Anonymous wrote:I can't tell you what to do, but my main advice is that if you do decide to acquiesce and get a dog, make it a condition that you get an older dog.

Puppies are insanely work-intensive, and even people who desperately want dogs get overwhelmed with puppies. You will 100% get dragged into doing a lot for the dog if you get a puppy, and if you are not enthusiastic about that, you will resent it. I've seen people kind of broken by even adorable, affectionate puppies, because they can take so much effort to train. Sometimes I think the people most excited about dogs are often the ones least suited to actually raising a puppy because they idealize what life with a dog is like and are so intensely disappointed when they get woken up by their puppy at 2am for the 10th night in a row and then discover he destroyed another couch cushion overnight.

If you get a dog, tell your family it needs to be an older dog who is already crate trained and house trained. I'd look for a sweet but lower-energy dog who is at least 3 or 4 years old. Plus you'd have the added motivation of rescuing an adult dog who needs a home.

+1. This is sound advice. Puppies are a ton of work and really needy. I got our last dog when she was 2. She is an amazing animal and so so easy.

Anonymous wrote:If you do cave in, try to get a dog that is more cat-like, like a shiba inu or basenji.

This is good advice - many small dogs are essentially cats.

Anonymous wrote:Same - I like cats and have had many pet cats. Husband and kids got a dog. It was about 1 year old they said. It lasted 2 weeks and I returned it to the rescue. It was nipping my toddler. It needed obedience training and chewed things up in the house. Husband had agreed to care for it, be the primary, etc. and week two went on a work trip for several days. I told him I couldn't do it and back she went. I feel badly for the dog but no way was I going to suffer with it for years.

Good on you for not being a martyr and picking up all the slack.

Same - I like cats and have had many pet cats. Husband and kids got a dog. It was about 1 year old they said. It lasted 2 weeks and I returned it to the rescue. It was nipping my toddler. It needed obedience training and chewed things up in the house. Husband had agreed to care for it, be the primary, etc. and week two went on a work trip for several days. I told him I couldn't do it and back she went. I feel badly for the dog but no way was I going to suffer with it for years.

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like dogs, don't get a dog, because it's unfair to the dog.

Who cares?

The issue here is that it is unfair to OP to guilt her into getting a dog she doesn’t want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read somewhere, and I am not being sarcastic, I actually read this, that having a dog is a marker of an UMC family.

I mean, have you ever been to the south? Maybe having a dog that you treat like your kid is an UMC marker.

As someone unwillingly living in the rural south right, lol. Pit bulls especially are a marker of low class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs depending on how you cook them

Please be a troll. They do have dog markets and that is very cruel

Are you vegan? Why is the dog meat industry worse than the cow, chicken, pig, etc one? Because dogs are cute?

Are you kidding me? Dogs are socialized to be our companions. Have you seen how poorly they treat dogs? Btw you cant compare chickens with a dog! Are you from China? Do you eat dogs?

Anonymous wrote:I am a cat person. I do not like dogs. Kids and husband want one. I'm not going to let the dog pee herself so I know I'll have to help with the dog. I don't see the appeal with them. They get into everything, eat mulch and grass, and are generally gross animals I don't want.

If you weren't a "dog person" and got a dog for your family, did you learn to love the dog?

My mom did.

With dogs, you have to invest the time and training to make sure they don't do the stuff you hate. Is someone in your family going to do that?

Anonymous wrote:I read somewhere, and I am not being sarcastic, I actually read this, that having a dog is a marker of an UMC family.

I mean, have you ever been to the south? Maybe having a dog that you treat like your kid is an UMC marker.

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen the resentment of moms who caved and wound up doing all the work of a dog when it was the kids and husband asking for it? Personally I'd rather miss out on the benefits of a dog and avoid that possibility.

There are tons of threads like this in the forum. I know my options would be to either nag endlessly for others to take care of the dog they wanted or to do it myself. Neither of those appeal to me, so I personally wouldn't get a dog at this stage in my life. Maybe in 5 years I'd reconsider, but not now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs depending on how you cook them

Please be a troll. They do have dog markets and that is very cruel

Are you vegan? Why is the dog meat industry worse than the cow, chicken, pig, etc one? Because dogs are cute?

Misread the title.

Thought you hated your dogs, kids and DH but need to prioritize only one.

You are my husband, my husband is you. He absolutely did not want to get another dog. The kids and I wanted one. Truthfully, I felt hurt with his change, because when we dated and got married, we had a dog. And he knew that I've always had a dog, and that I love dogs. He changed after we had children. He found dogs too stressful. Anyway my situation might be different because I am the wife and caretaking typically falls on the wife, but I told him that he would not have to do anything at all for the dog, it was all on me and the kids. And I've kept my promise. That said, because he was the one that did not wanna dog eyes consulted with him about dog breeds and what it is about the dogs he did not like, etc. etc. and his criteria was one no shedding, and he limited it to a poodle, and two dog had to have a very mellow Zen personality. With that criteria, I did a deep dive Breeder search and finally found the correct breeder all the way in Canada. I now have an 11 pound miniature poodle who does have a great personality and guess what. My husband has fallen in love with him. He even has said to me many times, thank you for doing the research because this dog is perfect for our family. While my dog has a lot of energy and can keep up with me on walks and hikes, he knows how to relax. We just tell him that's enough, and he goes to his dog bed and lays down if he gets too much for us.

TLDR : if you find the breed that works for you and your family, you might fall in love with the dog

Anonymous wrote:Don't get one. I had a dog and loved her to pieces. Then I got another one and he is reactive and difficult. Makes life hard. I still have at least 7-11 years left taking care of him.

Is he reactive to people or just dogs? When does it happen? Does he react on walks? Just curious because I have a reactive dog and he is on medication but, he gets overwhelmed so I don't walk him every day. If I do walk him than I take a break. I'm also seeing a veterinary behaviorist to help me with counter conditioning which has helped a lot. But has really helped was my adjusting what I expect from my dog to fit his needs, not mine. At least you have one dog who likes to walk!

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs depending on how you cook them

Please be a troll. They do have dog markets and that is very cruel