Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had dogs my whole life. We have an older dog now. I told DH that when he passes away, I'll only consider getting a dog that's already housebroken.

A puppy is a HUGE amount of work. Really consider whether you want to put in the work. If not, consider getting a slightly older dog from a reputable rescue that can tell you something about the background of the dog. We've had bad experiences getting dogs that experienced trauma, and they really do have lifelong issues.

How do you recognize a dog that has experienced trauma? Have all dogs that are skittish for frightened experienced trauma?

In our case, we were told that the dogs had experienced trauma. We weren't prepared for how much that would impact them moving forward. They were very skittish, to an extreme.

Anonymous wrote:I've had dogs my whole life. We have an older dog now. I told DH that when he passes away, I'll only consider getting a dog that's already housebroken.

A puppy is a HUGE amount of work. Really consider whether you want to put in the work. If not, consider getting a slightly older dog from a reputable rescue that can tell you something about the background of the dog. We've had bad experiences getting dogs that experienced trauma, and they really do have lifelong issues.

How do you recognize a dog that has experienced trauma? Have all dogs that are skittish for frightened experienced trauma?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love our dogs but they took a lot more work and energy than we anticipated. Most dogs are a huge time and energy commitment. If you haven’t had dogs before you might not be prepared for how much work and involvement and commitment it can be. A puppy is almost like having a toddler around. If you are ready for that then that’s great and having a dog ideally is like adding a new family member. It can really make life more enriching with them in it. Like any relationship the more you invest in them the more you get back too. Good luck OP!

so true - but a toddler who never grows up.

That's what we tell our 3 year old about our dog. We say "he's just a baby. He doesn't know." Ours is 10 years old and still acts like a puppy.

I've had dogs my whole life. We have an older dog now. I told DH that when he passes away, I'll only consider getting a dog that's already housebroken.

A puppy is a HUGE amount of work. Really consider whether you want to put in the work. If not, consider getting a slightly older dog from a reputable rescue that can tell you something about the background of the dog. We've had bad experiences getting dogs that experienced trauma, and they really do have lifelong issues.

also - training is a constant thing, not something you send the dog away for and he / she is then perfect.

You are constantly reminding the dog of the rules and they are constantly hoping to undermine them.

Its a life long job

So. Much. Hair

You might as well throw away all your black pants now.

We can literally never leave food anywhere where our lab can grab it.
If I am eating lunch and need to get up from the table I have to put my plate up high on a shelf or take it with me.
If DD and I make cookies we have to put them in our microwave or pantry to cool.....
He will grab anything he can.

Thats the main thing that I can think of that I can consider a problem.

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.

traveling becomes more expensive, if you put the dog in the kennel, or more difficult you're trying to find a friend to watch the dog. Especially during school holidays, when everyone is away.

Anonymous wrote:We love our dogs but they took a lot more work and energy than we anticipated. Most dogs are a huge time and energy commitment. If you haven’t had dogs before you might not be prepared for how much work and involvement and commitment it can be. A puppy is almost like having a toddler around. If you are ready for that then that’s great and having a dog ideally is like adding a new family member. It can really make life more enriching with them in it. Like any relationship the more you invest in them the more you get back too. Good luck OP!

so true - but a toddler who never grows up.

I have to buy cheap area rugs because they need to be replaced about once per year.

I think the reason to get a dog is if you can’t imagine not having one.
Puppies are an intensive phase and they all do some level of damage I think.
I have had only the World’s Best dogs but it’s easier in a house without carpet. Even the best dogs get sick sometimes. Rugs can be sent away and washed.

We love our dogs but they took a lot more work and energy than we anticipated. Most dogs are a huge time and energy commitment. If you haven’t had dogs before you might not be prepared for how much work and involvement and commitment it can be. A puppy is almost like having a toddler around. If you are ready for that then that’s great and having a dog ideally is like adding a new family member. It can really make life more enriching with them in it. Like any relationship the more you invest in them the more you get back too. Good luck OP!

It’s a lot of work and chaos, a lot of time. You should not just park a puppy in a crate all day and all night, that’s neglect and is unkind. Puppies chew on furniture, chew on anything left around (shoes, keys, hats, etc). Takes some weeks to House break them, so have pee and poop on your flooring unpredictably. Having a well fenced yard makes life way easier. They are living creatures and need attention and stimulation from activities. I always get an adult dog from a rescue; you can judge it’s temperament, they are often already housebroken. You can’t predict the temperament of a puppy when grown. It’s unfair to get one and then dump it at a shelter. Will you be home to let it out every few hours? Who will watch it if you want to be away all day, or go on a trip? Can you afford the vet bills for care? Wouldn’t rush into it.

We’re thinking of getting a puppy.