Do you ever Wish you hadn't got a Dog or Puppy?
By missybal
@missybal (4490)
United States
October 22, 2007 3:13pm CST
My husband and I adopted a dog from the humane society only a month ago. She really is an awesome dog. She learns real quick, she was house broke in only a couple of days and knows the word NO. But since getting her all these things come up. I can't go shopping when I want because she is only a puppy and she can't be left alone too long yet. Worse of all is the fact that my husband is away for the military and now with the dog I can't go with him. He just got back from a 5 month deployment and now he is away at the military base from Monday to Friday. The base he works at is so far away that he can't drive back and forth so he stays in the hotel on base. I would usually stay with him sometimes, but now I can't because I don't have anyone who can take the dog, there are no kennels in my area that I can trust plus it's so expensive, and there are no hotels in the area he's going that allow us to take pets. It wouldn't be so bad except I haven't seen him much for so long. Plus we were playing to go out west for christmas but now I don't know if we can. We were thinking that we could take her with us but it's a 24 hour drive and we'd have to research for hotels that accept pets and can't stop anywhere we want to. Don't get me wrong I love her but we really didn't think this thing out first.
Do you feel like this sometimes with your pets?
How has it affected your life?
3 people like this
13 responses
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
22 Oct 07
It has never crossed my mind at all. Pets are for life and and come how they are , whatever might be...I just try and make the best out of every situation and work through the hard times..All my pets are part of the family and I never thought for a second I didnt have them...
1 person likes this
@bronie123 (4587)
• United States
22 Oct 07
hmmmm i really love all my pets and im glas everyone of them has been in my life :)
I have a dog rocky (actually my fiances ) i have coda my indoor car and cotton and caramel my two outdoor cats
I love all of them :)
1 person likes this
@hardworkingmom (1130)
• United States
23 Oct 07
Having a dao is like having kids. Only thing is you can return the dog but its not the puppy's fault that you can't do these things. You haven't train the puppy for when things come up and you have to leave the house with him? or Is it you just dont trust leaving your puppy home alone for a period of time?
I have 2 dogs that I adopted when they where puppies for the humane society. but the only thing i did was fit them into my budget before I got them. because they can and will get expensive on you.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
23 Oct 07
The puppy is really well trained already, I do leave her for about an hour to two hours max in a large area of the kitchen closed off so she can't hurt anything. It's the fact that I rent and I can't have her barking her head off and I'm not there and so my landlord gets called on me. Money really isn't much of an issue, at least not at this time. I'm more conserned about not being able to stay with my husband when he is away for the military. I wouldn't return her though, not after she has gotton attatched to us.
@spiderlizard22 (3444)
• United States
23 Oct 07
Sounds like you got in over your head. You should just give the puppy to someone else. I think you rather be with your husband than with your puppy. Puppies need to be taken care of and needs to be looked after. You should find someone who wants a puppy and give it to them.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
15 Nov 07
Well my husband ended up going away again and I can tell you I'm glad to have the company. for the most part she is a very easy dog. She was trained up in no time and she loves to travel. My husband will be going away for about 4 months again sometime after the new year and I'm happy to have someone to take care of. I think she's worth the sacrafices.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
22 Oct 07
Hi Missy... my husband just retired from the military and we had several pets in which we had to think about when he was deployed or if we wanted to go somewhere. Let me give you some pointers if I may.
When traveling with a dog, you can go from hotel to hotel and ask if they let a dog stay. Most won't however some will and some require a deposit and sometimes the deposit is refunable but most times not. The cost of the deposit varies between $10. -$20. depending on where you're staying. Also if you want to go see your husband at the base hotel, you can leave your dog at a veterinarian for most have a kennel to board your dog with. It doesn't have to be your veterinarian but one that has a kennel.
I hope this information helps. Let me know if you need more help or advice and I'll try to come up with a solution for you for I've been there and done that. The most we've had at one time is 6 cats and 3 dogs and we traveled with them all at once or we've put the dogs in a kennel.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
22 Oct 07
Well I wouldn't leave her in a hotel room for it might scare her at first. After being in one a few times, my dogs got used to it and thought nothing of it and laid down and slept when we left them for a little while.
What about on the drive up to see your husband you could find a kennel on base or one near by the base? You could try that and you'd have her near by to take for walks with your husband. That way she's still with you two and your husband gets to see her too.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
23 Oct 07
My husband wanted me to have her to keep me company after he was away for 5 months straight. It is nice to have something to hold at night. Yeah the virus that is going around is really bad, it can even kill them. It mostly affect small breed dogs. Mine is a large breed but only a puppy. Symtoms are vomitting, diahreia, and temperture. You need to get your dog a booster asap if they start to show symtoms and feed them cooked chicken. My mom's dogs got it and just from the person who had dogs with it. They didn't even come in contact with the other dogs. It can travel on everything and if it's in your house you have to bleach everything.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
22 Oct 07
A virus going around? I didn't know that! Thanks for telling me. What about a friend? Do you have anyone that you can trust to watch your dog for you? Someone could come and let her out for the day, if you have a fenced yard that is. And at night let her back in, feed and give her fresh water. Or you can find a kennel some where near where you're going. I don't blame you for wanting to check into it. I would too. What ever you do, since you love her so much, don't get rid of her for you'll end up regretting it. She gives you so much love and joy especially while your husband is gone. Just like mine did when my other half was gone.
I need to get a doggy door so my big ones can come and go as they please but it's so expensive to have someone come in and do it. But it would be worth it in the long run so that I could have a friend come and just feed and give them fresh water. Just another idea to throw your way. :)
@pinayrendition (68)
• United States
23 Oct 07
we had similar problems when my boyfriend and i first got our puppy. we couldn't stay out for too long and i had to hold off on my job hunting for a bit to watch over him. but he's older now and not much trouble so we're slowly getting our life back into the right track.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
23 Oct 07
Yeah, that is one thing that really bugged me because right after we got her I found out that I could have gotton a job at a place I had been trying to for a while, but the puppy needed to be trained up. With my health though it was probably for the best and I have my work at home things. My husband likes it better too so he doesn't worry about me.
@cikedo (3483)
• United States
22 Oct 07
There is one really big plus to having cats like I do. They don't constantly need your attention. Put out a few clean litter boxes, extra food, water and they are set. You can go away on vacation for a few day and they don't mind. Actually, I think they like it when I'm gone. That way they have the beds to themselves and can do naughty stuff like sitting on the tables when I'm gone. I've had dogs before and they are a handful. One of my dogs completely ripped up a patch of carpet when I was at school one day. I don't even want to think about the kind of damage he could have done if I was gone for the entire day!
@AmbiePam (85520)
• United States
22 Oct 07
I have gone through that. Life isn't convenient when there is a dog involved. I got really frustrated sometimes, but in the end, I knew the joy my dog would bring me, far outweighed the inconveniences. I count my dogs as training to be a parent. After all, having kids is much harder, LOL!
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
22 Oct 07
I hear you.
I love my pets and am glad that I have them with me, but lately I have been feeling a bit frustrated. WHen I got them my life was ok and I had no problem with any expenses that I would have with any of them.
My life changed in the last few years and money is very short. WE don't have enough for ourselves sometimes, but we still have to spend some money on them as well and as I said it is frustrating.
Food is not that expensive although we used to buy a bit more high end food for all of them, but even so sometimes it's a choice between getting something else for us or buy their food.
Vet bills are a complication. Tazz is sick and his medication costs $70 every two or three weeks not counting the other vitamins and supplements the vet says might help. I was told that it would take a long time for him to be cured if at all and I can't even afford his medication anymore. This is going on 7 months and he's still not better - no wonder, we stopped buying the medication 4 months ago!
SO.. yes sometimes I think that maybe things would be easier if I didn't have them - and specially tazz - and I didn't have to worry so much about him when I have so many other things worrying me as well.
@kodie420 (872)
• Canada
23 Oct 07
Well when I moved to this area 3 years ago to be with my girlfriend I was offered a pit bull puppy that was only 11 weeks old. At first I really wanted the dog but days after getting her we started to noticed little problems. For example me and my girlfriend won this hotel room thing overnight so we decided to go. We had only had the dog for about a month at this time anyways when we got home the next morning she had eaten the corner of my night stand right off. It was 2 inch thick wood and she ate it all. It's normal that you would feel that way since its your first pet but it won't always be like that. After a while my dog got use to the fact that she would be alone sometimes and now she doesn't chew or anything when I'm gone. As for the traveling thing I can tell you Motel 6 allows dogs and smoking in the rooms here in Canada but usually when we go to visit people we never tall the hotel that we have a dog we just bring her. If it was me I wouldn't give up just yet especially if your dog listens as well as you say because she/he might grow up to be a really good pet. Anyways no matter what you do good luck to you and good bless your husband for doing what he does.
@shicolate (48)
•
22 Oct 07
i truly understand what you mean, my sister in-law begged me to take over taking care of a puppy her mom gave her after going through a bad seperation with her husband. but having two very small kids and a puppy alone was just too much. so i felt sorry for her and took the dog in, after all my husband was very happy as he always wanted a dog and my son was estatic about the whole situation. but it soon became apparent that it was too much as we were both working full time and no time left at all for the little puppy. with cleaning up after the dog and making sure she was fed and taken for a walk all was abit too much after a full day at work. and because the dog was not trained it was too streesful for me. eventually we had to give it up to a dog charity home. I felt really bad as we were starting to bond with the puppy but it was best for all of us.
@ericphelan (35)
• United States
23 Oct 07
I dont regret getting a pet because they are comforting and pretty much the best company when someone is sad. Oh and if your late, they never ask why, their always happy to see you.
@unicorns89 (6)
• United States
23 Oct 07
I love all of my animals. I have ten cats, two dogs, and one horse. I am going to college to become a vet. Animals are my life. Yes, they do take time and money away from other things, but a world without animals would not be worth living in. All animals esp. dogs and cats are wonderful. I brought home five baby kittens last summer without asking my mom or my stepdad first because they needed a home and I did not care about getting in trouble because I knew getting in trouble would outweigh the joy they would bring us, which is so much! Both my mom and my stepdad fell in love with them right away.
