for dog people

[Flur]

I would love to say that you won't ever regret getting a dog, but the truth is that you might. When your wonderful dog has chewed through your favorite shoes or had what in my house we call a poop-cident (my darling doxie has a really sensitive digestive tract), and you've had a long day, a moment of regret at getting the dog may flash through your mind. "Why did I do this? My life was fine before and now I have to clean up this poo, and the neighbor is mad at the barking, and now he's peeing on the floor! What was I thinking?!?!" Most dogs are not perfect from the start, and 1 year olds are still big puppies. There will be an adjustment period, for both of you. But the love that they give you makes up for all of that. The devotion, the way that they sense your mood and come to you when you're down - I wish humans were so perceptive. And the time spent getting both of you "trained to each other" is nothing compared to the lifetime of love the dog will bring you.

BTW - my dog is dreaming right now. He snored a little, and now his paws are twitching. So cute! LOL!

[sundial]

I have not decided anything yet. I'm alone alot, which I don't mind a bit, but having a companion dog would be nice. I also work from home. But it would mean less spontaneity, or more accurately, less of potential spontaneity.

Tulip, thank you for considering a rescue.

A few things a rescue will want to know is if there will be someone home with the dog, will it be a part of the family, and will it have a safe yard to play in. With you working from home, that is a nice bonus for the dog, particularly if the dog has some issues (which many do and that's why they are in rescue. ). If you choose to adopt, your SO will play an important part in the adoption process as a rescue will want to make sure the forever home is stable and that the dog won't end up a casualty of a broken home. How does the SO feel, truthfully, about a dog? Who will take care of the dog should something happen to either one of you? Who will provide for vetting and care of the dog? Do you have the resources available should the dog have a traumatic injury or illness?

If you do proceed with the adoption of the dog, a reputable rescue will take back the dog if it's not a good fit. And it does happen, even with the best intentions of the adoptee. My Niki was adopted by a wonderful family but she rejected them and went back into the rescue. She was adopted out again to another good family but she made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with them. She then came into our home and she is a perfect fit. She absolutely loves her big sister Kali and always welcomes the fosters.

The benefits of having a dog can help lower stress (well, usually), improve your social life (as you head out the door for the doggie park) and can be your training partner (those looooooong walks). While you voiced some concern about losing spontaneity, I can say that if anything a dog will encourage you to do fun things like head for Petsmart on a whim, go to Dairy Queen to split an ice cream, meet up with other dog parents at the park, and maybe even attend a basic obedience class (my favorite!). If you find a good house sitter or pet sitter, that will help you feel more confident when you travel. Also, a reputable doggie daycare (look for one that offers a daycam so you can log one and see what's going on) makes it nice for your dog to enjoy maybe 1-2 days a week of good socialization in a safe environment. And the more socialized the dog, the better for the both of you.

I've had dogs that were chosen from breeders as well as an adopted rescue. Niki, my rescue, is an absolute delight and she is excellent with special needs kids. She is the dog I take to the juvenile center because the kids can relate to her being abandoned and neglected.

It's exciting to hear when one is ready to open her heart and home to a rescue. There's truly nothing more satisfying than to provide affection, comfort and safety to a special dog.

[arielmoon]

Tulip, thank you for considering a rescue.
It's exciting to hear when one is ready to open her heart and home to a rescue. There's truly nothing more satisfying than to provide affection, comfort and safety to a special dog.

+1

I couldnt agree more!

[LBTC]

thank you, everyone, for your wonderful dog stories.

Life is strange, you know? For the last few months I have felt quite guilty that we aren't spending enough time doing stuff with our two wonderful border collies. Our lives are busy with working full time, riding many more hours and kilometers than we ever have before, and socializing to an extent we haven't before. We're having more fun than we ever had, but it's hard to find time to buy groceries or do laundry, let alone take the kids out for a walk...

After reading all of your stories and comments, I have a renewed sense of gratitude for the love our dogs have given us, a greater appreciation for their amazingly good behaviour especially considering they aren't getting the amount of activity this breed ought to, and I'm having a bit of a sentimental moment as I think about how they were there for me through my illness - both as a responsibility that kept me moving and helped stoke my will to get better, and as comfort through the most difficult days.

No matter how I look at it, though, I can't imagine life without them. The vet bills, sleep interruptions, and guilty looks notwithstanding...

Follow your heart. You will know when you're ready and when it's the right dog for you.

I'm sending loads of butterflies now, ones that will help you decide, and ones that will surround the furbaby that is the perfect match for you!

Hugs, too,
~T~

[tulip]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies and advice! It's really nice to see how much you care for your (and others') dogs. After reading all of your responses (several times), I know that having a dog could be really wonderful. I would love to give a dog a good home, and of course, dogs love you no matter what (within reason of course).

My SO is very supportive of the dog idea. We do not live together. If that were to change eventually, the dog would be one of several issues that we would have to work out.

Still no decision, although I'm leaning towards "not yet." The new dog park is having a grand opening this morning and the SPCA will be there with adoptable dogs. Who knows if the same dog will be there, but she might be.

The reasons I'm leaning toward "not yet" are varied. The most immediate reason is that I'll be moving into my new house next week and then the kitchen renovation starts. It's hard enough (for me AND for the dog) to move into new surroundings, and then to have power tools and walls knocked out...well, that kind of commotion is not conducive to settling into a new house. I'm choosing to go through that and will be fine, but it wouldn't be a very smooth start for the dog. When the kitchen is done, I'll revisit the situation and restart the search. Thanks for reminding me that there will be plenty of other dogs if this is not the right time.

Of course, if that dog is at the dog park today and makes a beeline for me, I might change my mind...

[sundial]

The reasons I'm leaning toward "not yet" are varied. The most immediate reason is that I'll be moving into my new house next week and then the kitchen renovation starts.

You are wise to consider the needs of the dog during your renovation. Rescues have about a 2 week honeymoon period as they adjust to their new home. Having your home remodeled may put more stress on the dog and may delay the bonding and trust even further, much less establishing a routine. Dogs are very routine oriented. They need to have one established to feel secure.

[Trek420]

The most immediate reason is that I'll be moving into my new house next week and then the kitchen renovation starts. It's hard enough (for me AND for the dog) to move into new surroundings, and then to have power tools and walls knocked out...well, that kind of commotion is not conducive to settling into a new house. I'm choosing to go

Ah, moving and remodeling. When I moved here I was aware that the doggiee may have issues with moving. Who knows, that's how she might have ended in the shelter. Sometimes families move without the dog, dog gets lost in the confusion ... I wanted to make sure she was as relaxed about the situation as I could.

As I packed I made it into a game we still play called "find it".

She already knew "stay", I put her in a stay take a treat to another room and put it in, near, under a box. Then call "find it!" as the release and she sniffs, searches and finds the treat.

Same thing as I unpacked, and remodeling Oy, it's like moving again. First everything moved from downstairs to upstairs. Now that the kitchen is nearly done I'm taking everything from upstairs to the downstairs to get ready for new flooring .... "find it" again.

Result: she likes boxes.

She was a doll with the confusion of the remodel. I found out for one that she like power tools and the people who use them Electricians, plumbers, my carpenters assistants .... she liked them all. She probably cost me some extra hours because if they were working near floor level there's Mae to offer a slobbery dog kiss.

It helped that my carpenter is a dog person, has a wonderful dog and has fostered dogs. She and Mae had a sit down heart to heart chat "I'm not putting up with any bad behavior. If you're good you can hang out with us and go with me to Lowes, if not you watch this from the patio"

She enjoyed the company too, her dog gets a little carsick, where Mae loves going in the car. So she got company on errands.

[tc1]

Tulip-there is no perfect dog. To get your dog fix, and get used to them, maybe you could volunteer with the group to help walk dogs. I started walking a dog that belongs to a nursing home after my dog died in June 2007. We finally got a dog this year when the boyfriend found the one he wanted. He insisted on this being his choice, and since I chose the last four I couldn't argue too much. So now we have 'Crash' Jasper, a not-too-hyper German shorthaired pointer that came from the Humane society. And I still walk the nursing home resident dog.

Don't be discouraged when you bring your dog home and it has a hard time settling at first. That is natural and no reflection on you.

Jasper turned out to get carsick; I bought a wire crate for car rides and he is much more at ease.