I REALLY don't want to get a dog---so what kind of dog should I get

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm considering relenting to a relentless campaign by my children and husband to get a dog. We have cats, which is one of my reasons for not wanting a dog (what if they never get along?), plus the usual concerns about who will walk the dog, clean up the poop etc. My children swear they would walk it, but I don't think they fully understand what it would be like to have to deal with a dog that has to pee at 5:30 a.m.!
With all that said, can anyone recommend a small-ish, non-shedding, good-natured breed or mix that might fit our situation?

Don't get a dog unless you will love it unconditionally.

She loves her children unconditionally and that’s why she is considering it.

NP You probably thought that was clever. Well, she'd better use some of that unconditional love for her kids to take care of the dog, even if the kids and DH don't step up to the plate and leave her holding the poop bag. Maybe it will prevent her being resentful.

[Anonymous]

Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

True, pets do cost money, but I'd guess that it's because people in the USA spend too much money on their pets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

Each of my kids costs me more money than my dog, but that didn’t stop me from wanting children. When you love someone enough, you don’t mind spending the money (assuming you actually have the money).

[Anonymous]

Be warned, OP — many cats DO NOT adjust well to a new dog in the home. Think peeing and sh*tting everywhere. Rugs and furniture ruined and reeking of cat piss. Not a happy situation. Be happy with your current pets and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be warned, OP — many cats DO NOT adjust well to a new dog in the home. Think peeing and sh*tting everywhere. Rugs and furniture ruined and reeking of cat piss. Not a happy situation. Be happy with your current pets and move on.

It may happen, but it depends on the cat and the dog. We have an older cat and we have had our dog for 10 months, got him at 8 weeks old. They have taken a really long time to reach an almost truce but at no point did our cat do anything described above. It has been a challenge but mostly because the puppy wants to play and the cat does not.

[Anonymous]

Foster or ask to watch a friends-I did we were supposed to have the dog for 2 weeks, my DD had to be responsible for ALL walks and care-dog was returned after 2 days-we have a cat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Second the Bichon Frise! That's the dog I wanted to get, but one of my children talked me into a sled dog. DO NOT get anything remotely like it unless you want to get dragged on the ice at 30 miles an hour and risk breaking your neck every frosty morning. He gets very excited every time there's snow on the ground

Apparently Bichons don't shed much, are hypoallergenic, and intelligent in every way... but. They have the reputation of being hard to potty train. I've no idea if that's true, since we ultimately didn't get one. All I can say is that the potty training process for our dog was easy with a crate. We got him at 10 weeks, and the first week I did get up in the middle of the night to take him out, but after that it was fine. I can't recall he had more than a couple of accidents indoors. As an adult, he can last a long night without peeing (10pm-8am). Perhaps a smaller dog is different?

I will be the dissent about small dogs for this reason. I am a veteran dog owner, and I have never had a dog that had an accident in the house after the initial potty training period until we got a small dog. I have a dog that is ten years old, and he will still sneak off to do his business in a distant corner of the house if I don't watch him like a hawk. I've heard this from others, as well. Dogs won't pee in their "nest" (which is why they don't pee in their crate), and small dogs have a hard time understanding that their "nest" is the entire house, including the distant bathroom on the second floor. We've tried everything, and just when we think we've cracked the code, he does it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whippet, they are small, lazy, and sleep under covers.

I was going to suggest an Italian Greyhound, they are even smaller than whippets, around 12-15 lbs. They are more like cats than dogs. They don't require many walks as long as they have access to the backyard. My kids feed them and take them for walks when they feel like going. They are not yappy or snippy and they love to cuddle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whippet, they are small, lazy, and sleep under covers.

I was going to suggest an Italian Greyhound, they are even smaller than whippets, around 12-15 lbs. They are more like cats than dogs. They don't require many walks as long as they have access to the backyard. My kids feed them and take them for walks when they feel like going. They are not yappy or snippy and they love to cuddle.

Whippets have to have an enclosed area to run. They do laze around a lot but are not the easiest dogs to own. They have an extremely high prey instinct and any recall is out the door when they see a squirrel/rabbit/whatever they are hunting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

True, pets do cost money, but I'd guess that it's because people in the USA spend too much money on their pets.

I’m not one to spoil my dog. He has one bed, no clothing, and eats dog-safe human food as an occasional treat. I paid $180 for his annual vet visit last week and another $350 for an emergency vet visit when he counter-surfed cooling food and ate a nearly fatal amount of onion. Unfortunately, he also has a sensitive gut, so his prescription food costs $90 per bag. (Thank goodness he’s small enough that he doesn’t need a new bag very often.) Because we never get lasting hard freezes in this region any longer, he needs two tick preventives (oral a s topical) and heart worm preventive every month. Those medications run into the hundreds per year. When he was younger and needed training, multi-week classes were hundreds of dollars and each individual trainer session was $150/hr. When I travel, every day away costs me an additional $45. I can afford it, but it’s not a trivial amount of money.

Even pets that were low-cost in their younger years are often expensive as seniors. Many will end up on some sort of maintenance medication. Humane euthanasia alone is a $300 expense even without paying for a pet cemetery burial or individual cremation, either of which really drive up the cost.

When most Americans do not have an extra $500 around to cover an unforeseen expense, I think it’s fair to say that per ownership is a costly thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whippet, they are small, lazy, and sleep under covers.

I was going to suggest an Italian Greyhound, they are even smaller than whippets, around 12-15 lbs. They are more like cats than dogs. They don't require many walks as long as they have access to the backyard. My kids feed them and take them for walks when they feel like going. They are not yappy or snippy and they love to cuddle.

Ohhh nooo. NOT an Italian Greyhound. They are very high maintenance and difficult to train/ potty train. They are for child free couples. Speaking from experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

True, pets do cost money, but I'd guess that it's because people in the USA spend too much money on their pets.

I’m not one to spoil my dog. He has one bed, no clothing, and eats dog-safe human food as an occasional treat. I paid $180 for his annual vet visit last week and another $350 for an emergency vet visit when he counter-surfed cooling food and ate a nearly fatal amount of onion. Unfortunately, he also has a sensitive gut, so his prescription food costs $90 per bag. (Thank goodness he’s small enough that he doesn’t need a new bag very often.) Because we never get lasting hard freezes in this region any longer, he needs two tick preventives (oral a s topical) and heart worm preventive every month. Those medications run into the hundreds per year. When he was younger and needed training, multi-week classes were hundreds of dollars and each individual trainer session was $150/hr. When I travel, every day away costs me an additional $45. I can afford it, but it’s not a trivial amount of money.

Even pets that were low-cost in their younger years are often expensive as seniors. Many will end up on some sort of maintenance medication. Humane euthanasia alone is a $300 expense even without paying for a pet cemetery burial or individual cremation, either of which really drive up the cost.

When most Americans do not have an extra $500 around to cover an unforeseen expense, I think it’s fair to say that per ownership is a costly thing.

This! Back when people didn’t do all this and dogs ran free (the 1960s) all these expenses were just ignored. But today: yes expensive especially in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the math and show them how much it costs. I don't understand why anyone gets pets. Just a lot of upkeep.

True, pets do cost money, but I'd guess that it's because people in the USA spend too much money on their pets.

I’m not one to spoil my dog. He has one bed, no clothing, and eats dog-safe human food as an occasional treat. I paid $180 for his annual vet visit last week and another $350 for an emergency vet visit when he counter-surfed cooling food and ate a nearly fatal amount of onion. Unfortunately, he also has a sensitive gut, so his prescription food costs $90 per bag. (Thank goodness he’s small enough that he doesn’t need a new bag very often.) Because we never get lasting hard freezes in this region any longer, he needs two tick preventives (oral a s topical) and heart worm preventive every month. Those medications run into the hundreds per year. When he was younger and needed training, multi-week classes were hundreds of dollars and each individual trainer session was $150/hr. When I travel, every day away costs me an additional $45. I can afford it, but it’s not a trivial amount of money.

Even pets that were low-cost in their younger years are often expensive as seniors. Many will end up on some sort of maintenance medication. Humane euthanasia alone is a $300 expense even without paying for a pet cemetery burial or individual cremation, either of which really drive up the cost.

When most Americans do not have an extra $500 around to cover an unforeseen expense, I think it’s fair to say that per ownership is a costly thing.

+1 Dogs are so much more expensive because they have to be boarded when you leave town. I can leave food and water out for a few days and my cat is fine. I don't know that I would get a dog again; I definitely would not if I REALLY didn't want to like OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband never wanted a dog, didn't like dogs, never wanted to be near dog. Our sons begged and begged and saved up their money to buy a dog. We agreed when they were 10 and 12. Our boys do walk the dog in the afternoon but it turns out my husband adores the dog. Gets up with the dog, feeds the dog, etc. He has worked from home the past year and if I am home I see the dog curled up at his feet all day and he takes breaks and plays with the dog.

Don't underestimate how much a dog can grow on you.

What breed?