OT- Should we get a dog?

[gris gris]

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.

It looks like I might be the first recovering OCD person to post LOL!!! I had pretty bad OCD about the cleanliness of my house, not just in regards to the dog. Believe it or not I went to counseling (well.....it was affecting my marriage!) and my OCD is gone. I could care less about the dog stuff now, none of it bothers me, what I love best is his big fat head, his extra wrinkles from his Sharpei mommy, and the fact that he loves to cuddle! I'm a dog person and once in a while the OCD comes back and I say to DH next time we're getting a non-shedder, but we like bully dogs and they all shed.

Oh.....one other thing I did which saved my sanity a WHOLE lot was to install central vac. We joke around and say that the central vac is what saved our marriage, not the counselor LOL.

So the short answer is - YES get a dog. I couldn't imagine my life without one in it. But you really should try to figure out a way to not let the OCD get in the way once you get the dog, otherwise you'll probably resent the cute furry thing!

 

[Nolcrest]

I am a dog person too. I own 4 dogs plus I've volunteered for several agencies involving dogs. I now have a 5 month old puppy who is a dream (but still a puppy).

That being said and since you asked I would advise you to NOT get a dog.

It doesn't sound to me like you really want one and that the dog will be by itself quite a bit. The novelty of having a dog wears off quickly unless you are a committed dog person.

Now doesn't seem like the right time to make such a commitment. Plus, they are a real financial responsibility.

If you still feel the urge to buy a dog, try to find an organization you can volunteer for in some capacity to see what it would be like owning a dog. It would help you to see what is really involved in owning a pet that thrives on the love, time and companionship of people.

Please take heed of all the "No" responses.

 

[LetsgoDisney!]

From a big dog lover, I'd say that if you have to ask us here, then the answer is no. Dogs are a huge committment of time, money and responsibility. They drool, pee, chew, jump around but can be the most loyal companion you've ever had If you are busy and can't devote the time to it now (and like others have pointed out, it will be you doing the training feeding, etc) then I think you should wait.
HTH-
Donna

 

[disykat]

We had pretty much decided there would be no dog in our future due to my allergies and not wanting the mess. However, my younger son talked about dogs and cats constantly. I'm guessing reading "the dog who wanted a boy" over and over and over for years helped wear us down too.

I waited until my boys were 6 and 8 to get a dog, while I was still mostly a SAHM. After keeping an eye out for rescue dogs that would be appropriate for a family with allergies for over a year, we went to a breeder. We got a miniature schnauzer. I chose her, I named her - she is MY dog. I wasn't going to get a dog until I was committed to her because I knew that ultimately she was my responsibility.

I wouldn't trade having a dog for the WORLD. She is our spoiled little princess and we love her to death. Having a pet has been a terrific experience for the boys and for our entire family.

Some things that helped us. #1 We got her in the summer when I was home full time and so were the boys. At first you really need to be home a lot for intensive training and potty training. #2 We got a nonshedding dog who (even though she is oversized for her breed and weighs 24 pounds) is still small enough to carry to the laundry room sink if she gets muddy - mess really isn't an issue. #3 I was substitute teaching at the boys school (very near) and the days I worked I was able to pop home on my lunch hour to let her out for potty and exercise until until she was old enough to be alone all day. #4 We crate trained her. She is almost 6 and still loves her crate.

While I agree with everyone that having a dog is a huge commitment and not for everyone, I'm so glad we got our dog!

 

[vsimeone]

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!

See, this is EXACTLY what DID happen to me! About 5 years ago, my biological alarm went off LOUDLY! The only problem was that since I had my kids pretty young, they were about 10 and 13 at the time! Consciously, I couldn't IMAGINE having another baby but the whole nurturing thing was driving me nuts! So, my Mother's Day gift that year was a puppy and that summer DH had a vasectomy just to cement the "no kids" decision!

This is my first ever dog and he truly is my baby. My 75lb baby mind you! I took him to obediance school - 2 full courses, he walks with me every day and sleeps with me at night - and isn't too happy (but doesn't growl or bite) when DH displaces him in bed!

After figuring out that there is no way he will ever be crate trained, we came to a happy decision that he has full run of the house during the day and has never hurt a thing (other than a couple pair of underwear) since he was granted run of the house.

My ONLY "problem" with him is that he hates the lady that cleans our house every other week. In fact, he hates all smokers. He will growl at them. Since the cleaning lady is NOT a dog person, he scares her silly so I have to take him to doggie day care so I can get my house cleaned! He also has some issues with firecrackers and thunder that usually result in me being buried under a 75 lb dog on my lap!

Anyway, sorry so long. I get carried away talking about my "kids!" I'm sure the OP will make the best, most informed decision as possible. My wish for you is that if you decide to get a dog - if you are not going to show it - get a rescue or mixed breed from the pound instead of a pure bred. My Nero is a black lab/border collie mix from the neighbor of a guy I work with whose dog "accidently" had puppies. He was free and would have gone to the pound if they didn't find homes for this litter.

Best wishes and best of luck with your decision!

 

[Hedy]

I'm not a dog person but-you're starting school-you're going to be busy. Dogs are a lot of work, I'd double check if it's something you want. Also, I think it's akin to having a baby-if you need to ask the internet, the answer is no.

 

[Kellydelly]

Don't get one.

 

[TupperMom7]

Considering the age of your children, you can pretty much count on your and/or your husband taking care of the dog, whatever kind you get.

We have had Golden Retrievers for years. They are great with children, but they are not a guard dog. They might bark when someone comes to the door, but the worst they will do is beat them to death with their wagging tail. They also shed seasonally and need to be brushed at least 2 - 4 times a week. As far as vet bills go, they will be the same no matter what breed you get. You could call your vet and ask them for the total cost of shots for a puppy and for an adult dog.

No matter what breed of dog you get, or a mixed breed, the success of your relationship will depend on the amount of time you spend with the dog and how much you train him/her.

 

[perd]

OP, don't get a dog. I think it takes someone who is really a dog person, and from your description of yourself, you are not. I'm not either. I AM a cat person, though, but I am on my last cat. As much as I love her and love all cats, it's a lot of work. And a dog is a lot more work than a cat!

My son has always wanted a dog, too, and I have felt bad at times for not getting him one. But the truth is, I would be the one taking care of it. We have had several "family" cats and who feeds them, waters them, cleans the litter box, grooms them, takes them to the vet, cleans up after them? I do.

We have a small yard. Okay, a normal sized yard, but not enough room for a dog to run. I don't really have the time or the inclination to walk a dog every day and I can't depend on the kids or my DH to do it and it's NOT FAIR to get a dog and not take care of it. Also, don't forget the dog poop in the yard. Who would be cleaning that up?

My next door neighbor has a lab who keeps chewing through their privacy fence and escaping. I don't blame the poor dog. No one ever plays with it. No one walks it. It just stands in the back yard and gets ignored all the time. I wouldn't do that to an animal.

 

[shelemm]

Almost everyone in our neighborhood has kids or dogs, but rarely both. Maybe it's because of the cost/work involved. All I can say is that our house eis pretty meesy as it is with two kids. A dog would put us over the edge.

I've always liked the old Rita Rudner joke: "I know what you're thinking, that I use my dog as a child subtitute. But it's not true. At least that's what his pediatrician says."

 

[Milobaby]

Please do not get a dog. Unless you are truly a dog lover you will NOT be able to handle a dog. The kids are not the ones taking responsibility and paying for him -you are. Dogs are very expensive. You are probably looking at around $2000. your first year depending on how much you pay for the dog and where you live. They require several visits to the vet in their first 4 months. They need vaccines and monthly checks for parasites, which by the way, your children could get.

 

[kellia]

Thank you very much everyone! You have definately made up my mind to not get one! I also appreciate the honest answers so that now I know that I am not the only person who feels this way and am not a horrible mother for not letting my kids get one! We had also been getting pressure from family that we needed to let them get one.

Oh, I should say, I am really not OCD, my dh just always says I am because I am very organized and anything slightly out of order or dirty drives me batty! I currently do home daycare, and the mess is the part that drives me crazy!

Also, as I was sitting here typing, the cat just came up to me and sure enough, dd forgot to feed her again before she left for school. So, no, I am definately not ready for a dog! Maybe when the boys are older I will rethink it, but for now, I don't think it would be a good decision for us or the dog.

Thank you very much!

 

[tink2dw]

But what about getting an 2 yr old cat from a Rescue Center, you can pick one that is still playful. But not a kitten with your new schedule. And get a Litter Maid box, it is a life saver!!

Just the thought of having to pick up still steaming dog doo is enough to turn our family off the dog issue.

 

[kinntj]

Thank you very much everyone! You have definately made up my mind to not get one! I also appreciate the honest answers so that now I know that I am not the only person who feels this way and am not a horrible mother for not letting my kids get one! We had also been getting pressure from family that we needed to let them get one.

Oh, I should say, I am really not OCD, my dh just always says I am because I am very organized and anything slightly out of order or dirty drives me batty! I currently do home daycare, and the mess is the part that drives me crazy!

Also, as I was sitting here typing, the cat just came up to me and sure enough, dd forgot to feed her again before she left for school. So, no, I am definately not ready for a dog! Maybe when the boys are older I will rethink it, but for now, I don't think it would be a good decision for us or the dog.

Thank you very much!

Good decision. We are dog people and have two dogs, but I stay at home and can let them out all day, scoop up their poop, and groom them. LOTS of work, but we love them. Our dogs are huge and we would never get another big dog again.

We have friends who love their very lovely ultra clean house and they asked us for advice. We said no. They have one child and one on the way and their the types that take the paint can out every month to paint the worn down baseboards. Umm...no dog for you guys.

Enjoy your busy no dog lifestyle.

 

[kellia]

I did think of getting another cat. Actually, we would probably get a kitten so that it would be used to the boys... part of the reason is that our 6 year old cat doesn't like the boys since they invaded her turf 4 year ago, so we'd like a kitten to start with. (From the humane society, though!) We actually will be home with the kids, I do daycare during the day and for the next year I can just take classes in the evening when dh gets home, there will just be a few evenings that we'll both have classes and won't be home with them.

BUT- one of my daycare boys is very allergic to most cats (though ours doesn't bother him) so I am afraid to do it, not sure if we could pick out another hypo-allergenic cat! That is why I started thinking dog... But I think we'll just wait another year until I am done doing daycare and then let them get one.

But what about getting an 2 yr old cat from a Rescue Center, you can pick one that is still playful. But not a kitten with your new schedule. And get a Litter Maid box, it is a life saver!!

Just the thought of having to pick up still steaming dog doo is enough to turn our family off the dog issue.

 

[ceecee]

Think of it as a 16 year average commitment (depending on breed). There are tons of dogs in shelters and resvue groups because people get dogs on a whim or because they're cute! Dogs are a lot of WORK, EXPENSE and TIME!!! I have two yellow labs (both rescued from Lab rescue at 1 and 2 years old). Some days we don't want to walk them twice a day, but guess what? They always want to! So we do it. We are dog people and I know my house has dog hair even though I Dyson three-four times a week. I no longer buy black clothes because I know they can't help shedding all over us.
Vet bills! We have taken our newest in twice as an emergency ($300.00). Once she ate 8 lbs of food (opened the lid to her food that we used to keep on the floor) and once she got her paw caught in her crate! And that is just in 6 months.
Don't forget you have to train them. With my first dog (who we lost at age 16, a sheltie mix) I read tons of books and did dog school. I heard the saying "there are no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner" and it has stuck with me. My dogs were both hit and it breaks my heart. My oldest who we have had for two years is finally able to see us lift our hand without cowering and she hated to be hugged around the neck, she still doesn't like it but lets us hug her now.
Off my soapbox.........think about it hard, we did for two years and we had dogs before. Unconditional love is your reward for all the work.

 

[ohiominnie]

I did think of getting another cat. Actually, we would probably get a kitten so that it would be used to the boys... part of the reason is that our 6 year old cat doesn't like the boys since they invaded her turf 4 year ago, so we'd like a kitten to start with. (From the humane society, though!) We actually will be home with the kids, I do daycare during the day and for the next year I can just take classes in the evening when dh gets home, there will just be a few evenings that we'll both have classes and won't be home with them.

BUT- one of my daycare boys is very allergic to most cats (though ours doesn't bother him) so I am afraid to do it, not sure if we could pick out another hypo-allergenic cat! That is why I started thinking dog... But I think we'll just wait another year until I am done doing daycare and then let them get one.

Another thing with cats.....sometimes one cat in a house is fine, but when you introduce a second cat the first cat starts "acting up." We've done that before....had one perfectly fine cat, added a second cat and then all of a sudden cat #1 starts peeing in inappropriate spots or doing weird stuff they had never done before.

We have a cat now that we all love dearly! We, stupidly, went to the Humane Society and found the cutest, most playful kitten. We even named the dumb thing ("Moose") then went out to adopt it. Well, we would have had to wait b/c first the humane society had to verify that our cat was current on shots (they wouldn't take our word for it, they had to call our vet) then the kitten needed to get on the neuter list and they were backed up about a week. But we were still going to do it.

Then after we got home and the cuteness of the kitten wasn't right in our faces, we all talked about it andh ow a second cat can "change" the first cat. And no one wanted our first cat to be changed at ALL. So I called the humane society and stopped the process.

Something to think about.

 

[ceecee]

Just the thought of having to pick up still steaming dog doo is enough to turn our family off the dog issue.[/QUOTE]

Forgot about that dog joy and the expense of dog poop bags!!!

 

[GJM]

I love dogs, just not love owning one. My DH & DS wanted a dog, I knew I would be stuck doing most of the work. I grew up with a dog and know all the work that goes with it.

But i caved in and said OK - I am the one that takes her for a walk, cleans up the yard, feeds her. She got use to going for a walk when I came home from work, we have a fenced in yard. She wouldn't relax until she went for a walk, so who is walking her when it is 20 degrees out, me!

Just going on a day trip you have to make sure you have someone to come and let the dog out. When we went to Disney last year, I paid someone $30 a day to come and let her out. Even with working I can't just run to the store after work because the dog has to go out.

Get another cat - much easier!

 

[Gillennj]

Wow, I am very surprised to read all the responses. I, too, thought I was a bad person (maybe I am) for getting rid of our dog. We got a yellow lab/GR mix as a puppy right after we got married. We had DS within a year of that and I was working and going to school FT. Needless to say, the dog lost it's priority. Once DD came along, we just couldn't take the dog anymore. It just needs too much time. We gave him to a great home, but still feel guilty about it sometimes.

...that is until we think of the poop, the walks, the messes in the house, boarding while on vacation, vet bills, heartworm, food... Loooking back, we realize we're just not dog people--we just love playing with puppies (who doesn't?).

DW mentions from time to time how nice it would be to have a dog for the kids. She forgets a lot...