Please think before getting a dog!

[+ WilliamM]

I only admire them from a distance. I do not and most likely will never own a pet.

 

My brother Rick works for the National Park Service, Yellowstone.

 

He has been showing the wolves (from a distance, wolves keep away) to visitors since they were brought back to the lower 48 during the Clinton Administration. Naturally he has never owned a dog; it would not be safe for the dog.

Edited August 18, 2017 by WilliamM

[+ Charlie]

I only admire them from a distance. I do not and most likely will never own a pet.

 

Just curious, is it only Americans who blur the line between a family member and a pet?

 

Most of my friends from other countries find this American-ness weird. (Obviously I'm basing this only on a very narrow control group of just my friends, but I have yet to see a framed photo of my friends and their pets hanging in anywhere in their homes.)

Dogs have more liberties in many western European countries than they do in the US. The recent appearance of "dog friendly" hotels and restaurants in this country follows in the steps of longtime customs in England, France and Germany. Unfortunately, Europeans seem much less inclined to clean up the messes their pets leave in public places than Americans do.

[+ Oaktown]

"Callous owner sent dog back to rescue centre... because it 'didn't match the sofa', reveals former boss of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home"

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9307709/Callous-owner-sent-dog-rescue-centre-didnt-match-sofa.html

[samhexum]

"Callous owner sent dog back to rescue centre... because it 'didn't match the sofa', reveals former boss of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home"

 

It would be much more understandable, and palatable, if it were about a baby and an adoption agency.

[marylander1940]

"Callous owner sent dog back to rescue centre... because it 'didn't match the sofa', reveals former boss of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home"

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9307709/Callous-owner-sent-dog-rescue-centre-didnt-match-sofa.html

 

He should be send to a shelter, not the dog!

[+ WilliamM]

He should be send to a shelter, not the dog!

 

I was bitten by a large German Shepherd when I was a child. Dogs are not always the best choice as a pet, @marylander1940

[+ Charlie]

When someone resurrects an old thread like this one, it is unnerving to get a new "like" from someone for an old post of mine, and then see that the previous "like" came from @bigvalboy. R.I.P.

[marylander1940]

When someone resurrects an old thread like this one, it is unnerving to get a new "like" from someone for an old post of mine, and then see that the previous "like" came from @bigvalboy. R.I.P.

 

I had similar situations with him and @goodgrief , @kytop and @Bosguy

 

the first 2 names are no longer active.

[+ Unicorn]

Or the number of pet rabbits that are discarded a month after Easter.

...

At least there are ways of discarding rabbits that are not possible for dogs. Dogs are a huge responsibility/commitment.

[TruthBTold]

The same happened to Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

I assume this was meant to be a bit of humor?

[MikeBiDude]

I assume this was meant to be a bit of humor?

He already deleted it, was meant as an insult to another poster. Not me!

[marylander1940]

He already deleted it, was meant as an insult to another poster. Not me!

 

I deleted it after @TruthBTold quoted me. I wasn't calling Eleanor Roosevelt a dog...

 

It came from here. Are you busybody now?

 

I hereby must crown you King of the Non-Sequiturs.

 

I've been scratching my head for a while now, what do Tiger Woods' troubles have to do with Franklin and Eleanor??

Edited February 28, 2021 by marylander1940

[BuffaloKyle]

I'm very allergic to both cats and dogs so that's the number one reason I can't and won't ever get one. Plus I like my "me" time way too much. My sister has a black lab who loves to play nonstop when I am over there. I like being able to leave when I am worn out. ?

[+ RJD]

I’m a new dog dad. I just rescued my boy two months ago. He’s a two year old retriever/pit mix. I had people telling me for years that I should get a dog, but I know the commitment needed. A pup isn’t something you can put in a drawer and forget once you tire of it, and I can never see myself returning a dog for that reason, so I knew I had to be mentally prepared for the responsibility. As with many, the isolation from COVID quarantine got the best of me.

 

Is he a lot of work? Sure is. There is no alone time. I had to start closing my bathroom door (I guess he figures if I get to watch him...), take him out several times each day, regardless of the weather (February was brutal with cold and snow), make sure he’s fed, deal with dog hair everywhere, work with a trainer to teach him manners (he loves everyone and all animals and thinks they’re all ready to play). But, I melt when he jumps up on the sofa, lies down next to me, puts his head on my lap and looks up at me as he falls asleep while I scratch his ears and rub his belly. That is the moment I forget about going out in bad weather, vacuuming dog hair, and picking up poop.

[+ keroscenefire]

A long-term goal of mine is to finally get out of my studio apartment and hopefully purchase a townhome style apartment (or at least one with some kind of outdoor space). Once I do that I feel more comfortable with getting a dog. I would really like one, but my apartment is just too small. It's crazy because my neighbors do have dogs and I can't imagine keeping one in a 350 square foot unit all day. I hear him barking and braying at his kennel constantly. It's really quite sad.

[wsc]

I, too, love dogs, but won't have one. I didn't use "own" because I don't like even the sense of owning a pet; instead he would be my ward. And my friend.

 

But I recognize I'm too selfish to have a dog. To have to get up early and take the dog out, or take him out at night even in the cold rain. To have to take him on walks, him on a leash and me with my cane. To have to stay home or return early to tend to his needs and schedule. To find a dog-friendly hotel if I want to take a trip, or to have the extra trouble and expense of boarding the dog, which would only remove him from his familiar surroundings, place him with strangers, and give him stress.

 

I'm too selfish, lazy, and undisciplined to be responsible for another living being. Especially one who would only love me and be a constant companion. And one who would be mystified and befuddled and lost after they've taken away my body and he's left alone because he outlived me.

 

No, no dog for me. Instead I sometimes visit friends' homes and pet and play with their dogs, or stop by the dog park and watch them play. But mostly I watch YouTube videos of rescues and rehabs until I have to stop because I'm getting dehydrated from crying.

 

It's sometimes hard not having a dog. But it's the best thing for the dog. And I love dogs too much to have one.

[thickornotatall]

I can't imagine my life..our home without dogs...We have 2 Goldendoodles...eCh about 85lbs if love...They always are in a good mood...unconditional love..I treat them as my babies...the love they give..the protection...they are full of love..joy...and sometimes gas..we walk..swim..go for rides..visit neighbors..People always ask for them if I'm out solo..

Unless you have time..patience..money

Don't have a dog..

[+ poolboy48220]

I, too, love dogs, but won't have one. I didn't use "own" because I don't like even the sense of owning a pet; instead he would be my ward. And my friend.

 

But I recognize I'm too selfish to have a dog. To have to get up early and take the dog out, or take him out at night even in the cold rain. To have to take him on walks, him on a leash and me with my cane. To have to stay home or return early to tend to his needs and schedule. To find a dog-friendly hotel if I want to take a trip, or to have the extra trouble and expense of boarding the dog, which would only remove him from his familiar surroundings, place him with strangers, and give him stress.

 

I'm too selfish, lazy, and undisciplined to be responsible for another living being. Especially one who would only love me and be a constant companion. And one who would be mystified and befuddled and lost after they've taken away my body and he's left alone because he outlived me.

 

No, no dog for me. Instead I sometimes visit friends' homes and pet and play with their dogs, or stop by the dog park and watch them play. But mostly I watch YouTube videos of rescues and rehabs until I have to stop because I'm getting dehydrated from crying.

 

It's sometimes hard not having a dog. But it's the best thing for the dog. And I love dogs too much to have one.

I felt the same way. I haven't found a good alternative to "own" that doesn't sound odd.

 

I didn't get a dog because I lived alone. Then I got a roommate who looked long-term, and we took in his family's rescue. Six months later, the roommate left, and by that time I'd bonded so seriously with her that there was no question of letting her go. Nearly six years later I can't imagine life without her. It's very different than my life before she came in but I wouldn't have it any other way.