I regret getting dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - so dog is 73 pounds at 1 and eats 6 cups a day. I assume given the large breeds in her she will probably gain another 10-15 pounds.

Dh has right now taken on a little bit more but we will see when we get home if this sticks. It actually is easier when we are home because we have a routine and the kids are all in school. The worst is when the kids are home because then I need to take care of the kids and the dog.

Dog is not destructive where we are but tries to chase the cat who lives in the house we are staying at and so we keep her on a leash. She is fully crate trained and is in a crate when we can’t watch her.

So for now I guess we are keeping her since dh refuses to rehome her. At home our schedule is walking 1 miles in the morning to the bus stop, an hour at the dog park mid day (we go to a very small underused one and only meet up with dogs who she is already friendly with. If there is an unknown dog we leave) and running 2-3 miles in the afternoon. Then probably one more walk before bed that is less than a mile.

I am amazed you aren't worried that one day you dog is going to bite one of your kids or their friends who are over at your house you are going to regret not getting rid of the dog.

Why would you want a dog you have to keep in a crate when you can't watch it? That is why the dog needs so many walks. The dog would have a much better life living with someone who doesn't have little kids so the dog could roam around the house and backyard all day and not spend so much time in a crate.

A 1-year old puppy?! See, this is how we know you're an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Op - we used to have a dog who could do this. But all puppies need to be watched no matter what breed. She can’t be outside by herself too long either because she will eat or dig up the yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - so dog is 73 pounds at 1 and eats 6 cups a day. I assume given the large breeds in her she will probably gain another 10-15 pounds.

Dh has right now taken on a little bit more but we will see when we get home if this sticks. It actually is easier when we are home because we have a routine and the kids are all in school. The worst is when the kids are home because then I need to take care of the kids and the dog.

Dog is not destructive where we are but tries to chase the cat who lives in the house we are staying at and so we keep her on a leash. She is fully crate trained and is in a crate when we can’t watch her.

So for now I guess we are keeping her since dh refuses to rehome her. At home our schedule is walking 1 miles in the morning to the bus stop, an hour at the dog park mid day (we go to a very small underused one and only meet up with dogs who she is already friendly with. If there is an unknown dog we leave) and running 2-3 miles in the afternoon. Then probably one more walk before bed that is less than a mile.

I am amazed you aren't worried that one day you dog is going to bite one of your kids or their friends who are over at your house you are going to regret not getting rid of the dog.

Why would you want a dog you have to keep in a crate when you can't watch it? That is why the dog needs so many walks. The dog would have a much better life living with someone who doesn't have little kids so the dog could roam around the house and backyard all day and not spend so much time in a crate.

A 1-year old puppy?! See, this is how we know you're an idiot.

We puppy proofed our house and earlier than a year our puppy could roam inside and out. We shut all bedroom doors. The puppy burned a lot of energy doing things like looking for birds or butterflies in the backyard from an inside window and if she saw one would go chase them away. It isn’t an aggressive breed so we never worried it would bite our kids. It would have been cruel to keep the puppy crated up during the day or evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - also I completely realize I have a husband problem. He works all the time and I am responsible for the dog and the kids.

He is also the one who said we can’t rehome because she is our responsibility and it would be cruel to rehome her.

I’d tell him to find three hours in his day to work with the dog, or it’s being re-homed. He needs to put his money where his mouth is.

This. It’s completely unacceptable for him to make that call unless he is the one who will do the work. Alternately, price out outsourcing the 3+ hrs/day and if he’s willing to pay for that, fine. But he doesn’t get to write a check that you have to cash.

This! Why are you responsible for the dog and the three kids and he gets to work (i.e. hang out alone) all the time? He needs to do more or help you use money to take some of the burden off of you. How do you even have time to do all of this if you are working too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here - so dog is 73 pounds at 1 and eats 6 cups a day. I assume given the large breeds in her she will probably gain another 10-15 pounds.

Dh has right now taken on a little bit more but we will see when we get home if this sticks. It actually is easier when we are home because we have a routine and the kids are all in school. The worst is when the kids are home because then I need to take care of the kids and the dog.

Dog is not destructive where we are but tries to chase the cat who lives in the house we are staying at and so we keep her on a leash. She is fully crate trained and is in a crate when we can’t watch her.

So for now I guess we are keeping her since dh refuses to rehome her. At home our schedule is walking 1 miles in the morning to the bus stop, an hour at the dog park mid day (we go to a very small underused one and only meet up with dogs who she is already friendly with. If there is an unknown dog we leave) and running 2-3 miles in the afternoon. Then probably one more walk before bed that is less than a mile.

I am amazed you aren't worried that one day you dog is going to bite one of your kids or their friends who are over at your house you are going to regret not getting rid of the dog.

Why would you want a dog you have to keep in a crate when you can't watch it? That is why the dog needs so many walks. The dog would have a much better life living with someone who doesn't have little kids so the dog could roam around the house and backyard all day and not spend so much time in a crate.

A 1-year old puppy?! See, this is how we know you're an idiot.

We puppy proofed our house and earlier than a year our puppy could roam inside and out. We shut all bedroom doors. The puppy burned a lot of energy doing things like looking for birds or butterflies in the backyard from an inside window and if she saw one would go chase them away. It isn’t an aggressive breed so we never worried it would bite our kids. It would have been cruel to keep the puppy crated up during the day or evening.

Your sample size of 1 isn’t very convincing. Let me give you my 9 month old puppy who still chews kitchen cabinets, eats rugs, tears up sofas, and climbs on kitchen counters when left to his own devices. 15 lbs of Tasmanian devil, that one! Not an aggressive breed at all, but for his own safety (and our sanity) he is crated any time we cannot watch him.

The vast majority of puppies need some sort of restriction. Even when loose in our house we have pens and baby gates to keep him in the room with us to interrupt behaviors. All completely normal!

And this is a dog who gets plenty of mental and physical stimulation every day. Walks, off leash hikes, trick training and sport foundation work, food in puzzle toys, training classes, wrestling with doggy siblings. Training dogs is my hobby! He’s just still very much a puppy and for his own safety is crated when we are not watching or engaging with him.

He is my 7th dog and all but one have needed the crate until around 1.5, and then magically they figure out how to use their brain to stop trying to kill themselves and destroy my house. The remaining one always needed the crate, but from an anxiety perspective. Her separation anxiety was less with a safe space.

[Anonymous]

Rid of the dog!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a big mistake. Get rid of the dog.

This is the number 1 problem and why animal shelters are full. People don't take their responsibilities seriously. A dog is a life long member of your family. Do not get a dog if you give it up. And if you do give up a dog please do not keep getting a new dog.

[Anonymous]

Is doggy daycare and a trainer for a few weeks an option. Daycare will wear her out and get her out of the house for the day. Maybe she’ll calm as she gets older too. Just a thought. I have pugs specifically because I didn’t want a high energy dog—I adopted them as adults, one directly from a breeder who was retiring her from breeding, And the other from a pug rescue. She was also retired from breeding. If the dog you have really isn’t a fit, then I think it’s ok to let the rescue know. Likely there’s some young person out there who runs and hikes every day for whom this dog would be the perfect match.

[Anonymous]

1. All the others here who say your dog needs more mental enrichment are absolutely correct. Your dog needs more mental enrichment, not more exercise.

2. You have plenty of at-home options for that. Check into nose work, basic agility. Sign up for a local class if that's easier than DIY YouTube videos.

3. If you're on Facebook, join the Canine Enrichment grouo. Lots of great ideas there.

4. Never feed your dog from a bowl. Make it work for its food all the time. Snuffle mats, snuffle boxes, frozen Kongs - there are SO many options out there to make your dog think about and find its food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a big mistake. Get rid of the dog.

This is the number 1 problem and why animal shelters are full. People don't take their responsibilities seriously. A dog is a life long member of your family. Do not get a dog if you give it up. And if you do give up a dog please do not keep getting a new dog.

Giving up a dog you can't control or properly care for is not the problem. I wish more people would do this instead of just persisting in owning dogs that then become a nuisance to others and are poorly socialized and unhappy because their owners don't have the knowledge or will to give them a good life.

They real "number 1" problem is this ridiculous cultural belief that dogs are great pets for everyone, everyone should get a dog, having a dog means you're a good person, blah blah blah. No. A dog can be a wonderful pet for the right person but not everyone should have a dog and even people who are good with animals can be in living situations where a dog is not appropriate. People think you can just shoehorn a dog into any situation and you can't, not without making the dog or the people involved unhappy.

What we need to do is more thoroughly educate the public on what it means to be a good dog owner, more aggressively spay and neuter dogs, and reduce the number of dogs in the population overall. We should discourage people in certain situations from getting dogs unless they have a clear plan for overcoming obstacles. Like people who live in small apartments, people who work long hours or travel a lot, people with young children who occupy a lot of their time, etc. It's not impossible to have a dog in those settings, but you need to be ready to put real work in (getting a dog who requires less exercise, being willing to pay for lots of doggie daycare or walkers, giving up a lot of your own freedom, etc.). Too often people adopt dogs thinking they'll just figure it out and then it turns out they don't.

So yes, when this happens, these owners should give their dogs up. And then as a society we need to recognize there are too many dogs and do things to reduce the number of dogs out there. Especially the number of pits and pit mixes because these dogs are not well suited for many potential owners and will languish in shelters. It is cruel to the dogs, it benefits no one.

Stop telling people "get a dog! they are so great!" Often it's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a big mistake. Get rid of the dog.

This is the number 1 problem and why animal shelters are full. People don't take their responsibilities seriously. A dog is a life long member of your family. Do not get a dog if you give it up. And if you do give up a dog please do not keep getting a new dog.

Giving up a dog you can't control or properly care for is not the problem. I wish more people would do this instead of just persisting in owning dogs that then become a nuisance to others and are poorly socialized and unhappy because their owners don't have the knowledge or will to give them a good life.

They real "number 1" problem is this ridiculous cultural belief that dogs are great pets for everyone, everyone should get a dog, having a dog means you're a good person, blah blah blah. No. A dog can be a wonderful pet for the right person but not everyone should have a dog and even people who are good with animals can be in living situations where a dog is not appropriate. People think you can just shoehorn a dog into any situation and you can't, not without making the dog or the people involved unhappy.

What we need to do is more thoroughly educate the public on what it means to be a good dog owner, more aggressively spay and neuter dogs, and reduce the number of dogs in the population overall. We should discourage people in certain situations from getting dogs unless they have a clear plan for overcoming obstacles. Like people who live in small apartments, people who work long hours or travel a lot, people with young children who occupy a lot of their time, etc. It's not impossible to have a dog in those settings, but you need to be ready to put real work in (getting a dog who requires less exercise, being willing to pay for lots of doggie daycare or walkers, giving up a lot of your own freedom, etc.). Too often people adopt dogs thinking they'll just figure it out and then it turns out they don't.

So yes, when this happens, these owners should give their dogs up. And then as a society we need to recognize there are too many dogs and do things to reduce the number of dogs out there. Especially the number of pits and pit mixes because these dogs are not well suited for many potential owners and will languish in shelters. It is cruel to the dogs, it benefits no one.

Stop telling people "get a dog! they are so great!" Often it's not.

\

I've never done this to anyone and I can't imagine the scenario. Most often people come on here and most people say "don't get a dog!" I've never read or heard any campaign to get everyone to adopt a dog and I dare you to find any literature to back you up.

And also, you are absolving the humans of any decision that they made on their own! If someone convinced you to jump off a cliff and you followed them whose fault would it be...you or the person saying it was great?

I say again returning the dog to the shelter is the number 1 problem.

[Anonymous]

Urban life and dogs, particularly large dogs, don’t mix. The owners are inconsiderate, or at best driven to be inconsiderate by necessity. Inevitability owners push the leash and sanitation rules. We should have designated dog free neighborhoods in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Urban life and dogs, particularly large dogs, don’t mix. The owners are inconsiderate, or at best driven to be inconsiderate by necessity. Inevitability owners push the leash and sanitation rules. We should have designated dog free neighborhoods in DC.

This is a terrible idea and pretty much impossible to enforce. Would you allow dogs to walk into "your" neighborhood? I understand dog free apartments but, not neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a big mistake. Get rid of the dog.

This is the number 1 problem and why animal shelters are full. People don't take their responsibilities seriously. A dog is a life long member of your family. Do not get a dog if you give it up. And if you do give up a dog please do not keep getting a new dog.

Giving up a dog you can't control or properly care for is not the problem. I wish more people would do this instead of just persisting in owning dogs that then become a nuisance to others and are poorly socialized and unhappy because their owners don't have the knowledge or will to give them a good life.

They real "number 1" problem is this ridiculous cultural belief that dogs are great pets for everyone, everyone should get a dog, having a dog means you're a good person, blah blah blah. No. A dog can be a wonderful pet for the right person but not everyone should have a dog and even people who are good with animals can be in living situations where a dog is not appropriate. People think you can just shoehorn a dog into any situation and you can't, not without making the dog or the people involved unhappy.

What we need to do is more thoroughly educate the public on what it means to be a good dog owner, more aggressively spay and neuter dogs, and reduce the number of dogs in the population overall. We should discourage people in certain situations from getting dogs unless they have a clear plan for overcoming obstacles. Like people who live in small apartments, people who work long hours or travel a lot, people with young children who occupy a lot of their time, etc. It's not impossible to have a dog in those settings, but you need to be ready to put real work in (getting a dog who requires less exercise, being willing to pay for lots of doggie daycare or walkers, giving up a lot of your own freedom, etc.). Too often people adopt dogs thinking they'll just figure it out and then it turns out they don't.

So yes, when this happens, these owners should give their dogs up. And then as a society we need to recognize there are too many dogs and do things to reduce the number of dogs out there. Especially the number of pits and pit mixes because these dogs are not well suited for many potential owners and will languish in shelters. It is cruel to the dogs, it benefits no one.

Stop telling people "get a dog! they are so great!" Often it's not.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Dogs are not for everyone. Times have changed, and most women are juggling a full time job on top of everything else, and raising a dog is just one more burden. There is incredible guilt and pressure to rescue dogs, but rescues are often irresponsible and don't match dogs with the right families. They are filled with medium/large dogs from high energy breeds, but then there is guilt and pressure for new owners to keep a dog even if it is a bad match for a family.

My parents have had dogs since before I was born, and I can assure you they never did extensive training or fed them out of 9489834874 different objects that weren't a bowl. They just had average small-medium dogs who were not terribly bad in any aspect. My SIL only gets a lap dog breed, but their current dog is crazy energetic. But she's 10 lbs so it's not as difficult as a 70 lb overly-energetic dog.

It's the current cultural pressures (get a dog, get it from a shelter, and don't return it under any circumstances) that are fostering all these bad situations.

[Anonymous]

Rehome and don’t let the dog psychos make you feel bad about it. It.is.a.dog. Just think how amazing it will be to get 3+ hours back if every day!