Brides Helping Brides ™ - NWR- Dog Owners

janelle Posted: May 12, 2011 10:48 PM

NWR- Dog Owners

I am wondering if any of you pet owners, specifically dogs, out there can shed some light on the pros and cons of becoming a dog owner. Would you do it again knowing what you know now? Recently the opportunity has come up where a friend of a friend is looking for a new home for their dog who is about 5 years old, cockapoo. He is crate trained and housebroken. He is such a good dog but my concern is neither one of us have had a pet in our adult years and I know its a big responsibility. We both work and I personally will not be home much at least in the next few months, to take care of him but my fiancee could work something out. Later on this year my situation will hopefully change so that I will be home more. What has been your experiencing as a pet owner and what advice can you offer in making this decision. Thanks in advance.

gmcamp Posted: May 12, 2011 10:53 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

FH and I welcomed our furry son last August, and I would definitely have made the same decision if I were able to go back in time. FH grew up having dogs, but I didn't, so it was definitely something new. It's amazing how much our lives have changed since Dexter came into the picture, but in all good ways!

AlexandMike2012 Posted: May 12, 2011 10:54 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Most of my life I've had a dog...I can't imagine life without one...they are amazing! You'll fall in love quickly and never want to live without one.

Jenn7982 Posted: May 12, 2011 11:10 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Posted by AlexandMike2012

Most of my life I've had a dog...I can't imagine life without one...they are amazing! You'll fall in love quickly and never want to live without one.

this!! i can't wait to move into my new house and get a dog! fh and i are already talking about names etc... When i lost my first dog, i thought, i could never go through that again, but the amount of love and everything else that comes along with them, i'm ready to do it again!!

it can be rough at times, but your not getting a puppy, so that is more than half the battle! I say go for it!!!

angelscri Posted: May 12, 2011 11:18 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

I can't imagine my life without my Niko. I Love him soooooo much. He is such a good dog and when I get home from work, I love the fact that he is always so excited to see me. Getting him was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Tromsugar2b Posted: May 13, 2011 03:32 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

honestly i dont know if i would take a dog that is already 5 years old, maybe this is retarded but i kind of look at my dog as a child I raised and I like to think that his behavior has to do with the way we trained him, when you adopt a dog that is 5 years old he/she may have many habbits that are almost unbreakable or he may just be used to a certain amount of attention or routine that you will never have, I love my dog and I would definitely have gotten him over and over, but I would recommend getting a puppy or a dog under 3 years! but a time when you wont be home much is never a good time to get a dog !

kdm822 Posted: May 13, 2011 09:22 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

its a big responsibility. My family dog became had a bunch of issues throughout his life .. first a branch scratched him in the eye and then he was on eye medicine forever.. then he got diabetes and needed shots at specific times during the day.. at night time he would get up at 3am to have to go out and pee .. so if he was just MY dog and i was resonsible to pay for all those expenses id be screwed, he also didnt have pet insurance (that would have saved my mom alot) In his last month of life it cost my mom 2500ish to keep basically do everythign in our power to make him better. My mom does not work so she was able to stay home and take care of him but i duno how we would have been able to handle it if noone was home all day.

Would i do it again absolutely (w/ pet insurance- duno how much of a difference it would make but its a chance im willing to take).. He was my little buddy. I ask my fh dailyyyy to buy me a pup for my bday

FutureMrsTlasek Posted: May 13, 2011 09:27 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Having a dog is really a HUGE responsibility...it truly is like having a baby and almost worse IMO. The people I work for(I'm a nanny) recently got a dog and I am the sole caretaker of the pom during the day. It's hard and very time consuming....I never realized how time consuming until they got it and I always wanted one...but now NO WAY!!!

Just wanted to add this-they are uber expensive!!!!

dctead Posted: May 13, 2011 09:29 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

I've had dogs my entire life - and have 2 currently. The unconditional love is simply amazing and I could never imagine my life with out a dog ot two in it.

I had always had puppies...we'd never gotten an adult dog when I was growing up. When I was out on my own - I had a chance to rescue a 5 year old German Shepard and I will tell you it was the BEST decision I could have ever made. She aclimated well to my existing dog... she was well trained and amazing! I was always afraid that if I didn't know the dog from puppyhood - then there wouldnt be that bond - but I was so wrong. She was my dog in every way...followed, listened, loved.. amazing.

Honestly I think it's a great way to first learn about dogs, with out going through the frustrating puppy times ... for someone who hasn't had a pup before, the potty training, chewing phases can be very trying.

If you are in a position to take this baby - go for it!

SoonToBeMrsFox Posted: May 13, 2011 09:47 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

i have a 2 year old cockapoo.. they are honestly the best dogs ever!

AngnShaun Posted: May 13, 2011 09:57 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Its definitely work... especially if want a good dog... training is very important... but i dont think they are that expensive...

halfbaked Posted: May 13, 2011 09:58 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Would I do it again? A thousand times yes! My dogs are my babies. It's not to say that they aren't a lot of work, because they are, but it's so rewarding. Honestly though, that situation sounds ideal for someone looking to ease into owning a dog- the dog is an adult and already trained. As long as you can pay for the expenses (food, grooming, toys, medical, pet sitting if necessary) and where you live will allow you to have pets, I say go for it!

Is there anyway you can do a trial run with the dog? Maybe take him for a week to see how it works out?

Irishbride16 Posted: May 13, 2011 10:10 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

I LOVE my dog!!!!! and yes i would do it over again....when me and the FH do get a house ..i really would like a dog ..b/c the FH job is crazy and the hours are all over the place and specially since he works overnight i really dont want to be alone ..so having a dog there would make me feel better knowing that i will not be alone ....they are work..but its really worth it

NicoleBonee Posted: May 13, 2011 10:24 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Fh and I got our dog 3 years ago. I've had dogs my whole life but this was his first. It was love at first sight! After seeing him interact with her, taking time to train her, sneak her treats, and late night potty breaks, I actually ended up falling more in love with HIM! She enhances our lives in every way possible. It is a lot of hard work at first but I can honestly say that it was the best decision we ever made. I would do it again and again and again!! Good luck!

meghan13 Posted: May 13, 2011 11:52 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

We got a dog in October. She was 4 months old and wasn't trained. That was rough. Now that she is older it's much easier. It's a lot of work but so rewarding.

ETA - I would totally do it again. I love her to pieces!!

JRT5412 Posted: May 13, 2011 11:59 AM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

I wouldn't think twice about getting a Dog. They are the most lovable, sweetest and caring pets ever!!!! They give that unconditional love. My first dog was an older dog. He was 5 yrs old and already trained. It was a perfect transition b/c we didn't need to train him. We just needed to continue treating him as before. My family easily got attached to him.

My new dog, I've had him since he was a 2 month old puppy. He is serioulsy like my child. He is soo lovable and has brought out the weakness in FH too. It was a lot of hard work b/c we had to train him and teach him things and be very patient but it's been worth it. The happiness he has brought into my household is priceless.

FROMJLATOJLK Posted: May 13, 2011 05:18 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

My fiance and I got a long haired mini daschund 2 years ago and he was one of the best decisions we ever made. Not gonna lie, we totally got him on a whim and I remember freaking out at the pet store saying, ' We both work full time!! We can't get a puppy now!' And the salesman<--who was obviously very good at his craft, said, 'I got my first dog when I was 18, you think I wanted to train a dog, no, I wanted to go out drinking with my buddies. But the dog gets used to YOUR schedule, they're animals, they ge over it.'

As harsh as that sounded, he was right! I spend time with him in the morning, we go for a walk together and then he's home for at least 8 hours by himself. We keep a wee wee pad down all the time in case he does have to go. We come home play with him for a while and then he chills with us the rest of the night, he's the greatest.

I will say this though, they certainly can be an unforseen expense. Perfect example, his neutering scar got infected and not only did we have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on the surgery and antibiotics and such but we had to ice his nu+$ 4x a day...pretty comical.

He just brings so much joy and laughter to our life, I wouldn't trade him for the world and I would eat pb & j sandwiches forever just to make sure we could afford him. Good luck! And I hope you go through with it!

TheEyesOfMarch Posted: May 13, 2011 07:56 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

FH & I just adopted our second dog... its not always easy but i wouldn't change a thing! Sometimes our male boxer (he's a big mush) just crawls up next to me and sleeps... it's werid but just knowing he's there and wants to be near you is a great feeling

TheEyesOfMarch Posted: May 13, 2011 07:57 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

Posted by TheEyesOfMarch

FH & I just adopted our second dog... its not always easy but i wouldn't change a thing! Sometimes our male boxer (he's a big mush) just crawls up next to me and sleeps... it's werid but just knowing he's there and wants to be near you is a great feeling

And our newest little girl (another boxer, 9 months) is a big BABY and wants to play 24/7... It can be tiring but we understand she's still a puppy and needs to play a lot. She can be a pain in the *** some nights but again she's worth it.

linda_art Posted: May 13, 2011 08:13 PM

Re: NWR- Dog Owners

I love my dog. FH doesn't like pets, some weird childhood thing I think.. Anyway, the hardest part is if you're going away & need to find someone to stay with your dog. If you have a parent nearby that you can rely on than I say go for it. The not having had one before doesn't matter. It'll come to you. The next thing I'd also mention is cost of food, vet bills, etc. If you can afford that extra expense. Already trained is great! Hope this helps.