Flipping from NOT wanting a dog to REALLY wanting one??

[jent]

We adopted a dog this summer. Neither DH or I had owned a dog before, and DH was actually a little reluctant (not enough to veto the dog, but basically saying "I'm doing this for you & DD"). It's been great- we are all smitten with the dog, DH included.

We used a local rescue (I think I am in your area) and I cannot recommend them enough: http://www.pawfectliferescue.org. They have a relationship with shelters in the South, visit there every month or so, and select dogs with family-friendly personalities to rescue. You can go to their "meet and greets" to get to know the dogs and pick a good fit for your family. I think they might do foster-to-own but you'd have to check in with them about that. Our dog was ~1.5 years when we adopted him, so we got to skip the puppy stage- no middle-of-the-night potty breaks and no chewing issues!

Dogs do take work and planning though- make sure you think about who will walk the dog, how long the dog will be alone, etc. Our neighbors use a dog walker in the the middle of the day, for example. We also take dog-training classes at the local pet store, which has been as much for us as the dog.

Good luck!

[corrie23]

I had a dog growing up (my dad hated cats; of course my sibs and I all grew up and each had 2 cats a piece and no dogs). My husband never had a pet growing up. My cats were older by the time my kids were old enough to really notice them and at that age, the cats had very little use for the kids. When we moved 18 mos. ago to a new house with a fenced yard in a neighborhood where seemingly everyone has a dog, the kids started asking. I went to a local shelter a couple times about a year ago, but didn't really connect. Based on breed characteristics and the age/activity of the kids we were looking for mixes with some part retriever or bully breed. A few months ago we started to revisit the topic. My husband wasn't super on-board but he didn't feel so strongly that he was going to say an absolute no. He really didn't know what a dog involved so he felt like he couldn't really totally object.

I must have spent a million hours looking at shelter/rescue websites at the available dogs. I went to visit a few of the dogs I had seen online at my preferred shelter. The next day we all went as a family and we ended up coming home with a 1 year-old (approx.) black lab mix. We looked at 5 dogs that day and spent time walking and playing with each one to get a sense of personality. We saw a lot of sweet dogs, but our kids loved that our dog would fetch (funny what was so important to them). He's a great dog. He's not perfect, but he's learning quickly what is okay and what isn't. The trust is building and he is growing more comfortable with his home/family. I suspect that he may have had some abuse in his history based on how skittish he initially was when we would reach out near his face for any reason and even now I have to take care not to move toward him super-fast with my arm out to grab his collar (like if I want to put his leash on) because he'll cower and it breaks my heart.

He has without a doubt added to the kids' lives, and they all have their own relationships and roles with him. It has also taught them to finally clear their dishes off the table after meals and stop leaving their socks strewn about the house cuz he'll eat/chew on anything he can (lol!)

I will say as a prior cat owner (mine sadly, are long gone and due to known allergies a cat probably is not the right choice for us), you might want to see if your cats are compatible with whatever dog you are considering. The shelter we went with is pretty good about saying if a particular dog should be the only pet in a house, or no small pets, or no kids in the home, etc. I also think that they make you bring in all pets to meet the dog prior to adopting, but maybe it's only dogs that they make you bring...my point is, you want to make sure that the dog and the cats can peacefully coexist before adopting.

[pastrygirl]

Ugggghhhh... still want a dog! I contacted a few places and visited one. I'm 99% sure I would only adopt a dog that is in foster care, vs. at a shelter. I really need a realistic idea of the dog's temperament.

BUT, every morning when I wake up, I'm thankful that I don't have a dog to take outside. I like my 15-30 minutes of quiet snuggle time with my cats before I get up.

I talked to my husband about a dog. A couple of weeks ago, I asked if he'd want to consider it while the kids are still at home. NO, "phenomenally bad" idea.

Last night, we watched a DVR'd This Is Us and there was a lot of dog talk, so I brought it up again, but this time to say that I'm on board for looking into it if he ever decides he'd like a dog. He said that he really doesn't, but if I had my heart set on getting a dog, we could seriously think about it. My heart is set, but I'm being realistic and practical. I won't jump into this. We ended up talking about all the dogs he's had. All good stories, nothing about the work and mess. I think it was one of the longest conversations we've had in a long time!

Every waking moment, other than the first 15 minutes, I think I'd love to have a dog around. Then again, I know that I tend to introduce chaos into our lives whenever I feel like I've lost control (we have A LOT of painting/DIY reno to do, I've been a slacker with my workouts and with paid work hours, things like that). I adopted a cat, then a year later, another cat, then we moved! Those were all preceded by big loss-of-control times, but have been SO WONDERFUL. I adore my cats and this house/neighborhood so much that I want to burst!

How are your mornings with a dog?? We can all use a little help getting up and going!

[hbridge]

Okay, I have been reading this thread for awhile...

If you are ready, start looking now for spring, especially if you live in a colder climate.

As for mornings, now that the pup is older, he hangs with us in the morning and my DH takes him out for a walk about 45 minutes after everyone gets up. I am not a fan of the "first thing in the morning walks", so that's the one walk DH does almost every day. He also does the "after dinner" walk when he is home, but the rest of the day is on me. Including taking him out to "potty" before we all head to bed.

This dog has changed our world for the better and we can't imagine not having him. DH and I had been talking for years about getting a dog (DH did not want to be tied to a dog), while DC had been begging for years. When our child's special needs started to surface we had three therapists within a week strongly encourage a dog for DC. So we finally caved. The bond is amazing and this pup has brought so much joy to our world and love to us all.

HOWEVER, we no longer travel as much as before and when we do, we take him with us (greatly limiting our options). When I am working, we have a dog walker who comes... The pup is one more thing to think about and consider whenever you do anything. It's all doable, but needs to be considered.

For us, the pup functions as an unofficial therapy dog for our child, so leaving him behind is not really an options for travel. He has a function that he does well.

Oh, and he is a snuggly love who follows me around the house all day long. My constant companion, always ready for a hug!

We got him as a puppy. The first three months were tough (like having a new baby), but he learned fast !

If you are all ready, go for it!

[zukeypur]

I have always had dogs; some were good experiences and others weren't. I have learned that I have a low tolerance for barking and shedding, as I don't want to deal with constant ear infections and nastiness. I also know that I am not likely to walk my dogs every day. Heck, we really only walk them when we're on vacation and they have to be walked to do their business. Carefully evaluate your tolerance levels for all aspects of dog life. We ended up with Italian Greyhounds (low shedding, quiet, lightweight ears). They are the perfect dog for our family, although the kids would prefer a dog who was more playful. They love to chase each other around the back yard, but they don't really play with the kids. We got ours from local breeders, but I know there are many active rescue groups for the breed.

[baymom]

We adopted a dog in May of last year, so haven't had her for too long. She turned 2 in October and is an absolute love. We are completely smitten by her and she's enriched our lives in every way. She follows us around the house and snuggles and has sweet, soulful eyes. She's both calming to us and also energizing.

It is a lot of extra work to add a dog, but definitely doable. DH does the morning walk while I make breakfast/pack lunches/get kids going for school. He also typically does the last walk right before bed. On the days we both go into the office, she's home alone until 3pm when the kids come home from school and walk her. The days one of us works from home, we take her for a midday walk or two--depending on our schedule. Our kids are 10 & 12 and they are each responsible for taking her out at least once a day. Sometimes they groan about it, but mostly they're happy to do it. DD loves to play with her--teach her tricks, tug-of-war, running, ect. DS prefers to walk her. It's honestly been very manageable, once we got into a rhythm. We've actually met many neighbors through her--being outside walking so much! It's now pretty easy to hit 10,000 steps a day, too. I think part of the reason she's such a mellow and chill dog inside the house is that she get's so much exercise!

The tough part has been all the thought that now has to go into travel or even being out of the house for the entire day. We sometimes leave her with a friend, and sometimes use Rover.com to find a sitter for her. We can no longer make any spontaneous plans like we used to, unless we can bring her with us. It can definitely add up! Our dog is an Australian Labradoodle and one of the reasons we were drawn to that breed was the non-shedding factor. But, while it's nice she doesn't shed, it's A LOT of work to maintain a non-shedding coat. She must be combed/brushed a few times a week or she'll start to matte. I don't think matting is an issue with dogs that shed. She's super soft to touch, but like Velcro--everything sticks to her! We have to de-burr her after walks.

All in all, we can't image our lives without her. But, it is certainly a lot of work and expense to have a dog. In our case, DH wanted a dog more than I did (and he is definitely her "person") but if we both weren't on board, it would have been pretty tough, I think.

[pastrygirl]

Ugh... my heart is ripped out! Today he said absolutely NOT, and didn't mean to give me the impression the other day that it was still up for discussion. I've been visiting shelters to see if I'm even comfortable around dogs, and getting a "feel" for them, holding a leash, etc., to see if I REALLY wanted one. If all the dogs made me nervous (many did), then that would be it and I'd give it up. Instead, I'm more convinced that I want one, the experience of owning one, caring for and training one, etc. Thinking that in a few months, he'd come around because my heart was set (as he'd said the other day) and we can really start looking. He saw that I was at a shelter today and said NO! STOP! It's not going to happen, and he's not going to change his mind.

Wow, I really thought this was going to happen. I see a dog in our lives.