Seriously considering getting a dog

[KillahBee]

I've fought the temptation for a while now, but it's creeping on me. Most of my friends have dogs and I haven't been around one on a daily basis since my family's last pup many moons ago.

I work from home, so have plenty of time to manage it throughout the day and it would be nice to have a sidekick with me here in the office. I have a pretty good size fenced-in backyard.

My two biggest challenges = I travel a decent amount and I'm kind of a clean freak. More concerned about the latter though. Can't be getting dog hair all on my leather couches and shit.

I don't know why I made this thread or what I expect from it.

 

[musclemom]

My two biggest challenges = I travel a decent amount and I'm kind of a clean freak. More concerned about the latter though. Can't be getting dog hair all on my leather couches and shit.

I don't know why I made this thread or what I expect from it.

You want input

The travel isn't the most complicated part, there are plenty of pet sitters and/or kennels out there, of course, that costs money, as does the vet. You have to get the darned thing inoculated and prevent flea and heartworms (especially if you're going to have to kennel it periodically or if you expect it to be around other dogs). But that's just $$$ stuff.

If you're pretty meticulous about cleanliness sooner or later the dog is going to do something you really, really get pissed over. With patience and perseverance it's possible to teach a dog to stay off furniture, but leather furniture scratches in the meantime, as do hardwood floors. The simple fact is, vomiting, piss and shit accidents are virtually unavoidable and no matter how much you vacuum you're going to end up with some dog hair on your clothes and if you decide to get a younger dog you're going to need to anticipate chewing incidents.

Yes, you can crate the dog and limit it's house access but IMO that's only for short term training purposes. Dogs are social animals, they NEED company, it's in their DNA.

I'd say if you're really on the fence, try offering to watch a friend's dog while they go on vacation. It's a non committal way to take it for a test drive, so to speak. Dogs are even more like children than cats. They're a hassle and extra responsibility and they make messes, only they'll never outgrow any of it.

 

[KillahBee]

You want input

The travel isn't the most complicated part, there are plenty of pet sitters and/or kennels out there, of course, that costs money, as does the vet. You have to get the darned thing inoculated and prevent flea and heartworms (especially if you're going to have to kennel it periodically or if you expect it to be around other dogs). But that's just $$$ stuff.

If you're pretty meticulous about cleanliness sooner or later the dog is going to do something you really, really get pissed over. With patience and perseverance it's possible to teach a dog to stay off furniture, but leather furniture scratches in the meantime, as do hardwood floors. The simple fact is, vomiting, piss and shit accidents are virtually unavoidable and no matter how much you vacuum you're going to end up with some dog hair on your clothes and if you decide to get a younger dog you're going to need to anticipate chewing incidents.

Yes, you can crate the dog and limit it's house access but IMO that's only for short term training purposes. Dogs are social animals, they NEED company, it's in their DNA.

I'd say if you're really on the fence, try offering to watch a friend's dog while they go on vacation. It's a non committal way to take it for a test drive, so to speak. Dogs are even more like children than cats. They're a hassle and extra responsibility and they make messes, only they'll never outgrow any of it.

I love you, bro.

 

[calveless wonder]

what kinda dog ?

 

[BlueBird]

I agree with everything MM said.

If you must get a dog, I would suggest an older, trained, and less rambunctious dog who would be content (meaning sleeping) while in a sitter's care. Otherwise I don't think it's a great idea to get a puppy at this particular time in your life.

 

[musclemom]

I love you, bro.

When my son was little (toddler or so) he was a terror and a half. I had a girlfriend that would specifically come and spend the day with me whenever she'd get the baby bug. She'd actually call me in advance and tell me to plan on running some errands so she could babysit my son

Personally, I've always thought that every high school should have a daycare center and 5 days a week in the daycare center be mandatory course work for 9th grade. Nice source of revenue and I bet teen pregnancy rates would plummet.

 

[cw801]

There are a lot of breeds that don't shed, too. If you want a smaller dog, Bichon Frise, Poodle, Maltese - or any mix of these dogs - don't shed. If you want a bigger dog, stick to shorter haired dogs like my AmStaff and Pit....my pit doesn't shed much at all, actually. And leather is good to have with animals......I just wipe down my couches - so much easier to clean than any cloth couches. If you have tile or hardwood floors, owning a dog is much cleaner.....if you have carpet, you can count on having to have them cleaned after potty training a pup. Crate training is very effective, and if done properly you can potty train a dog with minimal accidents on the floor. But yes.....it's temporary - your dog is gonna want to be wherever you are, I'm sure. Dogs are awesome......if you get the right dog, you have yourself a best friend for a long, long time!

 

[cw801]

When my son was little (toddler or so) he was a terror and a half. I had a girlfriend that would specifically come and spend the day with me whenever she'd get the baby bug. She'd actually call me in advance and tell me to plan on running some errands so she could babysit my son

Personally, I've always thought that every high school should have a daycare center and 5 days a week in the daycare center be mandatory course work for 9th grade. Nice source of revenue and I bet teen pregnancy rates would plummet.

This is an awesome idea!!

 

[Mr. dB]

A dog is like raising a child, you have to give it a very significant amount of quality time, are you ready for that? If you travel a lot, do you have someone else who can walk the animal several times a day?

 

[jnevin]

Would it be a traditional Italian dog?