Getting A Dog

WorkGlove · 2016-08-11T14:21:00+00:00

Do you live in an apartment or a house? Any dog needs exercise daily, but breeds like labs even more so. I have a pitbull/hound and need to walk it every day or it'll get into shit while I'm gone at work for eight hours. Like a woman, if you don't give it enough attention, stimulation and exercise then they'll be shitty.

diskotanssi · 2016-08-11T14:41:18+00:00

I love dogs. I had one for a while with my ex. When we broke up, I took him in to take care of him myself. He's a lab as well, medium energy. He doesn't require too much exercise, as he's pretty content to just chill at the dog park.

Word of advice: it's not easy and the quality of your life will suffer. I actually ended up finding a perfect family with a house and a backyard that took him in permanently. As much as it was sad to see him go, having a dog that size is a two-person operation. If you're a young guy on his way up, it may hinder your success. I found it very difficult to wake up extra early in the morning to give him his walk, then rush home to make breakfast, rush to work. Run home after work to take him out for an hour of time outside, make and eat dinner, sit for a bit to wind down, and bam! There's like an hour (tops) left before needing to go to bed again.

You'll notice nowhere in this routine was my gym or any other social activities.

This is also based off me working 8:30 - 5:00, so not a particularly crazy schedule.

Not trying to discourage you, but definitely give it some thought.

Dogs are lovely and bring so much joy into your life, but timing wasn't right for me.

brooklynisburnin · 2016-08-11T15:06:29+00:00

A Lab would need at least 3 to 4 hours of your day, every day, if you are willing to do the work, then go ahead, if not get another breed.

There's two types of dogs, big active dogs and big lazy dogs, both of them need exercise but lazy dogs are just that, lazy.

Active dogs usually need lots of energy depletion and discipline or they start to misbehave, even can become aggressive (Labs, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Pitbull Terriers, etc.).

Lazy dogs do need exercise and discipline, but you most likely won't have to spend an extra couple of hours each day to deplete their energy in order to keep them healthy (physically and mentally), such as English Bulldog, Mastiff, Greyhounds, Basset hound, and my personal favorite the Great Dane.

Any dog smaller than an English Bulldog is fucking useless IMO.

BurnerTRPask · 2016-08-11T17:17:20+00:00

House or apt?

Osoto_Gari · 2016-08-12T12:11:54+00:00

I have a Boxer. I had wanted a Boxer for about 20 years. I love her to bits but having a dog is a serious time & money sink as well as a serious limit to your options (travel, staying out, where you live etc).

Also dogs have problems as well. Mine is shit scared of other dogs and has fear based aggression. I've spent a lot of time and money (trainers) trying to rectify this but to no avail. I can only minimise her fear. This means walking at unsociable hours, no visits to friends / family who have dogs & no dog related social activities.

A dog is a long term commitment. The expected life span of dogs is increasing thanks to better diets and (expensive) vet care. You could be pushing 50 before your best friend departs this world and crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

SovereignWings · 2016-08-11T16:48:49+00:00

A good friend of mine has a cute little Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier mix. Maybe about 12 lbs at 7 months old. Adorable, high energy, and portable. He takes it literally everywhere. Into a coffee shop draped across his shoulders, to house parties, to festivals where there are no dogs allowed, etc.

The puppy is a fucking rock star and the best wingman I've ever seen first hand, especially since he gets taken to more places than a larger dog could easily be taken to. Small dogs are also less hassle to exercise, socialize, train and care for. And they live longer.

What are you expecting to get out of having your dog? You explained none of your motivations other than you want one and have since childhood.

If you want a snuggle buddy, loyal friend and emotional companion for life, get the fuck over it and spend your time on something more valuable. Unless you are legit depressed in which case it might be worthwhile.

Title	Getting A Dog
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	0
Comments	6
Date	August 11, 2016 2:04 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/4x8525/getting_a_dog/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/getting-a-dog.109587 https://theredarchive.com/post/109587

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