Should we get a dog??
My husband is a dog LOVER. He comes from a family of dog LOVERS. His parents have 3 dogs, One brother has 3 dogs, and one brother has 2 dogs. My family had a poodle when I was like 8 who died one year later and then my parents didn't get another dog until I left for college
I really like dogs. I'm not going to say love because if I had to pick between a dog and a new car I would definitely say car. Ohh and there is nothing that annoys me more than a dog barking for no reason.
So here's a little background history...
K wants a dog because he loves them, thinks it would be fun, and would feel better being away knowing I have a dog there.
I want a dog because K works really late and travels a lot so it would be really nice to have a dog around so I don't freak out every time I hear a little tiny noise. This is also the problem.
Due to the fact that K works so much and starts business school part time this year (sucking away even more of his time) I will be the primary caretaker of the dog. I'm afraid that I will eventually begin to resent the dog or K.
Due to my allergies and K's love of bigger dogs we will be getting either a goldendoodle or labradoodle.
So what I want to know is:
Are you happy you got a dog? Do you think dogs are good companions or just a lot of work?
Do you spend a lot of money on the dog, ie vet appts, foods, etc?
Thanks girls!
I was a little apprehensive about Chief...I was starting law school and worried she would just be a hassle. Um, no. She is seriously my best little buddy and I love her to pieces. Sure the potty training is annoying, and the chewing phase is exhausting, but gawd...she is cute. And that unconditional love is like no other. Z and I were talking the other day about how we truly worry we will not love human babies as much as we completely love our dogs. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteThen again, maybe I am a crazy dog lady. But, for the record, I generally really dislike other people's dogs, ha!
My husband and I go back and forth about having a dog ALL the time. So far, we haven't got one, but I will say that I've heard labradoodles and goldendoodles are terrific dogs! I would love to get a goldendoodle some day; I mean, how cute are they?!
ReplyDeleteI am so in love with goldendoodles! We live in an apartment, so I have to wait until we buy a house to get one. Maybe you have a friend who's going out of town this summer and you can dog sit? Trialling one when you're this iffy is probably smart. Puppies are a lot of work, if your hubby is going to be starting school in a few months, getting a dog sooner rather than later is probably wise so you can all be on the same page training-wise.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I'm the best person to give advice on pets because I'm just not a pet person. My family got a dog when I was in high school and I love her to pieces but I don't want a dog of my own. I like other people's animals just fine, but for me the drawbacks of having a pet just aren't enough to justify the benefits in having one. I love to sleep in, hate the idea of dog hair in my house and don't want to share space in our smallish house with a pet.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do want kids and I realize they are MUCH more work and take over your life 100x more than an animal. Ha! Guess that just means I'm a kid person but not so much a doggie person. Here's hoping my {theoretical} kids don't want a dog one day!
I literally don't know what I would do without my dog. My husband and I totally adore her and she really does brighten up our day. We don't spend that much money at all, maybe 30 bucks every 6 months on appointments, after all the initial appointments of course. She's so worth it though.
ReplyDeleteI have a BIG crazy pound puppy (who's 4-years-old and still acts like she's a puppy!) and -being honest- I could do without. Despite picking her out, she's just too big for our small house and still acts hyper all the time. She's miserable to walk and barks when she sees another dog (often) and it drives me nuts. She's so overpowering that she can't cuddle with us or join us like another member of the family. Plus, she sheds like crazy.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I LIKE dogs. But they are a big adjustment. Good luck!!!!
I love love love my Labrador and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world - but a dog IS work. Mine is 4 now and just because he's older and potty training is over (which was a BREEZE, seriously, maybe 6 accidents as a puppy, tops!) he's on a schedule and I have to stick to it. He eats breakfast and dinner at the same time every day, he needs to be let out regularly, fresh water in the bowl, playtime outside, etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteMy ex and I got him together - I wound up the primary caregiver, I was the one up 3 times a night every night in the early weeks letting him out, I was the one doing all the work, while the ex was just enjoying the fun stuff. I fought to keep Dixon in the breakup - and there have been times I didn't think I could get through without having Dixon in my life. A dog is a big commitment, and you have to be willing to be patient and not regret the decision later; it's a helpless creature, like a baby, and it's unfair to apprehensively get a dog and then decide you don't want it later and give it away. I will say there are GREAT dog trainers out there that can help you train the dog and teach you how to handle the dog, so you're both happy. If you decide to get a dog and approach it with the right attitude and understand it will be hard and frustrating at times, you'll enjoy it, I promise, not to mention the companionship and unconditional love is like no other. :)
I'm a crazy crazy dog (and all animal) person, so take my totally biased advice for what it's worth: GET A DOG!!! :)
ReplyDeleteWe had a dog who we adored and who died at a year and a half, two weeks after L was born. It was literally devastating. So we got a new one, and he couldn't replace our first one. Between the vet bills and the fact that the poor guy stayed in his kennel way more than what was fair, we ended up giving him away. So I've seen both sides of having a dog. I can't wait to see what you decide!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine not having a dog, and they do make you feel safer- but just a warning... sometimes they hear things you don't and start barking, thus freaking you out about something you probably would have never heard in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHowever, all the benefits far outweigh everything else. And goldendoodles might just be the cutest things ever!
Oh! Well, we LOVE our little guy. He's a cocker spaniel (the calm, acts-like-a-grandpa-type...not the barky, mean type) & I don't know how we got so lucky. He is SUPER low key & mostly just lies around the house. He's kind of like a stuffed animal that likes to snuggle! I don't know how it happened, but we got him during summer break before 3rd year (of med school for Mr & of dental school for me) and only had about 6 weeks of full time attention for him before classes started full blast. I guess we just held him a LOT and brought him around all of our family & friends, because he's totally chill and never just barks for no reason. We adore him, and he really hasn't cost us a lot of $$ at all. Now, if we would have gotten a really hyper breed that needed to be played with a lot, we might not have been as happy. We just don't have a lot of free time to take him to the dog park every day, long runs, etc. Oh-and he never wakes us up early. Literally, he will sleep in until we wake up (even on the weekends!)
ReplyDeleteI say, just think about it & if you decide to go for it, meet the dog's parents to see their personality too! :)
I'll admit, they are a lot of work. But I wouldn't trade mine for anything. He's part best friend, part baby, part protector, part little brother, part companion, part shoulder to cry on, part mess to clean up after. But he's always unconditionally loving and happy to see us. I wouldn't trade that!
ReplyDeleteYES, your life will never be the same. The are sooooo worth it if you can handle the responsibility!!
ReplyDeleteI rescued my Tessie Belle five years ago, and she has been the best "purchase" I've ever made. She always greets me so happily when I come home, and it always brightens my day. She's been a good test of finding a good guy...W. has been one of the very few guys she has adored, and he spoils her rotten like I do.
ReplyDeleteMy only "problem" with her is feeling guilty about leaving her. I can't just hop in a friend's car and go out of town for the weekend because of how she can be around other people and dogs (she is very protective of me). If I happen to have a long day at work and plans right after work, I have to go home and let her out (sometimes driving out of the way to do so). Other than this, she has been worth EVERY PENNY :)
Can't wait to hear what you decide!
They are sooooo much work and even with a small pug i'm still spending so much money of food alone. I love her though so I think it's totally worth it but its just so much extra work and planning (ie- who's going to watch her when i go away for a week?) that i wasnt expecting.
ReplyDeletei would strongly suggest fostering a dog first. it's a great test drive and you're saving the animal's life w/o the commitment.
ReplyDelete