How do you deal when you hate having a dog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really astounded by all of these regretful pet owners. Is this a pandemic thing? That people who were not dog people tried to become dog people, or jumped on the doggie bandwagon?

Our dog is really one of my favorite things in the house. He is my third dog, and I think he is the cutest, although he is not the smartest or the best-behaved. (To be fair, our previous dog was incredibly well behaved -- trainers were always telling us we should put him into obedience competitions because he was like the Michael Phelps of obedience. I was like "yeah, I'm not really a stage mom...").

I think people should at least pet sit a friend's dog for a week before you decide to commit. It won't be the exact same (because your friend's dog will likely be trained) but at least you'll get a sense of it. Also, if you're on the fence, probably talk your kid into a cat. I hear people say they are "meh" about their cat, but I never hear anyone say they seriously regret their cat (unless he destroys their furniture).

I also really think pepole should put their foot down and insist their spouse and kids step up to take care of the dog they wanted. We have a walk schedule posted on the wall, and it gets revised periodically to account for the kids' after school activities, but they each do 5 walks a week. They also generally do the brushing and help with baths (sometimes I left them do it themselves but that's not really what I'd recommend).

I sometimes regret/resent my puppy because she's 7 months old and can be a needy jerk. I expect it to get easier when she's older. Maybe it's just that a lot of us have dogs under 2 years old right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love my dog, but I'm pretty sure she's the only dog I'll ever have. Turns out I really am a cat person.

Same. Would have a cat now except DC is allergic to them. Current dog is 8 months old. Hoping she will live to be 15 or so. Kids will be out of the house by then so we can get a cat next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all suck. OP rehome your dog if you’re going to feel like this for the rest of its life.

+1

You all sound like terrible and selfish people. Poor dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The difference between my dog as a >1 year old and even a 2 year old to now as a 4 year old is stark. She is now mostly a couch potato whereas she was NUTS in her younger days. Hang in there - it really does get easier.

+1000

I really wanted our current dog and had owned several dogs previously. For some reason, I didn’t bond right away to this one because she was so.much.work. That said, she is 6 now and is simply great. Easygoing and fun. It definitely gets better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you got her a year ago and are expecting another 12+ years of ownership, I'm guessing you maybe got a puppy? They're a TON of work and, depending on the breed, a ton of work for 2+ years. I don't fault you for your feelings at all and they are valid, particularly with young kids.

They do get easier though. Tremendously. I'm not going to tell you what to do "re-home!" but the above info would help. I do agree with the PPs who said if everyone else loves the dog, let them partake in her care.

This. Puppies and young dogs are a lot of work. But after age 2, they generally settle down and require very little. I adore my kids and my DH, but I feel like my dog has a higher give-take ratio, lol. It makes A HUGE difference if your dog is well-trained, and worth doing whatever investment of time and money you have to make to get him there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m thinking of rehoming my dog for the same reason. She a great dog but just not the dog for me. Fortunately she is healthy and well trained so I know she will find a new and better home. She was my husbands dog who died during Covid.

OMG your husband died of Covid? I am so sorry!

I am looking for a dog. I moved and my teen kept our shared dog I miss him so much! I am still responsible for his vet, insurance, etc. but he's not physically with me.

I want a dog that will bark at strangers who come to my door, likes to hang out on the couch, enjoys going for a walk once a day, likes to play with the neighbor dogs who always come over to say hi. I don't have young kids or cats.

I work from home which is great for potty breaks and companionship, but I spend most of my days sitting on the couch, so not good for a dog who needs a lot of exercise.

What kind of dog is she? I am an experienced dog foster mom and have dog rescue references if you are interested. Maybe we can talk?

[Anonymous]

"Pandemic Puppy Syndrome"

All of you caring for pets out of a sense of duty, please don't be so harsh on yourselves! You are setting an excellent example to your children - that we care for our dependents no matter what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m thinking of rehoming my dog for the same reason. She a great dog but just not the dog for me. Fortunately she is healthy and well trained so I know she will find a new and better home. She was my husbands dog who died during Covid.

OMG your husband died of Covid? I am so sorry!

I am looking for a dog. I moved and my teen kept our shared dog I miss him so much! I am still responsible for his vet, insurance, etc. but he's not physically with me.

I want a dog that will bark at strangers who come to my door, likes to hang out on the couch, enjoys going for a walk once a day, likes to play with the neighbor dogs who always come over to say hi. I don't have young kids or cats.

I work from home which is great for potty breaks and companionship, but I spend most of my days sitting on the couch, so not good for a dog who needs a lot of exercise.

What kind of dog is she? I am an experienced dog foster mom and have dog rescue references if you are interested. Maybe we can talk?

I am the immediate PP, I see several people have replied to the poster who is looking to rehome her dog after her husband's death

If any others on this thread who regret having their dog are interested in discussing a dog like the one I described, please let me know. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I imagine we'd all have more capacity to care for our pets if we weren't heading into year 3 of this pandemic. We have a much higher baseline of stress and anxiety, so three years ago a pet might have felt a lot easier and rewarding. Those of you putting in the care while you're exhausted, I see you!

I think that having a fenced yard really helps me with this. When we're away from home and our 2 year old dog needs to be walked 3x a day, that's very hard on me; I have chronic fatigue like another poster mentioned. Now thankfully when we're at home, I just have to open the door for him to do his business and get exercise, and that helps a LOT.

And yeah, so often we moms bear the mental burden of figuring out hygiene and vet visits and everything else, even if we were the least enthusiastic person in the family about getting a dog. I don't want to suggest things that aren't feasible for most people -- oh, just hire a dog walker!, oh, just move to a house with a yard! etc. -- but I do think that reducing the load in whatever ways makes sense for your situation can help you focus on what you do love about having a dog.

[Anonymous]

I’m sending my husband this thread. He’s always had dogs growing up and has been trying for years to get me to agree to get one. I don’t like the way dogs smell, I don’t want to be waking up to walk a dog in darkness and cold and bad weather, I don’t want dog hair all over my house and things, and I pretty much only like dogs from afar. He’s convinced I will fall in love once we get one but I truly think I will end up in OP’s shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sending my husband this thread. He’s always had dogs growing up and has been trying for years to get me to agree to get one. I don’t like the way dogs smell, I don’t want to be waking up to walk a dog in darkness and cold and bad weather, I don’t want dog hair all over my house and things, and I pretty much only like dogs from afar. He’s convinced I will fall in love once we get one but I truly think I will end up in OP’s shoes.

OP here. Yup, that's exactly my issue - I hate going out in the cold, the dog hair is so out of control I have to vacuum daily (and we got a "non-shedding" breed), my house smells. The groomers where we live have a 2-3 month wait, so I've been learning how to groom her myself, which is time-intensive. I spent 1.5 hours brushing and cutting her hair yesterday (plus another 30 minutes of cleaning up).

I also just hate the little annoying things, like when I'm trying to work and she starts whining for attention. We ignore it like the trainers say to do, but it still happens. Also hate that I have to spend an hour a day training, I knew there would be some training but it's a LOT. Every walk I have to be 100% focused on training, when I just want to zone out and walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m sending my husband this thread. He’s always had dogs growing up and has been trying for years to get me to agree to get one. I don’t like the way dogs smell, I don’t want to be waking up to walk a dog in darkness and cold and bad weather, I don’t want dog hair all over my house and things, and I pretty much only like dogs from afar. He’s convinced I will fall in love once we get one but I truly think I will end up in OP’s shoes.

OP here. Yup, that's exactly my issue - I hate going out in the cold, the dog hair is so out of control I have to vacuum daily (and we got a "non-shedding" breed), my house smells. The groomers where we live have a 2-3 month wait, so I've been learning how to groom her myself, which is time-intensive. I spent 1.5 hours brushing and cutting her hair yesterday (plus another 30 minutes of cleaning up).

I also just hate the little annoying things, like when I'm trying to work and she starts whining for attention. We ignore it like the trainers say to do, but it still happens. Also hate that I have to spend an hour a day training, I knew there would be some training but it's a LOT. Every walk I have to be 100% focused on training, when I just want to zone out and walk.

I think the problem is that you have assigned yourself to be the primary caretaker. Back off a bit. Require your spouse/kids to groom the dog. Require your spouse/kids to walk the dog. Require your spouse/kids to vacuum the house. Voila! No more hate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sending my husband this thread. He’s always had dogs growing up and has been trying for years to get me to agree to get one. I don’t like the way dogs smell, I don’t want to be waking up to walk a dog in darkness and cold and bad weather, I don’t want dog hair all over my house and things, and I pretty much only like dogs from afar. He’s convinced I will fall in love once we get one but I truly think I will end up in OP’s shoes.

I'm the poster above with chronic fatigue and the (thankfully) fenced in yard.

I was never a dog person; my mother is deathly afraid of them and I never got acclimated to dogs. I also have pretty bad allergies for which I've been getting shots for 6 years.

Two years ago when my kids were 10 and 7 I seriously started considering a dog. We spent Christmas with my sister and the smell of her non-hypoallergenic dog bothered me, so I decided we needed to get a doodle even though I always disliked the look.

Long story short, we got a mini sproodle and I love him with the fire of a thousand suns. We have super bonded. I didn't realize my heart could love a dog so much! My husband is always saying, "I didn't think you would love the dog this much!"

Based on what some other posters are mentioning, I realize he's on the lower end of the maintenance spectrum. We take him to the groomers every 6 weeks, but other than that, he doesn't require much. He doesn't shed at all (he's 3/4 poodle). I love having my little shadow follow me around the house.

As I mentioned, we have a fenced in yard, so he can run free and go to the bathroom without regular walks. I'm sure that helps with the mental load. And my older child has spent a lot of time training him. He's not perfect - still the occasional bathroom accident and we never did get him to stop jumping on people - but he's gentle, never an issue with biting, etc.

So yes, it's entirely possible getting a dog will just be something you resent, but it could also be something you unexpectedly love. Now when we're at the beach (top floor condo up two flights of stairs) and it seems like no one remembers to walk him except me, I get a taste of what it would be like without our yard. That's no fun!

[Anonymous]

How do
You know if you will regret? We dogsat
And it was fine but I wasn't sad when dog left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do
You know if you will regret? We dogsat
And it was fine but I wasn't sad when dog left.

. Foster first