Should we get a dog?

[BR_ANA]

As I was living with my mum, I adopted a rescue dog. My mum loved dog as a daughter. Dog was the better carer to calm my mum. Later dog helped me to accept that my mum was living on a CH.

I would advice if you get a dog think about respite from dog too (i.e. hospital stay, break downs)


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[dasntn]

As a dog lover I say not a good idea. They need regular exercise care and time. Dogs are basically todlers. Yes can be loving and wonderful company but if not given time needed to care for them properly, they can turn out to be a complete nightmare - just look at the dog shelters! Also unfair on a rescue dog you may adopt only to find you cannot cope and have to have to be rehome again. Time will be something you will become increasingly short off and it just wouldn't be fair on the dog.

On positive note, what about short term fostering for the dogs trust or local shelter or just dog walking. You won't be committed for 12+ years and would help a dog.

Thanks for the fostering idea, that looks worth looking into.

 

[dasntn]

Update

Just thought I would update you on what happened for us. I decided to try the foster route - hoping for a small dog but ended up two weeks ago having a 2 years old German Pointer arrive. A lovely, friendly dog, if a bit exuberant! It was hard work for the first week establishing boundaries, especially around meal times, and I did feel I was neglecting my OH to some extent, but he has settled in now, and we go for walks twice a day, all three of us, which is a good thing.

He is a lot more settled now, but I am still no sure if we will adopt him, or just foster till he finds a permanent home.

Thanks again for all the ideas and advice - I had never heard of fostering dogs before, but thanks to the forum for educating me

 

[Mimi5]

Ah thanks for the update

At least you can "try before you buy" in way and not feel guilty if it's not for you.

Enjoy the walks! I love walking the dogs, it me time/thinking time. MIL dog has settled in fairly well. We have had her nearly 4 months now. MIL still see's her 4 days a week, which I think is a highlight in her life. Molly is a transformed character! Amazing what having a "leader", routine & exercise can do for a lively cocker poo

 

[Tin]

Dasntn and Mimi5, So pleased you both updated and with good news.

 

[margherita]

Just thought I would update you on what happened for us. I decided to try the foster route - hoping for a small dog but ended up two weeks ago having a 2 years old German Pointer arrive. A lovely, friendly dog, if a bit exuberant! It was hard work for the first week establishing boundaries, especially around meal times, and I did feel I was neglecting my OH to some extent, but he has settled in now, and we go for walks twice a day, all three of us, which is a good thing.

He is a lot more settled now, but I am still no sure if we will adopt him, or just foster till he finds a permanent home.

Thanks again for all the ideas and advice - I had never heard of fostering dogs before, but thanks to the forum for educating me

Glad you have a new hairy friend!!!
I have two dogs, Ramses and Kira.
Ramses is a rescue dog, he's big, black, sweet.
Kira arrived here a year ago. She was incredidly skinny, because she was still a puppy and the other dogs in the cage where she stayed did not permit her to eat.
I was asked to foster her, till she would find a permanent home. Kira has been with us for a year and we have become her permanent family

 

[Lawson58]

The last time I got a puppy was way back in 1972. Since then, I have had several dogs all adopted as adults and have enjoyed everyone of them. I think fostering is a great idea for you and I hope that your new friend gives you lots of love while with you.

 

[Selinacroft]

Any pics? Sounds lovely . You will know if he melts your heart that he will be staying put.

 

[Tin]

Any pics? Sounds lovely . You will know if he melts your heart that he will be staying put.

Think maybe the charities hope for that! A friend of mine 'adopted' a dog she initially fostered, the biggest, ugliest dog I have ever seen, but so gentle and calm, it took her all of a week to decide to keep.

 

[PalSal]

Hello

my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 3 years ago at the age of 58, so she is still fairly physically active, although less so than before, but increasingly less socially active.

Until a couple of months ago we had a cat, who died of old age. She now says that the cat was the only friend she had, (obviously not true but it says something about her loneliness). She likes animals, watching squirrels in the garden, and nature programmes on TV, so I thought we might get a dog. Probably an older rescue dog, rather than a puppy.

Hopefully this will give her some focus and company (I am at home now, having stopped work to care for her) and will gives us both some reason for more exercise.

I just want to make sure I consider all of the aspects (good and bad) before going ahead, so does anyone else have experience of doing this, or any views?
Thanks

It is always a big question around here, when our dog died at 16 years old everyone wanted me to get my husband another one, but surprisingly my mother in law who is a great dog lover. She advised we just care for our friends animals when they traveled. It was sage advice. As although my husband is still very fit, and of course was very young in diagnosis --we decided not to get another dog. OH takes no initiative now and a dog would mean something else for me to care for on a daily basis. We have enjoyed taking care of friends animals since OH's since diagnosis...with a couple of particular favorites ( a minitature poodle named Cera....we never had small dogs always larger gun dogs) We still have our old cat who is a millenium kitty (now 17) and he has been a lovely pet....but not quite like our devoted dogs. But I am happy with the decision we made and do not regret that we did not get another dog. But when the cat goes I will be faced again with pet decisions. It is a dilemma-good luck with oyur decision...it is very personal.

 

[Lawson58]

It is always a big question around here, when our dog died at 16 years old everyone wanted me to get my husband another one, but surprisingly my mother in law who is a great dog lover. She advised we just care for our friends animals when they traveled. It was sage advice. As although my husband is still very fit, and of course was very young in diagnosis --we decided not to get another dog. OH takes no initiative now and a dog would mean something else for me to care for on a daily basis. We have enjoyed taking care of friends animals since OH's since diagnosis...with a couple of particular favorites ( a minitature poodle named Cera....we never had small dogs always larger gun dogs) We still have our old cat who is a millenium kitty (now 17) and he has been a lovely pet....but not quite like our devoted dogs. But I am happy with the decision we made and do not regret that we did not get another dog. But when the cat goes I will be faced again with pet decisions. It is a dilemma-good luck with oyur decision...it is very personal.

We had to have our old dog put down as he had cancer and had reached the stage where he didn't want to go for a walk and was struggling to have a good day. This was during the time when OH was under investigation at the memory clinic and I debated whether we should replace him. OH was keen to get another dog but I was unsure so I had a chat with our GP who highly recommended a new furry friend. He felt that dementia patients do better with pets and he was right.

We adopted a two year old Staffie cross and she has brought such joy to OH that we can't regret it for a moment. Since then OH has had a cardiac arrest at home and she has been instrumental in maintaining his exercise. She's with him when he watches TV, she sleeps on the bed with him and takes him for a walk every morning. We have now added a feline friend and watching them play chasey all over the house is very entertaining for him.

Most importantly, I believe that having a pet has helped OH maintain some empathy for another living being, maybe he's lost that depth of understanding for me but he really has an honest loving connection with her and that is really worth keeping.