Should I get a dog?

[SmoothieX]

In college, me and my roommate each had a guinea pig (well, I got to keep both afterward when she moved). They were cute and cuddly, but not as much fun as dogs. I have 2 dogs now.

I'm picking up my puppy in 3-4 hours. The get a pet squirrel/rock/amoeba a dog is so much work comments make me chuckle. I'm 33 and this will be the 7th one I've directly owned or cared for as part of the family. You put in the time when the dog is a pup, and it's almost no effort after that until the dog is a senior. You just reap the benefits and enjoy it. And pick up poop.

I'm excited, I've never had a dog somewhere with as much open space as here.

This. But some people might not have adequate time to spend when they get one, or might not be willing to put in the work, so it's a valid point. I know people like that, they get a puppy, decide it's too much work, get rid of it, get a new one, repeat ad nauseam. And that saddens me. Energy level matters, too. The dogs I have now were crazy as puppies before they were trained, I have no idea how I had enough energy to cope with two of them at once.

I agree with you. If you don't want a dog or don't have the time or ability to put in the necessary effort, then don't get one. I don't like seeing people buy pets as an impulse buy since they just get neglected and dumped off at the pound where it's entirely possible they will be put down.

I just think the posts that basically say I don't feel like a dog so you shouldn't get one are silly.

 

[nureintier]

Agreed.

But I mean I know some people who should've stuck with buying stuffed animals instead of living animals. But if you want a dog, that's great. I mean, my puppies drove me nuts for about a month or two at first, but I wanted dogs (this was after my border collie died. boy are dachshunds different from border collies...) so I knew I had to put in that time.

Mine still aren't the best behaved dogs ever, even though I work from home and have lots of time to train them. In fact, they stole my pizza for lunch today off the kitchen table.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But I mean I know some people who should've stuck with buying stuffed animals instead of living animals.

Agreed.

This is why my two stuffed Pikachus are as far as I am willing to go.

 

[SmoothieX]

I mean, my puppies drove me nuts for about a month or two at first, but I wanted dogs (this was after my border collie died. boy are dachshunds different from border collies...) so I knew I had to put in that time.

I got another Lab, just like my last two dogs, so I already have an idea what works or not with them. Labs are easy, they want to please. So if they have half a clue what you want, they'll meet you halfway.

My mother found this out the hard way. She had a Golden for 14 years. When the dog passed, she wanted a smaller dog since she is getting older and will have this dog through her mid 70s all things being equal. So she got a Corgi, who is a spunky little gremlin. He's not dumb, he just doesn't care if he pleases or not. Very willful. I got him to listen to me by repeatedly picking him off with a throw pillow...

 

[JoeZhang]

I grew up in a house full of dogs and loved them all - but I wouldn't bother as an adult way too much hassle.

 

[nureintier]

I got another Lab, just like my last two dogs, so I already have an idea what works or not with them. Labs are easy, they want to please. So if they have half a clue what you want, they'll meet you halfway.

My mother found this out the hard way. She had a Golden for 14 years. When the dog passed, she wanted a smaller dog since she is getting older and will have this dog through her mid 70s all things being equal. So she got a Corgi, who is a spunky little gremlin. He's not dumb, he just doesn't care if he pleases or not. Very willful. I got him to listen to me by repeatedly picking him off with a throw pillow...

When my border collie died, I said I either wanted another collie-type dog or an Australian shepherd, somehow I ended up with dachshund/basset hound mixes. Their hound-ness is greater than the sum of their parts, I swear. I was not quite prepared. They did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It took me a lot longer to train them than it did for the border collie, that's for sure. And they still aren't half as well-behaved. they're not necessarily good dogs, but they are fabulous. And that's what counts.

I grew up in a house full of dogs and loved them all - but I wouldn't bother as an adult way too much hassle.

I wasn't allowed to have a dog as a kid, I had mainly goldfish and lizards.

 

[JoeZhang]

We had dogs, pigeons, rabbits etc the lot, I'm too selfish to give up my time to pets or children.

 

[SmoothieX]

They did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It took me a lot longer to train them than it did for the border collie, that's for sure.

I think a lot of people see that a certain breed of dog is listed high on the Intelligence of Dogs list and think they will automatically be easy to train. What they are not taking into account is how willful and eager to please the dog is.

 

[nureintier]

They did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It took me a lot longer to train them than it did for the border collie, that's for sure.

I think a lot of people see that a certain breed of dog is listed high on the Intelligence of Dogs list and think they will automatically be easy to train. What they are not taking into account is how willful and eager to please the dog is.

Yeah, that stuff is very misleading, and also doesn't take into account individual differences. It also annoys me when people think the exact same thing will work in the exact same way for every dog,ever.

Likewise, I think a lot of the dogs they consider dumb aren't really dumb, necessarily, but more independent and less eager to please. I do think border collies are smart, but they are also easy to train just because that's how they do things, they look to their human to see what needs done. Hound dogs, on the other hand, try to figure things out for themselves instead. And of course there is individual variation, which no one seems to account for. I have two littermates, and they are as different as night and day when it came to personality and training.