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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You are getting great advice.  Here is some of mine, from the perspective of a two dog household.

Puppy phase:
Exhausting (like having a newborn)
Need to be disciplined about training 
Make sure puppy is socialized 
Chewing can be a problem, so you have to keep the house picked up 
Lots of accidents 
We had plenty of vet visits the first year ($$$$)

All ages:
Veterinary care is very expensive 
Make sure you have the time to spend with the dog so that the dog isn't crated too much 
Makes vacations more expensive - We take our dogs with us most of the time, but hotels usually charge extra. 
We also now have less expensive area rugs, although my dogs have fewer accidents. They still have some (bigger dogs are better about not having accidents than smaller dogs).
There will be days when you are exhausted and don't feel like taking them out, but you have to do it
There will be days when you are in a rush to go somewhere (I sort of remember what that was like) and they won't pee or poop or otherwise cooperate
Need to have a schedule and make sure family members are pitching in. Your kids will say they want a dog and promise to pitch in, but forget their promises one the dog is actually in your house.
You will stop taking photos of your kids and your camera roll will consist only of cute dog pictures.

Having listed the drawbacks, the positives far outweigh all of them. You do need to be sure you have the resources to pay for veterinary care, preventatives, boarding/walking/daycare or whatever you choose. After that, get ready for love and laughter. I have a spouse who isn't an animal person, and even he will admit that our dogs have brought great joy to our household. They are always happy to see you. They do funny things and make you laugh. In normal times, they made my grumpy teenager smile in the early morning hours. They snuggle with us when watching TV. Basically, for all the aggravation, they have made our lives happier and richer. During the pandemic, my dogs have been the most trusted, loyal companions I could imagine. In fact, I can't even begin to imagine living through this stressful period without them.

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This all. I trully believe that our funny french bulldog is the reason why my teens never needed a therapy. He is able to make them laugh even on their grumpiest PMS days. So, when I am spending on the next vet bill, I always remind myself I could be paying for kid's therapy or unti-depressants. [/quote]

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