What’s it really like having kids and a dog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dogs love unconditionally. For me, that makes it all worth it. But they are like perma-toddlers in many way. They will never feed themselves or go to the bathroom independently. They can stay home alone for a few hours but not for extended periods of time. They require exercise and mental stimulation and vet visits and for some grooming. They are expensive and burdensome and they can be gross and stinky and annoying and if they have to vomit, they don’t even try to make it to the bathroom. But they will love you with ever fiber of their being. Truly.

This is the best explanation of owning a dog that I have ever read. I would only add one thing and that is that the read your emotions. When we had a family death both dogs instinctively knew and comforted all of us.

Our labs will hunt you down and find you if you start crying anywhere in the house (even silently). All they want to do is comfort you.

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids (5, 7, 9) and two 1 year old dogs. We got the dogs because I wanted them. My kids have been begging for years.

For me, the key is small dogs (less than 10 lbs). They are less expensive, easier to manage (even if they behave badly) and make less mess. They need short walk and can exercise by running around the house, even if bad weather. I could not manage two large dogs.

Dogs that are adult dogs are better. I tried to find adult small dogs to adopt and it’s hard. But don’t get a puppy unless you have lots of time. I’m so glad my dogs aren’t puppies anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dogs love unconditionally. For me, that makes it all worth it. But they are like perma-toddlers in many way. They will never feed themselves or go to the bathroom independently. They can stay home alone for a few hours but not for extended periods of time. They require exercise and mental stimulation and vet visits and for some grooming. They are expensive and burdensome and they can be gross and stinky and annoying and if they have to vomit, they don’t even try to make it to the bathroom. But they will love you with ever fiber of their being. Truly.

This is the best explanation of owning a dog that I have ever read. I would only add one thing and that is that the read your emotions. When we had a family death both dogs instinctively knew and comforted all of us.

Our labs will hunt you down and find you if you start crying anywhere in the house (even silently). All they want to do is comfort you.

I had a lab and he was wonderful and sweet but he was all about his own emotions and needs, and did not notice ours at all. I didn’t expect more since dogs are basically forever toddlers.

OP, I love dogs so, so much that pre-kids I sorta worried I’d love my dog more than kids (obviously not true). That said I refused to get another dog after ours passed away because I couldn’t give the dog what he needed / be the type of dog owner I wanted to be. I am mostly ok with this but if my spouse offered to do all the vet visits/food/behavioral stuff/etc., I’d love another dog. However the reality is that I will be stuck with everything.

I think for me it boils down to time, money, and energy. I believe you have to have at least 2 of these comfortably or in excess.

[Anonymous]

We were always dog people. We currently have three of each - kids and dogs. The dogs are work, but with a fenced yard, it’s minimal. You feed them twice a day, fill the water bowl every third day and take them to the vet once a year.

But the joy they bring to our family is immeasurable. All of us are crazy about the dogs. No one complains about dog care.

The only issue I will warn you about is vacations. I hire house sitters instead of kenneling. But either way it’s a big expense and pain in the neck. It’s a small price for how happy they make us.

Oh and I guess I should suggest a king size bed if you don’t have one. They can be bed hogs.

[Anonymous]

I don’t get the folks saying it is not a lot of work. Our dog gets three meals a day, several walks and hates being alone. Weekly baths. Every few weeks grooming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My goal was to get a lazy, non-shedding, slightly dumb dog. That's pretty much what we got and, besides a couple of quirks, he's perfect.

That was mine too.. I got a lively, attention seeking, demanding dog that is cute as anything but oh my... but no shedding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a lot of work and mess and expense. If you haven’t always wanted a dog, don’t get one.

A fenced yard is fine for quick potty breaks but it’s not a substitute for regular walks. Thinking your dog will love “running around in the backyard” without you is a recipe for behavior problems.

Also, sometimes they just dont love it. We live in the city with a decent sized backyard and a privacy fence. My dog will not go in the backyard unless someone else goes with him. And then he'll play catch for about 10 minutes and then go to the backdoor to let you know he wants back in. The other scenario is you take him in the backyard, and after about 5 minutes of sniffing around, he grabs a huge stick, won't drop it, and tries to eat it as you frantically try to get it away from him and make him go back inside. I'd love to be able to open the door and let my dog hang out in the backyard by himself occasionally, but that's not possible. A, because he won't go out by himself, and B because I can't trust him not to find and eat sticks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were always dog people. We currently have three of each - kids and dogs. The dogs are work, but with a fenced yard, it’s minimal. You feed them twice a day, fill the water bowl every third day and take them to the vet once a year.

But the joy they bring to our family is immeasurable. All of us are crazy about the dogs. No one complains about dog care.

The only issue I will warn you about is vacations. I hire house sitters instead of kenneling. But either way it’s a big expense and pain in the neck. It’s a small price for how happy they make us.

Oh and I guess I should suggest a king size bed if you don’t have one. They can be bed hogs.

I've had y 1-year-old dog for two months and this is not my experience at all. It really feels like I have a toddler again.

[Anonymous]

It is like have 2 kids that grow into new phases and one toddler that never matures.

[Anonymous]

We have a one year old dog and the early puppy months are really hard. I don't know how you would do it if you worked outside of the house all day long. Also, the dog has been way more expensive than we anticipated with grooming and training. We love him very much but a lot of time, work, and money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were always dog people. We currently have three of each - kids and dogs. The dogs are work, but with a fenced yard, it’s minimal. You feed them twice a day, fill the water bowl every third day and take them to the vet once a year.

But the joy they bring to our family is immeasurable. All of us are crazy about the dogs. No one complains about dog care.

The only issue I will warn you about is vacations. I hire house sitters instead of kenneling. But either way it’s a big expense and pain in the neck. It’s a small price for how happy they make us.

Oh and I guess I should suggest a king size bed if you don’t have one. They can be bed hogs.

I've had y 1-year-old dog for two months and this is not my experience at all. It really feels like I have a toddler again.

This makes no sense. We change the water a few times a day and wash the bowl daily. Several walks a day.

[Anonymous]

What you can see from this thread is people have very different standards for what constitutes acceptable quality of life for a dog. If you’re comfortable giving your dog minimal stimulation and exercise, dog ownership is very easy and low effort. If you’re not comfortable with that, dog ownership is a lot of work and expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What you can see from this thread is people have very different standards for what constitutes acceptable quality of life for a dog. If you’re comfortable giving your dog minimal stimulation and exercise, dog ownership is very easy and low effort. If you’re not comfortable with that, dog ownership is a lot of work and expense.

Frankly some dogs are easier than others and no, it’s not always about the owners. It’s about breed and temperament. I had one do who would happily spend every day outside lounging on our deck or being walked, and another who was a lap dog and needed constant companionship (and water and treats) and hated walks.

[Anonymous]

I adamantly did not want to get a dog when my husband and three children begged for one during covid. All the things people have written - particularly about puppy challenges - are true. We also thought the dog would love our big fenced back yard, but she really only goes out there to poop.

All that said, we're two years in, and I cannot imagine life without her. She probably sensed early on that I was skeptical about her and man, she gave me all her attention (she literally never leaves my side when I'm home). And dammit, I love her, and can't imagine our lives without her. I enjoy that we all have a reason to take family walks together with her (my kids are 13, 11, and 8). In retrospect, we should have invested more in training; she still jumps sometimes, though as she's aged, she's calmed down enormously. She doesn't really have accidents in the house or chew anything anymore. The one complication I do dislike are the limitations to us taking vacations - it can be costly, and also I hate leaving her in a kennel or with a dog sitter.

But on the whole, totally recommend.

[Anonymous]

Don't get a dog unless you or your husband are willing to take full responsibility for it. I have 3 kids and we got one when they were similar ages to yours. My husband wasn't on board and only agreed after I said I would take full responsibility for it (I probably do 90%, he and kids together do 10%). The kids will swear up and down that they will be responsible for it, will walk it and clean up after it. Don't believe them for a minute. This will last about 2 weeks until they are fighting over who has to do the next walk. It's a lot of work the first year, but gets much easier with time. For me the benefits far outweigh the costs. I've met tons of neighbors I wouldn't have known because of dog walks. It gets me out of the house at least twice a day for exercise. The unconditional love is amazing and our dog is so good at sensing when the kids are sick or upset. She licks their tears away and snuggles up to them when they're sick. None of us could imagine life without her. One more thing before you get one - make sure you have some dogsitting options. Dogs make traveling much more difficult.