thinking about getting a dog, advice welcome (long-ish)

[patandchickens]

You know how sometimes you don't entirely know what you think about something til you are discussing it with someone and you listen to what you're saying and realize "oh, so THAT'S what I really think about this!"? Well, that's sort of where I am at the moment.

When we were in Pennsylvania visiting my family last week, my oldest cat (tho she was only 12) had to be put to sleep, after several years of chronic thyroid disease. It wasn't so bad, she *loooooved* the house in PA and it's good she got back there one last time, and we found a vet who did house calls, but, you know.

.

ANYhow she was the main thing stopping us from getting a dog, for years, b/c she was a super paranoid stressed-by-anything type personality. However I *think* that our remaining 3 cats (all indoor, one is 4 and the others are 9) could learn to deal ok with a civilized dog, as they are all fairly confident and outgoing.

I am just not sure what I think, though.

Pros: It would be really fun to have a dog (I've never had one; DH grew up with retriever dogs and would be THRILLED for us to get one although he seems surprisingly ignorant about dog health/care/behavior/training since he never really participated in anything other than playing-with). Our kids (2 and 5) would probably enjoy a well-chosen dog. And we will presumably get a dog *eventually* anyhow, no matter what, although if not now, it may have to wait til the older two of the cats pass on.

Cons: Dogs seem pretty expensive to keep (food, vet care) compared to a cat (if we don't get a dog, we WILL get another cat). Dogs are a lot more work than cats. We live in a giant mosquito swamp and I can't see how we could take the dog out to do its business between dusk and sunrise in the mosquito-ey months of the year, and 10 hrs seems like a long time to expect a dog to 'hold it'. It will be similarly unpleasant walking the dog when it's -20 F with a 30 mph wind. And it seems like there are just so many ways for a dog adoption to go wrong -- unforseen aggression, destroying the house (teeth, toilet habits), chasing the horses, bothering the chickens in the run, kids bothering dog, dog getting loose and running out onto the road with its many speeding gravel trucks and commuters, etc.

So, please read my mind and foresee my future

and tell me whether I sound like I should be arguing for or against a dog when I discuss this with DH?

(If we did get a dog, it would be from a shelter or rescue and would have to be at least a year old (preferably a bit older) and reasonably well documented to be good with kids, good with cats (and non chasey to other animals in general), and no discernable aggression issues.)

I want to pin DH down and discuss this soon. Any and all advice is welcomed, except that I do not want to get into a discussion of adoption vs purchase or shelters vs breeders or anything at all resembling that

Thanks,

Pat, basically a cat person but I like other peoples' dogs and would enjoy having one of our own to play with and learn about

 

[SpringChickens]

If you are going to get a dog, I would highly recommend a fenced yard. That way, you can just put the dog out in the yard on the nights when there are tons of mosquitos (they don't seem to bother dogs) or when the temp is -20. The dogs will do their business then come back inside... no fuss for you.

 

[thebritt]

Sounds like you would need a dog with A LOT of fur! And on heartworm prevention!

 

[patandchickens]

Well, the back yard is more or less fenced (and could be tightened up for a dog) -- however you really, really, cannot open the house door to let a dog in and out during the mosquito time of day, it lets MANY DOZENS of mosquitoes in.

In principle we could let the dog out thru the garage, but that requires going thru the basement (no access to garage directly from main part of house) and the basement stairs are quite steep, too steep for a dog to go down would be my guess

Pat

 

[Cara]

Our doggy door is our salvation with 5 dogs

It's also really handy to have something like a large mudroom or a well-insulated workshop that they can get into without too much worry of destruction or muddy paws. A good fence is an absolute necessity.

 

[patandchickens]

Hm, I suppose maybe we could put a dog door in the screen door to the back deck... that is a good idea, Cara.

Also maybe I should just *ask*, how do medium to not-too-large sized dogs do with going down stairs? Like, how steep is too steep for them?

Pat

 

[KellyHM]

I imagine a dog would handle your basement stairs fine...they can do more than you think. You should consider fostering a dog from the local shelter or rescue...this allows you to decide if the dog is right for your house w/o making a commitment up front. I went through 4 foster dogs before I found the one I wanted to keep...the others all found nice homes, but I just couldn't let the last one go!

 

[Wynette]

Hmmmm.....to be honest, it sounds to me like a dog isn't the right pet for you. You're being REALLY forthright & open about what the cons sound like to you, and you are right on with ALL of them. Dogs are a pain in a** compared to cats. I've got both. I prefer dogs, but they definitely are more work, and much more expensive. I have pet insurance on all 3 of my dogs and it's saved me a ton of money in the past few years. Dogs are also difficult when it comes to vacations. I have horses and donkeys, too, and believe me when I say it's easier to find a sitter for them than it is for the dogs. And boarding is VERY expensive. At least in my book. We don't take many vacations as a result; we've got a motor home, and we typically go camping...with the dogs.

All that being said, I think it really varies depending on what type of dog owner you'd be. Are you looking for someone to be a family member? If so, it'll be more difficult for all the reasons you state and those that I did. If you're looking for a dog that would primarily live outside, I would THINK the expenses and other cons would be fewer...but ours are all house dogs, so I can't speak to that.

 

[scarter]

I like the fact that we can leave our cat all day if the kids need to do something but the dog is another story. I just don't feel right about leaving her for long periods of time without anyone or potty breaks. The cat we can also leave for a night or so but definately not the dog. So, if you travel a lot you have to think about hiring a pet sitter or take it to the kennel. In other words our dog is so much more needy companion wise than the cat.

I don't think it's reasonable to keep the dog from pottying that long. You will have accidents galore if you try that. I agree that fostering might be in your best interest if you are thinking about getting a dog.

 

[TipsyDog]

Add to the fenced yard a doggie door! I can't live without a doggie door anymore.

To me, a dog is something I can hardly live without. They are always with me. I have a great fondness for these particular animals above all others. I would be jumping for joy at the thought of getting a new dog! I'm a bonafide dog lover. Granted, I tend to go overboard when it comes to dogs, but I wanted to let you know where I'm coming from.

It doesn't quite sound to me like your family is a dog type. The general feeling I'm getting from your post is that you'd like another cat or two.

Getting a dog is alot more work than cats. They are highly social and need much more of your attention and training. They need to go outside, regardless of the weather, every day. They shouldn't be left alone for 10 hours a day "to hold it" and they need to be house trained which will be hard to accomplish if noone is home long enough. Between all the "accidents" and the teething stage, they WILL do damage to something in your home sooner or later.

Dogs also cost more to own than cats and require grooming.

It's up to you and your family and I wish you the best in whatever your decision may be. Thanks for considering a shelter adoptee is you do get a dog!

ETA: Yes! I forgot about all my missed vacations!!! You CANNOT go anywhere when you have a dog. It is extremely constraining to your lifestyle.