To pet or not to pet

[mjm078]

I wanted to get the general gay consensus on the issue of pet ownership......

I would like to get a pet dog......nothing big just a little mate that i can play with and take care of......take for coffee, take to the beach and even take on holidays camping etc I have a boyfriend and we live together he is all for it as well (and would like to get it for me as a present) and if he had his way we would have a 65kg rotwheiler living with us.......we have a cat which he had before we met usually one of us is away at least one night a week travelling with work....we rent a unit owner knows we have a cat and honestly wouldn't care if we got a dog....

I want the dog so much but for some reason i am scared of the empending responsibility.......what if i lose my job and can't take care of it......what about if we break up and i have to move out with the dog and try and find somewhere else to live....what if i go for a beer afterwork and don't get home in time to feed him.....all these what ifs are scarying me out of it......at my parents house we always had a dog and they lived with us in the house.....slept in the house did all that yet now this will be "my" dog the one ulitmately responsible for its welfare I am scared to death that i won't be able to take care of it and may neglect it......and ruin its life

I would like to hear from other guys/gals in similair situations to me......do you rent/share a unit or house in the inner city and have a pet dog or cat.......how much did the little blighter change your life.......and did you have trouble find some where to live with a pet?

Or am i taking this far to seriously..........Thats what my bf says........

[david_margeaux]

All good points and as much as I love my little Rosie, there is a huge responsibility with her. (She's a mini schnauzer by the way). You do have to come home and feed her, in between drinks sometimes, or clubs/parties even. She doesn't care you are having the time of your life, she needs to pee or eat or just craves some company. The bills aren't huge - I've spent maybe $50 a month on her since I got her - vaccinations at the beginning and getting all the toys/beds etc she needed at the beginning are expensive but ongoing she's pretty cheap.

The housing thing is an issue. Some apartments/landlords are fine, some are being choosy now that there is a shortage of rental property around so you might get looked over if you want to move, over the petless application.

The best thing that a dog will give you is unconditional love if you love it the same way. You need to remember its a dog, not a person and they can sometimes be a handful.

Getting Rosie was the single best thing I've done for myself as an adult. I can't imagine her not being in my life.

If you still want more info - do your research online, especially about breeds. http://www.optimumpet.com.au/selectadog/ has some great breed info and helps you choose a breed of dog thats right for you.

Good luck and post your pics when you get your new pup :)

[Jody Ekert]

I understand the issues. Many years ago I had a massive big dog, Maggie, which was fine with a partner and a house and yard, but when we split it was a nightmare because I found it hard to move anywhere with her and manage her on my own. It broke my heart because I ended up having to rehome her and I swore I'd never make the same mistake again. Big dogs need a big life and lots of time to manage especially when young.

About two years ago I was living on my own in a tiny studio and getting quite depressed about all sorts of things. Someone suggestion dogs as kind of like pet therapy. I was so scared but having learnt my lesson I got the smallest dogs imaginable - and I got two of them to keep themselves company if I'm out. I got them as adults from the pound so I already knew the size they would grow and their personalities. It was a bit expensive to set their lives up with me, but only because I wanted all the toys and beds and collars in the world..not to mention injections, frontline for fleas and good quality food. I spend maybe $50 a month per dog. More if I spoil them with trips to the grooming salon.

It was hard for a few months in an apartment but I walked them day and night and even had a dog walker so they could go and play during the day. I haven't been depressed since and although I found it hard to move with them I eventually found a great house with a yard and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

It is tough remembering that they need to be walked and entertained a bit, and you need to plan so much more with your life. Like having to catch a cab home from sleeping at a girls house so you can feed and walk the dogs before work and knowing that you can't really do overnighters often LOL.

I also had no luck finding an apartment that suited when the time came to buy a house so I've blown my mortgage out by at least 100K just so the dogs have a courtyard! That cost was something I never thought of when I first got them, but they've given me so much joy and I feel I did the right thing in saving them from the pound too. They're worth the extra $$.

http://www.housecarers.com/pics/_cache/2145485173_1_T.jpg
http://www.housecarers.com/pics/_cache/2145485173_2_T.jpg

[Christian Taylor]

pets are such a huge responsibility but my dog bonnie absolutely saved my life in my teenage years when i was stuck in the middle of bum fuck idaho (my parents lived on a farm and were pretty fucked people to deal with most of the time during those years).

thankfully when i moved to the city my parents were so attached to my dog that they wouldn't let me take her with me, and now i look back i think it was for the best. she loves having all that wide open space, she wouldn't have coped in the city and quite frankly, i struggle just looking after myself!

now mother is in her old age she's having this whole attack of the conscience thing, so she lavishes bonnie with steak, she has this palatial dog house that must've cost a bundle - it's hysterical. a big jump from the tins of horse face that mother used to feed her years ago.

whenever i go visit bonnie these days though she practically wets herself when i get out of the car. but when it comes time for me to go she refuses to come and say goodbye. she'll just vanish. it's absolutely crushing.

[robbie]

I've been a sole parent to a wonderful cat for 18 months and it is definitely the best decision I have ever made. I grew up in a household full of dogs and was allergic to cats when I was a kid but all that changed as most of my friends were cat owners.

I finally decided to take the plunge and get a cat for company and I really wanted to be solely responsible for another living creature. Yes my social life was altered but only slightly and certainly for the better as I moved away from the weekly lures of the disco. I guess cats are alot easier than dogs - she doesn't have to be walked, if I am planning a big night out, I can feed her the morning of, and she is toilet trained after all.

I now live with 2 girls in Sydney and they have a small dog each so when I take O/S or interstate trips they're happy to give her some attention and food. It's been so great watching her slowly develop a friendly relationship with the dogs - at first she wouldn't leave the room but now she teases them and gets them to chase her around the house.

So mjm078, getting a pet is a big decision but if you're ready for the responsibility an animal can bring you great joy.

Oh yeah, here is my little girl. Her name is Famous and she's the most gorgeous cat in the whole wide world! :) As a matter of fact, my mother became so attached to Famous while I was away, that my brother and I bought my parents their first ever cat for Christmas and they're over the moon.

[fcukmy318i]

You are so not taking this way to far - but you do already have a cat - what does the cat do are you a bad cat parent....if not what makes you think you are going to be a bad dog parent....LOL....does that make sence...

At least you didnt say that you wanted a miniture terrier....i would have been laughing at you.....Rotties Rock....

[mjm078]

cukmy318i - the cat is different.....

You don't have to walk it......nor do you have to take it to the loo.......and the more energy you put into a dog the more personality you get out of it - i think dogs are more emotionally attached to you then cats........

[stock_standard]

i would in your current thought stick with the cat, they are easier on all your concerns.
however you can get a lot more out of a dog in terms or relationships and stuff.
but i would stick with a cat to ensure you can always take it with you.

[jackie87]

I only like larger dogs like Labradors and Retrievers and I can't stand smaller dogs and cats I believe are sent as spies for Satan, so living in the inner city has its problems with space so I'd prefer not to have fur everywhere for the moment

[ozmouse]

imo, it depends entirely on your lifestyle, not on income, type of dog, or space available.

are you going to get up in the darkness of morning to walk (and of course after work). and DEFINATELY make walking/feeding arrangements when you accept social engagements.

when you go away, you have to factor in additional holidaying expenses for kenneling or someone organized to babysit.

i went thru a breakup and ended up with 2 larges dogs in a unit with some yardspace. my social, sporting lifestyle and reln are affected by them. they come with me everywhere. i have a dog walker (for walking during the day).

money can be an issue .. not the daily expenses. Medical costs for rare conditions. my 1 girls heart tabs are $160/month. last surgery was $2000. but as with most monetary decisions, we find the money.

of course, if your not willing to spend the money for a procedure, well then you should not have a pet.

i suggest you volunteer at a pet shelter or do dog walking if you do not want the commitement of pet ownership.