I want to get a dog.

[blueamy66]

I have a doggie door, a backyard and all the love in the world.

BUT, I was depressed for weeks when I had to put my Basset down....actually, I couldn't do it....my Dad took her. :-(

AND, my guy travels alot, so the guilt of leaving a doggie alone all day will eat at me. He's home alot too though.....2 weeks on the road and 2 weeks home each month (on average).

WE "doggie sat" a Dachshund for a week and when his owner came to pick him up, my guy had to leave....got attached and was afraid he'd cry. He even took a day of vacation to hang out with the freaking dog.

SO, I could get 2, so that they can keep eachother company. ???

BUT, then there are 2 vet bills and food for 2...etc.....2 kennel fees....

I am torn.

Any advice? And try not to be mean.....this is important to me....

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. Boston Terrier.

Best dogs ever.








OK, OK...I'm a little biased!

[blueamy66]

2. what a sweetie pie

especially love the last shot!

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. He was SUCH a patient dog.

That is the late, great Mr. Beau Brummel ("BB").

He just loved everybody, didn't have a mean bone in his body and just loved to have a good time.

My family has had Bostons all my life, but I have been without one now for a little over 7 years, as I had to put BB down in 2004.

I miss him every day.

[blueamy66]

6. See, that is one of the reasons that I am afraid to get another dog.

I don't want to miss another one every day.
:(

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. I understand completely...BUT....

I cherish the time I had with him. He gave me so many happy memories and really did - and I am not trying to intentionally sound sappy here - bring a lot of joy to a lot of other people.

If you are a dog lover then, well, you just HAVE to get a dog, if it is at all practical. You can't wrap your head around a potentially sad circumstance (the dog(s) dying) that may be over a decade away.

The only reason I do not currently own another dog is because of the job I do and have done. I am a truck driver and am single and unattached. There is no one at home to look after a puppy for me and most of the firms I have worked for over the last few years made it impractical to have a dog.

But that is soon going to change. I am seeing to it.

[livetohike]

3. Aww, cute!

:hi:

[Raven]

5. If you really want a dog, get 2, absolutely! Get mutts. Get a puppy

and another dog a couple of years older. They will bond and amuse eachother when you are not around. I have had 2 dogs for a long time. If you get mutts you will avoid some of the medical problems that pure breds tend to have. I have found that when I have had to put an old dog to sleep, having the other dog around eases the blow. The other way to do this is to get a puppy, train it well, wait a year or two and get another puppy. The older dog will train the younger one. :-)

[blueamy66]

9. Wow....I never thought of that.

The thing is...I CANNOT go to a shelter to pick out a mutt. I would cry.

I looked on Craigslist and found ALOT of pits.....which I do not want.

Thanks for the info....I'll take it to heart.

[Incitatus]

14. Check out here

http://adoptions.petsmart.com/

[blueamy66]

26. will do

nt

[livetohike]

7. It sounds like you are ready for another dog (or two)

Yes, it is double the expense, but it's also double the fun!

Here are Cindy and Murphy. We got them one month apart and they are 8.5 years old now.

[blueamy66]

10. awesome puppies

this is most likely gonna happen :-)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. Post pics as soon as you can get them.

:)

[Shagbark Hickory]

11. Your "guy travels"??? What does that mean?

That your guy is to be the one to care for the dog? Why would the dog be home all day?

I don't understand.

Please do not get two dogs in lieu of spending time with your dog. This just takes a problem and multiplies it by two.

Forgive me if I rushed to that assumption but I don't understand what you meant originally.

Two weeks is an eternity to a dog. Heck, 2 hours is an eternity to a dog. But most people work 8 hours a day. So long as you can devote an hour a day to play and exercise and training (maybe more, maybe less depending on the breed) and can take the responsibility of all the necessary health problems without relying on others to do it for you because it's unpleasant, then why not? Owning a dog isn't necessarily terribly expensive but it certainly can be if there are health problems.

Assuming that you have the time, energy, PATIENCE and moolah, and are willing to make lifestyle changes if necessary, why not head to the local animal shelter, specifically the ones that put unwanted dogs to sleep and see if there are any dogs there you would like to adopt.

[blueamy66]

13. My guy is on the road about 2 weeks every month with his job.

Sometimes less, sometimes more. It's usually 4 work days out of every week. I work at least 9 hours a day, but am at home every night.

I would prefer that the dog had more "people" time....that is my point.

Of course I can devout an hour a day to the dog.....most likely more than that.

I have the energy and patience and would find the money if need be....just want to do the right thing.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. I don't see the problem then as long as the both of you aren't gone for 2 weeks at a time.

You've had a dog before. You know what their needs are so go get a dog :-)
I would highly suggest starting out with just one at a time though. Especially if you get a puppy. They're a lot of work.,

[mnhtnbb]

16. Please do not get a dog unless you can be around--or take your dog with you--

or think that two dogs will make up for not having their human around.

Dogs LOVE to be with you. Mine follows me from room to room to room
all day and my husband says when I leave the house she whimpers.

If you have enough resources to find a dog 'resort' where your dog
can go daily for activity and companionship, fine.

Otherwise, get a cat. Or two. They don't mind being alone the way dogs do.

[TorchTheWitch]

28. the only dogs that mind being alone are the ones with separation anxiety

And often what is diagnosed as separation anxiety is really just boredom. Generally, dogs are just fine being alone for big chunks of the day. Primarily they just sleep when they're alone. Dogs don't keep their feelings to themselves... if they are unhappy being alone they'll cry and/or try to get out of the house, and there would be physical evidence of their trying to get out (dogs have amazing powers of destruction whatever their size).

Though dogs love to be with you, there are times when they want to be on their own. Your dog following you where ever you go around the house and never wanting to be away from your side is not typical dog behavior. Frankly, if your dog needs to be at your side every minute of every day your dog has a behavioral problem.

As long as the human spends a decent amount of quality time with their dog each day they should be perfectly fine alone while the human is at work with no other human or pet in house.

Further, dogs do not comprehend the passage of time the same way that we do. To a dog there is really no difference between the time passage of a half an hour to the time passage of half the day. Therefore, they don't see any difference in your leaving them alone for a few minutes to run to the corner store for a pack of smokes or your leaving them for most of the day while you're at work.

[bluedigger]

17. Do it!

I don't get people that think you can't leave a dog alone during the day. Sure, they would rather be with you, but they can adapt just fine. Don't let the perfect prevent the possible. Petfinder.com http://www.petfinder.com/index.html is a great way to find potential candidates near you without the emotional tug of first person contact, and they are all rescue/adoptions. Sounds like it's just a matter of finding the right dog. Happy searching!

[Gormy Cuss]

18. If you have any hesitation, don't do it.

The average life span of a dog is about 12 years, or about two thirds the time it takes to raise a child. Like parenting, it's a big commitment of time and money.

You've lived with dogs before. You know what they need and from the OP it sounds like you don't think you can provide it right now. It's not fair to a dog to bring it into your household when you feel that you don't the time for it.

If you worry about affording the vet bills etc. for two dogs, you probably can't afford even one dog. Why? Because all it takes is one health crisis for those manageable vet bills to become prohibitive.

[Curmudgeoness]

19. I love dogs, but have always had cats. I used to hate cats

because they were always eating birds and baby rabbits when I was a kid and they ran the neighborhood.

So why did I ever get a cat? I have learned to love cats, and appreciate having a loving pet. And the guilt of leaving a dog alone and unable to go to the bathroom until I get home from work was too much for me. Also, dogs are much more social animals than cats, so are less happy to be all alone all day every day. And a girl gotta work!

[alphafemale]

20. Go take a stroll at a shelter,

Your next dog will FIND you.

Trust me on this.

[marzipanni]

21. One good thing about Petfinder, Bluedigger's suggestion,

is that they may know more about the adoptees.
We adopted Sally, our dog, a couple of months after our old dog died. I saw her photo and description on Petfinder's website, as local SPCAs and other pet rescues in all states use it to show pets to prospective adopters.
Petco has adoption events in the neighboring small city on Saturdays where a group of fostered dogs are in pens with volunteers outside keeping an eye on them. We adopted her that morning.
If the dog lived in foster home, you can ask questions to get an idea of its temperament, and why it is no longer with its original owner.

[blueamy66]

27. I will def look into this.

nt

[UTUSN]

22. I'm missing what the problem is. Dog loves you. You love the dog. Dog loves you more. n/t

[blueamy66]

24. excellent answer

:-)

[tblue]

23. Just get a rescue doggie. You can find them online or at the pound, of course.

Save a life! I want a dog too in the worst way!!!!

[blueamy66]

25. my friends call me whenever they think that there is a rescue

dog that I might want....ugh