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You seem to have had some bad luck @toby1
Difficult to feel sorry for your friends though.
How can a dog not be a flight risk on the second day?
And anyone who goes to a backyard breeder deserves everything they get, although sadly it's the dogs that really suffer.
To answer the OPs question, yes, but only because I was too inexperienced for her and I lived in a flat which didn't suit her at all. The second one, no, from being at death's door, she now thriving.
I’m talking about fresh from the arse and she gets a decent diet.
Yeah cos it smells like strawberries and cream in those situations 🙄🙄
I’ve scooped fresh poo from when I’ve walked my in-laws’ dog, it smells just like other dog poo but I find it worse when it’s hot and fresh. Maybe you don’t mind the smell but to me it is stomach churning.
Exactly. I work around sewers for my job but there’s no worse smell than dog poo.
^^^^^ I agree that a lot of dog poo stinks. It's because a lot of dogs get fed food that makes their poo stink. Try feeding a dog on a barf diet and you'll see a massive difference. Mine can't eat raw and some can't but giving her a good quality diet means it doesn't stink and it's not sloppy. When it is, I know something is wrong.
But hey, if you want to write sarcastic comments and roll your eyes, that's your call.
Had dogs as a kid. Wife always wanted a dog but us both working full-time meant it wasn't fair on the dog.
After 18 months of various lockdowns we got a rescue dog back in October. He was 10 months old at the time.
We've been really lucky as he knew to use the garden rather than the house floor for his bodily functions. One concern the sanctuary raised with us from day 1 was that he may never be allowed off the lead. After a month or so with him let him off the lead in a field a mile from any roads. He was great and loved the freedom. Now pretty good off the lead and with other dogs.
Downsides, they do tie you down, he barks at anyone walking past the house, doesn't like loud noises (2-stroke bikes are a particular pet hate). Oh and he has dodgy hips so have just spent 7k on getting one of them replaced. I did point out that we could just buy 17 of him for that money but didn't go down well.
He can be a bit of a prick when he wants to be, but then we all can, can't we!
We are fortunate that parents can have him (they have a dog) and a number of friends if we go away for long periods of time.
Oh we also have 3 kids (11, 13 and 18) so clearly idiots 😂.
Do I regret getting a dog? Absolutely not. The reward of taking an outwardly oafish hooligan of a rescue greyhound into my home and helping him come to terms with the world is pretty high. More so when you discover his outward behaviour masks an anxious hound with some real demons that need a different kind of help. Four years in and he’s doing OK (currently squeezed alongside me on the sofa) but it’s been a journey.
Do I regret not having a more realistic view on how the work will be shared in this house? Yes. But that’s a whole other conversation.
As a result she’s cost 2 full insurance premiums and about £14k of our own money, nearly ruined out marriage with the stress and just been hard bloody work.
This dog shits solid gold, right? Otherwise; really? I mean I know it's harsh, but £14 grand...on a dog?
Funnily enough we've been offered a few over the last year, a lot of WFH back to office, or just too much work, or changes in circumstances, but the limitations are a little too much for us, the extra planning, costs, etc are a killer when we've worked them out, not saying we'd not get a dog if there was a real desperation to make sure it's looked after, but we know the positives and negatives and not going to jump in like too many did in the last 2 years.
But hey, if you want to write sarcastic comments and roll your eyes, that’s your call.
Thanks. I didn’t need your blessing but it’s nice to get. 😂
giving her a good quality diet means it doesn’t stink
Is it somehow magically turned into something different else?
Wow! You really are ignoring the fist rule now. I suppose if you're going to do something or be something, may as well do or be it as well as you can.
Sometimes I do wonder!
We got a rescue dog pre-Covid so pre-WFH and he's great with people and pretty low-maintenance, however, he's not great with other dogs which means we have to be super-aware when other dogs are around which isn't exactly relaxing. Other dog walkers must assume we are weirdos who don't want to stop and chat (or even make eye contact) whilst the dogs play.
He also hates cats with a vengeance (but I'm ok with that 😃). And we're very glad we got pet insurance as he's ran up some big vet bills due to on-going heartworm and allergies and getting ran over by a car 🙄
Due to COVID, it's been a couple of years since we've taken a big holiday without him, so this summer we need to find a willing dog-sitter for a couple of weeks for the first time. That may be interesting...
You're just showing your ignorance now. And your complete inability to accept that someone who you don't agree with might be making a valid point.
Exactly. I work around sewers for my job but there’s no worse smell than dog poo.
Oh there is. Human shit can be absolutely rank and faecal vomit is something else.
I think dealing with your own dog’s waste is on a par with dealing with your own child’s waste. It’s bearable if it’s your own child or dog, and abhorrent if it’s someone else’s.
We’re almost 6 years in to dog ownership now. Most days it’s great, some days she is a pita. I’m still up at 2 or 3 AM most nights, but I will say, it’s been great for our marriage. We spend a lot more time together now, walking, which we probably wouldn’t have been doing otherwise.
Oh there is. Human shit can be absolutely rank and faecal vomit is something else.
Depends on the diet.. My dogs poo is relatively benign compared to mine after a night on beer and curry.
For clarity they knew she was a flight risk, bit not that she'd bolted from the foster home and been on the run for a couple of days. They weren't made aware just how much she was likely to try and escape (she got out of an enclosed garden after being spooked by a noise) having jerked the lead out of my friends hand.
As for the puppy, I'm not sure it was a dodgy breeder, but she blocked the owners rather than talk to them about the flawed puppies, so presented as a good breeder, turned out not to be.
I’m still up at 2 or 3 AM most nights,
Why?
Ah, sorry Toby. Jumped in in my size 10s not for the first time there.
They definitely should have been told about the flighty dog.
To be honest, there but for the grace of god go I (sort of).
Mine jerked the long lead out of my hand and was away chasing something. It was in a forest so I knew she'd get caught up. She did but managed to get out of her harness and come back to me 'naked'. I never did find that harness and lead. I didn't look like I would have done for the dog but I did look. The terrain is such, it would have been hard to find her. Lesson learned. She's still on her long lead but I am just much more vigilant when we are in areas where she night chase.
As for the breeder, too late for your friend but in case it helps someone else... it sounds like the breeder sold two pups from the same litter to your friend. If a breeder does that, it's a red flag because of litter mate syndrome.
Good on you for doing what you did for your dog btw.
I regret everyone getting a dog.
For clarity they knew she was a flight risk
Like Ghislaine Maxwell? 😀
Now I bet her shit stinks 😉
They only regret I have from having a dog is you realise how much crap there is in your local environment when walking around with doggo. Otherwise having a dog is brilliant.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/spring-clean/
No problem @thepilot, and cheers, it has been a real roller-coaster so far!
Yes, and no. We have a ‘challenging’ dog. He would probably be an absolute hero if he was used for the original purpose of the breed (cattle dog/farm dog/search and rescue) but as a pet in certain circumstances he is a nutter.
@johnjn2000 - what breed have you got?
Dealing with challenging dogs really takes the shine off them - having to be constantly aware of who / what else is around, where it might run to, how it might react... It actually adds stress to any walk.
I love looking after my sister's dog cos it is so well trained and any walk with it is almost trouble free, the only thing to be aware of is other dogs. She'll ignore them but it's if they come over and start trying to hump her or attack her or something.
And absolutely agree that there are plenty of kennels and breeders out there who are really operating on the edge - not running proper checks on the dogs or the owners, desperate to just get shot of the dogs that have come into their care. There was a thread on here a while ago about someone who re-homed a dog, it attacked him, they took it back to the shelter and a few weeks later encountered the same dog re-homed again locally and it had done the same to its new owner.
Nope, not for a second. Far, far, far less work and restricting than kids would have been, and unconditional love is pretty much guaranteed.
Turds are actually quite interesting, you can tell a lot from a deposit.
A healthy dog poo will be quite small and compact, it has a good aroma, reletivley speaking.
I'm sure I can judge how good the dog owner is by the state of its poo.
For example, most of the offensive ones are big and not very solid, left in the middle of the path, and stink something rotten = Staffie owned by a chav and fed on pound shop dog food.
I get people love their dogs, but arguing that dog shit doesn’t stink is next level dog ownership…
@crazy-legs Toby is an Entlebucher, I would put a photo of him on here(but the process is too arduous) which would cause many comments of “awe bless, he’s handsome, awe how lovely” Stunning example of the breed but an absolute dick at times. I know he isn’t really being a dick, he thinks he is doing what his job is and doing it very, very well in his humble opinion 😂😂
Such a shame you can’t just sit him down and have a chat in human and explain that it’s ok for him just to chill.
As for his poo 💩 it’s of a good consistency the majority of the time and doesn’t smell too much. Diet is from Butternut Box
Oooh! Forgot to do a picture.
Oscar got to meet his Dad yesterday.
Never, even after 30-odd years of ownership and the occasional heartbreak that comes with it. Current dog is a rehomed Labrador retriever because she was too energetic for her previous owners who ran a doggy day care. Pretty well of the opinion that ‘problem dogs’ are more a symptom of their owners and environment. Mrs DB still keen to get another Bassett Hound - we’ve had 4 previously and miss not having one around.
It's like having kids, or owning any animal. You need to put the work in. I had dogs as a kid, Mrs had cats.
We are out at work alot, so got cats. We've had 8 over 25 years, and currently have 4 of the 8. 3 pedigrees and a rescue with cat flu (cost us £1k to get him sorted when we got him - been fine since).
My sister has a lovely Lab, and my other sister is just about to get a Cavalier (she's getting broody as sister and brother have had kids and she's way too old - nor wants kids). When younger, we had a reriever, and cavaliers.
A healthy dog poo will be quite small and compact, it has a good aroma, relatively speaking.
I’m sure I can judge how good the dog owner is by the state of its poo.
Well, I suppose everyone needs a hobby...
I get people love their dogs, but arguing that dog shit doesn’t stink is next level dog ownership…
This is the dog owner equivalent of Transporter / Caravelle owners telling you it drives just like a car (other than the type where the gear lever was on the outside).
It definitely hums a bit but I think as an owner you learn to tune it out a bit.
First dog was a beagle collie cross and always followed her nose. She could never be trusted to stay close by.
Time moves on and when we had to make the decision to have her put down the family was absolutely devastated for months. I swore that we would never have another.
And then Mrs A went through a horrible experience at work just as a friend of a friend needed to rehome a border collie. Who needed who most I do not know but the bond they have has to be seen to be believed. He is the most loyal, obedient dog I've ever known, bar none.
He and I had a good long ride in the hills today, he sticks to my back wheel like velcro.
Have I ever regretted having a dog? Nope, never.
They can be smelly, noisy and snappy but if you are prepared to address the issues then it can be so rewarding.
I get people love their dogs, but arguing that dog shit doesn’t stink is next level dog ownership…
I've often thought that taking an interest in your dog having "healthy" stools and dealing with them should be a requirement of dog ownership.
Cant deal with shit, cannot have a dog!
8 months since we bought her home and haven’t regretted a single moment.
Yes the training can be hard work and yes she needs consideration for almost everything we plan (holidays, nights out etc)
But the pros outweigh all of that by a long way.
I definitely regret my friend getting two rottweilers after one of them jizzed down my suit trouser leg yesterday about an hour before my friends wedding.
Cant deal with shit, cannot have a dog!
there is dealing with it, and then there is arguing with strangers on the internet that it doesn’t stink…
he sticks to my back wheel like velcro
Almost like a well-formed dog-turd?
We've been doing emergency foster care for a local charity. The last dog was only here a few weeks but the current one has been here a while and will probably be staying a lot longer. He was quite disruptive and quite a handful but he's getting much better. We already worked from home and went out walking quite a lot (without a dog) but it's still a huge change. Every trip needs to be thought about. Take him and it limits where we go, leave him and it limits how long we can go out. Can't just nip into shops, have to choose pubs carefully, weekends away are a big logistical exercise. Worth it though. Other than the poop, there is also the wee. He likes to wee on things, that's OK if its a bush, less so when it is someone else's property. We are getting good and catching him thinking about it and stopping him now, but it is another thing to be always thinking about. Here he is thinking about weeing on some expensive bikes*, he didn't as there was so much dropped food around (another thing to always be thinking about):
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I think the only slight regret would be personal exercise. They say getting a dog is a great way to get out and get exercise but IME if you are already getting out and getting exercise then a dog can actually be a limiter.
* I do like how he matches Dan and Gee's bikes with his black and orange look 🙂
@jam-bo The argument is being caused by people saying there is no worse smell in this world than dog shit which might be the case for them but I imagine most people can think of many things that smell much worse.
As well as people refusing to accept that if a dog is fed properly and in good health, their shit shouldn't smell badly. It's never going to used as smelling salts obviously.
But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of what you want to post.
Agree on the point about exercise. If you don't exercise, dogs can really help but if you are fit and you exercise with your dog, you risk over doing it and causing health problems later on in life.
there is dealing with it, and then there is arguing with strangers on the internet that it doesn’t stink…
Everyone needs a hobby
They're a colossal pain and really binding. Unfortunately, my wife's mum wouldn't let her have a dog as a kid so we've had five over the last 15 years or so.
They're more of a bother than kids, and for longer.
We don't regret not getting one.
We gave serious consideration to getting a dog about three years ago. However we're now in the happy situation of walking several dogs belonging to friends and neighbours. The dogs sometime come for overnights, or we take them away for the day to the beach and the like.
For us it's the ideal scenario. We get to do lots of fun stuff with the dogs without being tied down, and without the vet bills. We've a great relationship with the dogs now (one of whom almost has to be dragged home when she's been at our house...she sees it as a holiday I think).
Might not work for everyone, but for us it's been fantastic.