Letting pets run your lives

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Anyone else have relatives who have pets that limit their activities?

My folks aren’t getting any younger and increasingly they are unable/unwilling to do things because they have a neurotic little dog that refuses to be boarded and freaks out during storms. So they basically can’t/won’t leave him alone.

I try to convince them just drop him off at the kennel and he’ll be fine when you pick him up, but no luck.

Makes me sad they are passing on a lot of stuff over a dog. We have a couple younger relatives who do the same thing.

Anyone else deal with this?

 

[BrianNole777]

A good dog is amazing and should run their owner's lives. 😀

 

[McLovin32]

Nope. We've got a dog and don't take him to a kennel. But my dad no pics lives about 40 mins away, and he ****ing looooooves when we leave and he gets to dog-sit. He spoils the shit out of our dog whenever he gets him. It works well for everyone.

 

[ping72]

I agree, and it also makes me sad. I’ve heard people say that they’ve canceled vacation because they couldn’t find a hotel to take their dog and similar things. Not being able to live your life because you have a pet is just stupid to me. Pets should enhance your life and make you happier. When they start limiting your life, they’ve got to go.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

Anyone else have relatives who have pets that limit their activities?

My folks aren’t getting any younger and increasingly they are unable/unwilling to do things because they have a neurotic little dog that refuses to be boarded and freaks out during storms. So they basically can’t/won’t leave him alone.

I try to convince them just drop him off at the kennel and he’ll be fine when you pick him up, but no luck.

Makes me sad they are passing on a lot of stuff over a dog. We have a couple younger relatives who do the same thing.

Anyone else deal with this?

Maybe they like their dogs more than they like their humans. For some people there's likely a solid argument to make.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Maybe they like their dogs more than they like their humans. For some people there's likely a solid argument to make.

I get that, but that’s not the case here.

 

[TennNole17]

My mom has three dogs of varying ages. She wants to bring them everywhere....but my brother and I tell her no, so she will come and pout; or not come. We're all in the same city, so unnecessary.

She refers to them as her "other children" in front of us lol. Dogs are equally as messed up as my bro and I

 

[Urohawk]

My dad's dog died. He said I can visit more because we don't have to hassle with the dog. 9 months later he gets another dog which is a neurotic, yip-yip dog. Now it's even worse with him doing much.

 

[IAFB2021Champs]

Dogs are like family. Especially if you don’t have kids.

 

[like-woahh]

It's probably a good thing I don't have a dog, because I would abuse the built in excuse to get out of doing things.

Joking aside, this thread is the main reason I don't have one. In terms of fairness to the dog, my current lifestyle just doesn't fit. I live alone and sometimes have to travel for work with a day or two notice, and that's just not conducive to taking care of a pet. When I do get to the point where it's feasible, I'll be making sure that they're trained and socialized at a young age, so if I need to leave or visit somewhere that doesn't work with having a dog, it won't be a big deal to kennel them, drop them off with a family member, or pay someone to come by and walk the dog once or twice a day.

People just willy nilly get a dog w/out understanding the impact to their day to day life, and I will never understand that.

 

[goldmom]

I have a dog and have no problem boarding him.
But his pet palace has an indoor suite and an outdoor swimming pool.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I have a dog and have no problem boarding him.
But his pet palace has an indoor suite and an outdoor swimming pool.

Same for ours.
It’s nice but I hate coming home from a vacation and the boarding bill is $5-600!

 

[blhawk]

Much more widespread and socially acceptable to have kids that dominate your life and use as excuses to not do things you'd normally do. Especially if one has special needs. To each, their own

 

[hydro2.0]

I love my dog
I enjoy being a pet owner
However at the end of the day it’s not a child it’s a dog. People are weird

 

[hawkbirch]

This is why I have cats. They are thrilled when we GTFO of their house and don’t care how long we are gone.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Hot take: every good dog owner has pets that run their lives.

I like dogs, but they're a huge restrictive PITA. You have to plan your days around coming home within a certain amount of time so you can let them out, feed them, etc.

If you want to head out of town you have to a) take them with you, which other people don't enjoy a much as you think they do, b) inconvenience friends and family to take care of them for you, or c) pay to board them so strangers will take care of them for you.

If you never leave the house, they're fine, but if you want to be carefree and spontaneous, you can't because you've got to always work around the dogs.

 

[Colonoscopy]

Anyone else have relatives who have pets that limit their activities?

My folks aren’t getting any younger and increasingly they are unable/unwilling to do things because they have a neurotic little dog that refuses to be boarded and freaks out during storms. So they basically can’t/won’t leave him alone.

I try to convince them just drop him off at the kennel and he’ll be fine when you pick him up, but no luck.

Makes me sad they are passing on a lot of stuff over a dog. We have a couple younger relatives who do the same thing.

Anyone else deal with this?

Fill the dog with lightning or other electrical sources until it explodes and your parents can be fred

 

[NDallasRuss]

This is why I have cats. They are thrilled when we GTFO of their house and don’t care how long we are gone.

Yup. If I want to leave for a week, I leave out extra food and water, and I go. When I get back they seem fairly happy to see me, but they didn't die without me being there to wait on them.

Cats >>> dogs

 

[Colonoscopy]

Yup. If I want to leave for a week, I leave out extra food and water, and I go. When I get back they seem fairly happy to see me, but they didn't die without me being there to wait on them.

Cats >>> dogs

My son dresses as a care bear and scores a button of pussy

 

[Tenacious E]

Hot take: every good dog owner has pets that run their lives.

I like dogs, but they're a huge restrictive PITA. You have to plan your days around coming home within a certain amount of time so you can let them out, feed them, etc.

If you want to head out of town you have to a) take them with you, which other people don't enjoy a much as you think they do, b) inconvenience friends and family to take care of them for you, or c) pay to board them so strangers will take care of them for you.

If you never leave the house, they're fine, but if you want to be carefree and spontaneous, you can't because you've got to always work around the dogs.

They can also be cockblockers. My dogs are always around and have to be near me. Hampers the sexy time.

 

[NDallasRuss]

My son dresses as a care bear and scores a button of pussy

How much is in a "button"?

 

[TennNole17]

I dislike cats. My (pic upon request) ex wife got a cat once. I opened the silverware drawer and the thing jumped out at me. Never again.

 

[Colonoscopy]

I dislike cats. My (pic upon request) ex wife got a cat once. I opened the silverware drawer and the thing jumped out at me. Never again.

Cagts

 

[Colonoscopy]

Slightly different same****s: @NDallasRuss y @TennesseeTuxedo

 

[TennNole17]

Que?

 

[Colonoscopy]

@TennesseeTuxedo come out to play

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

They can also be cockblockers. My dogs are always around and have to be near me. Hampers the sexy time.

People that allow dogs in their beds are mentally ill...

 

[3boysmom]

Our dogs haven’t hampered much yet but once we move it could be an issue. We’ve never tried boarding them because they don’t like dogs. It took 2 weeks for them to be able to be around each other. We’d have to hire someone to come to our house to dogsit. I’m guessing that’s expensive.

 

[bagdropper]

I'd love to own a dog or cat some day, but until I'd be able to be in a position in life where I could devote the amount of attention it'd need to where the pet would have what I'd term a quality life...I just don't see the value in denying that to someone who could do that for them.

Maybe some day, after I retire. We'll see.

 

[stout1]

How much is in a "button"?

4x an eyelet.

 

[ping72]

I dislike cats. My (pic upon request) ex wife got a cat once. I opened the silverware drawer and the thing jumped out at me. Never again.

Well, if nobody else will…

Pics of ex-wife and demon cat?

 

[Tenacious E]

People that allow dogs in their beds are mentally ill...

They are adorable mini golden doodles which don’t shed. I wouldn’t own a dog that sheds, although i love them at other people’s houses.

 

[QChawks]

I like our dog more than most people

Our cat is an asshole

 

[cfbfan23]

We’d have to hire someone to come to our house to dogsit. I’m guessing that’s expensive.

That's what we do. We tried a kennel, but it was not good.

We've used rover dot com for a few years. No complaints. Ends up being about $20-$30/visit (before taxes/fees....$30-40 after). The person comes twice a day for about a half-hour each time. We don't require them to take our dog for walks, just throw the tennis ball in the backyard until she's tired and poops.

 

[sadiehawkins]

My dogs all 4 of them definitely run my life. Dogs bring more joy to older people and people with pets live longer. I won t kennel a dog to go on a trip.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Both my MIL and SIL are 100% controlled by their dogs, with my SIL being the absolute worst. She can't even take a good paying job (outside her apartment) because she can't take her dog with her. She almost never leaves the house working a night-shift for pennies at Chase Bank. My MIL acts like her dog is a porcelain doll carrying her everywhere and thinks our Doodle is going to snatch her up, carry her off into another room and eat her every time he sniffs her. Drives me and the Mrs. nuts!

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Our dogs haven’t hampered much yet but once we move it could be an issue. We’ve never tried boarding them because they don’t like dogs. It took 2 weeks for them to be able to be around each other. We’d have to hire someone to come to our house to dogsit. I’m guessing that’s expensive.

We have a dog and three cats. We also have a son who rents our basement apt and pet/house sits for a living.

Yes, it can be pricey depending on what you want. He's had families that go on weeklong vacations and he spends the nights at their house every night and checks in twice a day on their pet(s). One house he takes care of has an apartment for...wait for it...their pilot...over their four-car garage.

But we can go and know everything is taken care of.

 

[hawkbirch]

Yup. If I want to leave for a week, I leave out extra food and water, and I go. When I get back they seem fairly happy to see me, but they didn't die without me being there to wait on them.

Cats >>> dogs

and they don't destroy anything while I'm gone.

I like our dog more than most people

Our cat is an asshole

LOL. Our big fat male cat is a huge asshole to everyone except my husband and my youngest daughter. It amuses me greatly.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

We board our dog when needed. It’s also a doggie daycare and even on weekends they are uncaged and free to play a lot of the day.

We take him to daycare a couple times a week just so he can play. Really tires him out and loves it. Say “daycare” and he wags tail and goes to the door ready to go.

 

[hawkmart]

We got a dog when we became empty nesters 3 years ago despite everyones warnings that we were stupid for doing that Totally runs our lives and is my best friend. That said we have no issue dropping him off at boarding for a week while we go off somewhere. Just booked his stay the other day while we go off to MX in April for a week. There is an elderly couple down the street that just adore him and I know would jump at the chance to dog sit but I can't bring myself to ask them.