Dogs as Xmas presents

[choirgirl]

Having read yet another distressing and unacceptable article regarding dogs as unwanted Xmas gifts I have posted the following to my facebook page. Our dogs have not done very much of this except for the washing bed linen episodes but do other dog owners think this is a fair assessment of why you should think carefully before buying a dog? Would like to say our garden is not a potholed mess, due to Max and Del being exercised properly daily and that no teacher's wage could afford an Armani suit ... perhaps a bit harsh?

1. you are willing to clean up puddles and poop when they are learning where to go to the toilet even for up to 6 months, even on your $40 K white carpet
2. You are willing to replace the carpet
3. You are willing to laugh off a stray dog hair even in your food or the food of your guests
4. You are willing to wash and clean dog bedding that smells of dog on a weekly basis (the dog smell is a little like the smell of sour old man.. with gritty bits included)
5. You understand that pet shops have a niche market and yes you really will pay $200 for a dog door, $100 for a sturdy bed and pay around $20,000 K in their lifetime just for "essentials", never mind treats.
6. You are happy for a muddy pawed welcome on your freshly laundered work suit, after a long and exhausting day at work, even if it is Armani, and especially after it has been raining!
7. You are happy to wander around in the rain, cold and snow waiting for your dog to become tired - on a regular basis!
8. You won't mind your favourite shoes, wallet, leather goods being stolen and taken into the garden and reduced to slime
9. You are happy that dog snot, paw marks will adorn your paintwork, windows and furniture.. think stencilling!
10. You have no objection to a dog being opportunistic and sneaking onto your bed with a bone and having to strip the bed only hours after it has been made...
11. You have no objection and will embrace having the equivalent of an intelligent toddler on your hands for the next 12 years, one who will not bore you, who needs love, stimulation and understanding at all times
12. You understand that foreign holidays mean kennels and that kennels are not regulated so you have to go and inspect them... also that kennels get booked up and you have to plan... in NZ they are not registered so you have to check carefully ... have not found one I would happily sleep in ... so we have not had a foreign holiday for two years and am not unhappy about it!
13. That your garden may well be reduced to a potholed mess for their first 4 years, with chomped shrubs, trees and flowers, you also understand dogs sometimes poison themselves so you cannot have exotic plants for fear of making your dog sick
14. A yearly vet check and jabs costs around $100 per dog per year and this is a minimum
15. that unless you can agree with all this you are probably not a dog person and should get a cat!