Is getting a dog worth it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, You might be a little too OCD for a dog. It gets messy and they leave stains.

So you just have stained furniture and mud/debris on the floors? I guess the only person I know who has a dog has such an immaculate house....

Yes, stains that won't come out. Sometimes chewed up furniture. Mud, hair, slobber whatever on the floors. Clean it up best you can but it doesn't always work. I've seen dogs with separation anxiety chew through the walls! PP that said we have dogs for the love is right...for better or worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the PPs with two dogs. Hearing that you are planning to TTC I definitely recommend that you not get a dog now. We had our dogs for years before we had our baby. We adore the dogs but they drove us NUTS when DD was an infant. The dogs got all nutty with a baby in the house, we were afraid one of them might hurt her, the barking during naptime waking the baby who already didn't nap well - there were so many times that I fantasized about getting rid of the dogs, or thought I might have to for the safety of the baby. We did manage to keep them, but it was a ton of work. I would never recommend that anyone who is planning to have a baby in the near future get a dog. Wait until your kid(s) are older. By then your kids will have broken down your need for a pristine house and you will have the time and energy that a dog requires.

Agree 100%! We have 2 dogs and 2 cats. We love them dearly, and they are family to us. Luckily, our pets were older/adjusted to each other when we had our son, but it was still a big pain to have them around while adjusting to life with an infant.

My memory: being exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed and THEN realizing the litter box needed to be cleaned, the dogs needed to be walked, and they had found ways to act out since they were feeling neglected (rightfully so). NOT FUN.

My strong recommendation would be to have the baby first, and then see if you are still game to add a dog to the family.

Ugh, that's my memory too. It wasn't so bad when my first baby was born, especially b/c her birthday is in April, the weather was good, and the only way I could get her to sleep was to take her for long walks, so my dog felt very loved and attended to since he always came with me. But when my son was born, it was October, rainy, chilly, and it was just much harder dealing with everything. Plus, a lot of our outings were to indoor places where I couldn't take the dog, which made him restless and made me feel incredibly guilty. I ended up giving the dog way too many treats to assauge my guilt, which caused him to gain weight and has had long-lasting effects on his hips. Ugh, why did I get a dog?

[Anonymous]

Haha, NP here who has always wanted a dog. ALWAYS. Ever since I was a little girl. I love cats too, and I have one now, but I still want a dog. DH, who grew up with dogs, says NO WAY until the kids are older. (I have a toddler and #2 on the way.) Reading all these posts makes me realize that DH is absolutely right.

But my question is what is up with the giardia??? Do your dogs drink from lakes and streams all the time? Giardia is awful, god, I can't imagine dealing with that multiple times a year!

[Anonymous]

OP complains about dogs being a mess, but is ok with 2 cats taking a shit in the house every day?
Cats taking a shit stink, I don't want that smell lingering in my house.

I don't get that.

[Anonymous]

PP here - sorry, that should be 3 cats shitting in the house.
And by the way, cats get fleas and ticks too - not just dogs.

It sounds like its too much trouble for you OP - don't bother getting a dog, then freaking out later and having to rehome it.
It doesn't seem like it works for your (OCD) lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Don't get a dog. I have a dog, had her for 9 years. We love her and DD loves her but she's too much work. She doesn't get enough exercise, we are constantly cleaning the house b/c of the dog hair, vet bills are sky high, and we can't just leave the house in the AM and not come back until late at night w/out scheduling a dogsitter. I hate having to find a dogsitter when we go on vacations. It's so stressful to make sure we have one lined up. We don't kennel her. It's too costly and too stressful on an older dog. Don't get a dog. Go visit them at the shelter to play with them, or volunteer.

[Anonymous]

This OP is a fake and an admitted troll: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/191082.page

No need to help her out anymore.