First-time dog owners: how did getting a dog change your life?

[Anonymous]

The awesome:
Pretty much everything, but mostly the love, companionship and sweetness.

The okay: weekly baths (15 min time commitment), food and water (my 10lb dog goes through a bag of dog food every 6 months), the walking for us is minimal- dog hates walking outside. Potty training was a 3 month commitment, but now it's awesome and never any accidents

The sucky: traveling is hard. We either have to get a pet sitter or travel with the dog. We typically fly and drive with the dog. We take a 2 week vacation yearly where my in laws watch the dog.

#1 thing about having a dog- don't let it get fat! And don't feed people food!! Extra weight on a dog's body is the #1 cause of medical issues.

Wouldn't trade my dog for 100k (but maybe a million bucks )

[Anonymous]

Dogs are a lot of work. I had my. Jack Russell for 14 years, loved him, when he died I just got another cat. So much easier. My cats are super friendly, one is sitting in my lap now. Here is the secret--go to a big pound and adopt the very friendliest one they have, no matter what it looks like.

[Anonymous]

Like others said, it's lots of work, and lots of awesome.

Every dog I've had has had such a unique funny personality. They're so fun. I just love them.

But, yes, going away for a weekend involves finding someone I trust with my life to take care of my precious. I feel guilty when I go places without my dog. Those vet bills are expensive. Those are the tradeoffs.

[Anonymous]

love my dog - but lots of what folks said, plus...
earlier and longer mornings (add in a walk, feeding)
costs (training, vet, food, grooming, toys)
longer evenings
unexpected time (dog gets out, knocks something over
frustration as you and your dog learn
barking, chewing
more time cleaning in general (house cleaners charge more if you have a dog)

but it is also lovely. we got an older dog and did not have to deal with potty and crate training.

good luck.

[Anonymous]

I have to go straight home to let him out, so can't stop somewhere on the way home from work unless I plan in advance to pay the dog walking service. But I'm sort of a homebody anyway. The biggest additional cost is the vet bills, which are maybe $200/year. I pay about $100/year for his food. My dog is small so he doesn't eat a lot, and he's healthy (middle-aged) so no huge bills.

[Anonymous]

I can't put it into words, but I LOVE my dogs! Love, love, love them. I have children, and love them to the moon and back, but I've always been an animal person, and dogs are awesome companions. Our larger dog is my exercise partner, and our small dog is our pocket pet. Both are beyond precious. The hair, the training, the clean-up, the expense, is all worth it if you're truly an animal person. We also have a cat but it's not the same relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first dog was a beagle puppy from a pet store. I didn't know anything about puppy mills or animal rescue. I had never really thought much about animals. I came to realize that if she had all of these doggie emotions, then other animals must be similar. I slowly (over the course of a year) oat interest in eating animals. It all happened naturally and without any predetermined plan.

I became aware of factory farms and horrific conditions for many animals, and I went into a deep depression because it all felt so overwhelmingly sad. Thanksgiving went from being my favorite holiday to being low on the list.

Over the course of the next couple years, I fostered and adopted - ended up with four dogs and two cats. I knew I had to stop there because I saw how tempting it was to want to save them all. We moved to a bigger house with a huge yard for the sake of the dogs.

In this world, where nothing is black or white, I realized that even though I chose not to eat animals, my dogs - and cats especially - had to. I don't like this fact, but that's the way it is.

Having that first beagle puppy changed my life. I loved her (and all my subsequent pets) with all my heart. But it opened my eyes to a lot of sadness (with the way some animals are treated) and I would rather be in the dark and totally ignorant of this. Or I wish I could be in denial, but there's an awareness there no matter how far back I try to push it.

Yes, same thing happened to me. A dog is a cow is a pig is a chicken is a turkey, etc. They share the same emotions, yearn for relationships, aim to please, just overwhelmingly sad when you think about factory farm animals. I haven't had meat in over 24 years and have now given up dairy. Ice cream is difficult, but I've tried some very good fake cheese!

I've always like animals more than people, as I think of humans as the most destructive animal on the planet.

[Anonymous]

Before we got our dog, I was going through a really rough time - a move, the death of an immediate family member, a new job, and PTSD from a near death experience. I was initially regretful that we got the dog on day 1 - he's a rescue and was so scared! But I threw myself into making him feel loved and at home and now I can say he cured me! He's the sweetest animal, super smart, I'm in love. Biggest con though is figuring out logistics when we travel (which is often).

[Anonymous]

I love dogs! My first dog I found as a puppy along a highway, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with her, but I figured it out. She's since passed away, but we now have 2 more rescues, along with a 8 yr. old child. Hard to put into words, but they give us great happiness, but as to why, I don't know. We love animals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interested in hearing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Information about the breed and age of your dog would be helpful. Thanks!

We got a dachshund puppy 4 years ago (our first and only dog).

The good: she's adorable, sweet and funny. She makes us very happy. She's been an easy dog to train and she's never destroyed any of our property.

The bad: going on vacations where she can't come with us. Find a good pet sitter. Dogs can be expensive (vet, grooming, pet food). If you don't own your home, it can be difficult to find a place to rent since some places do not allow pets.

The ugly: when your dog surprises you by having some kind of medical emergency like my dog did. It was scary and expensive. Also, when you have to leave your dog with a pet sitter when you go on vacation. It was embarrassing how much I cried

I am so happy that we got our dog and I think she's perfect. I also think the timing of when we got her was perfect, so I think that plays an I portant role in how I feel about being a dog owner. I think it's best to wait until your child(ren) are older (school age for us) and when you have some time to commit to getting your dog trained and socialized when you first get it. I worked part time and could be home quite a bit to help the dog feel safe and secure and train her. It's an adjustment and something you need to be prepared for. Good luck op!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's like adding another kid.

Somewhat....

[Anonymous]

It made me happier. Much happier. The term "labor of love" really applies for me in relation to my dog. She wakes at 6:30 every day, even on weekends. Obviously I'd rather sleep late, but I never seem to mind getting up to feed and walk her. We then go back to bed for a "morning nap" until 9 or so.

I specifically got a dog that doesn't shed. Nobody is getting fur on their clothes or seeing fur clumps on the floors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It made me happier. Much happier. The term "labor of love" really applies for me in relation to my dog. She wakes at 6:30 every day, even on weekends. Obviously I'd rather sleep late, but I never seem to mind getting up to feed and walk her. We then go back to bed for a "morning nap" until 9 or so.

I specifically got a dog that doesn't shed. Nobody is getting fur on their clothes or seeing fur clumps on the floors.

what kind did you get?

[Anonymous]

That first year was tough!! Our dog chewed cabinets, shoes, etc. He created a lot of anxiety for me because it was weird to be responsible for him. I never felt like we could really go out.

Now? It's AMAZING! Love our crazy dog. Can't imagine life without him.

[Anonymous]

Best decision we made: Adopting a rescue dog.

She if full of energy - always wanting a walk or a trip to the fenced in backyard run. She is full of snuggles and cuddles whenever you sit down (in fact wants to be a lapdog more than our cat every wants to). The friends I have meet walking her have been long term friends. Yes, she costs money when we go on vacation, or a trip to the vet of the fancy food she has to eat so she won't have runs all over the house. But, each and every day I come home - the best part of my day is her excited waggy but, high five paws and ear licks. Honestly - who needs therapy when you have a dog!