Shall we get a wee dog?

If you need to seek advice on this issue before you do it. The best advice is don't do it. A dog/cat of any size is a permanent responsibility and, as they say, a dog is not just fro Christmas. If you are not sure, and possibly haven't owned dogs before then it is an invitation to disaster for you and the dog.

To be honest the poop matter is secondary....if you really have a space in your heart and home for a dog you just deal with the poop etc. Its a bit like no one really worries about changing nappies for their beloved baby....you just do it because its all part of loving them.
Yep, I might sound a bit preachy and 8 years ago would probably have laughed at such a comment but we felt we could give a Dogs Trust refugee a home and fell for our mad mut. There are poo bags in every coat I posses, even a few pairs of heavy weather trousers but with a bit of due diligence we have her on a decent quality diet that mean nice firm poos....and yes that is important....and hey presto dealing with the poop is way down on the list of life's little hiccups!
Honestly, you really need to be 100% keen or it will ......excuse the pun....bite you on the b*m.

Shall we get a wee dog? - oh no.

No, I don't believe you should. If you can even consider picking up after your dog may be something you can't do and comment that it won't wipe its own bottom then a dog isn't for you.
They are a full time commitment. They cost a lot of money to keep. They need a lot of time, training, and energy plus a commitment to love and care for them for, if you're lucky over 15 years.

Thank you so much for your inciteful comments. We have been to the Dogs Trust several times and take this very seriously.

Sorry oldbatty but I'm another whose advice is don't do it. Iam64 has hit the nail on the head as to why a dog is really not for you.

Having to have my best little doggy friend put to sleep after Christmas has left a huge hole in my life. I wouldn't contemplate getting another. I'm 66, my little dog was 18, if another lived as long I would be 84. I don't think I'd be able to cope. Having a dig is lovely, but you are limited to the amount of time you can leave them alone. I'm finding the freedom I've not had for years rather nice. I can come and go as I please without worrying about what the dog is getting up to.
It's entirely up to you oldbatty, but I would think long and hard about it.

thanks hilda.

We got a rescue dog eighteen months ago and after some very intensive training he is now a beautifully behaved, very affectionate companion and we wouldn't be without him. However, having a dog is like having a toddler that will never grow up, so it's a huge commitment and not one that I would recommend without a huge amount of soul searching. Like others, I'm afraid my advice would be that a dog is probably not for you.

If you get a dog, is it likely to outlive you? Some live for 12, 15 years. Will you, by then, still be in good health, be able to take it out for a walk? Be able to afford vet bills? Have a car, to get to a vet?

So many people seem to get a pet (not saying this will necessarily apply to you), without thinking of the lifespan of the animal, and the changes in life in those years.

No, your comments about picking up poo are enough. As for

" wipe its bum on the way into the house" I have never known any dog do that! Some might drag their bottoms when they have worms, but wiping them is something beyond belief!

Have you considered a fish tank?

The other posters are right. Don’t get a dog.
I dog sit one day a week for my daughter, a lovely 1 year old rescue pup, purely because we usually go away a lot so a dog of our own would tie us down too much.
Anyway, came back from a very brief walk yesterday, with 2 poo bags, checked her for ticks, she wasn’t very happy as she had been stung by a wasp the previous evening, and then she went into the garden and found some hedgehog poo and managed to wipe it all over herself.
So, really, picking up their poo is not the worst thing you will ever have to do, there is a long list. TBH when we have had dogs over the years we never, ever thought about the poo thing, so the fact that you have thought about it already doesn’t bode well, what happens when it get the trots and poo ends up on your carpet or on your furniture and bedding? Not to mention trying to get hedgehog poo of it before it brings that indoors too!
Please think long and hard about it and don’t rescue a dog only to take it back again as that would be too cruel

As a life-long dog owner I’d say a dog isn’t for you.

I had dogs in younger family-centred days but wouldn't contemplate it now.
Poo-picking a bit of a problem? Think about that task at 11pm on a cold, wet November night!
My DS has 2 dogs. DD1 - 2 dogs. DD2 - 1 dog and 2 cats. I'm happy to see them when they visit but long ago decided I couldn't take responsibility (even shortterm).
They have all managed to make holiday arrangements for the pets and accept my view without resentment.
Love the idea of a little furry friend but reality kicks in and I won't do it!

I think the short answer is no.

My first instinct as a great dog lover is to say yes in capital letters.
However by taking on a dog, you are taking in a new life and a responsability for the rest of its years.
A dog is not just for Christmas or Easter............it is there for life.
You get unconditional love and great loyalty,companionship and reams of pleasure from the licks every time you return home, to the dog walking daily where you soon meet and get friendly with other pet owners.
But of course they do not come cheap and you must factor in their Veterinary care throughout their lives,foods,grooming .....and if you go on holidays there maybe kennel charges to consider.
All dependant on the dog you choose.... from a little loving lap dog to a great huge wolf hound, the expenditure will be accordingly.
When you have factored in everything, and yes, there will be daily poop picking up and perhaps much else besides, for much as any human,they do get sick and all kind of things.
Your home may never be quite as spotless again.Your favourite settee may well become your dog`s "abode!!"
You need to be completely and utterly responsable so that your pet is well cared for from every sense.
Without a doubt they are amongst the best investmnent you will ever make, and you will reap such huge rewards.
You will find that they become a family member and the day will arrive when you may well think............. "How on earth did I manage to live without!!"
Good luck,do your homework well and invest wisely...........I hope you find the ideal pet for yourself

Panache, your post sets out in more details what most posters said. Dogs are a life long commitment, very expensive and time consuming. The concerns expressed by the OP suggest she likes the idea of a pet but already knows that bringing a dog into her life is likely to have more downs than upsides for her.
I don't want to be a misery guts but any dog lover/owner/person involved in dog rescue organisations is well aware our dog sanctuaries are already over flowing with dogs people bought or took in on an impulse and then 'got rid of' for whatever reason.

I am hoping the question from oldbatty was a bit tongue in cheek.
If that is your main concern before getting a dog then don't do it. Dogs give us an extraordinary amount of love and pleasure but against that they can be messy and definitely expensive.
Iam64 is right please don't let another dog end up in a rescue centre,

can I just say, I have no intention of being cruel to an animal or letting a dog end up back in a rescue centre.

Yes the original question was tongue in cheek.

pheonix, my former bosses had 2 French bulldogs whose bottoms had to be wiped - preferably by a minion - prior to them being allowed indoors. Yuk! But I'm afraid I'm in agreement with the majority that a dog for oldbattyis probably not a good idea

I hate dogs; but equally hate to see them maltreated, as any animal.

We never had dogs when the children were little, even though one DD really wanted one. I explained to her that unless dogs were absolutely your "thing" and that of the whole family, it would be cruel to take one on.

Interestingly she is now a mother of two and says that, much as she loves dogs, she just couldn't cope with one.

Indeed it appears that the OP had not fully considered all that a dog might bring into her life and so I paid attention to "filling her in with detail" however quite frankly although I presume the post was written somewhat "tongue in cheek" the fact she does not like the idea of "poo picking up" is a deal breaker, and I have to then agree with the majority of you...............perhaps a dog is NOT a good idea oldbatty ..................but at least you have been furnished with the whole facts.

If you are even imagining you might not pick up the poop, then don't get a dog because you will become public enemy number one, and there's a chance you will be named and shamed with photographs on some community facebook site, by local people for whom getting rid of dog poo is such a high priority that they feel this approach is justified.

As for wiping the dog's bottom: a short haired dog doesn't have this problem. At least ours doesn't.

Again, another subject on which i have strong views that are sure to be slated. Personally the thought of picking up dog poo every day turns my stomach, especially in public. I too cannot get past the unclean bum bit, trotting in from garden after pooing and snuffling amongst the dirt then putting said bum and nose on my carpets, chairs etc. Even beds as some people allow!
To save my son money i swallow all this and occasionally look after their gorgeous pooch when they go away. He is cute, loving and cuddly but boy, am i glad when he goes, the sense of relief is overwhelming.
To add to the poo, bum, nose bit........how on earth can anyone allow their dog to lick their face.....ugh!