4 ms·

Getting a dog should not be an emotional decision. I have a dog and sometimes it's a lot of work. Feeding, pooping, pissing, neverending fur in the house and on

Getting a dog should not be an emotional decision. I have a dog and sometimes it's a lot of work. Feeding, pooping, pissing, neverending fur in the house and on my clothes, vet, constant attention seeking etc. Just to mention a few things. And if you need to travel you need a babysitter for your dog. It's easier if you have a backyard where the dog can chill.

maccard 7y ago
Can confirm. I am sitting here with a 9 week old puppy that I've had since Friday. It's relentless at first.
- poloniculmov 7y ago
  It gets better, but the first weeks are hell. I'm so glad my dog is not a puppy anymore, even though he was really cute.
  - mocha_nate 7y ago
    For me it was the first 3 months. Still a handful and i got more than i bargained for, but one of the better decisions ive made in life.
- hermitdev 7y ago
  I feel you. When we got our rescue puppy, we were told he was around 8-9 weeks, but turned out he eas about 6 weeks old when we took him home. He was transferred to a no kill shelter outside of Chicago from a kill shelter in Kentucky. We took him home the day he was transferred. We had to bottle feed for a few weeks with formula before he was able to transition to wet food and them a few weeks later gradually transitioned him to dry food. I spent about the first week sleeping on the floor next to him to make sure he was comfortable and to take him out if he started whining. We were also told to expect him to top out around 35 lbs. We had him neutered on Black Friday last year. Figured he was born about May 1st last year. When he got fixed he was already 45 lean pounds. A year after bringing home, he seems to have peaked at 60 pounds, nearly twice what we told to expect. He definitely has tons of energy and is very athletic (he can easily jump entirely over our couch). He could easily clear the baby gates we have to keep him in the living room/kitchen in our townhouse. He did it once without thinking, chasing one our cats upstairs. First 3 months or so, there were a lot of accidents with urinating and defecating in the house. And he had worms when we first brought him home. I had to carry him up and down the stairs for that period, as well. At firat because he just couldn't get up and down the stairs on his own, and then later to prevent him having an accident before getting outside (never had an accident while I was carrying him). A year in, he's fairly well trained, but we still have some problem areas like barking and jumping on people. He's crate trained. He sleeps in his crate overnight and when we're away from home for a bit. My wife works from home and sleeps in a bit and he's gotten used to me taking him out early in the morning to do his business and goes right back into his crate on his own after having a bit of food and water until my wife wakes up an hour or so later.
  - maccard 7y ago
    Yeah the stairs was something I wasn't quite prepared for - I live on the 4th floor and have 60 steps to my garden, I have to carry our pup up and down every 2 hours at the moment (or less if she's eaten recently). She's never peed in her crate or on either of us, which is great but she has done so in the house a few times when we're ever so slightly distracted, but we're getting slightly better at it. Glad to hear things are working out for you :)
breakbread 7y ago
I've often equated proper dogcare to childcare-lite. Want to go out after work? Gotta go home and tend to the dogs first Weekend getaway? The cost just increased by however much it's going to cost you to board the dogs or hire a sitter. Surprise! One of your dogs has developed a thyroid condition and will require daily medication for the rest of its life. Time for that annual teeth cleaning ($$$$$) That said, next to fatherhood, it's one of the more rewarding things in my life.
NetOpWibby 7y ago
I am fully aware of this, that's why I'm waiting until I own a home to get one. I have two kids.
- undersuit 7y ago
  Good choice. Landlords in most countries can't deny you a lease because of your children.
  - NetOpWibby 7y ago
    Thanks for the laugh.

maccard 7y ago

Can confirm. I am sitting here with a 9 week old puppy that I've had since Friday. It's relentless at first.

poloniculmov 7y ago
It gets better, but the first weeks are hell. I'm so glad my dog is not a puppy anymore, even though he was really cute.
- mocha_nate 7y ago
  For me it was the first 3 months. Still a handful and i got more than i bargained for, but one of the better decisions ive made in life.
hermitdev 7y ago
I feel you. When we got our rescue puppy, we were told he was around 8-9 weeks, but turned out he eas about 6 weeks old when we took him home. He was transferred to a no kill shelter outside of Chicago from a kill shelter in Kentucky. We took him home the day he was transferred. We had to bottle feed for a few weeks with formula before he was able to transition to wet food and them a few weeks later gradually transitioned him to dry food. I spent about the first week sleeping on the floor next to him to make sure he was comfortable and to take him out if he started whining. We were also told to expect him to top out around 35 lbs. We had him neutered on Black Friday last year. Figured he was born about May 1st last year. When he got fixed he was already 45 lean pounds. A year after bringing home, he seems to have peaked at 60 pounds, nearly twice what we told to expect. He definitely has tons of energy and is very athletic (he can easily jump entirely over our couch). He could easily clear the baby gates we have to keep him in the living room/kitchen in our townhouse. He did it once without thinking, chasing one our cats upstairs. First 3 months or so, there were a lot of accidents with urinating and defecating in the house. And he had worms when we first brought him home. I had to carry him up and down the stairs for that period, as well. At firat because he just couldn't get up and down the stairs on his own, and then later to prevent him having an accident before getting outside (never had an accident while I was carrying him). A year in, he's fairly well trained, but we still have some problem areas like barking and jumping on people. He's crate trained. He sleeps in his crate overnight and when we're away from home for a bit. My wife works from home and sleeps in a bit and he's gotten used to me taking him out early in the morning to do his business and goes right back into his crate on his own after having a bit of food and water until my wife wakes up an hour or so later.
- maccard 7y ago
  Yeah the stairs was something I wasn't quite prepared for - I live on the 4th floor and have 60 steps to my garden, I have to carry our pup up and down every 2 hours at the moment (or less if she's eaten recently). She's never peed in her crate or on either of us, which is great but she has done so in the house a few times when we're ever so slightly distracted, but we're getting slightly better at it. Glad to hear things are working out for you :)

breakbread 7y ago

I've often equated proper dogcare to childcare-lite. Want to go out after work? Gotta go home and tend to the dogs first Weekend getaway? The cost just increased by however much it's going to cost you to board the dogs or hire a sitter. Surprise! One of your dogs has developed a thyroid condition and will require daily medication for the rest of its life. Time for that annual teeth cleaning ($$$$$) That said, next to fatherhood, it's one of the more rewarding things in my life.

NetOpWibby 7y ago

I am fully aware of this, that's why I'm waiting until I own a home to get one. I have two kids.

undersuit 7y ago
Good choice. Landlords in most countries can't deny you a lease because of your children.
- NetOpWibby 7y ago
  Thanks for the laugh.