<a bunch of snippings>

Anecdote that goes along w/ this:  One day my sister arrived home from work
to find one of their dogs - a large one (Rottweiler) - greeting her at the
door & all thrilled to see her, as usual.  *Except* he was wearing a huge
pink plastic head. ;-)  Why?  Because he'd been eating cat droppings out of
the covered litter box, & the cover'd become stuck on his head!  Didn't seem
to bother him in the least, no matter how it must've felt, or how completely
absurd he looked. ;-D

More anecdotal stuff of my sister's (since she's the one of us who's a dog
person): They've had a few Rotties, & also a medium-large sized mutt who was
rescued & adopted when a little puppy.  Despite super-good veterinary care,
the Rotties have all died young to relatively young, aged from 4 - 8 (I
think, maybe 7?), mostly of cancer.  But Max, the mutt, lived to be 18, just
shy of 19.

Cathy

Patty - dogs and cats can be terrific companions, but dogs DO require a lot
more time and scheduling than cats.  And yes, they are all very interested in
cat boxes (not to mention cat food if you free feed the kitties).

I've got 2 of each.  They all adore each other and can most frequently be found
snoozing together.  I have to admit that I really love that.  Chasing is not
allowed, and new puppies learn that immediately upon arrival.  Even a just
playful large dog can break cat's back.

My cats require that I am here at breakfast and dinner, and overnight, but
otherwise, they're pretty fine on their own, because they have each other and
the dogs.  The dogs can get by with that, but their exercise needs as well as
elimination needs means that getting by really isn't the right answer.    

My dogs are 4 and 8.  The 8 year old needs daily play and is happy to hold down
the couch most of the time.  The 4 year old has weekly agility class, flyball
practice (very active dog sports) and hunt training.  These activities take up
a fair amount of time but are necessary for his physical and mental well-being
(and therefore, MINE!).  Now, he's a very active example of a very active
breed, so not all dogs require such, but even the lowest maintenance dog needs
to go out in the morning, dinner, and bedtime, plus 2 more outings, some play
time, and a walk.  And they are SOCIAL beings, who really need to be part of
someone's life.  Sometimes the kitty companionship helps fill that, but often
not.

Janet Boss
http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/
http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience

I do have some friends who do doggy day care at least once a week, and it
seems like it's really good for the dog.  The dog learns to interact
positively with other dogs, gets tons of exercise, has worked a lot of energy
off by the end of the day, and is generally a happy camper.

Of course, just like human day care, they have closing times, and you may have
to pick your dog up by 6pm.

It's not THAT hard.

Meals are simpler. You don't have to help them with their homework,
buy lots of clothes for them, or take them to various sports
practices. Dogs are typically cheerful, honest, and easy to get along
with. They don't get moody. They don't run up the phone bill or beg
for expensive sneakers. And it's a lot easier to work your schedule
around them than children.

Honestly, give the real parents more credit. It is far more time
consuming AND expensive to have human children.

It's not that bad. If you're really going to be gone that long, you
can always ask somebody to come by and let them out.

If you live alone and will be gone a lot, then you shouldn't have
dogs. Obviously. But you make it sound like a ball and chain.

And sleeping in? Give me a break. Just get up once and let them out on
your way to the bathroom. You'll get a lot more sleep with a dog than
with a kid.

And going out in the cold?  The only reason you would be required to
go out with them is if you do not have a yard, like an apartment. And
frankly, the lack of space for the dog to run is far more important
than us getting cold or not. There are ways to deal with these issues,
if the person wants to have a dog. There are lots of people that take
their dogs on walks, take the dogs to the park to run, or take the
dogs to doggie daycare. They have happy healthy dogs, and while it may
be harder than having  a yard, they enjoy the dogs enough that it
outweighs any negatives.

I agree with this, but most of the need is just basic companionship.
And that can be done while you do other things. You don't have to drop
everything or give up your life. You can play with them multiple times
during the day, sometimes while doing other things. We toss the toys
for the dog or play tug of war while watching tv. We also groom them
while watching tv. They sit on or next to us while we are in the
living room or sitting on the bed. They snuggle up at bedtime.

This I disagree with. Dogs may get into things, and they can have
their moments. But they don't need nearly the care and attention that
a toddler does. They can be left home alone for hours without any
problems. Do the same with a toddler, and you will be lucky to find
them alive.

That's not bad though. And spread out over the year. That's less than
$2 a day. A lot cheaper than smoking, or even drinking coffee or pop.

I don't mean to be argumenative, but your post came across to me as
saying that having a dog is a real drag. Expensive and and a real
pain.

My family has always had dogs. I got my own dog when I was 10. And
since then, I have only spent 10 months without a dog. My mom still
had a dog during that time, but I didn't have my own. And you know
what? There are only a few times where I have felt that it was hard.

With Seusy, the only time was when she had her stroke and had to be
put down. She was a true joy, and even now, my memories of her bring
me joy. And when I see another dog who acts or moves like her, I get
that joy back. My dog was a sheltie, but when I see a border collie
playing or herding, I can see my Seusy in her prime.

Seusy was blind for the last 5 years of her life, and certainly, that
meant more care for her. But even then, it was all worth it, and
certainly not a hardship.

With Jenny, I had an initial hardship in that I wanted an older dog
since I didn't feel I would have time for training a puppy. I was
working 25 hours a week and going to college. My mom found an adult
dog, but she had never been in a house before. And due to abuse, she
had behavioral issues too. Frankly, the puppy would have been a ton
easier. But I don't give dogs back. Once they are mine, they are mine
for life. And you know what? I managed. There was some frustration,
but not about time or money. It was mostly about me learning to deal
with totally different situations. Not a blank slate, but a damaged
slate. I had to learn how to look at the issues from her perspective
and make it possible for her to leave the fear behind long enough to
learn what I was teaching. I learned a lot from her, and I don't
regret the hardship at all. She wasn't the dog I wanted, but she was
definitely the dog I needed.

I've had Jenny 6 or 7 years now. I had great fear when I learned she
has an enlarged heart. It really didn't cost that much to find out. I
spent some hours at the university reading medical books, and I
actually spent $100 to buy a good book on small animal cardiology,
which verified everything the vet said, and calmed me down. I was so
afraid to lose her, but all I had to do was restrict her activity, and
keep her weight down.

A couple years ago, she had mange. This is more of a problem with
shelties since they cannot take the pills for treatment. Instead, she
had 6 medicated baths over 3 months. It was spendy, but spread out.
And well worth the money to keep my precious doggie.

More recently, it has become obvious that her vision is fading. She
will go blind too, and while she is very smart, she doesn't have an
ideal temperment for a dog going blind. Seusy was patient and calm.
Very trusting. Jenny is easily spooked.

As you can see, it hasn't been totally easy. There have been problems
over the years. But I don't regret any of it. And I really don't see
it is as hard, expect for a few short times.

When I need to go out of town, I can get a family member to take care
of them. And frankly, I worry more about the cats. The dogs will sleep
on anybody's bed. But the cats have problems when I am gone.

Kira used to have separate anxiety. She'd get sick all over my bed.
For years, I would put a vinyl tablecloth on the bed, fuzzy side up,
to protect my bed. I'd put a throw blanket on top to make it cusy for
her. But I could come home, peel off the mess, and go to bed in a
clean bed. The hardship was feeling guilty about being gone.

And Maynard, now that he is older. But he is actually less frail now
than he was 2 years ago. I was so worried about leaving him for 2
weeks that I bought tonsof treats and left the pouches all over the
house so that my sister would have no excuse not to feed him the
treats. At that time, he was more a social eater, only eating when
somebody was around. I came home and discovered that he had *gained*
weight. He looked really good.

I think this depends on the personalities of the animals involved.  You'd be
amazed at how well a 10-pound cat can cow an 80-pound dog.  In some
households, the dogs are the ones that need defending!

Thanks for all the thoughts on this.  I am self employed and mostly work at
home, so while I am "busy," I am also around more than many might be.

I think the key question is whether I am willing to do the work involved.

Wouldn't you know I 'met' a 6 mo. chocolate lab puppy today at the shelter
who really touched my heart?  We took him into the 'cat room' and he sniffed
then licked one of the friendly cats...

All the advice given is appreciated.

I have some thinking to do.

PattyC

I know this was a serious statement, but it made me laugh. It didn't
take our dogs long to respect the cats. I have never met a cat that
let a dog walk on it.

Jenny won't let another dog steal her food, but she will stand back
and let the cats help themselves.  

Dogs make you feel like a god, and cats put you back in your place :)

They are very different yet both wonderful.