To get a dog or not?

She was born in Danemark, and has a Danish EU passport stamped in DK, France and Switzerland.

Yes, it would be nice to know.

Emma is settling down nicely, and her and Minou are great companions. She is 13 but looks like a puppy. When I told the vet in France when we went for her rabies jab and others to keep her EU passport up to date, he could not believe it.

Come back and tell us?

Orange123 I wonder what you actually did in the end?
A dog is a big committment, but they are wonderful companions,

That’s good, a dog is part of the family, but to some just a disposable item to be got rid of ,once surplus to requirements! Quite shocking.A vet should certainly not have agreed to kill a healthy dog.

lemongrove nd Menopaws, thank you for your kind words. So lucky we have a great neighbour, but for now we are planning trips where we can take her with us, by car. Tuscany in September and Corsica, Corfou next year, Croatia and Slovenia. As we live in Switzerland it is not too far.

Get your dog, you will enjoy it by the sounds of it and find a really good pet carer for when you are away. When I'm away my dog rushes into the pet carers home without a backward glance so I know she is right and I am at peace then when I return he comes rushing out to me. Your life cannot be dictated by a dog but you also have to be at peace with his carer

What horrible people!
So the pet sharing isn’t a good idea, the poor old mother dog.?

I know, even worse, what a terrible deed. To be honest I cannot believe a vet agreed to do this?!?

I know I cannot possibly accept any guilt or responsibility, and still, we had got so attached to Zimba we had been fostering for 2 years. There is o way I could remain friends. We have been planning our next holidays in Europe where we can drive and take her with us. Tuscany in September, and Corsica and Corfu next year.

Jura what a terrible thing for them to say and feel. You must be upset but the responsibility lies with them and not you. Enjoy your pets and put the past behind you now.

We are devastated so will share the tragic news. When we agreed to help out with short term fostering to help out the couple, we said VERY clearly it was short term only, and only as long as they were happy to have them back when we want to travel. We explained we were not in a position to adopt dogs, because our flat n UK stipulates we cannot have dogs there, and our SIL is not keen on dogs either, so our visits to GC came first. That was totally understood and clear, and reiterated each time we met, and agreed.

When he came to fetch them before our Crete holiday last month, he said they intended to travel for long periods of time, and that it was not convenient to have them back on regular basis. Huge shock.

We explained we could not adopt the male, although we adore him, because he is a barker, and not comfortable with strangers. He asked if we could have the mum, and we said we could, as she is so easy and does not bark, and could be carried off premises without fuss when at the UK flat for a few weeks at a time- but we did not think it would be fair to seperate them. They are mother and son, she 13 and he 11- and been together all their life.

When we were in Crete, we got message they had put to sleep (murdered) the male, so we could have the female to adopt permanenty on our return.

I cried and cried, and had sleepless nights, and even felt terribly guilty I somehow had caused his demise. Refused to meet him when he brought her, and will never ever speak to or meet them. They said they really would like to keep in touch and remain friends but sorry, I just could not...ever.

Poor Mems s grieving and confused, and has to sleep next to us or she weeps all night. She and Minou 3 legs have become very close friends though, so one bit of good news.

One sentence will always stick in my mind 'we so loved the dogs, but we have totally outgrown them'...

I don't mean to be horrible but if you need to ask if you should get a dog then you are not ready. Taking on a dog is going to change your way of life, they need walks (time) feeding ( expense) house might not be tidy, garden might be a mess until they are trained but most importantly they are not left for long periods, so if you like holidays or need to go away a lot with work, it might not be the fair on him or her.

Have you checked that a dog rescue will allow you to have a dog if you are away so often? my DD recently adopted a puppy and the interviewer asked her this question. Personally, I wouldn’t think it fair to have a rescue dog bond with you and then have you disappear for weeks at a time, they often have enough issues as it is.
Not being mean here, but this time it’s all about the dog.

Depends on the dog's personality. I had to go into hospital for major surgery leaving my two German Shepherds in kennels. One of them suffered so much psychologically she never really recovered. Better not get one of those clingy dependent breeds. Pure bred terriers are generally more independent. Old dogs less likely to survive separation than young ones.
Maybe a young rescued staffie would suit you, give you enough cuddles , and be a good deterrent against burglars into the bargain.

I suppose the same thing could be done with 2 puppies from same litter- but then, I could never ever buy a dog myself- just too many needing good forever homes out there.

As long as as your dog is taken care of at all times, there is no problem . Go for it chuck.

One idea which is catching on, is the dog sharing idea. Perfect for people who do want to have a dog and travel- and what we planned to do with our own rescue centre. To find another individual, family or couple who have the same basic attitude re dogs- agree on basic rules re feeding, rules (settee, or bed, etc- you have to agree on basics or it would be too confusing for dogs)- and then adopt 2 rescues, 1 each- that have shown that they get on really well together at the refuge. Then right from the start- take it in turn to have them together for 1 week-end, then a few more days, then a week- and add a bit more each time- until they are comfortable with the idea.

At the vet's yesterday, there was an article suggesting same in a French dog owners' magazine.

Didn't happen for us this time- as a young expat couple asked us to have the dogs for them for a while, as they found it difficult to cope with 2 new real babies and the dogs. We have had them for nearly 2 years now- but they go back to their owners everytime we want to travel.

Which is another possibility- foster.

I would be reluctant to leave a dog in kennels for a month but, leaving a dog at home with a trusted pet sitter, or having the dog stay with one seems acceptable. I’ve been away more since I retired and if the dogs can’t come with me, they spend up to two weeks in high quality kennels with familiar staff and walks twice daily, or with a family member or close friend. The dogs are content. It’s seems a shame to deny yourself a dog simply because you go away twice a year, providing you make proper plans. There are many reasons to think carefully before getting a dog. Are the friends who give you advice dog owners

Barking Mad franchisees know their host families very well and take great care to match your dog with the best host. You will be given lots of information about the host, the dog is taken and returned in the Barking Mad car because it has been found to be less stressful for the dog and the owner. It is sent with everything it needs and when it is dropped off, the franchisee waits until it is settled and sends a photo to the owner often before they have even got on their plane. As a host, you know the franchisee is available all the time if you need them. The first morning after the dog is dropped off, they phone to find out how the night went and let the owner know all is well again. If I take photos of where we have been, I send them to the franchisee and he emails them to the owner. If the flight back is delayed, I know that the franchisee will ensure the dog is still looked after, especially if I have other plans. For example, a flight was delayed for two days recently so the owners arranged for their parents to care for the dog and the franchisee drove it the twenty miles to their parents. I would not like to host and have all that responsibility myself! I like to have fun looking after the dog and making sure it has a good time. People have approached me asking about my dog when I've been walking and been amazed when I say it is only staying for a holiday, because we have complete rapport. The dogs love the franchisee, the host and most of all, their own family. You can trust Barking Mad whether you are a host or an owner, to truly love every dog and care for it as much as you do !

Littleflo"s comments are so so valid!

Our last dog died 18 months ago and at the moment we are not having another as we have a plan to be away for 6 months travelling. We have a daughter in Australia and visit her annually for 4-6 weeks. We used to leave our dog, at first in kennels (a small kennels close by with a very personal touch!) and then she would either stay with a friend or the friend came and stayed at home with her. She adored us....but in truth she adored the person of the day who was feeding and walking her! As long as you have adequate care for the dog and they are with people who care for them as you do I don't think they mind! Years ago with our first dog, we were very young and kennelled her while we went away for 6 weeks. I cried daily I was so worried about her and in the end we cut the holiday short. We went to collect her, and she was fine, as we walked to the car and the kennel lady called good-bye she pulled to go back to her!! That was a lesson learnt! A dog brings so much love and fun and makes you go out. Just give thought to the breed and requirements before you commit. Good Luck.

Our dog was happy to go and stay with anyone who would feed her and make a fuss of her. She would instantly make herself at home anywhere (often uninvited!) - I could write a book on her antics. She was always overjoyed to see us if we had been away on holiday, but loyal? Only until she started getting hungry again! (And yes, we did feed her regularly, but we later discovered that she was having elevensies with office workers next to the marina where we lived on our boat, lunch in the boatyard workshop, and then later on going into a house at the marina entrance and eating the food put down for a supposedly fierce alsation, while it looked on bemused.)

Obviously, not all dogs are so outgoing, (or fickle?), so I suggest that the OP, if she does get a dog, introduces it to its potential sitter long before she goes away on holiday. A few visits to them, then some short paid stays, would help the dog to feel 'at home' when eventually left there for a long period.

I can't see any reason why you should not get a dog if you feel you can make adequate arrangements for when you are away. I would advise against getting a puppy though, they are hard work for the first 12- 18 months. Depending on the breed of course, but I am sure you will research that. Why not contact you local rescue and see who they have looking for a home? Especially if you have long enough to get your new BFF settled in before you go anywhere. There are always pros and cons to any decision. Nothing is perfect and there is always a compromise to be made along the way. We are having a dog sitter in our house this year as our normal arrangements have fallen though. Where there's a will....

littleflo such a cute picture it looks as though your little dog is smiling for the camera.

Lovely photo, littleflo