The joy of owning a dog

A good breeder will always rehome your dog if you have a problem. I worry about not being able to look after my dog but I wouldn’t be without her. The only thing I will say is that puppies are very tiring: as with looking after grandchildren that’s when you feel your age.

Serious question: I'm 73 in good health, love walking, have had [well behaved, calm] dogs in the past but not recently due to doing a lot with grandchildren and doing a house up.
I'd love a dog, grandkids are growing up and don't see them much.
I've seen a lovely pup, just right, not a large breed, friendly mum...and wondering if it's sensible.
I'm on my own, happy to be at home most of the time so have plenty of time, although I don't sleep well sometimes and have days when I don't feel 100%. Just worry about getting older and if it's fair on the pup [who is 3 months old and practically housetrained].
I have a friend locally who said she would help/dog sit/have her if I need a break etc.
Your opinions welcome. Thank you.

We have a toy poodle and cockapoo neither shed and my cousin who has bad asthma says they are the only dogs she's been able to be in the same room with.

Korthals Griffon…..

I love discovering a new breed of dog! We met a Stabihoun the other week, one of the rarest dogs in the world. He was gorgeous. I thought at first that he was a Munsterlander: he was of a similar size and colouring. The following week I met a wire haired pointer called a something or other Griffon. I always go home and look them up on Wikipedia.

Thank you Shelmiss. I will have a look at those dogs.

AGAA4

Very envious reading through this thread. I would have loved a dog but have severe asthma and I am allergic to them.
I walk a lot and have got to know a lot of dogs so I have to make do with that ?

I also have asthma and am allergic to cats and most dogs. So I did my research and looked into getting a Coton de Tulear. They are hypo allergenic, don’t shed (they really don’t shed unlike most supposedly hypo allergenic dogs, I shed more hair than they do!), they have hair not fur and are the most wonderful companions.

We got our first dog 8 years ago, then his sister came along a year later. Best decision we ever made, they have changed our lives!

I love watching working dogs in action whether it’s a sheepdog, assistance dog or those delightful lively spaniels shown sniffing out explosives, drugs or whatever. There was a TV programme relatively recently about training dogs to sniff out hidden mobile phones, memory cards and so on. And hasn’t there been something recently about dogs being able to detect certain illnesses long before the owner was aware there was something wrong.

Have had a dog most of my life with the exception of about 8 years when my old boy passed and work took over. Have 2 now and thinking about another one with possibly a fourth in about 18 months. Where I go, they go if they are not welcome then I take my business elsewhere. Family know if you invite me then we go as a team. I have various circles of doggie friends in different doggie walk places and can strike up a conversation with most non doggie people as they admire my well turned out beautifully kept bearded collie girls complete with doggie hair slides to keep the fur out of their eyes. They are never far from me and are extremely well behaved as I have trained them to be. They are my pride and joy, my mates, we have a lorra laughs and yes they do laugh and its a joint love on love thing we have.

Very envious reading through this thread. I would have loved a dog but have severe asthma and I am allergic to them.
I walk a lot and have got to know a lot of dogs so I have to make do with that ?

RichmondPark1

Here here! Dogs can be a joy and our dog has brought us a decade of laughter, love and companionship. It's the owners who can be a problem.

Agree completely RP1, it is the owners who are the problem. I did comment on the other thread, I don't have a dog, don't want a dog, but I do understand why some people keep a dog and for the record I would certainly NOT hurt a dog. But I do want to be able to walk without having some random dog jump up and soil my clothing or worse still knock me over nor do I want anyone picking up their small dog and lunging it into my face so it can. "kiss me"!

To all you responsible dog owners, well done on giving them a home - I appreciate many dogs come from re-homing centre's, training them well, clearing up their poo, and being generally good dog owners. To the rest, who thinks it is funny for their dog to chase young. children, jump up at people, terrorise other animals, think their dogs own the parks, leave dog mess for people to step in..........shame on you, you don't deserve the loyalty of any dogs!

There should be a special place in hell for people who do things like that. When you take on a dog, it is a commitment for life. There are no words for what I'd do to these people...

I agree too Witzend re homing a dog for any reason is far better than simply abandoning one. People like that should never have dogs.

Agree Witzend there are plenty of rescue centres who would help with rehoming.
I love my dogs too, they are scruffy little rescue dogs and not the brightest buttons. They give their love unconditionally despite being ill treated before we got them. Our house would not be a home without them.
I do understand though that others do not feel the same and I respect that. I don't take my dogs to other people's houses unless they are specifically invited. The same goes for shops, restaurants etc.

Tizliz

*her dh had driven it out in to the countryside and ‘let it go*

Puts them in the same class as people who show dogs and have to re-home one because it wasn't doing well enough.

To me, wilfully abandoning a dog like that is rather worse, tizliz.

It’s my choice not to have a dog but I do like them and help out with the 2 dogs belonging to my DDs. However I do feel that dogs need better training in some cases. When I go out I tend to ignore them. In my opinion dogs are allowed into too many places. I prefer not to see them in cafes, restaurants or shops and can’t believe that John Lewis now allows them inside. There are so many suitable places which dogs will enjoy but they shouldn’t be allowed everywhere.

her dh had driven it out in to the countryside and ‘let it go

Puts them in the same class as people who show dogs and have to re-home one because it wasn't doing well enough.

Oh that's horrible Witzend, fancy admitting to doing such a dreadful thing!!

I love my little pooch who is like my shadow. Sitting under my chair in the garden yesterday, I moved it and squashed her paw! ?. She squealed and ran indoors. I felt so bad and followed her in. I picked her up and she licked me and nuzzled my neck. How’s that for unconditional love. ♥️

To be fair, Smileless, by that stage they haven’t usually known that I had a dog or was a lover of them.

It happened once in an informal outdoor setting where someone had brought their dog along - perfectly well behaved, not bothering anybody, and the person said, ‘Ugh, I hate dogs, they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere like this.’ (Or words to that effect,)

There was also someone who I’d been friends with for quite a while - we had dds of similar ages - who told me that they’d had a dog a few years back but she’d got fed up with it, so her dh had driven it out in to the countryside and ‘let it go’. ?

Talk about instant chill!

I can't understand why anyone would say that to a dog owner Witzend and FWIW I feel the same way. 'Love me, love my dogs'.

So true, Smileless2012.
Dogs just don’t live long enough.

I will probably get flamed for this, but have to admit that now and then, someone newly met who I’ve been getting on with quite well, has told me they really don’t like dogs, or even loathe them.

I then go off them instantly. It’s as if they’ve told me they belong to some weird religious cult, or belong to the flat earth society.

I loved my own dogs and trained them to have good manners. DD is allergic to all things furry so no pets for us now, and anyway my OH says no.
Dogs are great, but they need responsible owners.

Dogs, their breeding, training and judging was a big part of DH and my life, although I was just kennel maid, sh*t shoveller and dog walker. After 45 years of dogs - sometimes up to 10 at a time - poor health forced him to rehome the last few and he returned to his boyhood hobby of fishing.
Now I’m on my own, I have considered, but decided against getting a spaniel of my own - but I have DD2’s dogs a couple of days every week for various reasons, so I think I’ve got the best of both worlds.

I ❤️ dogs ... my last dog passed away sbout 18 months ago , had 5 in all ... not together may I add ... each one own personality loved them all, each one their own personal mannerisms, now have 2 budgies ! My hubby passed away & we always said we wouldn't have any more, my daughter & son in law has a black labrador, when they go on holiday I dog sit , he is gorgeous but a nightmare aswell ... but I love him to bits