughter- which means if she runs- she will pull dd right down and drag her along the grass..... Oh good times...
If after all that you still get a dog...all I can say is I understand. Honestly the years of love we have received from old man(13 year old bulldog) more than makes up for the pool size puddles of drool he leaves me now. You learn to wear shoes inside so you don't step on anything... and by anything I mean anything...
Start by watching a neighbor's dog -see who is walking the dog.

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

Maybe I'm weird, I can't imagine life without my dogs. They are as much a part of us as the rest of us.
We have 2, Holly and Liberty. Holly is some type of mix, she was a rescue and then Liberty is a 9 month old (and very hyper) black lab puppy.
They are a lot of work, but the love and enjoyment we get from them balances it out.

This is our Holly girl....

and here are "baby" pics of Liberty with the kids.

 

[ohiominnie]

Maybe I'm weird, I can't imagine life without my dogs. They are as much a part of us as the rest of us.
We have 2, Holly and Liberty. Holly is some type of mix, she was a rescue and then Liberty is a 9 month old (and very hyper) black lab puppy.
They are a lot of work, but the love and enjoyment we get from them balances it out.

Right there is the key. When we had our dog we were not getting any love and enjoyment from her. When I'd take her out to play in the back yard it turned into her circling me, growling and snapping at my clothes. She was neither loving nor loyal to us. We had every "bad" part of having a dog---muddy paw prints, poop in the yard, vet bills, boarding bills, hair all over, wet dog smell on rainy days, etc etc---and no good parts of the dog.

Probably 80% of it was that it was just the wrong dog for our family (breeder should NEVER have sold us the dominant dog since we had small kids and didn't have a lot of experience with dogs, especially dominant ones).

Of course, the OP will do what is right for them. Prior to us getting the dog we did LOTS of research on dogs and specific breeds, and we asked LOTS of people if we should get a dog. Every single one of them said NO (espeically based on how much we run and leave the house) but we didn't listen and got one anyway.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

tell me the basics

Yikes, I'd be here all night! There is a great book called Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons and Sara Wilson. I suggest reading it before you make the leap. It covers all the basics.

You might enjoy this thread of photos of people's pets: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1334508&referrerid=70088

 

[Redbudlover]

My two golden retrievers make life really good. they get me out on the trail on the weekends, get me up on rainy Sundays, provide more love and affection than anything I can imagine - not to mention protection and laughs.

But I have to tell you - you have to make a commitment when they are young to train them well. The problems you read about above happen when dogs are not trained. And it takes a year of consistency to get a dog who is a good house mate and companion. Otherwise you have one who pulls you on the lead, runs off if off the lead, leaves little presents for you, trashes things. Dogs aren't good just because they look good - just like kids aren't good if you don't spend time training them.... and we have all seen some pretty obnoxious kids. It takes love and consistent training. If you don't really care for dogs and your kids are really too young to train one, I would not get a puppy. Go to a dog rescue for a particular breed and get a well trained adult. You will be much happier. Goldens shed like crazy - how about a schnauzer?

 

[Nala2007]

If you're not wanting a "child" I would not suggest you get a dog. We have two dogs and they are our babies as much as our DD. Yes they do require a lot of love and attention, but its so worth it to us. I don't believe there is such thing as a "wrong" dog, just an untrained owner. Both DH and I have grown up with dogs and we don't believe any dog is untrainable. I really hate seeing people who have dogs and the poor thing lives outside and never comes off a leash. I just don't believe that is what a dog is for...

If you are patient, you can have a very well trained dog who is a great house protector! Maybe you should try watching some The Dog Whisperer for more ideas, you never know, maybe you are a dog person underneath!

LOVE CESAR!

 

[lisaj68]

All I can do is IMAGINE how a dog would just throw me over the edge. I have 2 dd's 5 & 7 and a husband who is gone Mon-Thurs. and I babysit a 1 y.o. during the week along with a set of 5 y.o. twins 2 x's per week for 4 hrs. ea.

And guess who would have to take care of the dog?

I know the day will come when one of the kids will step in poop and freak out. Oh. Did I mention that when it comes to poop, even kids poop, I toss the clothes? If they belong to someone else, then I put them in a garbage bag and leave them on the porch for the parents. If they are my kids clothes, I toss them in the trash.

Then there is the dog hair all over the house, doggy smell, muddy paws 8 months out of the year, cost of food, vet costs, doggy toys, misc. supplies, grooming costs, kennel costs, etc.

Nah. I guess if you have to ask, you might be better off to continue thinking about it!

 

[java]

But I have to tell you - you have to make a commitment when they are young to train them well. The problems you read about above happen when dogs are not trained. And it takes a year of consistency to get a dog who is a good house mate and companion.

Um how do you train a dog not to drool? Our puppy is learning to behave but as you said it takes time. She is in obedience class and is doing much better and I agree training can make your life with a dog better. BUT that first year is tough. If you are not a dog person it will be really tough. Again though obviously they give more than they take or else we wouldn't have gotten another dog. Just sometimes I ask myself why?

 

[ohiominnie]

But I have to tell you - you have to make a commitment when they are young to train them well. The problems you read about above happen when dogs are not trained. And it takes a year of consistency to get a dog who is a good house mate and companion. Otherwise you have one who pulls you on the lead, runs off if off the lead, leaves little presents for you, trashes things. Dogs aren't good just because they look good - just like kids aren't good if you don't spend time training them.... and we have all seen some pretty obnoxious kids. It takes love and consistent training. If you don't really care for dogs and your kids are really too young to train one, I would not get a puppy. Go to a dog rescue for a particular breed and get a well trained adult. You will be much happier. Goldens shed like crazy - how about a schnauzer?

I don't want this to get confrontational, but I must add....
We went through mega training with our dog. She passed puppy kindergarted with FLYING colors (even winning the prize for fastest recall from the other side of the store) She moved up to the "advanced" class and did very well there too (she had a little problem with one of the commands, but I'm blanking on which one it was.)
For one example though....we could put her in a sit stay or a down stay and leave the room. We could put treats on her paws. We could call her name. She would not budge. She would stay there for 5-10 minutes. I'm sure she'd have done it longer but we never tested that. She would not move until we gave her the "all done" command.
She would walk on a lead next to us without dragging us. She did not jump up on people. She was completely housebroken. Once she got out of the puppy chewing stage, she did not chew anything that was unauthorized. She was perfectly crate trained and went into it without problems.

She just would "snap" (I don't mean that as "bite" I mean it as "freak out")at times. We had a personal trainer for her to help figure this problem out.....this woman was a dog trainer and also ran a doggie day care. Besides that she had 3 of her own dogs at the time. She OBVIOUSLY was a dog person. She tried her hardest to get us through this. But when all was said and done, and we gave the dog back to the breeder, she confessed to us that she thought the dog might have had some sort of brain problem (all she said was "she wasn't right up here" pointing at her head) She was shocked at it b/c the dog was a retriever and she said her behavior was SO uncharacteristic of a retriever!!

So please, OP, do not assume that the problems I had with my dog were from poor training. That is NOT the case. The dog was trained, but we could never break her of her dominant issues.

 

[ohiominnie]

So please, OP, do not assume that the problems I had with my dog were from poor training. That is NOT the case. The dog was trained, but we could never break her of her dominant issues.

When we went to pick the puppy up, it was on top of a patio chair nipping and snapping and barking at all of it's litter mates so they could not get on the chair. It did the same thing to it's own mother and she did not do a thing about it to correct the puppy.

Since we were not dog people, we did not associate this with dominance at the time. Only in hindsight did we realize that we should have run as fast as we could. Looking over her paperwork from the breeder, she got the highest possible scores for "dominance" on her puppy testing. She got the lowest scores on "confirmation" and "field training"....since we neither wanted to show the dog or do field trials with it, that is why this particular puppy was chosen for us. The people who wanted show dogs got the pups who tested high on confirmation. The people who wanted field trial dogs got the ones who tested high in field training. We got the reject that didn't fit anywhere else.

 

[graygables]

We got a dog because we wanted the kids to have a pet. We wanted them to learn to be responsible for it. We wanted to fullfil the "boy and his dog" dream.

Short story....we got a dog. It was 8 months of pure and total heck. My house was trashed. Our schedules were turned up on end. Nothing was ever clean enough (I'm not a clean "freak" but I do have certain standards) The dog was the dominant dog in the litter and cared very little about us. She was turning aggressive to us at times. Did I mention our schedules revolved around the dog and her potty times?

Maybe we got the "wrong dog." That could very well be. But we have completely and totally sworn off dogs for the remainder of our lives.

I know lots of fine people who have dogs and are perfectly fine with them. I know many many who love their dog to bits and consider it one of their children. We are not those kinds of people.

(this is a YMMV post)

We're 3 years into our "girls and their dog" (yeah, right, whatever) and in hindsight, we would NOT have done it. The novelty has worn off and now neither DD wants the dog in their rooms, only, if the dog isn't IN someone's room (and ain't NO way she's sleeping in mine), she barks and whines and barks. No amount of behavior training has helped. I was up every hour the other night b/c I caved to DDs not wanting the dog in their rooms. I told them last night, YOUR dog, YOUR rooms or she goes on Petfinder. She sheds tumbleweeds and wants to wee-wee and poo in my gardens rather than step into the grass. And, when we go out of town...it's a nightmare getting arrangements. We have to kennel her or get a petsitter, neither of which is cheap. My FIL (lives next door) does it, but doesn't like it, and charges us $10/day. We were stuck out of town for 5 weeks this winter...how's THAT for a budget buster! Oh, and the mailman has a "dog warning" card with our mail (I spotted it in his truck once) b/c she barks like a demon whenever anyone pulls in the drive, whenever a rabbit crosses the yard, whenever an insect waaaay back in the fields behind us takes flight....you get the idea. BTW, she's impervious to the "bark collar", we tried it. It was like me licking the hot sauce off my thumb so I could suck it when I was a little kid...

So, to sum up, if you are in doubt, DON'T.

 

[pweyl36]

Also you cant just leave for vacation or all day trips because of the dog.Please dont get a dog just because the kids what one.we have two boxers that we took in because the owners just didnt want them anymore.When we go on vacation we have to find a dog sitter.If we are going to be gone for more then 10hrs.We have to ask family to let them out.I love my dogs boxers are the best dogs,there life span is usually 10yrs.but just my luck my older boxer is going on 13yrs with no problems.I have been telling dh that after the younger dog dies.Thats it for dogs,I need new carpet but I refuse to get it untill they die.

 

[stitchntiggertoo]

I understand where you are coming from. I have always been a cat person, but I just wanted one dog and now I have two. The major question like some one said is do you have the time? dogs require so very much more attention than cats. You don't realize how much more until you get one. Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? Both have their pros and cons. Mine are 7 mos and 5 mos and I have my hands pull. Molly my 7 mos old is a pure black lab and Turner my 5 mos is a lab mix (mutt dog). Molly picked up everything very quickly, Turner on the other doesn't seem to get anything, let alone housebreaking. They are expensive. I like to call mine destructopups, because they are hard on everything. Hard on my walls very very hard on their toys just because they love to play. They required several shots and several trips to the vets for them, Molly had puppy kindergarten, plus food, and toys and more toys. We are building a fence for them so they can go outside and stay outside for awhile. Costs add up really really fast. Plus you can't leave them alone like cats. If you will be gone for more that a day you need to have something set where you can either take them with you, someone who will let them out for you, or if you need to board them. Dogs learn things at different rates. Like I said Molly was virtually housebroken within a month, Turner has yet to be house broken. General rule of thumb is that a puppy can go need to go out in hours 1-2 months past their age. So a 3 month old puppy needs to go out eve 4-5 hours, give or take depending on feeding drinking water and etc. Since you have a cat you need to think about how they will react to a dog. I have a 6 year old cat and a 3-4 year. Since both enjoyed cat food and cat treats I had to buy a special baby gate (another expense) to put their food and litterbox in a room so they have their space. All dogs react differently yours may choose that he doesn't like cat treats and cat food, and your cat may be perfectly happy with a dog. The most important question is are your child(ren) old enough to understand that the responsibilities of a dog are not optional and will they be willing to do it when it isn't fun anymore-esp when it very cold and snowing and raining or the dog just refuses to go and you spend 15-30 minutes outside waiting for the dog to go. Another big thing, are you willing to have the dog have accidents in the house and possibly destroy the carpet, clothing (Molly LOVES clothing) and anything else in the house that he may get ahold of? Having said all this I love my dogs. I love the lab breed because they are so friendly and caring and easy going. They can be hyper though. I have been around this breed before and I knew I would be comfortable around one. I also knew that they would be good with the cats. All dogs can be good or bad with kids and other animals. But it was a general rule of thumb that labs are ok. Good luck. It is a hard decision. It took my husband and a few months to decide to get a dog (He doesn't like animals or dogs esp that well) and then a few more months to find the perfect dog. Then another perfect dog so Molly could have company.

 

[Angela&Kayla]

My husband and daughter begged me for a dog for a couple years, and my answer was always NO WAY! I am just not a dog person and I seem to have an excellent sense of smell and regardless of how groomed an animal is, I can smell it immediately upon entering a room, so I wanted nothing to do with a dog.

Last March we were on the dog issue again and so I was looking through the paper (just for fun) and saw a litter of min-pins for sale. I researched them (they are little dogs, loyal but stubborn, "not a beginners' breed," etc) and on impulse, went to look at the puppys. The minute we saw our little guy (named Napoleon - little guy with a big power issue), my heart melted and we went back to get him a few days later.

I was totally unprepared for the cost of a dog. We have bought everything for our dog - including 4 crates (yes, for a 10 pound dog), a couple of litter boxes, a ton of toys, a few beds, the food storage containers, the food/water dishes, leashes, tie-downs, water bottles and apple bitters, obedience classes, etc etc. We must also pay for the vet (annual appointments and shots for our little guy are fairly cheap, but the neutering, removing the dew claws, and even just a case of a sick dog visit, get quite expensive. Food for him is fairly cheap, but still runs about $25 a month (he eats Royal Canin, which is an expensive brand). Pee-pads cost about $10 a month (he uses less than a pack of 15 a month - these are the housebreaking pads they sell for puppies but since we are gone sometimes for up to ten hours, we bought him a large dog crate so he has room to do his business, play a little, sleep in a smaller crate inside the large crate, and drink water). Toys and treats are about another $15 a month (we give him Greenies and all natural treats, and Nylabones for toys - he is quite the powerful chewer). We also had to buy him clothes (are you laughing that I said had to? honestly, we would put him outside on a cold day and no sooner open the door and his entire body would be shaking). Grooming is another $30 a month, and includes nail clipping, brushing of teeth, and shampooing, etc. Of course, we COULD do this at home, but each time we attempt to groom Napoleon, he shows how stubborn his breed is. Finally, heartworm meds are about $10 a month (he gets the med that you rub between the shoulder blade and protects against all sorts of animal yuckies, including heartworm and mites).

I am still definatley not a dog person. I like my little guy, but on some days, I am just SO overwhelmed with him. With a dog, you have to plan your entire day around it. At least with a kid, if you want to run to town, you can just bring the kid with. It is not so easy with a dog. Plus, on the nights you just don't have time, you have to make it for the dog. It isn't his fault he has busy masters, after all.

Anyway, I guess I would just urge you to think long and hard about getting a dog before you do. Again, they are tons of fun, but even a year out, I still question whether I made the right decision getting him. Most days are fine, but some days he tests my patience. I also worry about the money - we can afford him, which was one of the main considerations when we got him, obviously, but I still don't know what my threshold is on an injury. My neighbors paid over $4000 in emergency vet bills after their large puppy got hit crossing a street, and I don't know if I could choke out that much money for a dog. Again, I don't want to sound cruel, but I'm being honest. I wish I would have thought about this before getting a dog as well.

Good luck with your decision, whatever it may be!

 

[DawnM]

Wow. I am surprized at all the no's.

We have always had a dog and love it! Dog food? I can't imagine spending $40 per month. We use Kirkland dog food Lamb and Rice and spend $17 each 3 months or so.

We will always have a dog.

Dawn