I hate dogs, kids and DH want one

[Anonymous]

It's your house, OP, you get to say no. (I did and we got a cat instead and my family still loves me)

[Anonymous]

You know you will be the one taking care of it. Say no.

[Anonymous]

You don’t have to like dogs and you certainly don’t have to get one. But as a person who both did not like dogs (or any animals) and was somewhat scared of dogs until we got ours, I am here to say I love this little guy and don’t regret taking the chance. He happens to not eat grass or mulch at all and he doesn’t shed, drool or smell. Yes he has tried to roll in some gross things a few times, but we keep him very clean. He is just the funniest, cutest little thing, with a very interactive personality.

[Anonymous]

I adore dogs. I cannot imagine life without them and I think anyone who doesn't like dogs is somewhat crazy. I have 3 of them (so I'm crazy the opposite direction).

That said, you should not get a dog.

They are SO MUCH WORK. If you aren't excited about it, it's going to breed resentment and frustration.

[Anonymous]

+1 with dog like cat, or get a cat like dog.

Having a pet does have a lot of downsides, but the upsides are there too! I often regret my dog but he is at least small & low maintenance, and he does bring a lot of happiness to our family. He's something we bond over, sharing stories and sending each other pictures, we also run narratives and tell on him for made up plans and stuff he did, my kids really like this.

But it is a ton of work and added pressure, especially in the first years.

[Anonymous]

Have you seen the resentment of moms who caved and wound up doing all the work of a dog when it was the kids and husband asking for it? Personally I'd rather miss out on the benefits of a dog and avoid that possibility.

[Anonymous]

Hate another living thing. Wow. Make sure you don't have other, bigger problems, Op.

A no from you, as with anyone though, means the family doesn't get a dog.

[Anonymous]

A normally trained dog shouldn't pee themselves, eat mulch or get into everything.

When I got my 15 year old a dog, I made him attend once-a-week dog training for a whole summer with the dog.

Also get a crate and use it (don't abuse it).

[Anonymous]

I regret getting a dog. Wasn't a pet person. Got a pandemic puppy. 3 years later I'm the only one walking and feeding her, and she follows me around. Thankfully she's very cute and there are some benefits for the kids. But what a mistake. If there was a way to not have her, I'd take it. It just seems too cruel to rehome so here we are

[Anonymous]

Get a large main coon cat. As dog-like as they come. Or a blue Russian mix - they play fetch (I have one, she's 9 and still loves this game)

[Anonymous]

I love dogs and so excited to get one. But the amount of time & energy into a puppy, now 1 yr old, is too much. Wish we didn’t.

[Anonymous]

They are trainable. Neither of the three I've had over the course of my life have eaten mulch, grass, shit, etc. They were trained not to nose the trash bins. I've always had dogs that don't shed. We wipe paws as they're coming into the house so they don't track stuff in.

[Anonymous]

You could get a dog that is lower in energy so that it will require less work. That or get an older dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 with dog like cat, or get a cat like dog.

Having a pet does have a lot of downsides, but the upsides are there too! I often regret my dog but he is at least small & low maintenance, and he does bring a lot of happiness to our family. He's something we bond over, sharing stories and sending each other pictures, we also run narratives and tell on him for made up plans and stuff he did, my kids really like this.

But it is a ton of work and added pressure, especially in the first years.

.

I have 2 Maine Coons and I have 2 dogs.

“Dog-like” cats isn’t actually real. That’s not a thing. They don’t even have similar attributes other than legs and whiskers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t have to like dogs and you certainly don’t have to get one. But as a person who both did not like dogs (or any animals) and was somewhat scared of dogs until we got ours, I am here to say I love this little guy and don’t regret taking the chance. He happens to not eat grass or mulch at all and he doesn’t shed, drool or smell. Yes he has tried to roll in some gross things a few times, but we keep him very clean. He is just the funniest, cutest little thing, with a very interactive personality.

+1
I think it is so convenient when someone writes the exact same thing I was going to say.

I don’t need to get another dog after this one but I already dread our dog dying. I’m not as physically affectionate with the dog but I just like having him around.