Spent 11k on my cat recently when he ate a bottle of my dogs apoquel. Just a heads up the chewable apoquel is toxic to cats and yet so alluring to them they will scale high shelves and break open prescription a prescription bottle that hasn’t even been opened yet to get to what’s inside. Not to mention skip on the easily accessible bag of beef jerky on the table to the med instead. He’s only 5 and the treatment was workin and he was in fact getting better he just needed more time on IV fluids. Days of being at a pet hospital on IV quickly racked up to 11k unfortunately

My guy, a black lab, swallowed an industrial twist tie, which perforated his intestines and led to sepsis at 2 years of age. He survived after surgery and a $13K vet bill. He is now 5 years old, and started growling at a spot on my wife's leg while she worked in her office. She decided to go to the doctor and found out is was an extremely aggressive melanoma that was caught before spreading widely. The little guy essentially saved my wife's life and earned his vet repair bill.

Also, every vet visit is $500 minimum. And your house smells and has lots of extra hair.

I have two cats and a dog. I’ve spent $10,000 on the dog in ACL surgery’s and I just got a diagnosis my youngest cat has lymphoma, and we haven’t even started treatment yet. I love them so much but at 32, I don’t know if I can do this again once they’re gone.

So there's 2 things that go in in this case. The first I see often is people not following through with clean medical records, or getting insurance after a documented issue. Both will get you denied. I saw a lot of threads of people just not understanding the coverage they paid for and then complaining when they got denied. The second is just like you said, it does happen, unfortunately. They are companies and I'm sure every one of them has done something similar to get out of what they owe. I live in NY, there's a lot of protections for insured parties here. I've never had to have the state step in per se, but that also doesn't mean the looming possibility isn't keeping insurers in line. YMMV depending on where you live and who your insurer is. All we can do is follow the rules of the plan, cross your T's dot your I's, and hope for the best. Fetch has been great to me fwiw. If I have questions I call, I get a person on the phone, it's been better than my actual health insurance through my job LOL

Jokes on you, my 3.5 year old shepherd mix needed TPLO surgery, $10k+ later... (Pet insurance was a life saver, highly recommend!)

I’ve had both ASPCA and MetLife and I’ve just had to upload receipts and a SOAP note provided by the vet. Literally never had a problem being reimbursed by either, and one of them covers (at 80%) my dogs prescription food. Again I just upload a receipt

Pet insurance! I got it for my husbands dog when he was 9 and had no prior issues. I was like he is only getting older. Best thing I ever did lol.

It sucks, but you're right. If someone has the money, then sure, absolutely do what you can to help them, *but* there also comes a time when people have to consider the dog's quality of life over everything else. As awful as it is, letting go too soon is going to be far better for them than them suffering for nothing but their person's benefit (and unfortunately I see that happen all too often)

We just spent 8 on my cat. I found him unresponsive on the floor, then as he got worse I had to have a tough conversation with my husband about where to draw the line because that was absolutely all of our savings, and we have a baby coming and our bills are only getting higher. He kept treating the cat. Thank God he lived, but now we're fucked and I'm a little resentful.

Those are easy ones. Wait until you want to go in a vacation, or for your logical brain to meet your emotional brain when the dog needs $10,000 in treatment at 10 years old.

Here’s the unpopular opinion. I love dogs all kinds. I loved my dogs very much. But if it’s over 4000 it’s getting put down.

"My dog loves me but he wouldn't want me to go in debt to keep him alive for another couple years that would probably involve him suffering with arthritus and hip displasia."

My gosh, was that anytime in the last decade?? 😅 I would tell the shelter they need to be realistic in what they tell people. That would unfortunately cause some people to dump a dog after getting it.

Im in soo much fkn debt cuz of my dogs I hate it im over having pets 😒

I love dogs and have kept two at a time for many years. But you are not wrong. Luckily mine have never had chronic poop issues (maybe try adding some pureed pumpkin to your dog’s meal? It doesn’t take much. Or ask your vet for dietary recommendations). But in addition to all you say, you have to find care when you travel which can be expensive, vet bills are increasingly outrageous, insurance is becoming more necessary, even very good dogs are inherently messy and can be accidentally destructive, and it can be hard to find living space to accommodate them, etc etc). I have always taken in dogs from shelters or ones that need rehoming but I am kind of thinking that my current pair will be my last. Or i will at least take a break for awhile. They do give me a sense of security, keep me exercising more, and are very sweet and cuddly. But they are a lot.

10 years later your finances might look very different

We spend about $30,000/ year for food , vet (one needed Qpk in surgery and treatment)and treats for our dog. We also installed a $12000 fence for the yard. Worth every penny imho. We love them.

I find it so interesting that this isn't the norm? I know AI can be wrong, but whenever I tell it I walk my dog 4 times a day, 3 short 15-20 minute walks and one long 45 minutes-1 hour walk a day (1.5 hours to 2 hours in total a day), it says that's a lot and to be careful it's not too much for him. Like what? I thought this was normal (we don't have a yard and where I live people usually don't let their dogs poop in their yards anyway). My dog is 12 kg and a moderately active breed. 11 months old.

Pets are a huge responsibility, 2 cats is probably the easiest combo. Pets are Well worth it in my mind but having the dog probably adds an extra hour to 2 hours to my daily chores and responsibilities. Getting the right breed for life style is a big one, I don’t know how many people I know that get active working breeds and think 2 walks a week is going to keep that dog content. Just feel bad for the dog to be honest.

I find it so interesting that this isn't the norm? I know AI can be wrong, but whenever I tell it I walk my dog 4 times a day, 3 short 15-20 minute walks and one long 45 minutes-1 hour walk a day (1.5 hours to 2 hours in total a day), it says that's a lot and to be careful it's not too much for him. Like what? I thought this was normal (we don't have a yard and where I live people usually don't let their dogs poop in their yards anyway). My dog is 12 kg and a moderately active breed. 11 months old.

needing to take them on walks to handle basic biology functions is a big part of why "owning a dog fucking sucks" .. you ain't making a good case.

It completely takes over your life and and your schedule.... It's exhausting

Dogs are like kids, unless you have a yard they can hang out in, your life now revolves around a dog. They are great for lonely people, but if you have any semblance of a life, say bye-bye to it, you gotta be home by 8p every night or you aren't getting your security deposit back.

I have a 4 lb ball and chain. I cant go anywhere because he is a total monster. I get the sentiment!

The amount of stuff my friend missed out on cause he "had to go home to his dog" is insane and always bummed us out. But that's what some people choose. Also I could never own one cause I just travel for 2 weeks at a time sometimes and I'm not paying even more money for boarding. Edit: we have been and still are friends 20+ years later. All your assumptions are hilarious. He has a dog and lived alone most the time. That's comes with responsibility obviously. He's not missing anything important. Just chilling with the boys. Obviously over 20+ years it's gonna happen a bunch, that's just life.

Yea my dog is no longer a puppy. He's also dumb af. And on vacations it costs to board him. But my daughter loves him so screwed til nature does its thing.

I love my dogs, but once they are gone I don’t think I will be getting more. Between extreme codependency (on each other), crippling anxiety for one, and hyperactivity (at 9) with the other, vacations are impossible without spending hella $$$ on someone to house sit the whole time. But I do love them very much.

I think puppies are worse than babies and no one can tell me otherwise. I dated someone with a boxer puppy, and it was hell on Earth with that lil dementor. i have never had either. Babies AT LEAST shit in diapers most of the time and not the floor. And you dont have to walk them in the freezing cold for them to come back inside to just shit under your bed. Nor will babies gobble down your chili cheese coney when you turn your back for 5 seconds. Nor do babies eat your things.

I was so excited to finally get a dog. I love him and he's well taken care of, but never again. And I don't know why anyone likes puppies. That was terrible. Again, adorable, but what a nightmare.

I find puppies and untrained large dogs exhausting. Small dogs can be loud, but you can easily pick them up. Well trained large older dogs are more manageable. A puppy and a toddler at the same time? Nahhh, I wouldn’t dare.

Same goes for Border Collie. People get them because they’re cute but good lord do they have non stop energy. You need to run them for MILES every day to keep them happy.

Same with Catahoulas Loved my boy but damn...No I do not want to play frisbee as soon as we are home from the 7 mile run. This theme runs with all working dogs. They need to have intense physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy (and tired).

I had an Australian shepard. There was very little time for me. It he wasn't sleeping, he was sitting there staring at me. Always wanting something. Would have to take him for three walks a day so his energy would be spent. So many vet bills for random weird issues. The way he took off running affected/hurt his toes and they had to be amputated. Would always get infections on his tail. Barked at absolutely every single noise with his high, shrill sheep dog voice. Loved to roll in dead fish whenever possible. Couldn't handle being around other dogs. Or humans. Would eat frozen bones even if his mouth bled. Fucking exhausting, absolutely. But I loved him and miss him.

Before my Yorkies, 20 years ago, I had one German Shepherd and 2 cats. They all slept together and played together. The two Yorkies usually do well being left in the same kennel together. I’ve never left them alone for more than 4 hours though. The German shepherd I had could be left alone with freedom to roam the house. I don’t trust my Yorkies to have freedom to roam while left alone. Not yet anyway. Edited to add that the two Yorkies don’t have an aggressive nature. They have never been aggressive towards each other. They will just ignore each other and go to their separate places. Which unfortunately is becoming too often lately.

I’ve grown up with animals. Loved it. As a solo dad now though, I am so tired of having animals. Don’t get me wrong, I do love them. But once they pass away, I will not be getting more. I am constantly overwhelmed. My partner died this year which has made it even harder. Between the kids, the animals, work, the house upkeep, and unfortunately a merged household which I am stuck in for the foreseeable future, we now have a combo of 4 dogs and 2-3 cats at any given time. The whining, the neediness, the dogs have formed anxiety attachment issues to other family members, it’s exhausting. I don’t have the time and energy to take care of my kids, my animals, and still have energy and time to properly take care of myself. All of my time is spent taking care of others, it is beyond exhausting. I am so tired of just constantly being *needed.* There is always a need. A request. I need food, I need to go outside, I need to go potty, I need water, I need attention, I need my butt wiped / poop cleaned up / litterbox cleaned, I need I need I need. Animals are already clingy and needy, kids on top of that is just so much. Kids/animals to adults we are outnumbered 10>3 I’ve never been bothered by the care and upkeep of animals before becoming a parent. But now? I am simply spent beyond capacity. Perhaps when my kids are no longer little and need help with literally every aspect of existing, I will have the energy and patience once more, but I am looking forward to (eventually) no longer having extra lives to take care of for awhile. One of my pups passed away in 2024, he made it to 18, and passed away in my arms. He was 2 when we rescued him and I had him over half of my life, I grew up with him. I loved him dearly. Still, in his last few years caring for him became challenging. He wasn’t able to control his bowels much (if at all) and needed to be carried inside/outside every potty break. Vet bills add up as they get old too. On top of all of the care, you have yet another family member to grieve the loss of. I’ve lost so many people this year alone, I just cannot keep adding beings to my life which I know I will inevitably lose.

I got my dog 10 years ago before I even graduated high school. Another point I guess, is that it's really hard to adapt your lifestyle changes when you have a dog.

Also: You get attached, they live relatively young lives and die If you work from an office job, they spend 90% of their days alone, it's quite terrible

That's exactly my point. Who the hell has the option to never leave their animal alone for more than 4 hours, usually people are working for 8 hours 5 days a week..

I have two Yorkies. The neediest dogs ever. Had I known they were going to constantly be looking to me to entertain them every second of the day, I would have never adopted them. I adopted two with the expectation that they would keep each other occupied. It’s exhausting. I love them and resent them.

I have a lurcher with predominantly whippet and greyhound on his mother's side, and he is perfect in every way but so needy its drives me mad. I got him at 18 months old, and just like OP's dogs, he wants me to be his sole source of entertainment, and it IS exhausting. Every time I need a break I feel like a terrible owner, even though I've spent most of the day petting him and playing with him and walking him, because he just pesters and pesters and won't accept that I'm done. He takes it as a great betrayal. I'd be fine if he just wanted to follow me everywhere, but he has to have pets ALL the time. Or play. Or a walk. I love him to death but whatever dog you get, please enforce independence when theyre a pup, and don't allow them to make you their only source of happiness. My working cocker x jack russell puppy is SO much easier, because he will happily entertain himself.

Damn did I write this 😂 My Yorkie is clingy AF and I’m tired of cleaning up dog poop. But my Yorkie is extremely smart. Unbelievably smart for a dog I think sometimes.

The smell of fresh dog poo is my kryptonite unfortunately, there is no way I could deal with handling that every day.

Dogs might not be for you op by please know that the shitting everywhere and eating random shit can be trained out. My dogs shit in a specific corner (designated by a sand gravel mix like a big litter tray) and know not to eat random shit. With the clingyness unfortunately breed effects that a lot. Some breeds are known to basically want to be under your skin 24/7, it's what we bred them to be like. Great if you want a dog that's obsessed either you, not so great when you want to be able to sit down without a dog on top of you. You can also train out the playing issues. Dogs first instinct when they see their family play is to join in. You can train that out by redirecting them to safer play methods I.e bring their favourite toy instead of barreling into a toddler

Imagine forgetting to pick up the yard from two big dogs and then it snows. Such a nice suprise when it melts.

What's with the dog crap everywhere? My family never used to poop scoop and it was grim. As an adult, I have sectioned off a patch of artificial grass for my dog to crap on. We pick up his shit the moment it lands, and hose it down and disinfect it regularly. Everyone in the household knows the score. Bag it and bin it immediately.

But you’d have to clean it up as soon as it happens. People have lives and can’t just watch their dog 24/7. Of course they’re not gonna clean the yard up daily. And dogs get diarrhea… have fun picking that up bleh. And the kind of diet that some dogs need so they have normal bowel movements… I mean it’s more than some human meals.

I hate the hair. I hate it so much. It’s a daily if not twice daily sweeping to keep up. I love my two dogs, and my German shepherd is like my best buddy, but I’ll never get dogs again. Plus, since the pandemic era and economy tanking I’ve lost substantial income too that I haven’t been able to recover and I can’t afford dogs in the future anyway if it remains this way.

I HATE IT! I inherited my husbands chocolate lab and he sheds everywhere. He is 6, he is so sweet and I take care of him and love him but omg... I can't wait to never clean up dog hair again. He is also so clingy, up my ass all the time, and he is large so he doesn't get how much space he takes up. Then I thought it would be a great idea to get a shihtzu puppy because I wanted a dog to help me grieve my miscarriage. What the fuck was I thinking? I've committed to 15 years of dogs. I love my dogs a lot, they are amazing companions, and there are more pros than cons. But I told my husband after they both go we are remaining dog free for a LONG time.

We had a Pyrenees and the amount of shedding that dog did was insane. Plus he needed a bath at least weekly or he stank really really bad.

We recently temporarily rehomed our heavy shedding dog to my in laws while we prepare to move across the country so we can do showings of our current house and let inspector type people in without having to find somewhere to take her in 90 degree weather multiple times a week. We haven’t had to vacuum every single day and the entire house actually stays clean when it’s been cleaned. I love and miss my dog but I’m dreading moving her into our new house. Dogs are just so nasty all the time. Wet floors from water bowls, random hair everywhere and occasional accidents? I never understood non-pet people but I’m starting to

i am glad your wife & grandma don't own a german shepherd. i have one. i already broke 2 Dyson's.

I have liked some dogs but from afar. I can appreciate a good dog.But I can never be the one to touch it or own it.They are so greasy and have that dog smell that infiltrates your entire home and wardrobe. I like working dogs,hunting dogs,useful dogs. It doesn’t help that most owners are pieces of shiz that will compare loss of their dog to you losing your mom or will neglect their kids in favor of their dog. Not for me. Maybe you’re one of the good owners and im glad you found one you like. Im just grossed out and annoyed for the most part.They’re intrusive animals and I like my space.

Yeah, dogs are not for me, either. They’re also really dirty and stinky.

Oh my god the smell is what does it for me. The smells and the dampness/wet spots everywhere

For me, it’s the scent. Dogs just have a scent, and I completely understand why some people can overlook it, but my God it’s not me. The smell of a dog is just so deeply unpleasant to me, and the thought of having that scent around me all the time and on all my furniture just sounds awful. It makes me a little nauseous if I’m honest. I also just can’t deal with getting licked. I don’t want drool on me. And unless you wash their feet after every walk, they track so much dirt in. I absolutely get why people like dogs, but I’m way too much of a neat freak to be one of them.

This thread is how most average people worldwide think about dog ownership. It is literally more difficult than a baby forever and the horrible bad dog smell never goes.

Agreed. My husband’s pug is a monster. He can open trashcans with the pedal. He eats tissues and feminine products then proceeds to throw them up all over the house. I have to tape all trash cans shut. The hair.. the smell.. its horrible. My new house just smells like swamp dog ass and I hate it so much. Idk if he just wasn’t trained right or what but this mfkr is the bane of my existence especially with a toddler he’ll try to snap at. Im like can we get rid of this thing yet?? Im stuck taking care of him and the baby and it sucks. I have to keep them separate due to his behavior towards the baby like not okay. My husband doesn’t do anything for this dog while I have to. I still treat him love and stuff but I just cant take this shit anymore. He ruins all my furniture and blankets and sucks on the edges and other things. Cant leave any clothing on the floor. Cat person now and always. This dog drives to me drink some days lol…

My grandma's Labrador ate the whole Sunday roast off the table when she went to the door to let the visitors in.

We have a black lab, but before him we had a yellow who was basically a California-surfer-dude in a dog's body, and a chocolate lab who was just an anxious, neurotic mess (but, secretly my favourite of them all...). Anyway, the chocolate lab, Hudson, once ate half a pair of quality over-the-ear headphones. Literally, consumed half a pair of headphones. But that is not the worst. He once barfed up an entire bar of soap, and then the next week he barfed up an entire log of poo. An entire log of the stuff. Barfed up on my front walkway. Still miss that sad little f'er. He was a good dog.

We can’t have nice couches but sometimes our dogs throw up on them. We have couch coverings on them, which makes our place look very unaesthetic. And bc no one is home 8 hours a day, sometimes our boys pee off their mat. Step on it and leave pee tracks in the house.

Lord almighty have I learned this the hard way. My bulldog just cannot for the life of her master potty training. We got her when she was 4, and in her past life she was a breeding mother kept in a crate 24/7/365. No outside potty, no outside anything. She peed and pooped in the crate, laid in it, slept and ate in the crate, and from time to time they’d hose out the crate. Awful. When she came home, outside was new to her, and the first time she did a zoomie, she stunned herself. We first tried the standard crate training approach. That was obviously dumb because she thought it was a porta potty. She’d go in there, poop, come back out. She had absolutely no qualms whatsoever about “soiling her den” or laying in her own waste. We tried taking her out frequently, like every hour. We gave her treats and praise when she went outside. That worked ok, she’d gladly go outside when we took her outside. But no part of her brain thought that if she had to go she should tell us or wait, so she’d go outside, come back in, pee on the rug 20 minutes later, and go back to snoozing. Finally, we trained her to use a real grass pad inside. We did that instead of wee wee pads so she could understand that grass is good and rug-like things are bad. She actually got pretty good at it. It wasn’t ideal, but no worse than a litter box, and for years she was pretty good with it. Over the last year, she’s untrained herself. She still uses the grass pad about half the time, and still goes outside when we take her outside, but then just goes where she wants the rest of the time. We keep trying but at this point are just resigned to the fact that she’s not a deep thinker, not an easily trainable breed, and unfortunately her first 4 years just can’t be undone. We invest most of our energy in cleaning 😅

I love my dog but he came with fleas and the flea treatment the rescue organisation used, then the type we used, didn’t work on him. Meanwhile our whole house was infested and we were going overseas so we set off a flea bomb. Absolutely ruined my health (followed the instructions carefully) for several years and cost us a fortune in healthcare, replacing carpets and furniture and belongings. Still have the dog 10 years later, have a good preventative that works for him but oh my goodness do I regret ever adopting him.

Yorkies are notoriously difficult to potty train. Mine are trained to go outside or the garage. We have a doggie door that they come and go leading to the safety of the garage. There are pee pads there that they use. They mostly prefer the outside though. They use the garage for convenience and bad weather. They are reliable for the most part. The older one (1 1/2 yr ) has accidents…er “retaliation “ on occasion. I’ve been told many times that Yorkies have a tendency to regress. They say that it usually clicks by two years old. 🤞

Yo tengo una chihuahua ya de 11 años y aveces se me orina en la cocina y la sala, si quiero irme de viaje tengo que ver con quien dejarla y hace poco tenía tos y la tuve que llevar al veterinario

I love my dog so much He's an idiot tho He doesn't know where to use the potty outside. In the grass. Like a normal dog. If it's wet grass? He won't go. If it's raining? Won't go. Grass needs cutting? He won't go. I have to drag his ass onto the grass regardless of what's going on out there because he just can't bring himself to do it. If left unattended, he pisses and shits right in the driveway pavement. This enrages me to no end. If it's hot out, my entire back yard smells like hot dog piss or shit. I'm so fucking over it lol he is helpless. I won't be getting pets ever again once all mine have lived their lives. I'm so sick of the bullshit haha

Ya I agree. I’ve had a dog pretty much my entire life and never felt it was too inconvenient until now. It’s just not for me anymore. I won’t be getting another dog ever again. They are messy, smelly, loud, extremely overstimulating, and require a lot of responsibility. It’s probably because I currently have 3 kids so I have a lot of all those things already and I’ve basically reached capacity at this point. It’s a hard no from me, from now on.

I’m unfortunately with you there. I love my dogs, but I also hate a lot of things about having dogs. I didn’t realize I was neurodivergent until some time after I got dogs, so I didn’t know just how bad my anhedonia and executive dysfunction could be on a daily basis. Or how many sensory issues I have. Or how complaints from neighbors could threaten my housing situation. And a lot of other things. I love them so much, they’re so goofy and unique. But I probably wouldn’t have more after they’re gone.

Ya I agree. I’ve had a dog pretty much my entire life and never felt it was too inconvenient until now. It’s just not for me anymore. I won’t be getting another dog ever again. They are messy, smelly, loud, extremely overstimulating, and require a lot of responsibility. It’s probably because I currently have 3 kids so I have a lot of all those things already and I’ve basically reached capacity at this point. It’s a hard no from me, from now on.

Jumping up, barking, whining, licking - Throw sensory sensitivity on that list, and dogs are a complete nightmare. And yes I'm made to feel bad about not wanting a dog.....

I like dogs but, for these same reasons, I never want to own a dog again. Plus, the loud nonstop licking of the midsection. No thank you. I do like being friends with dogs though…

I have a lab beagle. Loud AF. doesn't listen. Loveable. On trazadone. Doesn't work. Hyperactive. High alert all the time, no reason for it. Steals kleenex (clean and dirty) loves codding the cats.

No words can describe just how correct you are. I have a friend with a Corgi. I'm 💯 an animal lover (my dog sleeps in my bed) and I have never wanted to kill something as much as that fucking dog. It NEVER listens. Won't come. You have to get 3 people to corral it when it's time for her to leave. It barks at everything. You can't sweep, mop, water anything with a hose, mow the yard.... It's fucking psycho. To be honest, the dog is such a fucking shit show that I don't even think the breed is cute anymore.

okay thank you because not to sound like a bad person (and I love my dog), cats purr have healing frequencies but I don’t think my dog consistent freaking barking does anything

We have a Jack Russell and he's a nightmare 90% of the time. Just barks at EVERYTHING.

My neighbohour have a dog that does not stop barking. I am building a 110db ultrassonico dog deterrent on the range of 20khz to 30khz. It will calm it.

Living in an apt.complex where there are so many small dogs that aggressively-YAP sucks.

Yes I love dogs but would never own one! The dogs in my street bark at the slightest noise, one woman has two and the howl all day long, it’s so annoying and must be for the people living with a dog then there’s the responsibility of training them so you can go out without them biting or jumping up to people. These days most dog owners don’t care and take their dog absolutely everywhere and expect everyone to be ok with that. Not all just some and gives dog owners a bad name

I fucking hate my dog now that I’ve had a baby. Her fur, saliva, her stink! I hate it all. I don’t allow her near the baby because of it. Also she got attacked by an unleashed pitbull and her back was destroyed so she had the nastiest looking scars on her back that we can’t clean until they fall off. No more pets in this house.

this happened to me, multiple times cause i had a st bernard. so the other owners thought cause he was bigger, it was fine. id yell at them and tell em ima let him attack their dog to see if its as funny. unfortunately this happened like 3 or 4 times, he became reactive towards other dogs. still took him out for walks, just had to adjust. but to make him happy, i dealt with it.

The hardest part of dog ownership is that even if you do everything right, some other jerk can let their aggressive dog attack your leashed dog and now you have a reactive dog that can barely be in public and will never trust another dog again.

This happened with one of my dogs. He wasn’t even walkable after. He would freak out any time he saw another dog. It was so sad.

Same thing happened with my pup and life has been so much harder ever since. I’m so sorry for any dog and owner(s) who’ve had to endure this because the anxiety on every single outing is so real. Iykyk. 😭😢

This is what happened with my dog and it has made life so hard for me and my poor pup. She still gets along with my other dog, but if we’re outside and she sees a strange dog, her instinct is now to take out her anxiety on my other dog. Also traveling is a logistical nightmare. I can’t board them because she’s a reactive dog, and to get a dog sitter it has to be one I trust to handle her behaviors but also someone I trust to stay in my house.

This… currently have my first dog, got attacked two years ago, never the same again. 4am long walks just to get a relaxing walk. Always fearing what’s behind the next corner. People yelling awful things at you. Every. single day.

Yes. I inherited my mother's beloved pooch when she died very suddenly. Cost an absolute fortune to fly transatlantic. It's hard. He can't be left with anyone as he hates people due to anxiety. He must walk hours and hours a day, regardless of rain or heat. No one can walk him but me as he has a bite history and I can't trust anyone else. Everything gives him anxiety from the slightest weather changes to a shadow. He's 13 and is fit and well and will live to 20 just to spite me. 😂 He is loved and adored and has the best life he can with his mental health issues. I will never own another dog. Even babies aren't this difficult.

It’s so common where I live. I hate it.

Those stupid extendable leashes or long leashes drive me nuts. They are good training tools in the right hands. Unfortunately most people don't bother learning how to use them properly and the dog ends up being as bad as an off leash dog. There was an incident down at my local park where someone's on a long leash dog got into a water way and attacked a mother duck. The council couldn't do anything because technically the owner had their stupid mutt on leash.

As a dog owner the thing that makes me irate is the amount of people that think letting their dog off leash in public is okay. I had to just leave a park cause a guy let his dog off leash and it just ran off into the trail portion of the park and he had to chase it down over 400 yards.

Which is why i cant walk my dog in my neighborhood. They never heard of a thing called a LEASH. Fortunately i have large fenced in yard for running. I have to go to a large arboretum to walk. There are some ah dog owners out there. I live in a very nice neighborhood too.

people live different places. is it legal to have your dog off leash in public spaces? if so have atter' i guess, but even the trails and fields near me if its not private, the law applies. last time we got run up on it was on a trail by a stream my dog was fuddling around in.

I too have always had cats, and never intended or planned to be a dog owner....then my Gram passed, and her 7 year old (5lb) long haired chihuahua was already kinda attached to me since he would stay with me when she was in and out of the hospital. So naturally I took him in. Well. I have never experienced such anxiety in my life. First, my bigger cat attacked him one day resulting in ER Vet (I am still traumatized, I had his blood all over me) but he is a-ok now, except I am not. And then kind of soon after, an off leash dog attacked and killed a chihuahua in my town (he posted on reddit and was completely shattered by losing his buddy and witnessing it!) So when I take him out to go to the bathroom, I am looking in EVERY direction ALL the time to make sure there are no dogs around, and if one is coming, I pick him up and run inside. I HATE IT because I would love to take him on long walks. My partner takes him on walks- I take him out to do his business and then when my anxiety takes over, we head in. It's a lot.

Whatever you do. DONT GET A SECOND ONE TO KEEP YHE FIRST COMPANY!!!!!

Dogs can be incredibly neurotic and it’s gotten worse since Covid. You used to be a wolf and now you’re shivering because you saw a leaf blow in the wind come ON!

We have a Bernedoodle who is half Bernese and half poodle and we really got the best of both worlds lol he’s almost 2 years old now He doesn’t have separation anxiety so much as FOMO. He’s happy with other people or dogs but gets super anxious/bored when left home alone. He used to follow us EVERYWHERE around the house but now it’s more if he thinks he’s going for a walk/getting a treat or if he’s bored. We live in an apartment so walks mean potty breaks too. He’s cuddly for sure to an extent and only for so long. If he really wants to sleep or whatever, then he goes and lays by himself somewhere spread eagle on his back lol but hes still very affectionate and loves scratches. He’s chilled out a lot as he’s gotten older too, and does climb onto our bed in the mornings now to sleep next to us. He’s the goofiest, best boy and we love him so much

Wow you get dog shit on your shoe, poor you. GFs dog had severe anxiety, and was a Corso mix, so unfortunately in adulthood started to become aggressive. After years of training, boardings, nothing fixed him, he would get better for a bit, but inevitably something would trigger him again. He bit a few people, and after several years we knew he had to be put down. My GF lives with that decision to this day, and blames herself everyday. It drove her into a deep depression for a long time. Just thank your blessings you don't have actual behavioral issues with the dog.

I used to have a very friendly Saint Bernard named Sebastian who only got aggressive when he saw me (or any of my other family members) get attacked by someone, or if he got attacked himself. But since that rarely happened he was very kind to everyone he saw. And at the time I also had a shitty ass neighbor who was a blonde 10-13 year old girl that thought that teasing him was hilarious. And one day, I saw my dog Sebastian come inside limping with a bloody leg. Turns out, this motherfucker THREW BIG ROCKS AT HIM cause she thought it was hilarious. Did she get punished? Well I don't know if her parents yelled at her or if she got grounded for a while, but after a month or two, she and her sister got their own puppies even after what she did. And because of her, my dog Sebastian became afraid of blonde teenage girls and HATED THEM so much he couldn't be around them anymore.

She is a wild dog and its crazy to see how the lab and great pyr traits mix together. She is a pretty great dog tho, just has her quirks, she occasionally get resource guarding and will bite anyone who gets close to what she is protecting. Thats instinctive tho and we have done a ton of work getting her to a point where she trust us with the stuff she is protecting (I can now go up to her and take away high value bones and etc without her even blinking). I am a oretty firm believer that pretty much anything can be trained out with enough time, effort, and care. She also is extremely loving and will jump up on you and try to lean all over you if she wants attention.

The number of people, including innocent children, killed or maimed by dogs will never be surpassed by the number of people helped by your Lord and savior doggy Jesus.

Unfortunately yes, my husband’s dog is 110lbs and he’s too strong for me to walk. My husband won’t walk him for some reason and prefers him to go in the backyard. I have a routine where I go out with him 3x daily. Follow him around the yard while he sniffs, pick up his poops, then we have a 15-20 min play session of fetch. I feel bad not being able to walk him but it’s the best I can do.

People can never dream of other people not loving their dogs- but as somebody who had parents that never trained their dogs and often had big dogs growing up, its an absolute nightmare. They're loud, overstimulating, sometimes dangerous because they will knock you over or crash into you, and they require constant vigilance from getting into trouble. My parents dogs used to counter surf steal whole loaves of bread, and you could never leave a plate unattended even for a moment. I'm so glad to leave it behind for my chill cat.

I loathe dogs. They \*always\* jump on me, and, as I am tiny, mostly either knock me over or screw up my knees. I used to ride my bike in a rural area of Maine and have been attacked by dog packs more than once. Miserable beasts. Cats, on the other hand...

I love dogs but can understand that they’re not for everybody. They’re messy and the vet bills are exorbitant. Worth it to me but I totally get what you’re saying. My dog took my knee out of joint once because he spontaneously decided to just tackle me in play. He did not give one \*\*\*\* that I laid there writhing in pain, the big goofball.

Exactly!! I didn’t realize when I got mine (passed last year 😞 unfortunately) but I didn’t realize the other things that come with the responsibility like my dog had major stomach issues. The slightest thing would set his tummy off and he’d have diarrhea or throw up sometimes. Poor guy wanted to eat everything but his stomach didn’t allow it. I went under the naive assumption dogs had stomachs of steel and of course my dog ends up like me with a sensitive tummy 😂 plus he was an Aussie. SUPER fluffy dog … I’d have to wipe his ass more times than I can count. I miss him so much but god I don’t miss his diarrhea bouts.

If you're a PhD scientist then I trust you to do research from a scientific perspective using evidence and reputable sources. I can't convince you, but I think you should probably look into this a LOT more and be careful where you get your information.

Opinion aside, please take your dog to the vet. They should not be having constant diarrhea. You're likely feeding it something they're allergic to or something they're sensitive to. Please change that poor dog's diet.

Funny cause it’s relatable but maybe change his food so he has more firm stools. No reason to walk around smelling like poop.

Uh…yeah…it is exactly the same 😂 Your entire comment is utterly invalid.