Is getting a dog worth it?

[Anonymous]

You do not really want a dog. I promise, you will regret it. They are nothing like cats. Dogs need much more attention. Even the most low maintenance breed of dog will be too much work for you.

[Anonymous]

OP, I love my dogs but it sounds like they might cramp your style more than you would like. I would say that one thing that would tip the balance in favor of having a dog is if you live in a neighborhood where you worry about break-ins. In my view, dogs are better than burglar alarms in preventing break-ins. So I'm willing to make some of the adjustments you list because my dogs are both members of my family and performing a useful service.

On the whole, if I were you I would find some other way to be with a dog (sometimes shelters ask for volunteers to walk their dogs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do not really want a dog. I promise, you will regret it. They are nothing like cats. Dogs need much more attention. Even the most low maintenance breed of dog will be too much work for you.

I don't think it's the attention that's the biggest issue for us. I actually really like the idea of getting outside more with the dog, going for walks, etc. If we did get a dog I'd want to take him to obedience school and also volunteer with him at a nursing home. But it's the other issues that are more of a concern.

[Anonymous]

Please do not get a dog, OP. Most rescue dogs come with some sort of 'baggage' and I don't think that you or DH are equipped to deal with such a dog at this time. I think that cats are a much better choice. A household with a dog will not be a 'pristine' household. Dogs have to be exercised (not just walked to eliminate) several times a day, no matter what the weather conditions are like. You will walk in the pouring rain through mud, cold weather, snowy, incy and hot weather. Dogs will track dirt and all sorts of other stuff in your home. Most dogs shed somewhat with a few exceptions. They will get sick, vomit on your floor or have a potty accident. Even the most reliably house-trained dog will get a bout of diarrhea here and there and if he is alone in the home for most of the day, he will eliminate on your floor.

Going out of town on spontaneous trips will be a lot more difficult. You will need to arrange to get a pet-sitter to care for your animal. This can be very pricey. The same goes for extended vacations.

Do you have any children?

[Anonymous]

I'm a WOHM with a preschooler and two dogs who shed a lot. I vaccuum about three times a day, just to keep things under control (but not pristine). I walk them in the A.M. twice and we have someone walk the in the afternoon and then we take them for an extended walk again in the P.M. and another quick potty walk just before bedtime. We are definitely outdoorsy type of people, but it is a lot. We used prescription flea treatment on them during the summer only and we clean our home with organic non-toxic products, not only because of our child, but also because of the dogs.

We also travel extensively which can get very expensive, but we take the dogs along on vacations to the OBX for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not get a dog, OP. Most rescue dogs come with some sort of 'baggage' and I don't think that you or DH are equipped to deal with such a dog at this time. I think that cats are a much better choice. A household with a dog will not be a 'pristine' household. Dogs have to be exercised (not just walked to eliminate) several times a day, no matter what the weather conditions are like. You will walk in the pouring rain through mud, cold weather, snowy, incy and hot weather. Dogs will track dirt and all sorts of other stuff in your home. Most dogs shed somewhat with a few exceptions. They will get sick, vomit on your floor or have a potty accident. Even the most reliably house-trained dog will get a bout of diarrhea here and there and if he is alone in the home for most of the day, he will eliminate on your floor.

Going out of town on spontaneous trips will be a lot more difficult. You will need to arrange to get a pet-sitter to care for your animal. This can be very pricey. The same goes for extended vacations.

Do you have any children?

I understand what you're saying, and it makes sense. It's just that we love animals and we would love to get another pet, but I don't think a 4th cat is a good idea because one of the cats is very neurotic and the dynamic between them is really good and I think a 4th cat would disrupt that. We don't have kids yet. Thinking about TTC this year.

Tons of people have dogs. Nearly every house on my street has a dog. People seem to be head over heels with their dog and they must not mind all the work, upkeep, etc. So they must feel that the positives outweigh the negatives. I know there's a lot of negatives, but the positives outweigh the negatives, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: We used prescription flea treatment on them during the summer only and we clean our home with organic non-toxic products, not only because of our child, but also because of the dogs.

Which kind of flea treatment? The topical or the pill? How did you feel about this given that you only use non-toxic cleaning products in the home?

[Anonymous]

Just because everyone else on the block has a dog and seems happy does not mean that it will be a good choice for your own family.

I had a co-worker once who went and got a Golden Retriever from a rescue because she thought he would make a good addition to her family. She has a two daughter (who were already in primary school at the time) and she is a SAHM with a beautiful home. They also travel quite a bit, but they had no other animals (no cats, goldfish etc.). She always marveled at the cute dogs in the neighborhood and she loved family pictures of the 'All American Family' with the family dog amongst them. Needless to say, it did not work out and the dogs was back in rescue two weeks later. I've lost all respect for her.

Now, I'm not saying this will be the case with you, but I worry about your excisting animals, especially your neurotic cat.

My best suggestion to you would be to maybe 'borrow' a dog from someone and maybe even foster a dog for a while and see how it works out for you. That way, you will be a better idea of what you are getting into.

If you are also thinking about adding a child to your family sooner or later, this may complicate things even more.

I can tell that you are an animal lover, but there are so many other possibilities to show your love for animals.

I used to have a spotless and pristine home just like you - many moons ago. You would not recoginze my home nowadays, but it is okay and I have different priorities now and my expectations for 'cleanliness' have been downgraded to say the least.

I love my child and my dogs and it is all worth it to me, but not everyone would feel this way.

[Anonymous]

Which kind of flea treatment? The topical or the pill? How did you feel about this given that you only use non-toxic cleaning products in the home?

We use Frontline on our dogs. I'm not thrilled about it, but it works. We had fleas once when I switched from Frontline to giving them garlic and other things that are supposed to work. Well, they did not and the dogs ended up with fleas and they had those raised little bumps all over them and they itched terribly. Now we use Frontline during the warm month, but we stop after the first frost and don't use it again until the temps warm up. I worry more about the health effect of the Frontline on my dogs (cancer etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, OP here. Thank you for everyone who responded. Definitely some helpful things to think about.

For the posters who asked questions, both DH and I want the dog. Neither of us have ever had a dog before (and didn't have one growing up), so we would be first time owners.

Cats are so great and they're so easy...so if we do get a dog I want us to know how much work it's going to be.

My biggest concern off the list is the flea issue. Because we don't use any chemicals at all in the house (organic cleaning products only, no insecticides or pesticides or lawn chemicals of any kind, don't get the lawn sprayed for weeds, no mosquito repellant), the idea of putting a topical flea treatment on the dog where it can rub off on us and the kids, get ingested by the kids, get on furniture, etc. really bothers me. Plus the cats could lick it off. The idea of toxic chemicals being ingested or absorbed that way really concerns me. When that stuff (the topical flea meds) gets on your furniture (like when the dog is sleeping on your couch) does it ever come out? We have never put a flea treatment on our cats, by the way, and they've never had fleas (indoor only). Second in terms of fleas, if we ever got a bad infestation in the house, I would not want to use chemicals in the house to treat the fleas. Spraying pesticides or fogging in the house worries me. That stuff gets all over your furniture, carpets, etc. And then there's worrying about skin exposure, inhalation exposure and accidental ingestion by kids or animals. I know sometimes getting the house treated is what needs to be done, but I think the stress of having to use insecticides in my house would be too much for me (if that situation ever happened). We don't spray for bugs like carpenter ants, regular ants, spiders, cinch bugs, stink bugs, etc. (and we get a lot of all of those), we just deal with them with organic methods (cayenne pepper, etc.) and/or exclusion methods, but I know that fleas are a whole different story.

How do others handle the flea issue/chemicals?

If you use a topical treatment, your dog is unlikely to get fleas. The treatment is put on the dog's skin and does not get on furniture or on you, the kids, etc..

More important than treaing for fleas is treating for tick prevention. Ticks and Lyme disease are a HUGE problem in this area. Huge. We live in Lyme Central and Lyme is an epidemic. I am very leery of non-natural approaches as well but would not consider not using Frontline on my dog. FWIW, our naturopathic MD uses it on hers too. It's a question of choosing the lesser of two evils.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't get a dog.

How is your house "pristine" with three indoor cats? Are they hairless? Do you wipe their paws after they use the litter box?

They're not hairless but they do have short coats. I sweep and vacuum about twice a week. We put down a little blanket on top of the furniture that they sleep on. Their litter does not track, we use a special litter that is dust free and doesn't track much, so their paws are fine. Also, we have a sheet underneath all 4 litter boxes to catch excess litter that they kick out of the box. Their food area gets messy but I clean that up each day. They do throw up from time to time but I clean it up ASAP, and if they barf on the carpet, DH cleans it up, the stain comes right out. Only rarely do they barf on the furniture, and then I am sure to clean it up right away and there has never been a stain. Overall, with minimal work we can have a pristine house and pristine furniture.

OP, please do not get a dog. You can't handle a dog, and the dog can't handle your household either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, OP here. Thank you for everyone who responded. Definitely some helpful things to think about.

For the posters who asked questions, both DH and I want the dog. Neither of us have ever had a dog before (and didn't have one growing up), so we would be first time owners.

Cats are so great and they're so easy...so if we do get a dog I want us to know how much work it's going to be.

My biggest concern off the list is the flea issue. Because we don't use any chemicals at all in the house (organic cleaning products only, no insecticides or pesticides or lawn chemicals of any kind, don't get the lawn sprayed for weeds, no mosquito repellant), the idea of putting a topical flea treatment on the dog where it can rub off on us and the kids, get ingested by the kids, get on furniture, etc. really bothers me. Plus the cats could lick it off. The idea of toxic chemicals being ingested or absorbed that way really concerns me. When that stuff (the topical flea meds) gets on your furniture (like when the dog is sleeping on your couch) does it ever come out? We have never put a flea treatment on our cats, by the way, and they've never had fleas (indoor only). Second in terms of fleas, if we ever got a bad infestation in the house, I would not want to use chemicals in the house to treat the fleas. Spraying pesticides or fogging in the house worries me. That stuff gets all over your furniture, carpets, etc. And then there's worrying about skin exposure, inhalation exposure and accidental ingestion by kids or animals. I know sometimes getting the house treated is what needs to be done, but I think the stress of having to use insecticides in my house would be too much for me (if that situation ever happened). We don't spray for bugs like carpenter ants, regular ants, spiders, cinch bugs, stink bugs, etc. (and we get a lot of all of those), we just deal with them with organic methods (cayenne pepper, etc.) and/or exclusion methods, but I know that fleas are a whole different story.

How do others handle the flea issue/chemicals?

Your cats aren't going to lick the dog. They probably won't like the dog--I'd be more worried about them scratching the dog. Or the dog chasing them. You're not very likely to get a bad infestation of them from an indoor dog that is washed and groomed regularly, and whose bedding is kept clean.

There are a lot more concerns to a dog than fleas. Like the 3-4 times a day they need to be taken out for exercise. The vet bills. The grooming. The constant attention. The obedience training. It really doesn't sound to me like you're a dog person, especially the way you describe why you like cats. And if you're TTC soon, bad timing to get a dog. Just wait until after you have kids, and they're a bit older. Plenty of time to get a dog. You'lll regret it, and you'll be way too busy with a baby to have time for a dog.

Don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please do not get a dog, OP. Most rescue dogs come with some sort of 'baggage' and I don't think that you or DH are equipped to deal with such a dog at this time. I think that cats are a much better choice. A household with a dog will not be a 'pristine' household. Dogs have to be exercised (not just walked to eliminate) several times a day, no matter what the weather conditions are like. You will walk in the pouring rain through mud, cold weather, snowy, incy and hot weather. Dogs will track dirt and all sorts of other stuff in your home. Most dogs shed somewhat with a few exceptions. They will get sick, vomit on your floor or have a potty accident. Even the most reliably house-trained dog will get a bout of diarrhea here and there and if he is alone in the home for most of the day, he will eliminate on your floor.

Going out of town on spontaneous trips will be a lot more difficult. You will need to arrange to get a pet-sitter to care for your animal. This can be very pricey. The same goes for extended vacations.

Do you have any children?

I understand what you're saying, and it makes sense. It's just that we love animals and we would love to get another pet, but I don't think a 4th cat is a good idea because one of the cats is very neurotic and the dynamic between them is really good and I think a 4th cat would disrupt that. We don't have kids yet. Thinking about TTC this year.

Tons of people have dogs. Nearly every house on my street has a dog. People seem to be head over heels with their dog and they must not mind all the work, upkeep, etc. So they must feel that the positives outweigh the negatives. I know there's a lot of negatives, but the positives outweigh the negatives, right?

People whose requirements are looser than yours likely do feel this way. These are people whose houses are not pristine, whose furniture is worn, and who are comfortable with treating with Frontline each month to prevent fleas and ticks from living on their pets.

OP, you are not in that dempgraphic.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you have 3 cats and you're sweeping and vacuuming 2x per week, your house is not pristine. Really. I don't currently have any animals, and my house is vacuumed/swept more often than that.

With a shedding dog (when I had one), I was doing it 2x per day when she was shedding, once per day when she wasn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Which kind of flea treatment? The topical or the pill? How did you feel about this given that you only use non-toxic cleaning products in the home?

We use Frontline on our dogs. I'm not thrilled about it, but it works. We had fleas once when I switched from Frontline to giving them garlic and other things that are supposed to work. Well, they did not and the dogs ended up with fleas and they had those raised little bumps all over them and they itched terribly. Now we use Frontline during the warm month, but we stop after the first frost and don't use it again until the temps warm up. I worry more about the health effect of the Frontline on my dogs (cancer etc.).

Aside from the discomfort of fleas, fleas carry disease (including heartworm).

Ticks are a huge problem in this area, a much bigger problem than ticks - they transmit Lyme disease. Our dog developed Lyme despite our using Frontline year-round, religiously, and had to go on a month-long course of antibiotics. It was awful - she lost her appetite, developed gastro issues, and UGH, I hope never to do that again.

We used to skip Frontline in the winter, but do not anymore. All it takes is one warm day in February (pretty common) and bang, a tick.