Considering an addition to my family of one…
After my engagement post from yesterday, I’m sure that title got your attention, hey?
Here’s the thing: I love being single (not enough to avoid dating, but I actually do enjoy being alone these days) but, I know I’d be out walking the neighbourhood much more with a companion… One that could keep me company when I’m home by myself.
I’d love to get a small, hyper-allergenic dog. A breed similar to the dog I grew up with, which was a terrier-poodle. She was such a smart, adorable little dog, and I loved her to bits when I was a kid, growing up with her.
I had to put Cindy down when I was 17 — But I did have 13 great years with her.
I’ve got a few obstacles to getting a new dog, though.
– My building allows pets, but the owners have not approved a dog (privately owned condo) I could probably get away with having a small dog without letting them know, but I think I should probably go the safe route and ask permission and pay the extra deposit. (Of course, that also means there’s a potential they’ll say no but if they do, they’ll probably lose me as a tenant in March)
– I am at the office all day, like most people. Again, this isn’t a tremendous obstacle, as I believe I could convince my boss to allow me to bring in a small dog. (I want a quiet dog, anyhow)
– I’m not home a ton. That said, I could be, if I had a pet at home to take care of. Besides, I’m sure most of my friends wouldn’t mind me visiting with a small dog in tow.
So, I’m wondering what your thoughts are? For you dog owners, do you find it difficult to have a social life with that responsibility?
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(remember, I’ve never had a dog as an adult, so I don’t know if I’d adapt well, even though I think I could) And, am I missing any points above? And for the friends without dogs that I’ll be visiting, would a small dog be welcome in your home?
Thanks guys! I really want to think this through before making such a big decision…
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Get a cat..then you don’t have to worry about being out and about all the time…you can get breeds that are less allergy inclined too!
Hey Crunchy! Thanks for the idea… But, I’m not really a huge fan of cats (for one, I’m quite allergic) — I really want a dog I can take for hikes, go for walks with around my neighbourhood, etc. Cats are fun to visit, but I don’t see myself ever owning a cat.
That’s such a great idea to get a little friend at home and in the office. I have been looking for a kitten/cat for myself too although it’s still not quiet happening yet!! You know that’s take some time to find ‘the one’. I’m sure everybody understand it.
I’d vote !! Go for it n’ I’m lovin’ it.
Tracy
I detest losing animals and the fact that they shed. We have tile in our home that we have to sweep, every, single, day.
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Hey there! So, when I packed up and moved out here to Vancouver I brought my little guy, George, with me. George is a miniature schnauzer – 15 lbs, full of personality, AND hypoallergenic – no shedding! Having grown up with large dogs, I didn’t know how I would adapt to a small dog – but he’s great.
In terms of social life, I wouldn’t say that he slows me down or anything. Then again, I’m not exactly a social butterfly. I will admit, sometimes I feel a little guilty leaving him at home all day when I go to work, but he usually doesn’t do much more than sleep (as far as I can tell) – I leave him with plenty of food, water, toys, with free-range of my bedroom with the radio on … hey, I’d like to spend my days that way!
It IS a responsibility, without a doubt – but the companion ship is far more important to me than any sacrifices I might have to make to take proper care of the little guy. That said, I suppose having a dog suits MY lifestyle, so not many sacrifices need to be made.
I dunno, you’re talking to a dog-lover here, so I’m always going to vote on the side of the more dogs the better! LOL! Good luck with the decision making
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@Hektiklyfe welcome! And, that’s one of two reasons why I want a dog that doesn’t shed. I’m also mildly allergic to dogs, so one that is hypo-allergenic serves two purposes.
@Tania – Thanks! That’s really helpful. I have another friend who used to bring “Spencer the Sweater-wearing dog” (a mini schnauzer as well) into the office, and he was super quiet… Is George quiet? That’s another breed that I’m considering — Another friend, Gus, has “Junior” and swears by that breed. ps: WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER SOON!!!!
They’re enjoyable to have around, but it can be a pain at times. Things to consider:
- arranging for pet-sitting when you travel, usually easy enough for planned trips. Throw in a spontaneous weekend getaway and it can be tough.
- arranging for a someone to pop by if you’re stuck at work/in a hostage situation/unexpectedly giving birth/etc and take the pooch out for a walk
- puppies are like little kids that are stuck in the terrible twos, until they hit about 3 then they start calming down.
- shedding…
- finding a rental that allows pets, not always easy.
All that said, I’m very fond of our dog. She’s well behaved, well trained and low maintenance. It also helps a great deal that Q can take her to work on a daily basis.
hehe… I love the ‘unexpectedly giving birth’ situation!
If you’re not home often then a dog isn’t the best idea. Dogs need to be with ppl, they’re social creatures who love to socialize and be with ppl. Maybe you should consider getting a cat? Cats are more independent on their own.
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Dogs at work. URGH. I don’t feel it’s appropriate. personally.
Just do me a favor and please, please ask everyone in the office if they mind the dog there and not just your boss. I have been forced to work around other people’s dogs and now it’s one of the questions I ask before taking a job. “Do you allow dogs in the office?” Because I won’t work there if they do.
I have always had an outdoor dog and I love the critters, but being around dogs in enclosed spaces triggers migraine-like headaches for me. Not to mention the annoyance factor of being licked and barked at and being begged for food when I am trying to eat. And then there are the dog owners who want you to ooh and ahh over their little angel when you just want to work and get on with your day.
Even if you work alone you also should consider your clients. Do you want to invite them into an office filled with dog hair and dog smell? (Which I know dog owners become immune to and don’t even realize how egregious it can be to non-dog people.)
Sorry. Don’t mean to be a party pooper. But since you asked for opinions….
It is a big commitment to have a dog. Many dogs are left alone all day and it is true they do sleep most of the day but you will have to come home right after work or have someone else walk the dog. Also the dog should have a big walk in the morning before work. Even small breeds need a fair amount of exercise, especially terriers, they are originally farm dogs.
My biggest concession is that I tend to do outdoor activities that will include my dog so I don’t do cycling, kayaking etc as much as I might. Also when Mystic was a puppy it really cut into my time in the gym as I really had to have her out so much.
My big piece of advice is that a puppy is a lot of work and depends even more attention, training and exercise. You may want to consider an older, 2 years old or up rescue dog but then you may not have as much control over breed.
Having said all that a dog is an amazing companion and worth the time.
The biggest issue I ever found with being single with a dog was “overnight excursions”. They’re right out. You can’t meet someone cool and just go home with them, ever. This suited me fine, as I preferred to “host” anyway (I’m lazy!), but can be annoying for some people.
Also, don’t adopt a puppy unless you have about 3-4 months that you can work from home. I don’t have a problem with dogs in the office (I love bringing mine in on weekends) but puppies in the office are a different story. And expect to get up 2-3 times a night — they’re infants! Getting Justice at one year was perfect… still puppyish enough to be a puppy, but past the age of annoying the bejesus out of me all night.
Also expect that you might not get the dog you want. You might get one who’s yappy, who doesn’t like other people (your friends might not mind if you bring him out everywhere, but your dog might), who eats your shoes, etc. Training can do a lot, but expect that every dog has annoying quirks that may or may not be what you were expecting.
One really REALLY awesome way to find the dog of your dreams is to foster. This has a ton of great benefits — one, you can find out if your lifestyle supports a dog, and two, you can find out if THIS dog is the one for you before making the commitment. I am so, so depressed when people adopt a dog only to realize they fucked up, and the dog goes to a shelter. So, SO not fair to the dog (this is how I wound up with Justice — the woman who originally adopted her didn’t do her research.)
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I agree with MJ, having a dog is a big commitment. After having Junior for almost 2 years I wouldn’t trade it in for anything!
I have been lucky that Russ and I work different hours and Junior really isn’t alone for more than 4 hours at a time.
Getting a puppy will be a challenge though. They require more looking after and more work. I remember having to take Junior out in the middle of the night so he could do “his business”. Granted I have a balcony and I have used the training pads to make sure he knew where he had to go if he had to go in the condo.
To me the rewards outweigh all the concerns. You do have to be ready for it, but as you said you have great friends that would love to babysit your new bundle of joy anytime.
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There are a lot of good points above already, but you’re making some pretty lofty assumptions on how welcome your dog would be in many places.
I probably see this more as a large dog owner, but our dog impacts almost everything we do.
Many office buildings don’t allow dogs, even if the individual companies will. There can even be discrimination between dogs within a company. We’ve found that Neil’s been asked not to bring Sasha into work, because someone is uncomfortable with big dogs, even though tiny yappers are allowed. Not to mention that hypo-allergenic dogs only reduce the impact of dander, not eliminate it, so you may have an allergic co-worker that will spell the end of the dog days in the office.
All sorts of retail establishments are also going dog-free (including a lot that used to be dog friendly, like Home Depot), so you need to think about how comfortable you are leaving your dog tied up outside somewhere. It’s also against bylaws to have dogs on restaurant patios, since it’s technically a food-service area, so the dog will need to be on the other side of the balcony railing if there’s room.
Small dogs are a bit easier to manage in terms of traveling with them (<30lbs seems to be the standard hotel restriction for “pet friendly” accommodations), but small dogs are also regularly stolen if left tied up outside anywhere.
It’s ridiciulously difficult to find decent rental accommodation in this city if you have a dog and don’t want to have to hide it from your landlord.
In terms of bringing your dog to others’ homes – that’s actually a very stressful situation for both your dog and any pets your friends may have. An animal’s home is its den, its sacred space, and its owner is the pack leader. You put the home dog in a position of thinking it may have to defend its home against a stranger, and your dog in the position of perhaps defending you in the face of a different “alpha.”
Of course I wouldn’t trade in Sasha for the world, but I think if anyone is going to adopt a dog, it means putting the dog first, and that could mean a drastic change in your lifestyle, and your relationships with your daily activities.
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Yeah! Talk to that nasty Jen person we mutually know … Bet she would give you the quick goods, as she lives the life you are talking about.
Ooh. What Jen said. I often don’t think about that sort of thing, because my dog isn’t other-places friendly at all, and I don’t even think of taking her out socializing with me cuz it’s just not gonna happen.
The rental accommodation is a huge factor, too — after looking for several months, I gave up and moved in with Nick. Ended up being easier, despite the complication that we weren’t actually dating at the time which you’d think would make it NOT easy… but hell, compared to apartment hunting it was a *breeze*!
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Looks like you got lots of good comments.
I love my dogs, and in my case, life feels qualitatively better with them. But absolutely, they put limits on a lot of my lifestyle.
I still get tripped up from time to time – like planning my trip for Christmas, before realizing no point booking the flight till I find a sitter/kennel, and then adding in that cost to decide if the trip is worth it. (this happened yesterday, 3 years into doggy-ownership!)
Also, if I work all day (like we all do) I am pretty uncomfortable leaving them again for the evening.
I never resent the limits (although some of my friends do) but I sure do feel them.
Also my social life has re-oriented itself more towards people who have dogs themselves – ie. are comfortable at my place (not everyone is) with them, are willing for them to come over with me, or to go for dog walks instead of lattes.
Having said all that, it never feels bad, just requires constant thoughtfulness.
And each limit is so much more than outweighed by being greeted like a royalty every single time I return home, by snuggling up to watch tv, by having to go for walks like it or not (good for me), by the conversations with strangers who like the dogs, and most of all by – seriously – the friendship I have with them.
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Being a new puppy owner I can definitely say being at home with her during the day during housetraining/potty training is huge. Will Shawn let you work from home for a while? You gotta watch those little guys like hawks as they’ll just stop and do their business anywhere. We are super lucky with our pup, she is pretty much trained after a month, only one accident so far, but that’s diligently taking her out every 2-3 hours and watching her constantly for her subtle signals that she has to go outside.
Nighttimes at first she cried and cried and barked and carried on *all* night. If we were still in the condo- forget it. Now she’s ok, but expect a week or more of upset puppy at night as she’ll miss her litter mates and people she came from.
Going out is tough as we feel guilty leaving her too long in her crate by herself. We’re going in to the city next week for a show and are having my brother doggy sit her(as they have 2 dogs and love our little pup) then drop her back at our place later in the evening as we’ll be gone a long time.
But! We love her to bits and she is super smart, awesome, gentle and sweet so we really lucked out with her. We get her out to the doggy park at least once a day, as well as play ball in the back yard when it’s nice, and she is loving it.
I would for sure research the breed(s) you’re interested in and be certain you’ll have the time for a pup- you’re a busy girl already! Pups are like having a baby/toddler in the house- for real!
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I’ve got a dog, and I still have a social life. In fact, Jack gives me a greater social life than otherwise. You’re busy and not home a lot because you don’t want to be home alone. I say go for it.
Get a nice little dog, great companion, and they give you an excuse to step out of your place and take the little doggy , for a very nice and relaxing little walk around your sea wall area. The nights your home curled up watching a movie,. it can snuggle up with you……{boy .do I ever sound like a suck}…. just thinking about you Tan!!!! Cheers
Wow, thanks everyone… Your feedback was awesome. I have a lot to think about over the next few weeks. It’s not a decision I’ll take lightly, that’s for sure.
Please please please promise that you will either go to a shelter to adopt a dog or if you insist on going purebred, do you homework.. inspect the area the dogs have to live in and research the breeder well. And don’t even consider buying from a pet store – 95% of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills.
(I’m sure you know this stuff having previously had a dog, but so many people have no idea)
Hi Tanya, I actually set next to you on the plane ride from Chicago-Miami for your cruise vacation [yes I work for the cruise line]. I am glad you enjoyed your vacation and got to unplug a bit! As to hypoallergenic dogs, we have 2 soft coated wheaten terriers. If you get a female they are not so big and they are wonderful companions, friendly … plus dogs are SO adaptable to their owner’s lifesyles, just give them love!! All the best to you