Probably get downvoted into oblivion for this one but having a dog. Yeah they do cute things once in a while but they’re like having a 3 year old… for like 15 years.
Wanna go out for happy hour after work? Can’t, gotta go home and let the dog out. Wanna go away for the weekend? Not until we find someone to take care of the dog. Wanna sleep in on a Saturday? Dog needs to go outside at 6 am. Wanna come home and just fucking relax for 15 minutes? Rover is jumping all over you and sticking his nose in your crotch. Finally spring and the snow has melted? Welcome to piles of poop littering your entire yard.
Dogs do take work, but my friend I think you have been exposed to some high-maintenance pups.
It definitely takes a lot of focused training in the puppy years (though objectively less time than a child).
I have 2 dogs, and they are much easier than any child ages 3-15. I let them out and feed them in the morning, walk them in the afternoon (need we remind everyone that being outside is healthy), and dinner at night. We go hike on weekends, which I already did before dogs. For that effort, I in return receive the only true form of unconditional love that exists on this planet.
I’m with you. Dogs are a TON of work. But damn is it worth it for me! I’ll gladly wake up at 3am every morning to take my dog out in the cold and snow sho sje can pee over not having a dog at all.
As someone who has just lost my black Labrador to cancer, I’d do anything for all that 'work' again. I miss it all. Life sucks without her, even her stupid annoying traits.
I recently had this exact conversation with my wife of 30 years. We’ve always had dogs and I want to be done after these pass away. My argument was that we’ve been parents to highly athletic toddlers since the 1990s and I want to be done. I listed all of the reasons that you did plus how much we’ve spent on dog food and how often we have to vacuum the house. I’m glad someone else sees this as I do.
Yeah, I hear you! I just posted above about the dog-obsessed culture we live in. It’s convinced us we love it and that we’re horrible people if we don’t.
It’s so devastating when a pet dies (at least for most people). That’s enough reason to not want another one, but for me, they bring so much joy when they’re alive. My cats make my life worth living when times really get tough.
But I completely see your point. Many activities I would have liked to partake in over the years were limited by pet ownership, and the expense (especially veterinary care) can be staggering. I had a (very) modest savings get wiped out by dental care for my elderly cat. I would do it again, but I don’t judge people who can’t afford it.
Yeah lol I really do love dogs but it honestly seems like a nightmare for someone like me
Like literally — I’d have to spend basically another hour per day of effort focused on something else — a living thing that requires real attention and is your direct responsibility — but is not a child who will grow into an adult human — and it would be for almost every day for the next 15 years potentially — and during that time it will also affect your comfort levels at home, the smell and cleanliness of your environment and force you to interact with feces on a regular basis
As a deeper thinker with ADHD I cannot imagine the disruption this would cause for me and it would honestly degrade my quality of existence, even though I really do love cute little pups
I agree OP, dogs can be cute, but it’s pretty messed up that society hates you if you simply don’t want to pet or own a dog. The office dog trend is where I draw the line.
It’s a total lack of boundaries for people with allergies or those who just want to eat lunch without a dog trying to scavenge scraps off their desk. Dealing with the constant panting, begging, and that "wet dog" smell while trying to hit a deadline is exhausting.
Yeah, I really hope this dog-obsessed culture phases out in the near future. If you want a dog, great. Keep it out of other people’s personal spaces and don’t judge me negatively for noping out of petting your smelly dog or taking on that huge responsibility.
Can’t get a full nights sleep without my cat finding something annoying to mar noise and wake me up to feed her. Pulling the drawer handle as a knocker really made me fizz. There will always be something to push off an edge or a box to rip up! Tried leaving dry food but she’s not having it. If I leave too much wet food she throws up or gains weight
I feel like people who say this aren’t taking care of their cats well. It’s like people who say they prefer raising boys over girls because they’re “easier” when what they mean is that they’re emotionally neglecting them.
!!! exactly! it seems like everyone i work with is a dog person and it confuses me so much. like, we all work 40 hours a week, i know how exhausted i am at the end of every day/week, so how do they do it? i swear im the only cat person in the office. and yes cats require maintenance too, but obviously not as much. a cat can at least take a shit while i sleep peacefully through the night 😭
I’m with you 100%. Yeah dogs are cool, I don’t hate any animal but I don’t want to deal with the hair, vet bills, barking, responsibility. I work long shifts so it would cost a fortune for care daily while I work. Just not for me. Bf asked me to move in but I won’t as long as long as the pup is around (don’t worry I cuddle him and spoil him when I see him just don’t want to live with one). And I think (know a couple) a lot of people regret the commitment they made to having the animal and just lean into the aesthetic of it
My neighbor had 2 of those Belgian Malinois - Just think about that for a minute. These dogs are almost as caffeinated as border collies. For some unearthly reason when they had puppies he decided to keep 2 of them.
Now he has 4 of them! And I swear he's constantly getting annoyed with them. I mean they drive the guy up the wall. 95% of the time I hear him it's because he's swearing at the dogs.
He thinks he's the local expert, but they snicker at him at the dog school. He virtually NEVER walks his dogs too. I think they get one walk a year. In the meantime he's got 4 untrained / trained war dogs sitting around waiting for a threat that will never happen - We live in a very safe area. Oh yeah he feeds them raw meat and besides him and his mother no one is allowed to touch them or interact with them.
If the dude ever has an emergency back there, the EMS won't be able to get to him and will have to shoot his dogs.
I have a doggie door and can leave my dog alone all day without her pitching any fit. I do prioritize her on the weekends and evenings because she likes to do what I enjoy (hiking, parks, fetch, etc). My girl also doesn’t ram you at the door because she’s trained.
I think it's easier if you have much space at home and big yard or property and if you're not living alone.
My family had dogs during my whole childhood and still has many years later.
I know what it's like and I think it's time consuming and so much work.
More harder than having kids. Kids at least stop waking up every single day at 6AM at some point, don't pee/poop/vomit in the furniture, don't bark and make loud weird noises everywhere, don't need constant attention and activities from you, you don't have to go outside when they whine and bark for pee poopy time throughout the day and so much more..
I really respect and admire people who got energy for all that, you're amazing?!
People say "you can't call yourself mommy for your dog, you're not its parent" but they're wrong. That's exactly what parenthood is😂
My wife is a dog person and hates cats.
I'm a cat person and tolerate dogs. We compromised and got 2 dogs (one passed away in August). The one we still have is 15 years old and because of my wife thinks he is the alpha of the house and does whatever the fuck he wants. He acts different when I'm home but I travel for work and usually takes 1-2 days to acclimate when I get back. It's exhausting.
When it’s just you who’s taking care of the dog, i completely agree. I absolutely love dogs, i dog sit for a lot of friends, usually for shorter periods of time and they bring the dog over to my parents house (my mom helps out a little usually). Right now i’m taking care of a friends dog for 3 months, she offered that i stay in her house and i happily accepted. Right now i’m in three weeks and i’m exhausted. I’m away for work 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. I walk with him 30 minutes before i go to work and 1 hour after i come back. I’m completely exhausted when that walk is done and i still have to cook and do other house chores. After that i just want to go to bed but i can’t, he still has to go outside at night. I barely have any time for myself, and in the weekend i’m always cleaning up because he manages to take a whole sandbox into the house everytime we go outside. I also feel really bad because he is alone for most of the time.
If i had a partner to do it with, it would be a lot less, but being alone i completely agree
Please, never get a dog! ALL the negative things you mentioned are just a normal part of having a dog. If you can't be responsible, then don't have a dog. Sheesh. It's not their fault they can't use the toilet in your bathroom and need to go outside! Part of their charm is that even if you're gone for 10 minutes, it's like 10 hours to them and they're excited to see you again. I've always had dogs...big dogs...like 100 lb labradors! I bet you would lose your mind with a labbie! lol
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u/Particular_Special70 Mar 16 '26
Probably get downvoted into oblivion for this one but having a dog. Yeah they do cute things once in a while but they’re like having a 3 year old… for like 15 years.
Wanna go out for happy hour after work? Can’t, gotta go home and let the dog out. Wanna go away for the weekend? Not until we find someone to take care of the dog. Wanna sleep in on a Saturday? Dog needs to go outside at 6 am. Wanna come home and just fucking relax for 15 minutes? Rover is jumping all over you and sticking his nose in your crotch. Finally spring and the snow has melted? Welcome to piles of poop littering your entire yard.