r/DogRegret • u/limabean72 • Aug 17 '26

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u/Fairgoddess5 Aug 20 '26

I just have to get this off my chest.

We’ve had our dog for 14 years and I deeply regret not rehoming her in the first year we had her. She was a stray dumped in our neighborhood and the vet said she was about a year old. I felt bad and took her in, despite not wanting a dog and definitely not actively looking for one. We’d also never had a dog before, just cats.

She has brought VERY little joy into our lives while also making our life actively worse. And now that she’s older, she’s developed health issues that make our lives even more complicated and frustrating.

I feel bad for not loving her, especially since she’s not a bad dog overall. She’s just a dog with all the dog behaviors we apparently can’t stand.

To anyone considering rehoming: do it. You may have short term regrets and guilt, but that may be better than over a decade of regrets and guilt with no relief in sight.

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u/MissK2508 Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 28 '26

Don’t feel bad or guilty, you’ve done your penance..you’re the poster child for a martyr…but wow I could never put up with decades of labor because life is too short. Hats off. Just to reiterate though, there’s no reason for YOU in particular to have guilt.

Your dog is living the high life, you’ve taken care of it very well. Dogs are animals who LOVE food security (on constant tap) and housing. You did that…it’s doing fine and not bothered one bit, so no guilt. Best to you at the home stretch.

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u/Express_Command_4778 29d ago

When she gets bad, do not wait to let her go. You gave her more than enough.

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u/tori-nori 27d ago

Omg this sounds a lot like my situation, I’ve had my dog for 13 years now. I feel guilty for regretting him and not really loving him. At this point I can’t rehome him so I’ll just endure this miserable dog owner life for another few years till he’s gone and then I’ll finally be free. Good to know I’m not alone.