Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you get what you pay for in dogs. Adult dogs up for adoption usually have serious problems mental or physical. YOU will be taking care of the dog if like 99% of other moms. Get a small non shedding dog. Bichon is the lowest maintenance dog.

What makes you an expert on adult dogs up for adoption? How many dogs have you adopted or fostered?

In my experience, all dogs are individuals. Adult dogs with problems are euthanized by the thousands per day. The dogs that make it into the foster system are good dogs that got caught up in family problems such as death of the owner, unemployment, divorce, move, natural disaster, etc.

Actually I am an expert and I have fostered dogs. You do you. I prefer a dog with less problems.

yeah ok. You’re an expert just cuz you say so.

I'm an expert on people who aren't experts calling themselves experts. You don't know what you are talking about, "expert who has fostered dogs".

Anonymous wrote:OP you get what you pay for in dogs. Adult dogs up for adoption usually have serious problems mental or physical. YOU will be taking care of the dog if like 99% of other moms. Get a small non shedding dog. Bichon is the lowest maintenance dog.

B- what?

All my dogs and cats have been rescues, all were adults, and none ever had serious mental or physical problems.

You literally do not know what you are talking about, so please stop.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 10 and 12 and we got a beagle 6 months ago. We made it clear it was their dog and they needed to walk her everyday. They have gotten in the routine of walking her once when they get home and then we go as a family at night and walk her. My husband takes her for a quick walk in the morning. I work three days a week and those days the dog is alone from 8 to 4, with access to a sun room a doggie door, and a backyard. She has been fine those days. She lives a good life. I live in a middle class neighborhood, not upper or upper middle class and no one in this neighborhood uses paid dog walkers. Dogs are left alone all day.

I'd guess that most people don't use dog walkers.

My kids are 10 and 12 and we got a beagle 6 months ago. We made it clear it was their dog and they needed to walk her everyday. They have gotten in the routine of walking her once when they get home and then we go as a family at night and walk her. My husband takes her for a quick walk in the morning. I work three days a week and those days the dog is alone from 8 to 4, with access to a sun room a doggie door, and a backyard. She has been fine those days. She lives a good life. I live in a middle class neighborhood, not upper or upper middle class and no one in this neighborhood uses paid dog walkers. Dogs are left alone all day.

Don't do it unless YOU want it. You will end up with all of the responsibilities and all the bills - large bills for medical, boarding, chewed rugs and furniture. And, unless you get an older dog, it's a 10-14 year sentence.
i love dogs, grew up with dogs, have a lovely lab - and I am sorry i got him. He won't be replaced when he's gone.

We are a family of four with a dog. My kids are teenagers and both my husband and I work outside the home but my schedule is flexible where I can work from home at least once a week. The dog sleeps most of the day. When I am at home, he goes in the backyard for fresh air. When I go to my office, he sits and lays in a window seat or in my daughter's bed. There is a pee pad down in case he needs to go before we get home. I take him for a walk when I get home. Then he goes out in the back yard for fresh air. I feed him in the morning and evening. When we go out of town, he is boarded at the vet. I don't hire dog walkers because he seems fine and I don't want people coming in our house. Just know you will be the primary caregiver. My kids just treat him like a play toy.

Depending on where you live, I'd start looking at dog walking services BEFORE you get your dog. When I was looking, all the ones near me were totally full and not accepting new clients. I'd hate to get the dog first and then be totally stuck.

I'm not a SAHM, but I do work from home. The dog is completely attached to me, which of course, I love (most of the time). It is true that you'll have to curtail some of your activities because the dog will need to be fed (assuming you can free feed it, which we can't do because we have a vacuum cleaner of a beagle) and walked, etc. In some ways, it was like taking a step back to our kids' toddlerhoods. I love that guy though!

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Yes, we would be around in evenings and on weekends. And with three kids, the dog would be showered with love. I’m just debating the responsibility, since I agree it would largely fall on me, and that there’d be no turning back.

Absolutely get a dog, it's not crazy! I would get a low energy dog like a Greyhound or a King Charles Spaniel. It's not a burdensome type of responsibility, food, water, walks and vet, which your kids can help with.

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of people work full time and have a dog. Definitely hire a dog walker for midday walks. I find it cruel to leave a dog alone for more than 5-6 hours on its own, but others will disagree with me. My dog LOVES her midday walker!

Go into it with your eyes open if you do decide to get a dog. It is so much fun but so much work.

This. Your kids are old enough and I think that you will be around enough to make this work out.

I agree with the poster who suggested a 4 or 5 year old Golden. Make sure that your dog gets exercise in the morning and in the evening when you get home. Hire a mid day dog walker. in a couple of years, your oldest child will probably be coming home from school in the afternoons and can let the dog out into your back yard for a potty break.