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What is the hardest part about owning a dog?

36K views 145 replies 116 participants last post by  ADogCalledQuest 
#1 ·
What is the hardest part about owning a dog?

Exercising and keeping your pup fit? Cost? Lack of affection from pup? A washout? Saying goodbye? Vacationing? Keeping the house clean?...

Why?
 
#36 ·
Hi fellow forum members!

I agree with most of you in that one of the hardest parts is parting with your dog. Not sure if any of you have seen one of those memes where it shows a picture of a dog with the words being something like "For you, I am only part of your life, but for me (the dog), you are my whole life." I can't seem to find that picture anymore, but it's always sad when we think of it that way...

To me, the hardest/most challenging thing is actually spending time and building a bond with your dog. I regretted this when my first family dog passed away; I regretted not having spent enough of time with her and the fact that she was not well trained. I actually created an infographic for this so that new dog owners can consider these challenges before they actually decide to own a dog. The infographic + article is here if you'd like to read it: Challenges Faced in Owning and Training a German Shepherd | German Shepherd Training Academy

Let me know what you guys think!
Paul
 
#56 ·
GSTrainingAcademy

Hi I just read your info graphic! I thought it was great! I like many other first time puppy owners jumped into being a gsd mommy thinking that it would be hard but not realizing HOW hard! I think that the infographic does a good job touching on these subjects but it might be more helpful to mention just how much time and effort goes into a well trained dog. When I heard "time" and "effort" and "patience" before I got Wick I had a very typical sense of the word, but it turned out that instead I needed "TIME" "EFFORT" "PATIENCE" yes with capitols because I lucked out and got a handsome, fearless, stubborn, smarty pants that like to run the show :) I say lucked out because these traits lead to a puppy that rarely barks, and is friendly with people right off the bat because he is confident. However they lead to many other issues. I love love love that your educating us "dummies" and I am headed to read the rest of your articles right now :) Thank you so much, I wish I read these before so I knew what was ahead for me!!

Ps as a side note I was very lucky because I am a stay at home "wife" so I am able to spend the many many hours it takes to exercise and train and bond with Wick...I can't imagine what it would be like if he ended up at a home with people working 9-5 and children to supervise!!
 
#37 ·
Hardest part of owning a dog is losing that dog. I've only lost one dog that I loved and that was our family dog, a female GSD/Husky mix named Kota. She passed away last year and I cried for days. She was such a great dog and such a beautiful dog, I still miss her. She was the family dog, not my personal dog so I can't imagine the depression I will go through when I lose one of my dogs. :cry:

One thing that sucks about owning a dog is how much money a year you spend on the dog. Sometimes I wish that I was oblivious to dog nutrition and that I could feed the cheap crap that I could find at my grocery store. That would save me a ton of money a month! I also buy toys all the time, I buy expensive home made dog treats, I buy supplements for the dogs, Vet bills, Heartgard/Nexgard, etc. I would have a lot of extra money a month if I didn't have any animals but I would never want to live without them so I suck it up and I spend what I have to spend to keep them healthy and happy.

I also HATE the hair that they shed, the dirt that they bring in and the farts that they produce in my house. LOL :laugh:
 
#54 ·
Hardest part of owning a dog is losing that dog. I've only lost one dog that I loved and that was our family dog, a female GSD/Husky mix named Kota. She passed away last year and I cried for days. She was such a great dog and such a beautiful dog, I still miss her. She was the family dog, not my personal dog so I can't imagine the depression I will go through when I lose one of my dogs. :cry:

One thing that sucks about owning a dog is how much money a year you spend on the dog. Sometimes I wish that I was oblivious to dog nutrition and that I could feed the cheap crap that I could find at my grocery store. That would save me a ton of money a month! I also buy toys all the time, I buy expensive home made dog treats, I buy supplements for the dogs, Vet bills, Heartgard/Nexgard, etc. I would have a lot of extra money a month if I didn't have any animals but I would never want to live without them so I suck it up and I spend what I have to spend to keep them healthy and happy.

I also HATE the hair that they shed, the dirt that they bring in and the farts that they produce in my house. LOL :laugh:
They are so expensive!! Puppy sticker shock is going on in our household at the moment, add in that he has giardia and super picky about his toys?!!!

I have read that it is wayyyyyyy cheaper to feed them a balanced nutrition homemade, the good dog foods that provide the best product are far more expensive than the same foods made at home. It is time consuming but it may be worth it! It would also be even better for them because it would be fresh and wouldn't have lost any nutrients due to time and temperature. I am sure that like me you are very busy and probably don't have the time lol but just an idea.

If you don't mind me asking what supplements do you give your dogs? Right now we are giving wick coconut oil, probiotics, enzymes (bc of the giardia to hopefully help absorption of nutrients) and soon we will be adding a joint health supplement. I want to start giving him omega 3s because they are supposed to help with allergies which he seems to be experiencing (for sure grass, and something else that we havent determined.. possibly the iams food we had been giving him... we now switched to wellness large breed puppy food).

Any advice from anyone about these topics is welcome and appreciated! First time dog owner here :) Ps does anyone know if there is a way to get notifications when people reply to the posts? Thank you!
 
#39 ·
The hardest part so far is realizing and admitting that I just don't 'like' one of my dogs. I love him, I care for him and his wellbeing deeply; but I just don't like him. And I raised him! How's that for a kick in the proverbial nads? Admitting that I may need to rehome him. Questioning if that's the right thing to do for HIS wellbeing, would he really be happier with someone else? Knowing how great of a dog he is and still not liking his personality.

-Keeping the house clean
-Running a three-ring circus
-Making mistakes
-Yelling curse words out the back door into the back yard for all the world to hear. In my pajamas
-Traveling
.......I still won't trade them for anything. Except my human child ;)
 
#42 ·
Besides saying good bye....I'm really not enjoying all the people who feel the need to tell me exactly what I should do with my pup! Like the pet store owners where we buy our food that raked me over the coals for switching Shayna to adult food now at five and a half months. Um....excuse me but my dog is growing ridiculously fast and needs to slow down. I was always really good at research in university and I don't make decisions without looking into it!LOL
Oh and also the people who try to sneak pets in when we go by even after I've told them she's training to not be hyper when she meets people. UGH. The hardest part of having a dog is literally trying to get the guts to tell people I need them to back off!
 
#53 ·
Pianocandy I totally agree!!!!!!!!!! People are always telling us how to train our puppy etc and it drives me nuts when people try to rough house with his mouth even gently after all my hard work training him not to use his mouth to play (especially because they start it not him because he has learned not to)! And it's so annoying when they let him jump up and I say no and they continue to encourage it and say "it's ok" im like no...it's not!!

Does anyone else get annoyed when strangers tell you what good guard dog they will be or tell you not to socialize them so they will guard??? It drives me nuts, this is the stuff that gives them a reputation, my puppy is a family dog who I want to love EVERYONE so I can take him every where! Sorry vent session over. Very much agree that this is one of the hardest parts of owning a dog (well a puppy) so far.

Socialization has made my puppy worse rather than better because humans have taught him bad habits or have scared him regardless of me telling them how id like them to interact with him... another indicator that people tend to be the problem rather that the innocent dogs. I now only let him interact with people who I know that way I know they will not do these things and teach him to ignore or tolerate strangers.

If anyone has any tips or ideas regarding these situations I would love to hear them (haha the irony after complaining about being annoyed when people tell me how to train my dog lol)
 
#43 ·
Someone else said this: humility ... when you KNOW you are in WAY over your head and sit there and stare at the dog and say WTF ... I'm so glad I made it past that stage and met some AWESOME people to help me ...

The other hardest part ... getting off my butt in -30 to take her out ... she loves it and I hate it ... but alas, that is why I got a long coat GSD ... to get me off my butt
 
#52 ·
I almost didn't get a dog because I knew someday I would have to say goodbye. I realize that everyone dies but it was so hard to make the choice knowing that someday my best friend would leave before me. I ended up getting a puppy and Kyleigh I definitely know what you mean!!!! We are not quite past that point and just taking it one day at a time!!!

Hardest part of owning a puppy so far is just constantly worrying if your doing it right or if they are okay and healthy, because this little beings future is in your hands and everything we do now affects what he will be like later and whether he will be accepted into society!!!! Scares the **** out of me.
 
#46 ·
Thanks God that I have yet to have to say goodbye. Fiona will be 3 in May. I would say the biggest thing was going from a neat freak to living with dog hair, female in heat, mud, dirt and all that stuff. I am cured of neat freak.
 
#47 ·
The Last Farewell

Saying GOOD BYE for the last time is the hardest and watching him
fade into his last and final sleep knowing that you will never again
have him on this earth as your constant loyal companion.

I always says this prayer for all of my beloved GOD'S CREATURES:

May God enlighten me to know all of your needs and all of your pains so that I can help you. May He guide me to know when it is your time to leave me. And when your time comes to leave my side and to gain
your eternal rewards, may you go peacefully, painlessly and quickly.
We will be together again in eternal glory, and until then,
you will live on in my heart, my beloved companion.
 
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#59 ·
The hardest part about owning a dog for me would probably saying Good-Bye and knowing you will not see them again. Or they won't be waiting for you to come home each day.. Hard to think about for me, Thankfully i have a VERY long time with my girl <3

Other than that, not really sure lol. I love everything about owning a dog; and honestly I never complain about the millions of hairs that are floating around my house right now because she is shedding like crazy; or all the toy's that are laying everywhere so i can step on them (and I just have 1 dog, no kids), or the wet, muddy paws jumping in the backseat of my car, the wonderful nose art on the windows.. The list could go on and on lol But one day; I will miss all of these things. So therefore I do not complain and I will gladly clean it up, each and every single day :D
 
#60 ·
Aside from the goodbye (Which for us was sudden with our GSD)
For us it was travel. Trying to fit all four kids, luggage, and the dog crate in the van :p I'd pretend I learned to pack lighter, but we just bought a hitch and trailer so I can take everything!
 
#62 ·
At the moment the hardest part of owning my gsd Stryker (12wks old) is keeping her from destroying my furniture. Other than that she is a riot! My 5yr mutt She-Ra is perfect dog, I can't think of anything she does wrong and is truly mans best friend. I am sure Stryker will come around (hopefully soon!) and will bring us just as much joy as She-Ra!
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My girls!
 
#67 ·
losing a dog or a pupp that we have is a thing that we dont want.i think i will be at the top of the list of people who has experienced it..6 gsd dogs.and some others.i watched one of my pupp dying in front of me..it was really hard for me b/c i was only a kid....i had to move 2 dead puppies by myself out of their homes...oh,it just makes me sad and sad.and someone at a mobile repairing shop deleted all my dog pics,it was the part that i hate a lot.
 
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