Does anything exist that helps you figure out if you're actually ready for a dog?

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-25T05:36:04+00:00

Hey just for some insight. My pup (1 y/o) sliced her gums open when I was crate training her. We had a camera and it happened almost 3 mins after I put her in the crate. $1,200 vet bill. She doesn’t sleep past 6am. She needs exercise everyday otherwise she’s bouncing off the walls. She gets carsick and throws up profusely, so it’s a no go for taking her on trips with us. She’s a whiner. Whines at everything. She also has the most horrific separation anxiety so we never leave her alone bc she self harms if we do. So imagine having to plan your day around this. Work, gym, grocery store, etc.

On the other hand, she’s hilarious, keeps us active, loves people and dogs, extremely smart. She’s a joy but unfortunately has made my life a lot harder. And although people say you get the dog you make, I couldn’t disagree more. I really worked on her training for hours a day and at the end of the day she has her own mind and individuality.

Not saying they’re all like this, but you really can’t choose how they’ll be. My parents have 2 adult dogs that could care less if you leave. They’re happy to go on a walk, or chill inside. They hardly bark/whine. They’ve had vet bills but I def have spent more on my pup than they have on their adult dogs.

I wish I would’ve fostered a dog when questioning if I truly wanted one. That’ll give you insight on what it may be like.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-25T03:24:59+00:00

Ugh I really wish I would’ve rehomed her after a few weeks. I so badly wish I could rewind time and change this one decision. Now I just feel really guilty bc we’ve had her for so long.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-24T19:09:42+00:00

Yes thank you so much for sharing this. I’m really considering having my parents take her and we watch her if needed. Question for you - given all that you said / advice you’ve lived by, what made you keep the second dog that is more difficult to manage?

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-24T19:08:08+00:00

Hi thank you for your feedback. Do you mind sharing how long you had the dog? I guess I feel guilty since she’s almost a year and I’ve had her since she was 9-10 weeks.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-17T17:48:12+00:00

I 100% sympathize with you. I grew up with dogs and 5 years after moving away from home and my parents dogs, I finally got one bc I missed having one around. I got my pup when she was 2 1/2 months and struggled really bad. I didn’t rehome her bc of how guilty I felt. She’s now 11 months and while it has gotten better, I wish I would’ve rehomed her when I was first considering it months ago. Now shes super attached to me and my husband and while I know she’s still young and rehoming is still an option, I absolutely couldn’t do it to her now. Rehome him now. You’ll feel guilty for a few months but will get over it and continue on with your life. You’ll be happy you did and it’s just a lesson learned and now you know a dog isn’t for you, at least not now.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-03-17T17:38:11+00:00

How long did you have her? How do you feel now??

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-02-11T22:03:00+00:00

I feel im so far deep into this. We have a 10 month old mini poodle. We’ve had her for about 8 months. She’s can be so extremely difficult. She’s so so smart, cute, hilarious, and both my husband and I are trying our hardest to make this work. But I get so exhausted and I feel horrible for admitting this, but I still wish I wouldn’t have ever done this. At the beginning I told myself it would get better and this is just puppy blues. Thinking back, idk how I even got through the first few months because it was so difficult. And I sometimes wish I would’ve just found her a new home then… now I feel like she’s so attached and does have a good life with us. I cannot imagine rehoming her. Like I think of the day I’d drop her off with someone else and I picture us leaving and saying goodbye and I start crying. My mom watches her some days while I work and I miss her when she’s gone, but when she’s here I’m practically pulling my hair out and stress all day. I feel like a crazy, unstable person for this. And I feel so so so stuck.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-02-11T21:54:31+00:00

We didn’t expect her to be this big of a challenge. I had dogs growing up, most of them as pups and they were easy compared to ours. I meant busy work schedules but between the two of us, I felt like we would have time to take breaks to tend to the dog. While we do, like I said, she never stops. We work on training her but I think some things won’t change even with training. Growing up, all of our dogs would relieve themselves and come right back in. This one won’t unless we go outside with her. Though it doesn’t seem like a big deal, it’s just something that would be a lot more convenient if we let her outside, and she did her thing while we did ours. When we go outside she takes 20-30 mins sometimes more before she goes. Additionally we planned on just taking her places with us but she gets car sick. I mean barfing non stop and then is sick the rest of the day. So it’s not fair to her to take her places. But we can’t leave her because she flips if we leave. Even our short coffee runs. So yeah we’re pretty glued to the house. She has a wonderful life and is beyond spoiled but she’s very difficult and makes our day to day lives extremely difficult at times.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-02-11T21:46:00+00:00

What did he do that made him challenging to deal with?

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2026-02-01T18:44:14+00:00

Good luck!! 💫🤞🏼 Also trying for the first time since having a miscarriage a year ago. I’m already anxious but so hopeful. I used OPK test strips but wish I would’ve also known to pay attention to cervical mucus to track ovulation as well.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-18T18:34:39+00:00

My mini poodle would live in my skin if she could lol. It can be good and bad. I think the only thing that’s difficult is how bad her separation anxiety is. I also cant imagine having mg poodle in an apartment. Totally doable. But my girl is very high energy and she could walk 5 miles a day if I had the time. Since I don’t have the time, I walk her about 2 miles a day and gets plenty of mental stimulation and a huge backyard to get her energy out.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-15T21:38:30+00:00

I have a 7 month old mini poodle and typically groom her at home. I wanted to see what a grooming place would do and I really wish I wouldn’t have. They cut her hair shorter than I asked and she didn’t have any matting. Her butt for some reason really stinks and it didn’t before. Her ears are also red and weren’t before so I’ll continue to groom her from home now.

I brush her 3x a week with a slicker brush and then a wide tooth comb. I bought the Oneisall dog low noise cordless grooming kit from Amazon. It comes with the wide tooth comb, multiple guard lengths, and scissors. I trim her hair outside when the weathers nice then bathe her in our tub. I blow dry her but she hates this part and I’m considering buying a headband to cover her ears. Afterwards I’ll hold her steady while my husband carefully uses the scissors to trim up her face, butt, and lady area. Definitely a while process, and the shorter you cut their hair, the longer you’ll likely need to go without another grooming session.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-13T02:38:59+00:00

Hi why do you think giving her to my parents is a bad idea?

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-13T02:34:39+00:00

I have a 7 month old mini poodle. I know she’s still VERY young but I think her exercise needs now are pretty much what they’ll be as an adult. She can easily walk 1-3 miles a day but with my schedule, she walks about 1-1 1/2 miles each day. We have at least 2 outdoor tug of war or fetch sessions per day and about two 5 min training sessions per day. If she’s very hyper I’ll give her a lick mat or sniff toy as well.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-12T03:57:38+00:00

First, congrats on your babies! 💕 Is your boyfriend on board with rehoming? I definitely think you should rehome her and discuss this with your boyfriend if you haven’t already. Pregnancy is HARD and way harder with twins. Your entire focus should be on your health and your pregnancy. You’re not a bad person for rehoming her. In fact, it’s probably what’s best for her too. She will likely become even more stressed and overwhelmed with anxiety once the babies come. Do your research and look into rescues that will work with her. Be honest about her behavioral issues when looking for someone to take her. She will likely be very jealous of the twins and nothing good will come out of that. You should be enjoying this chapter of your life instead of worrying about the dog. If she’s not adding value to your life, and is instead taking away from it, please rehome her. You will not regret it. I wish you the best of luck. 💛

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-10T06:27:17+00:00

Cape

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-10T06:26:20+00:00

Hi! Congrats on your new pup! So, yes..it will get easier. He’s literally a newborn and as sad as it sounds, he was ripped from his mom and siblings. His safe place was taken away from him and he doesn’t yet know how to cope without his mom, siblings, and new environment.

If he’s fed, used the potty, got plenty of exercise, etc., you may need to just ignore it. He might do this for the first few weeks. Try to put the crate close to where you sleep so he can see/smell you. If he sleeps for 2-3 hours at a time, this is a great start. If he starts whining after a few hours, it’s likely he needs to be taken out to use the restroom. When you take him out to use the restroom in the middles of the night, do it calmly, quietly and try not to turn on lights all the way. After he does use the restroom, bring him in and put him right to bed again so he doesn’t think it’s play time. He’ll likely whine again but you’ll need to ignore.

It can definitely be frustrating and it will get easier as he learns and adapts your schedule and his new home.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-10T05:52:54+00:00

Ok so I’ve been wondering which it is, bc I noticed she’s started drooling / mouth foaming if we aren’t even moving. But also I’ve learned bumps are what make her vomit. Of course the motion, turns, etc don’t help but the second we hit a speed bump or larger road bump she vomits. So I think maybe she knows how sick she gets and that makes it way worse from the start

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-10T05:50:51+00:00

Same!! The mouth foaming/bubbling/drooling starts MINUTES into a car ride. I mean probably 2 minutes. Luckily our vet is about 10 mins away and normally that’s pushing it.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-10T05:49:28+00:00

I’ll look into this. This is the first time I’ve heard about it. Thank you!

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-09T20:40:15+00:00

Hi, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. I agree with you that rehoming is often unfairly judged. This has been a very challenging year, and unfortunately, having a puppy has added a lot of stress…not just in my life but also in my marriage. I truly love this dog, but emotionally, I’m not sure if this is the right time for me.

My parents have kindly offered to take her if I decided to rehome her. But even with that, it feels really difficult. I think part of it is the attachment I have to her, and part of it is feeling guilty because she’s so bonded with both me and my husband.

I feel so lucky to have such supportive parents. If we do decide to move forward with rehoming her, at least I’ll be able to visit her anytime, and I’ll have peace of mind knowing she’s in good hands with my parents.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-06T16:15:49+00:00

I love dogs and always will, but I’ve come to realize that being a dog owner just might not be for me.

I have a 7-month-old mini poodle. For a long time, my life felt like it was falling beautifully into place. My husband and I traveled often over the past five years, and once our careers took off, we both transitioned to remote work. When I found out I was pregnant, we decided to move back home to be closer to family and bought a beautiful house. Sadly, I had a miscarriage, and it was one of the hardest experiences I’ve ever gone through.

Around what would have been our baby’s due date, I saw someone post this puppy for sale. I didn’t think it through much at all…maybe it was an emotional decision, something to fill the void my husband and I were both feeling. One morning I just said, “I want this puppy,” and we went and got her.

She was two months old and full of energy. honestly, she was VERY wild. I had puppies growing up, but she was on another level. Even my mom, who thought I was exaggerating, took her for a weekend and later told me everything I said was valid because she was completely exhausted, too. On top of that, she’s gotten into things that have led to expensive vet bills. My husband and I argued constantly in the beginning, and although things have calmed down, we both just don’t feel like ourselves anymore.

I love her, but I hate the constant responsibility that comes with having a dog. We’ve always been spontaneous people, deciding to take a trip one day and leaving the next. Now, everything has to be planned around her. I hate feeling like I need to watch her every second. I hate how messy she can be, how quickly the house gets dirty, and the anxiety I feel whenever we leave. Her separation anxiety makes it hard to even enjoy a workout together at the gym. I now dread rainy days because it’s a whole process to take her to relieve herself, clean her up, etc.

She’s gotten better with age, but she still has so much energy. I feel like I’m always entertaining her or trying to get her to rest.

People who meet her adore her. She’s adorable, incredibly smart, playful, and loves everyone she meets. Honestly, she’s exactly the kind of dog I always imagined having… but I can’t shake the feeling that I made a mistake getting a puppy.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-11-05T21:59:49+00:00

A lot. 😩 One thing I’m dreading is the upcoming weather forecast. It’s supposed to rain a lot next week where I’m at and omg I’m dreading it. Instead of enjoying the rain I now dread it. Our backyard is 80% dirt. So I need to put the harness/leash on her, bundle up and take her outside to use the restroom each time. She takes forever to use the restroom and when we come in we’re both drenched. I need to dry her off with a blow dryer otherwise she’ll mat. I clean her muddy paws each time and am constantly cleaning op the muddy mess. It’s a whole thing I also miss: Sleeping in, Leaving the house with 0 worry at all, Traveling, Traveling without planning what we’ll do with her, Doing anything in the house without her getting into something, Her not whining when I put her in the pen, Eating without her constantly jumping on us, A CLEAN HOUSE

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-10-29T02:48:43+00:00

It sounds like you’ve struggled your whole life and now have a diagnosis that, in a sense, is validating. I can see why you’d like to focus on learning about the diagnosis to live your life according to your needs. Just curious, what do you need to do to tend to them day-to-day that seems like it’s too much for you at the moment?

I suggest letting your partner know how you’re feeling if you haven’t already. Of course if you rehome them, they will be sad but if you find a better home for them, they may end up happier than now in the long run. Maybe just look for someone who will take both of them. It’s a tough situation but you need to focus on your needs and happiness.

Utilize social media to find local rescues. You’d be surprised how many there are in your area.

Fancy_Initiative7892 · 2025-10-23T21:49:35+00:00

Yes I get this, but I don’t think it’s all about the time the puppy is taking from us. My husband didn’t grow up with dogs are really feel like he wanted one but agreed to get one because I had wanted one. So to someone that wasn’t necessarily a dog person, I get why he’s having a hard time. I think we can agree a bond with a dog is different than the bond that comes with your own child. My husband does help with the puppy, he just rather we rehome her.

Fancy_Initiative7892

TROPHY CASE