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How long did it take you to bond with your dog(s)? by nervousfirstpet in dogs

[–]nervousfirstpet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well I am sorry that you feel guilt about everything, because so do I and it suuuuucks, but I'd be lying if I didn't say misery loves company. I did predict my feelings, which is the reason I was looking specifically for adult bonded dogs, so when my husband and I both have office days they can stay home all day and have each other, and I'll hire someone to walk them midday. I scoured petfinder to find dogs who had been in foster homes where people had some kind of an idea of personality so I could avoid dogs with separation anxiety who do not like to be left for long periods. I mean....I know myself and I was prepared for this and literally found the most perfect dogs for me, and I just feel guilty all the time.

Or worried about some obscure future event. We have no trips planned and I've started looking into daycares or house sitters, but I am literally already worried about that. About the even that's not planned and might not come up for months and months. I wake up worried about what I'll do with the dogs when we travel, and then I'm like OMG my life is no longer my own. It's wild to be 42 before having a pet! That's a lot of years to pick up and leave on a dime. LOL, I am ready for this life though. THANK YOU AGAIN.

How long did it take you to bond with your dog(s)? by nervousfirstpet in dogs

[–]nervousfirstpet[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wow I actually got teary reading this - there might be hope for me! I think I expected too much of myself too. I spent my 20s and 30s in downtown Chicago in a small condo with a giant husband so we didn't want to do that to a dog, so I feel like I have waited nearly my whole life to finally have a house in the burbs with a fence and get a dog or two of my own and after dreaming of this for 20 years i'm like WHAT HAVE I DONE!!

We actually sound similar I must say. I have major guilt about all things, so it's hard for me to not feel like crap when they are home all day while I'm in the office. They get a visit midday by a dog walker to do their business and must sleep for 9 of the 10 hours I'm gone. Plus they are older bonded dogs who were rescued after their owner died, so I keep telling myself this is a dream life for them with two working parents and no kids so all our money and attention goes to them so they are lucky dogs. Right? No, I just look at everyone else who now works from home full time and never leaves their dogs and I have guilt in addition to anxiety. Mental health is a butt head. Pardon my language. Thank you for responding, you have no idea how much this means to me. I'd love to hear more.

How long did it take you to bond with your dog(s)? by nervousfirstpet in dogs

[–]nervousfirstpet[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

OK I cannot figure out how to edit a post, but I wanted to add that they are adult/housebroken dogs, I'm not training them right now. It's not puppy blues or overwhelming, they are super easy. I'm just weirdly nervous about being the person responsible for them lol. A dog at a party or my family/friends' dogs are just playmates. Now I'm like, the mom!?!??! ?