Inquiring Minds Want to Know.. Why did you get a dog?

[Jennifer and Jack]

I have been thinking about this for a while.... I see people get dogs and then give them back because they decided it was not what they were looking for, more then they can handle etc.

 

What makes a person get a dog??? If I can be gut honest, which I can if I want, Thank you USA. I was never a dog person, I did not have any respect for a dog as a living creature, I was one of those that I now feel sorry for because they have no idea what they are missing out on.

 

I am a people pleaser to a fault. Some friends of mine had two dogs, I was able to see the bond that they had with them, though I didn't understand it. I thought they were "a bit much" to have a basket of toys for a dog but whatever.

 

Fast forward, I was at one of my doctors appointment, a doctor I don't see anymore but I had just started going there. She had two Goldendoodles. She was head over heels in love with them. I ended up being admitted into the hospital... and for my follow up appointment, my mom and I went to see her.

 

We were flabbergasted when she walked in the room and sat down and cried. Neither both my mom or I were dog people. Unfortunately for my poor doctor, her two dogs were involved in a horrible freak accident, one fell off of a sun roof and the other jumped off after him. One of the dogs had to be put down, and the other required extensive surgery but survived.

 

The poor doctor, had to do clinic that day and she sat down and cried and cried and cried and showed us pictures.. I am a total bleeding heart so I cried too. My mom she was sad for her but thinking we just drove almost three hours and she wanted to discuss my hospital stay and coming off the IV antibiotics.. We were not able to discuss anything that day, We were just a friend to her.

 

We both got in the car, (my mom and I) we had no idea what to say, We could not imagine someone being so upset about a dog. Not because we were cold hearted but because we just didn't know.

 

My heart was so broke for her that I ended up sending her dog a get well basket..Thank Goodness for google, I googled what to do for someone when their dog dies or is hurt.

 

So we sent out a basket for the dog that lived and a condolence thing for the one that passed.

 

We became friends and she was still my doctor. My health at the time was horrible and I needed to stop working but was depressed about it....I started talking to my friend a lot about her dogs and I actually was just thinking about getting one.. I was not totally sold out on it but as a gift, Jack was purchased for me, or a good part of him was.

 

The next thing I knew, I was going to be a puppy mom. I didn't know the first thing about it. I didn't even know how I was going to let a dog in my house, NO ONE comes in my house with shoes on. I would challenge people to find one speck of dust anywhere.

 

In walks Jack to my life, I never knew what I was missing, I didn't know the hole in my heart that needed to be filled.

 

How about you, what made you decide to get a dog? Was it empty nest syndrome? Was it because you grew up with dogs and always had one? Did you fall in love with a rescue? What made you get a dog???

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Always always had a dog. When Zach passed our daughter came home from college and had 2 dogs and a cat. We lost one of those dogs to Kidney failure, I didn't think could stand to go through the misery and pain of that happening again nor did I ever want to make yet another decision to euthanize. We were busy planning a wedding for the next year and right after that decided I had to have one. 

Due to asthma it had to be another poodle/mix in my book so researched doodles.

So glad we found her, she is the perfect dog for us and has brought the much needed dog joy we were missing.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I grew up with dogs. My father, who was not very nice to people, loved his dogs. For some reason both my sister and I became dog lovers too. I have a theory about people... there are hate dog people, like dog people, want dog people and need dog people. I am a need dog person. I am and have always been overwhelmed by the gift of unconditional love of a dog. I am not sure how many years of my life have been without dogs but it is very few!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have not lived without a dog since I was 6 years old. I can't even imagine living without a dog. When I have been "dogless", never more than 4 months, the absence of a dog in my life has been palpable; it's a physical need, like being hungry or thirsty. For me, having a dog is a need, not a want.

 

[Jennifer and Jack]

I think now that I have experienced the joy and sheer love of owning a dog, it has become a NEED for me as well.

[Melissa]

Growing up I learned that when my 2 older brothers were young they had a dog for a little while.  A beagle.  It ended up running away.  It was before my time, but when I was little I always wanted a dog.  Just always thought they were so cute and lovable.  We could not have one because one of my brothers developed allergies.  So we had fish instead...not my idea of fun pets.  :)

 

Our next door neighbors did have a dog though.  He was a setter (bird dog).  When we moved there I was 3 and terrified of this large dog named Ike (I-kee).  But as time passed I grew to like him very much.  I would go over to their house and feed him or sometimes just sit in the yard with him and talk (I was probably 5 years old).  No he did not talk back, but he always listened to me and gave me unconditional love even though I was not his owner.  I think that is what I loved most about the dogs.  They would let him wander about the neighborhood.  He would come over and get a piece of bread.  He was the best dog!  I would sit on their sofa and he would jump up next to me and lean against me.  :)  He got older and ended up getting dimentia.  He would stand in the middle of the street, not knowing where to go, etc.  It was sad but they had to put him down.  Fast farward a few years, after my Grandma passed away (I was a freshman in college) my Grandpa came to live with us and brought his dog Sammy.  A little terrier mix, sweet but you couldn't play with him like most dogs.  He had been hit by a car years before, so he had some sensitve spots.  But we still grew attached to him.  Then my Grandpa decided to go back "home" (small town in Southern Missouri and of course he took Sammy with him. 

 

Missing having a dog, we decided to go to the Humane Society and we found Bobo.  He was 2 years old and were told he was taken there because the owners had to move and could not take him to the apartment.  He was a little terrier mix and so cute!  My mom brought him home and it took a little bit, but he soon warmed up and was a quick part of the family.  He actually acted more human than dog.  He was the best!  When I moved out (my house about 5 minutes from my parents) he would have sleep overs at my house.  In 2006, he got sick.  He was 15 years old and stopped wanting to eat and got jaundiced.  Vet originally diagnosed him with Leptospirosis, but after a second test a week later he did not have Lepto, they said it was most likely liver cancer.  We had to put him down and that was the toughest thing I have ever done.  And even to this day there are times when I bawl my eyes out because I miss him so much!  My mom, who had adopted Bobo has said she did not want another dog.  That is was just too hard.  But I always knew I wanted another one.

 

I would look online or at other places, but in my heart I knew I could not devote a lot of time to a new dog because I worked so much!  After I got married and moved up to Chicago, we decided that we would get a dog together.  Peter has his own business and I actaully quit my job to help him fulltime, so we have the luxury to work from home.  So we knew we would have the time for a dog.  We went to a local shelter and got Cosmo.  He seemed so great in the shelter.  A little shy.  They did not have a lot of history on the 3 year old.  But we thought we could handle him.  Week by week new "traits" would show up.  We had to get him fixed and then we spent money on different traininig methods, etc.  Nothing worked.  As painful as it was we had to take him back after about 4 months. 

 

We knew we still wanted a dog, because they we felt that they were meant to bring joy and hapiness into the family.  So we decided to research what breed might suit us better.  One of the trainers suggested a poodle and after researching more we came across the goldendoodle.  Everything we read seemed great!  So we found the breeder and we now have Buddy.  He is still a puppy, but he really does bring us such joy, even though he acts up (like a teenager).  LOL

 

I guess I never really thought about a dog as a dog.  I never understand people who have dogs and keep them outside.  Buddy is a member of the family.  And that is how a pet should be.  Unconditional love, always happy to see you no matter what! :)

[Jennifer and Jack]

I couldn't agree more..

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I have never been without a dog since I was born.  Riley is a much wanted puppy whose love is shared by me and my partner.  He also has had dogs and loves them so it was natural  to have one that is part of our lives together.  I cannot imagine life without a dog and Riley is the perfect dog for us.

[Phoebe's Mom]

I was never allowed to have a dog growing up but I always wanted one.  When we got married, my DH and I rescued a lab/chow mix that was a wonderful dog but, at the time, I was not the right owner for her.  I had a baby and our dog had become possessive of him and she scared me (yes, now I have the mindset, resources and undertanding to have gotten outside training help but at the time, I was over-whelmed as a new mom and scared of our dog).  We found an amazing home for her and she lived to be 15 years old but never a day went by that I did not feel guilty for rehoming her and so I swore we now lived in a 'pet-free zone.'  Fast forward to 2008 and a move halfway across the country that none of us wanted, four children who missed their old lives and friends and the constant requests for a dog.  I finally gave in after 6 months here but swore I would never get attached to our new puppy...love her always but the dog was going to be for the children.  WRONG  As everyone knows by now, I am head over heels in love with Phoebe and she is my dog more than anyone else's.  I cannot imagine life without her!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I mostly had cats growing up, my stepmom ended up getting  a sheltie. It always seemed like 'her' dog so I was no that attached to it. Then I moved on my own and most places you rent you had to beg for a cat. I still have my cat but when we bought our house I just knew I wanted one sometime. Like 5 years later Chloe found us and my heart has been full ever since, I wanted Chloe to have someone to stay home with so a year later Myla came along. I was NEVER a dog person and I'm allergic to cats and dogs, My cat is 13. I can truely say that I didn't know what I was missing. I need that unconditional love in my life right now. I feel blessed.What a sad story about your Dr.

[Camilla and Darwin]

When I was about 3 years old, I received a dog encyclopedia. After that, that was it. I was totally obsessed and everyone around me knew it. I had hundreds of stuffed dogs, posters, statues I even had a collar and leash for my future dog, when I could finally have one. :-) I was that kid who rushed up and asked to pet every single dog that I saw, and constantly begged my parents for one. They always said no.

Finally, when I was 8, my parents moved and we were able to get a dog. She was a black lab, named Kallie. Kallie was such a special dog, she was a calm, gentle retired bomb squad dog and we had her for 6 years. My parents only ever allowed her outdoors, which I thought was normal at the time. I remember she would walk us down to the bus stop every single school morning, then be waiting when we got back. Although my entire family owned her she was always "my dog" and I really loved her.

After she died, my family didn't get another dog but everybody knew I would be getting one as soon as it was possible. I started "dating" DH when I was 13, and I remember the first thing my mom said when she found out about our crush was "I hope he likes dogs" LOL.

True to what everyone thought, I got Darwin as soon as we were in a good position to, and I have loved dog ownership. DH and I both say that we can't imagine not having a dog now, life would be so boring! Darwin is kind of a celebrity to my family because they all wanted to know what dog I would end up choosing after pining and studying my encyclopedia for my whole life. Big? Small? Breed? Age? My aunts, uncles and cousins have to meet my dog because I FINALLY have one. Of course they are all impressed, how could anyone not fall in love with Darwin? :-)

Whoa, sorry for the long story. In short, I have always known I loved dogs and that I wanted one. I finally was able to donate all of my stuffed animals and dog paraphernalia because I have my own dog now! Ironically, people always comment that he looks like a stuffed animal. LOL

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

What is the saying...."when God closes a door, he opens a window".  I think Hattie may be your window.  You have been through more than I can even begin to imagine.  Please know that there are so many of us here to support you...you are not "all alone there".

[Elizabeth & *Kosci*.]

Sandy, second that statement. Thanks Jane. well said.