1. the ability to enjoy a thrill ride, and
2. to understand a love for animals.
Believe me, I take a lot of criticism for the latter. It's not that I HATE animals...I just don't get the roll-around-on-the-ground-while-the-dog-licks-your-face kind of affection that my husband (and many others) have for the animal kingdom. I can't pin-point my aversion to pets...maybe it's the smell, or the shedding, or the begging for food, or the slobber...you get the idea.
Chris, for as long as I've known him, has wanted to get a dog. This, of course, would complete his little dream trinity of wife-house-dog. In an attempt to postpone the inevitable, I asked him to wait until we had been married a few months to start talking about it. And, unbelievably, he didn't bring it up...until this week.
Coincidentally, or not coincidentally, one of his patients owns a Golden Retriever kennel, the same kennel where the dog from Homeward Bound was born and bred. Chris interprets this as sign #1 and sits me down on the couch after work to tell me about it. Later in the week, at an outing to Burrito Union (Duluth's Chipotle wannabe), Chris saw a girl walking a Golden Retriever. Ding, ding, ding...supposedly sign #2!
Alleged "Sign #3" came last week when I was cleaning up apples from our yard, and glanced over at the tree in the corner of our yard. Chilling on the branches was the stuffed dog pictured above. I thought Chris left it there for me to find, but he said he had nothing to do with it (and, come to think of it, he probably wouldn't be that clever). Uggghhhhghhhh.
So, that's where we are. Chris is stoked about visiting the kennel this week, which I have expressed is just a VISIT. Logistically, we have a lot to work out before we get a dog. And he has a lot to conquer in me before we take that smelly, slobbery, hairy plunge.
Dog lovers...convince me.
And those of you who have obstained from owning a dog, HELP ME OUT! What's your reasoning??
33 comments:
Jamie, I love dogs however, Golden Retrievers shed SOOO much. Think more than twice about one! (But they are the sweetest most loveable breed!)
I am familiar with the shedding, as we "dog-sat" for Chris' parents' dog. Good dog, but still a lot of work (especially since I'm home all day and was the one caring for it).
You probably already know my tw0-cents worth - at the risk of falling out of favor with my Favorite S-I-L, I am an advocate of a dependent-free first year of marriage, at least! I have always owned dogs, and know that they are very dependent, requiring 24/7 care, much attention, extra cleaning, arranging dog-sitting when you want to travel, etc. You have a lifetime ahead, my vote is to give each other your full attention for a year or so before adding the complexity and stress that another member of the household will bring. Dogs are a 12-20 year commitment - you are wise to ponder it for awhile.
I wasn't all that crazy about getting a dog either. But... getting a puppy makes it so easy to fall in love with them! The proof is here. Yeah, I'm a dork.
I think dogs are really cute, but as far as owning one goes, I am most definitely in the anti-dog camp. Why? 3 words: Messy. Slobbery. Poopy. And basically I am against anything that is unable to take care of itself for a couple of days if I go out of town. Maybe that explains why Justin and I don't have kids yet? ;)
Where are all the dog lovers? Come on people!! This is not helping my cause. Oh well. It is an "us" decision, not an "I" decision. Maybe someday!
My husband is the greatest-- despite his dog loving ways. :)
I love animals, especially when they belong to someone else. I'm not a big fan of owning messy (I hate cat/dog hair on my clothes) and expensive to take care of pets. I already have a husband and almost 3 kids (3 more weeks) to take care of. None of them are responsible or available to help me care for them, therefore we don't have any pets. I keep telling my boys it's because we don't have a house, but once we have one I'll have to come up with some other excuse.
compromise and get a cat! they pretty much ignore you most of the day, and usually allways enjoy a good pet and never slobber.
Okay so as you may know i'm not a dog lover. Only because i had next door neighbors that never trianed there dogs and would bark at ALL the time. ALL the time. They're growing on me though.
Even though i'm not a fan of the Dog..... i've always wanted one of those sled dog looking dogs that well, quite frankly are dogs.
I here they don't shed much and some people that are allergic to dogs aren't allergic to their hair.
enjoy the rock paper scissor fight at the Kennel!!
Give 'em a baby instead. That'll change his mind about the dog.
I am with you all the way on the no pets. In fact, it's one of the reasons I knew Mark was the one for me ... he's allergic to dogs AND cats!
However, when I was living alone in my house in Stockton, I thought about getting a dog. I gave myself 6 months to see if I still wanted one. I got a human roommate instead.
And NO CATS!!! According to Heidi, I am dead inside for this viewpoint.
I'm kind of with both of you on this one. I know how much Chris has loved our golden retrievers so know how much he would love one. And, if you train them well, they are great dogs to have around. You can train them to be in only certain areas of your home, too. And, they really do love you!!! However, they do shed a lot (unless you get them cut short, then it's short hair rather than long hair everywhere) and as with any pet, they are a lot of work and do require visits to the vet and who will take care of them when you are away???? I would suggest thinking about it long and hard because it is a long commitment. Just DO NOT get a cat! Love you both --- Mom Stav
Compromise and get a very small dog that he can love and that leaves small "land mines".
Australian Shepherds do not shed. So I hear. I like those
I do recommend Shetland Ponies. They live longer than dogs, are trainable, and oh so cute. Just copy and paste.
http://images.ponyaday.com/2008W/2008-01-07-stoic-shetland-pony.jpg
Oh Jamie!! Matt and I love our "Scout" but it does make things harder. You do have to arrange sitting, and do some more clean-up, but it's usually not that bad. I, like Chris, wanted a dog so badly, but Matt was on the fence about it. Scout pretty much fell into our laps, and we took him in. He's so great! Matt LOVES our dog way more then I thought, because he's our dog. He swims in the lake, and snuggles with us. We take him everywhere and we love it. So I'm rooting for team Chris!
You might want to consider adopting an older dog. Usually they've grown out of a lot of the bad puppy behaviors, plus older dogs usually don't get adopted because everyone wants a puppy. So you'd be giving an older dog some nice last years!
I will be of no help to Chris. I am one of those people who like the "idea" of a dog, but the thought of having something shed it's fur all over my house is not appealing. I already loose enough hair myself. And on top of that, I don't want to have to clean up anyones poop other than my child's.
You should get a Panda! They're cute and cuddly and would TOTALLY match Chris' man basement!! :D jk but you should get the dog. You'll learn to love it.
~Amelia
I've seen pictures of your house. Light colored carpeting + dog + snow in winter do not match up favorably. Get a goldfish instead. They hardly ever track muddy snow inside.
Good point, anonymous. :)
Hey, Jamie!
From a dog lover who just lost her beloved friend this spring...
Kiana shed EVERYWHERE but it was so worth it! She was our joyous greeting after a long day of teenagers and their parents. And she just wanted to hang out with us. Bonus was a cheap security system--the cost of dog food is terribly small to the security system monthly fees. Even with the vet bills considered!
Is it a Golden or nothing? Check out other breeds for the shedding and personality. I love Goldens myself but know the work involved with them and we haven't seriously considered one ourselves for that reason. Then again, we consider mutts and they've always been great (we've lucked out with great dogs in our lives!)
having said all that and both of us being died-in-the-wool dog lovers, we waited two years before we got Kiana. We had her for eleven years and we're still mourning her. She would have been a perfect dog if she didn't shed--we say that her shedding was to keep us humble :)
Just a note--dogs either have hair or fur--those with fur shed and those with hair need to be trimmed. Kiana had two coats of fur so she shed a lot. My mom's Shi Tzu's have one coat of hair and they need to be trimmed. If you aren't stuck on a Golden, research other breeds. You'll find one that fits--personality, habits, size, independence...
Hey--we are heading your direction tomorrow--but won't be in town except to do laundry. Bummer! I'd love to connect! Stop by the laundromat on Central Entrance near the mall if you like :)
oh gosh! forgot to tell you who I am!
Shelley from Revolution/Biola. What I dope I can be! Having a baby does that to one's brain sometimes...
Kiana was our baby until we had Anneliese. She was sick and left us ten days after Anneliese was born. Faithful to the VERY end. I still cry for missing her.
Shelley...what time will you be there? Facebook me :)
Hi Jamie!
This is Sarah Rowland from Revolution-moved-to-Colorado. Well, if some super cute photos will help you, can can check out my blog of our two dogs. My advice is t encourage your husband to research as many breeds as possible. Goldens are high energy, high shed, high slobber. Smaller dogs shed less, poo less and lick smaller amounts. You may also want to think of getting an older dog - 18 mo or more - because then you will miss the trials of potty training and teething.
The benefits of having a dog? I would not trade my Meatball for the world. He is funny, intelligent and always excited to see me. The best part? He is the best heater during long cold winters and loves to just be in the same space as me.
Good luck!
To Shelley who is grieving Kiana, I have a book to recommend if you like to - or have time to - read. Everyone says it is really good. Look it up on Amazon.com or your local bookstore: "Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish" by Mark R. Levin.
I am going to say...at some point I think you are going to be a proud owner of a D-O-G. Now you just need to take a stance as to what kind.
We have a little Malte-Poo, Belle. I just adore her (watch for her debut on Olivia's blog)...she doesn't bark, shed, drool, etc...
You should think about a Golden-Doodle. Good compromise, non-shedding, with very nice temperments...but on the downside you can't predict how big they will be until they are done growing! I have a friend w/ an 80lb Golden-Doodle (Golden Ret/Poodle) and a friend w/ a 40 lb Golden-Doodle...really it's a toss up. But worth looking into. I also hate sheding!
I have also put a 15 lb limit in my house. I hate big dogs! They scare me. Except the 80 lb Golden-Doodle mentioned above...she is so darn cute!
Oh and from the comment below...OMG do not get a cat! They shed so much worse then dogs & their pee stinks!
Hi, sorry I'm late to comment, but we were on vacation. Phil and I got Wicket in our fourth month of marriage, and I don't think it made a whole lot of difference either way on the responsibility debate. I have usually been the one taking care of him since I'm home more, but it's really not a problem since he's the best. Phil and I both had never had a puppy, and I wanted one so badly. He was not as sure, and felt we were moving way too fast. He has since changed his mind. I will say puppies are A LOT of work until they're about two. Once they mellow out it's easier to care for them.
Smaller dogs (such as Yorkies) are easier to care for, but tend to cost more upfront. However, as you know, Wicket may only weigh eight pounds, but he has a HUGE personality and is the most loving dog I have ever known. Yorkies are also hypoallergenic and do not shed. =)
Roxeanne, your dog is, like, 5 inches tall. I wouldn't have a problem with one of those...or one like yours, Trish...but Chris doesn't want a small dog. It threatens his masculinity, apparently.
Get a dog, get a dog! But only if you'll spoil it and let it be an indoor dog. I can't stand when people get pets and then just leave them outside and don't love them. As far as "the smell, or the shedding, or the begging for food, or the slobber".. well, that just reminds me of a child. Haha, sad but true. Dogs are so innocent though, and they love us unconditionally no matter how we treat them. I would suggest you get a puppy though, easier to train them to your needs. They can be such loyal companions, I don't think you'll regret it!
I was referred to your wonderful blog by your mother's friend Val. We went dogless for 16 YEARS after getting married and just last week, we bought our first puppy...for the kids. My husband was against getting a dog for 16 YEARS while I begged and pleaded for one to no avail. I hate to admit that he was right, but my advice is (and I love dogs), HAVE KIDS FIRST. If you are even thinking about having kids in the next 3-5 years, forego the dog for now. When the kids are born, you will not have time for the dog and you will be exhausted just by having a child--not to mention the hassle of having to keep the dog off of a toddler and then keeping the toddler out of the dogfood and the dog hair, worrying about the yard being clean..etc. Then when your kids get around 5-6, they will beg for a dog and when you get it for them, you will enjoy the dog because of the joy it brings your kids. Your aversion will be erased altogether and you will have extra hands to pick up after it so that you don't have to. My sage advice....I like it. I think it's good. Good luck and belated congrats on your marriage!
Jamester, the Turners have fat-dog Shasta, as you know. She was to be Mark's dad's companion when he convalesced at our home in 1995. Tis now 2008 and the cute cocker spaniel is still with us, albeit much fatter, stiff with arthritis, bordering on deaf and blind. But I can't bear for her to go. Despite all the shedding, and the toliet-paper eating, and the increasing "accidents," Shasta is loyal and she is part of the family. She was my loyal companion when we first moved to Georgia, my exercise partner when I got serious about walking and losing weight, our happy buddy on many a camping adventure, and an ever-faithful greeter when we come home. I think those are the qualities that Chris knows will weigh more than all the brushes full of shed hair/fur (your choice of noun depends on whether you see your pet as sorta-human or not), the buckets of slobber, and the garbage bags full of you-know-what. However, I encho the advice of others--waiting is a good thing. Jen & Kyle invested lots of time and money in Jackson, their Rhodesian Ridgeback, and then found they couldn't cope with big ol' slobbery, ever-present massive dog when babies arrived and had to put him up for adoption through Ridgeback Rescue. Your love for Chris will help you give in on his wish for a dog. His love for you will help him wait until the time is right. Until then, enjoy your trips to the zoo, or continue your collection of cute stuffed animals. Hang in there, Chris (and Shasta!).
We have a labradoodle and he is awesome!! Angus' dad is a red standard poodle and his mom is a yellow lab. The great thing about the mix is . . . no shedding! Poodles have hair not fur, so they don't shed. He still requires some maintenance brushing and trimmming when his hair gets long but I'm never afraid to wear black pants or have company sit on my couch :) I'll email you a link to my 'Angus' photo album.
Jamie, give it up. You need the dog! They don't ALWAYS slobber, vacuums are for shedding, and you can redirect the kisses. You will appreciate the day you come home from work, hubby is gone, it's storming outside, and you still have someone to cuddle with. Dogs get that students are crazy, dogs get when PMS is at its worst, and dogs get that sometimes, all they have to do is look at you and nuzzle your hand to make it better. Go for the dog. I know you are one up with me on the husband... I will hopefully catch up soon. But waiting for husband and having dog qualifies me to say, you've got the husband, now get the dog.
Let me qualify that... hubby is gone TO WOEK.... I know he is not going anywhere. Sorry!:) I will go on a bit longer, I hope you don't mind. I have to border collie mixes. Both are rescued, both are beautiful loveable dogs. I wouldn't change a thing. Abby (border collie shepherd mix) came to me when she was 8 weeks old. She was a rescue, and we did have some vet things to care for, but totally worth it. She does not drool, though she does have fur, so she sheds. So I sweep a little more. Your friend is right about the security, she is that. The mailman runs away in terror, but he really is a big baby.
Training is key, and will help out with some issues that concern you. Hailey came to me 6 months ago, at 2 years of age. She is also rescued, was found on the side of the freeway and nursed back to health and brought to us. She is a hair girl, so no shedding. Both are sleeping on a dog bed as I type, and both will jump up in exuberance when I move in a few minutes. They are both obedience trained, and begain their first agility class last Wednesday. Work out for the dogs, exercise for me. And they have the puppy dog eyes. Gotta love those.
Choosing breed can help make your decision not be a regrettable one. You have to find something that will work for you, and something that you will love, and a happy hsuband is a good thing. There. My two cents. :)
Tuesday is definitely going to be interesting!
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