As you can see, I'm dying to have a small, cute little dog!!! I'm open to different breeds but these three are my favorite! And, although I know there are many reasons to not have one, I still want one really, really bad! Erik says that we both work too much to take care of a dog, which I agree with! But, I wonder, for all you dog owners out there, is it reasonable to own a dog if you both work full-time?
I think deep down he is probably right.. I certainly don't want to have a dog to neglect the poor thing! But, it's all I can think about lately (for like the last 3 months) and so I thought I'd throw out some questions to the people who know!
1. How often do you walk them?
2. How much do you pay in puppy food, grooming, vet bills, etc?? Are they really expensive?
3. How many hours a day is too much to be away from them while we are at work?
4. Is the inconvenience of having one outweighed by the joy they bring you? (My guess is yes and I think E's is no)
Anyway, this is my way of trying to figure out if I should give up this wish or keep on pushing!
P.S. You all know I have the patience to push for a long, long, long time! E can attest to that! :)
Thanks to all you dog lovers who are able to give me any insight!
4 comments:
Yes, yes, yes, get a dog!!! To others it may seem that we neglect Daisy, but I assure you, she is very happy! And her food is expensive - but keep in mind, she's a big 75 pounder - not a little bubba like what you're looking at, so we can't even really compare there. And they're a little expensive at first with the shots and the "fixing", (once again, little dogs are cheaper) but after that you have the once yearly checkups/immunizations and that's about it.
And I don't even think you need to walk them every single day as long as they have a fenced in yard to play in, which you do.
Keep bugging him!
ahhh this makes me so happy! i don't have to tell you my thoughts on dog ownership--you know i love it! but i will answer your questions 100% honestly! and i hope hope you give my little fur babies a cousin..or two! ;)
1. How often do you walk them? if you are considering a little pup, walking them is not a huge issue. little dogs don't need very much excersize. playing fetch in the house for 15-20 minutes will do it..or a fenced in backyard. but, we love to walk them so we do it probably 2-3 times a week & they are DEAD when we get home. you can also take your dog to the park for 20-30 minutes & just let it run.
2. How much do you pay in puppy food, grooming, vet bills, etc?? Are they really expensive? food isn't bad at all...probably $50 the biggest bag (this is for the BEST food, most is cheaper) and a bag lasts us at least 5-6 months (keep in mind, thats for 2 dogs)-so it's cheap. they are expensive when you first get them. the cost of buying the dog, nuetering, shots, micro-chip's can add up. if you are prepared for that initial expense, after that it's maybe $30-$40 a year for their checkup. we groom jack & toby every 3-4 months and it costs about $30 a dog. we used to groom them ourselves, though & it's totally do-able.
3. How many hours a day is too much to be away from them while we are at work? so here's where it gets tricky. yes, g & i obviously both work full time, so they are alone 8-9 hours a day. while i do feel bad about leaving them, i know they are fine. i feel 100x better knowing they are together. they can at least play with & comfort each other, which i know they do. if you get a dog, i would 100% tell you to install a dog door. if you have a dog that is trained & a dog door, being gone isn't an issue, your dog will be fine. that being said, i didn't work when we first got them. i was home all day to train them. if you have to work when you first get them, you will probably have to kennel train the dog & come home every 2-3 hours to let the dog out. puppies can only hold it for a few hours & if you aren't home to take the dog out when it needs to go, it will never learn. that's the biggest problem. after they are trained, no big deal. BUT, i know people who work full time & make it work..if your job will allow you to run home a few times a day, you could do it.
4. Is the inconvenience of having one outweighed by the joy they bring you? ABSOLUTELY!!! there are days when they are naughty & we get annoyed with them, but 99% of the time we both LOVE having them. they entertain us, love us unconditionally, amuse us, play with us. i would say the benifits 100% outweigh the cost. and if you train your dog well, the inconvience should be minimal. our dogs only bother us when they bring crap from outside in our house to play with (twigs, leaves, dirt, bark, etc) while we are gone. besides that, they are good boys. they don't mess in the house, chew or bark so there isn't a whole lot to complain about. the #1 thing is to train your dog WELL & then keep boundaries (don't leave your dog home all day with your entire house to roam). if you give them only as much freedom as they can handle, you will be fine.
NOW GO BUY A DOG!!!!!!!!!
(and sorry for the NOVEL!!)
Heidi,
I totally agree with the comments made. You would definitely want to check on the breed of dog and their sociability. Since you both work, you might consider two dogs. Some dogs if left to long by themselves do get lonely. Sydney had a hard time with that. She wanted to be with us every second or she was sad. Sometimes I wonder if we had another dog if she would have done better? Good luck. I am sure one day we will end up with another dog as well.
Heidi, we have a small dog, she's a mini poodle/amer. eskimo mix, nice because she doesn't shed just loses hair similar to people and that makes her ok for people who are allergic. We rarely walk her, mostly play fetch or a game I call monster where I make monster noises and she runs all over the house to get away, it's fun! We've always had dogs, sometimes just 1 and once we had 2. I don't really think you have to be home ALL the time, Darrell and I both worked full time when we had our 1st and she was fine. I would suggest if your getting a puppy that you try to be home (on vacation or something) the 1st week to work on training. I also suggest researching the health problems associated w/ specific breeds and temperment and such so you get the perfect dog for you guys! When we didn't have kids our Sami dog was the world to us! The thing about dogs is they're always happy to see you, doesn't matter what you do they just want you to love them back and they definately become a huge part of the family! I say go for it! Get a dog! And since J's novel covered the cost (she's right in line w/ what we spend too!) I won't go into that. Feel free to call with any questions! You could also try babysitting someone's dog for the weekend and see if E warms up that way, just make sure it's a really good dog!
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