ALL dogs shed! I have 2 giant schnauzers and while it seems they are shed free dogs, even they leave behind dander and rarely a few hairs here or there.

We have the dog shower outsde and inside at both houses. And wet dog smell is certainly noticeable... And our boys love to swim in the pool, lake or any puddle they can find. (our car can have a dog odor but thank god for the fragrance satchels from Kirklands!!)

But in my opinion our giants smell worse after we've been out hiking all day. Or after a week of hot humid weather. That said people have come into our house (when the dogs were away with dad camping) and have asked imcreduously "you have dogs?" when they see the dog bed and toys around the house... I tnk we neutralize the smell a few ways. 1 dog beds with removable covers that we wash every 2 weeks.
2 we found these containers of gel that are supposed to wick away odor ... We have those placed behind couch or hutch in 2 places on each floor of the houses. 3. A well trained dog that has a routine bathroom schedule 4. We dont have slobber puss dogs. 5. Our schnauzers are not a notoriously stinky dog.

I actually think short hair dogs can be the worst offenders. I love boxers as a breed but I think like Kelly pointed out they lick themselves and preen etc which spreads the slobber aroma around.. Plus they leave little boxer hairs all around. However as I'm sure Kelly will attest too they are loyal playful dogs that are hysterically funny to watch play and "box". My mum has a short hair dachshund and a long hair. The short hair is by far the worst shedder and smelliest of her three dogs (she alsohasan Irish setter). The in laws have a newfie and a Tibetan mastiff. Great dogs but at times their house has a very slight dog smell... Then again my MIL keeps a towel handy for the monster of drool. But they are used to it.. And the faint smell is worth it and not noticeable at all to them nor offensive enough that guest are uncomfortable.

Setters get a bad rap as being flighty daft dogs, but they make great family pets either the Irish or the English... They have longer har but are easy to groom and the shedding isn't excessive and they aren't droolers.

With 8 kids? You definitely need the friendly mellow but playful dog.. I'd put smelly down far on that list of things to consider as good cleaning, your lack of carpets, and grooming could mitigate that factor. Much more important to find a dog with the right temperament for such a busy big household. Not every og appreciates a bunch of kids.

Good luck!!

I love your question and I am going to shamelessly promote one particular breed.

A Havanese is one of the sweetest dogs imaginable. Our Murphy is a clown and he and our cat Tommy are absolutely best friends. We also have a sweet Yorkie but she tends to be yappy at home though is perfectly behaved at work.

A Havanese, like a poodle, has hair not fur and yes they will lose some hairs every day just as we do but they don't shed.

They are easily litter trained if you want to go that route but I wish we had not litter trained him as he always wants to poop in his puppy pan but wants to piddle outside.

They are super friendly and very good with children and other animals. Both of my pupsters go to my shop with me every day and Murphy lives for a child to walk in the shop. KoKo (Yorkie) will wag her tail but run behind the counter to stay out of their way.

They love to play but are equally happy laying at your feet. They have a game that they love to play called "Run like hell" where they jump up race around the house four or five times and then plop right back down totally satisfied with their little run.

I would also encourage contacting HRI (Havanese Rescue Inc). They take Havs that are losing their homes and match them with a foster family who keeps them until a suitable family is found for their forever home.

If you decide on a Hav, I promise he or she will bring your child joy each day. Good luck and please let us know when you get a pupster.

BTW, I only smell pet odors here if Murph has just used his puppy pan or if Tommy has just used his litter box.

I have a Maltichon (Maltese Bichon) and he doesn't shed at all but he does get a doggy smell if he is dirty. Clean there is no bad smell. He is small enough at 15 pounds that we can wash him in the kitchen sink. He loves to go on adventures with my husband and gets dirty enough that we wash him almost every week.

We also have to trim his coat every couple of months. We do this, it takes about an hour.

I don't know about bigger dogs having better temperaments. My dog is very sweet natured and loving.

I would get a female, short haired dog. They don't have the anal gland smells males have - even the neutered ones still have the issue- and squat not lift. They don't have marking issues as much- or it's not as easy as lifting a leg on a sofa corner!

We have very little carpet, but whenever there is a sickness, it will always be on a square of carpet. Rarely the tile or hardwoods. Sigh.
But we have two 20 pound shedders, a boy and girl dog and the house does not smell like pets primarily because they are house trained, I am diligent about letting them out constantly and we have little carpet.
But as tina said, even if it did smell, I wouldn't miss out on them for the world.

Do a google search for online dog breed selectors. You answer questions about your preferences, family, and lifestyle, and they suggest breeds that may be appropriate. Then do further research on the suggestions. Maybe go to a local dog show and talk to people about their breeds. (They won't have puppies there, so you won't be tempted. You can search for dog shows close to your area at www.akc.org or look up a local kennel club). Even if you decide on a mixed breed dog, you will want to know a little bit about the breeds in its background.

Read up on house training methods (crate training), household manners training, etc, and see if that's something you would be able to incorporate into your lifestyle.

If you are considering a cat, make sure that no one in your family is allergic to them. I love cats and used to have them, but my allergies got worse the longer they were with me, and I finally had to give them up. Many people are allergic to cats but not to dogs.

Some breeds of dogs do tend to smell more than others. They can tend to have oily coats which attract dirt a little more and also will transfer to other surfaces more easily. I think with choosing the right dog and being diligent with cleaning, you can minimize any odors.

Good luck with your search.

Female dogs have anal glands too.

All dogs shed - some more than others. Our neighbors had a pug (very short hair); I grew up with a beagle (short hair). Both left hair on whatever piece of furniture/rug they happened to lie on. Short hair seems to be more difficult to deal with than longer hair. Frequent grooming/brushing is important no matter what the breed.

I am currently on my second Cardigan Welsh Corgi (after having the world's greatest Lab for 12 years). Corgis shed - no doubt about it. But the second one doesn't shed nearly as much as the first - same food, same climate, same grooming schedule (in fact, we probably brush this one less). Every dog is different, I guess. Sweeping the hardwood and vacuuming the rugs takes care of it.

My dog hasn't had a bath in over a year - and that was because he rolled in dead fish. He smells like a dog if I get my nose in his fur, but the house doesn't smell (I have friends who would tell me if it did). He sleeps in our bed. We have had him almost 2 years, and I can think of only one time he's had gas (again, everyone is different).

Did I mention that he's cute as heck? And he adores me. I should call him Elmer - he sticks to me like glue.

Dogs are wonderful - we've had one in the house for over 20 years. But they are a commitment. We board our dog when we go on vacation. Vet bills can add up. We clean up poo in the yard every day. He needs to eat and go out on a fairly regular schedule. But we wouldn't trade our furball for anything!

I have all hardwood and I don't think my house smells (1 dog, 2 cats). I can say this with some degree of confidence because I just had a discussion the other day about house odors and had three people tell me that they did not notice any odors in my house other than maybe a faint hint of varnish from the floor redos a couple months ago. I don't notice that, but I'll take their word for it. These were not friends that would spare my feelings, in fact one has been known to blurt out anything if it pops in to his head. Your house stinks is not one I've heard. :)

I agree that carpet is a different story.

We clean the litter box daily, and they are come and go cats so are outside at least half the time. I would like them to be inside cats but both were adopted as adults and keeping them in is next to impossible.

My dog is a dorkie, she gets a bath every couple weeks, and I sometimes use a smell good spray just for dogs.

Check out coton de tulears .... hypoallergenic, virtually non shedding, sweet little dogs but sturdy enough for a child (not delicately framed like a lot of small dogs).

I think that our house likely has a dog smell. I don't smell it often, but if it's humid and we don't have the a/c on I definitely smell something if I've been gone for awhile.

annkh:

Cute corgi! They're my favorite small dog. I like both breeds, but lean a little toward the Cardigans. Corgis think and act like a big dog but come in a small package. It's their herding genes. If I ever get a smaller dog, it's going to be a corgi.

Annkh, I do know females have anal glands but in my limited experience with my two M/Fdogs, the male is the only one that has to have them expressed at the vet and has an odor sometimes and has on occasion dragged his hiney.

I have to ask, why don't you bathe your dog more often?
I don't wash ours that often, maybe once a month or so, but a year seems unusual to me.
I wash ours when they smell- maybe they rolled in something dead or maybe they rolled in something poopy....lol!

I've been reading for years that it's not good to bathe a dog frequently.

My dog smells mostly in the summer after he's been outside for awhile. When that happens I use a dry dog shampoo.

GW, I'd get her a dog. :) They're worth the smell which is easy to control.

It's better than growing up and looking back thinking, "I never had a dog." Awww. lol.

Shih Tzu's don't shed but they have those anal gland problems which is a pain, IMO. Plus their eye's run.

Some of the best dogs we've had were either from the pound or rescued when they showed up in our yard. It's totally worth any smell.

"dogs are pack animals and it is cruel to keep a dog confined to the outside or in the garage. Why bother to have one in the first place? It's senseless."

I couldn't agree more. It IS cruel.

Top Ten Reasons Mutts Are Awesome

http://www.pet360.com/slideshow/dog/breeds/top-ten-reasons-mutts-are-awesome/1/zFKQzHwNmUyVcirzzJcS-Q

If you truly want a dog that doesn't smell, the viszla fits the bill. They do, however, need a lot of exercise.

If you have children, guests would expect to come into your home and most likely find toys and games scattered about. If you have a dog, I assure you guests won't be offended if there is a little doggie smell. It's expected. It is what it is.

My concern is your concern with such a superficial issue.

Bumblebeez, my female beagle had to have her anal glands expressed; my neighbor's female pug needed it done so often that she learned to do it herself, rather than go to the vet every few weeks. I think you just got lucky with your females!

I don't bathe my dog because he doesn't need it. I've never bathed my dogs (even the lab) except when they rolled in something and got stinky.

Anna, I searched a long time, trying to find a breed to replace our wonderful lab. I picked a Cardi for exactly the reasons you mentioned - smart, nice size, so lovable! We're on our second one now, and I don't think I'll ever have another breed.

How frequently a dog needs or should be bathed depends on the breed as well. I have a German Shepherd and when she was younger, we would bathe her about once or twice a year. The natural oils in her coat helped her shed water and stay warm in winter.

I too agree that leaving a dog alone outside is cruel because of their pack/social needs. I think it's probably better if there are multiple, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable with that for my own.

It's true that breed doesn't guarantee anything, but it can be helpful in getting a general idea of what a dog will be like. I think there are pros and cons of getting a puppy vs getting an adult dog. Again I think research is key. There are personality tests that can be done on puppies as well adult dogs to get a sense of them: submissiveness, interest in humans, curiosity, fearfulness, etc.

I haven't read all the responses, so I apologize if this point has already been made. Dogs with long droopy ears (beagles, cocker spaniels, basset hounds) are very prone to yeast infections of the ear, which are super smelly. A family member has bassets and although they are bathed often, the smell is overpowering as soon as you set foot in the door.

With regard to smell, I think what's more important than the length of the fur or whether a dog sheds or not is whether the fur is slick or porous. We have a poodle mix (porous hair) who does not shed but tends to be smelly--her hair soaks up the wet smells from the yard, etc.and the curls make it harder to brush her so we tend to avoid doing it.
Our super-slick haired pitbull has no smell. Very short slick hair like this is also found on greyhounds, whippets, chihuahuas, and probably a bunch of other dogs I am not thinking of right now. They are super easy to wash and dry quickly, and the fur seems naturally water-and-smell repellent.

I would say yes. And the only people who would disagree are those with pets who can't smell it anymore. Same with having a smoker in the home. I can smell either immediately upon entering someone's house, no matter how clean and fresh they think they are. It's nauseating to me.

No, not all dogs shed. A couple of people have said this and it's just not true. And short haired dogs often shed more then long haired dogs. My dog does not shed at all. I can even pull on his fur and not get a single hair. I'm sure he must drop a hair now and then just like people do but I have never seen one.

I love dogs and currently have joint custody of a big loveable Golden. I've had many dogs throughout my life (mostly Labs or Goldens), and until I moved into my current home without carpeting, I could always smell my dogs in the house. I think the fact I have no carpeting or area rugs on the first floor (no dogs in the bedrooms) makes a huge difference.

I was just at the home of a local high-end builder yesterday. He has a gorgeous custom house on the coast with tile floors throughout the first level with a few beautiful Oriental carpets. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the doggy smell from his 2 well-behaved black Labs. Nice dogs, lovely people, but the area rugs really held the scent.

I do really believe a dog or cat is a great opportunity for kids -- they can learn so much, and get so much love from their pet.

Annkh, your Corgi is so stinkin cute I could hug him to pieces. I love Corgis!

Get a dog with hair, not fur and groom once a week. Your house will not smell any worse with a dog than with humans.

I have a shihtzu and I promis you my home has no smell what so ever. We keep him short and i have a dog washing station in the laundry room. He is bathed once every 7-10 days shampooed, conditiond and blow dried . We live in Iceland and have a very vet climate, so he is always dried of after beging out in snow or rain. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but that dog has given us so much the past 7 years, i do it gladly. I take him to the groomers every 6-8 weeks. I should also ad my homes has only tiles and hardwood. No carpet. He has never peed or pooed inside. He does not shed at all.
P.s. I hope my photo does not come up side down. I dont know why this happenes on an ipad.

This post was edited by ice1 on Sat, Jul 27, 13 at 18:09

Breed of dog matters. Dogs are bred for different purposes. Quite a few of the Sporting Breeds produce more oil to protect their coats from water, and this gives them more odor. Northern breeds have less oil production because they are fur-bearing animals as well as animals that should avoid the water to survive the cold and will be less smelly as long as you are willing to brush them down to the skin every week (takes me 2 hours to groom my Keeshond). He doesn't need too many baths (it's actually not good for the breed's coat), but the weekly grooming decreases fur around the house as well as the smell. Poodles and Bichons don't shed really and don't seem to have a lot of oil production, so those might be decent dogs for you. However, they usually require professional grooming since their coats have to be cut (no shedding).

I definitely agree with the members who have said that one should never get a dog because his/her child wants one. MANY dogs end up being given away because "no one has time for them." For the most part, I believe that the only way a dog will remain in a forever home comes down to the person who cleans the house, makes the meals, does the laundry, etc. If that person isn't the pet lover, the dog usually doesn't stay. So please be certain that that person REALLY wants the dog. :-) My two cents.

Oh. And the advice that all breeders will give you -- there's no such thing as the perfect dog breed. However, there might be the perfect breed FOR YOU.

Since you are also in the Bay Area check out sfraw.org dogs need meat bones a nd organs some veggies for fiber NO grains. Dry dog foods are not good they are mostly starch. Dogs fed a raw meat diet smell least because they are healthy. For other living things is a good store in Sunnyvale.

Some breeds have more of a "doggy" odor than others. We have whippets and even though they are older, they don't have much, if any, doggy smell. I've been told poodles are the same. All dog bedding will eventually start to smell bad if it's not clean. Changing bed covers weekly works for us. Older pet beds get Fabreze and then the really old old beds go onto the patio for a while before they are tossed. I think having a dog increases a child's ability to empathize with people and animals. Just a thought.

As far as I am concerned I could never live without a pet of any kind. We have 3 cats and a toy poodle who is 6 lbs.

It took two years to housebreak our small dog. And to be honest I still wouldn't trust him and for that reason he is crated whenever we leave the house and at night. A dog will usually never go in their own bed so getting them used to crating is important when they are puppies. My dog will even go into his crate on his own when he wants to sleep during the day. He even goes in it when we are getting ready to go out. We have him on a bathroom schedule so for the most part ... he has few if any accidents. He can smell at times if I don't bathe him enough since he loves to roll in the dirt outside as many dogs no matter how big or small they are will do. But he is easy to bathe and he loves his bath even if he hates the blowdryer. Any animal can adjust to bathing if you take the time to do it regularly and start when they are young.

I have had larger dogs in the past who smelled more but they were more outdoor dogs at least during the day. I would bring them in at night and when it was really cold out. Both of them were trained not to go into our living room or to jump on our furniture. They had their own beds and we made sure they were very comfortable for them. We had several placed around the home for them to use.

With three cats we have several litter boxes that are cleaned daily. In spite of that my male cat (who is rather long) sometimes pees over the edge of the box even though I bought an extra long open box that he likes to use. So that requires extra cleaning on my part when he does this. My females like the enclosed boxes but he does not. So I have several kinds of boxes for them throughout my home. Even though I have given baths to my cats when they were kittens for them to get used to them .. I rarely need to do so. Cats are generally pretty clean animals and rarely smell unless their anal glands get expresse (dogs have these, too) That can be pretty stinky when it happens.

My Persian cat can have some problems with poop sticking to his back end if he is not kept clipped back there. And it can either get stuck in it or drop off later.. ick! He gets bathed and groomed on occasion to help keep down all that hair of his and I will even trim his rear end in between groomings.

And regardless of what anyone says.... ALL cats can spray. They are less likely to spray when they are fixed (including males who tend to spray more than females) But with any added stress or illness a cat (male or female can spray) My brother's female cat sprayed my mom's curtains when she spotted another cat outdoors. It took a while for my mom to get that smell out. Good thing today there are products that will help mask the odors and keep pets from going back to those areas.

In general most cats will not spray unless it is marking territory (mostly a male behavior) which is more likely to occur if your cat is not fixed or from some kind of stress or illness. But even a female can mark territory as my brother's cat did that one time.

In spite of the work my animals make for me daily, I enjoy my animal's company and could not live without them.

You need to decide if having any animal is worth it because once you take one in it is your responsibility to take care of it and train it, if necessary. And that includes both obedience training for dogs to learn simple commands and housebreaking.

EVERYONE in the family, including mom, dad and ALL children need to be on board with getting a pet -- otherwise, at some point it's not going to work. Mom also has to realize that the care of the pet is ultimately going to be hers. I know because I work with dog and cat rescue and if these 2 criteria aren't followed, the animals always come back in worse shape than they left the rescue/shelter. This is especially true of folks who adopt puppies. They don't educate themselves on the amount of care and dedication it takes to raise a puppy properly. 6-9 months later, the dog is returned, it's a mess and needs to start over with training to become adoptable again.

This post was edited by k9arlene on Sun, Jul 28, 13 at 18:25

We have 2 cockapoos (a 10 year old female and a 3 year old male -the latter a rescue), and I don't think our house has a doggy smell. But I walk the dogs frequently, they spend time outside on our deck, and they get bathed monthly (more frequently if they need it). We used to have a 70 lb 1/2 Chow -and I think the house might have smelled more doggy then, but he shed and the cockapoos do not. I personally think pets are terrific for kids (we don't have cats because DH is allergic), but I agree with others that you should not get a pet unless everyone in the family is on board. (Our cockapoo rescue came from a family who turned in the dog because their 10 y.o. did not take care of the dog as promised. He was then in 2 foster homes before we took him. He's a wonderful dog, but he definitely needed some work when we got him because of all he had been through.)

I just want to add to the chorus and plead that anyone not get a dog and relegate it to a life of isolation outdoors. So cruel.

Having said that, we have a 120 lb dog who is outdoors by choice. Our previous dogs were indoor but this one can't stand to be inside. We walk him every day, go outside a few times a day and talk/pet him, and invite him in all the time. He looks at us as though we're about to beat him!:)

Our indoor dogs did not leave odors that we noticed or anyone ever mentioned. We do have a cat and it is imperative that the litter boxes be cleaned at least once a day, sometimes two (we have two boxes for one cat).

We've had several dogs, not all successfully, but at the moment we have three. Two English bulldogs, ages 8 and 10, and one French bulldog, age 3. The Frenchie is the BEST dog we've ever had. So sweet, just big enough not to seem too dainty, but still a lap dog. She does shed, not a ton, and she does not smell. I intentionally bury my nose in her fur to smell her, because I'm amazed that she smells so good. And we don't bathe her frequently.

The English bulldogs? Forget about it. They stink. Both have skin issues that get really gross and stinky. We still love them, though! And I'm convinced my house doesn't smell "doggy" because I have asked my most honest friends if it does and they swear it doesn't!

I have a lab and a lab-GSD mix. Neither smell. I've been told twice in the past month by outside persons that they don't smell like dogs. I don't feed them the absolute top of the line dog food, but I do feed them Kirkland's grainless salmon & sweet potato. Before I had them on Kirkland's non-grainless and they did have a smell.

Another thing I find very important is grooming the dogs and their environment. I scratch and rub my dogs all the time. They love it, but it also unlodges any loose fur (and likely, dead skin). I then also take a metal tooth dog comb and brush out the loosened fur. I also am sure to vacuum floors (including area rugs), couches and their dog beds at least weekly. I should probably do their stuffed toys too.

My lab does have the oily lab coat and when we had her on the non-grainless food did sometimes need a bath because of that. The lab/GSD needed them less often.

Both do have doggy breath. It's usually not so bad but they play the biteyface game and goober on each other, so that does make them need a bath every 3 to 6 months. I recently started giving the lab/GSD, who is older, fish oil for his hips. That makes his breath much worse so I will probably have to start bathing them more often.

I have to address the outside-only dog. I'm sorry, but dogs are social animals and leaving them outside away from their "pack" is cruel. Why even bother having a pet if you don't interact with them?

So true. I totally disagree with the practice. The only possible exception is multiple farm or hunting dogs - they have each other, and they have their work. Even then, outside dogs (and cats, oh man the outside cats) are a nuisance to your neighbors.

Sue that is the sweetest pic! I love that wrinkled skin spot where their tail meets their body.

I have been thinking about this thread.

We had 2 cats, and their litterbox is in the basement. No smell.

Recently we added a third cat (last week). She is being kept in the tandem room adjoining our bedroom while we sort out territory issues with our other cats (well, really just one). The door is left open most of the time between the two rooms.

IT SMELLS. I clean the litterbox throughout the day. Basically, cat goes, I clean. 3Xs a day. And it STILL smells. Partly, I think it is her food, too. I can't get her to eat wet food, and her dry food is readily available.

Sigh.

Oh, and I just ordered Feliway to help with my cat's animosity towards her. It seemed like everything was going well, and then it got ugly.

anele, sometimes a newly adopted cat undergoing a diet transition and stress upsets their tummy and makes them smell more - even their skin is more likely to give off stress smells. She probably won't smell once she's settled in but you might want to put her on probiotics to help her digestion. There is a huge link between diet and smells - not just feces but the body odor.

Thanks for all the honest feedback and breed suggestion. DH and I are going to research this a lot more before we get a pet. There are a lot of things we did not even know (like dogs have glands that need to be expressed? Or that dogs can have emotional problems ). Needless to say, if we do adopt a pet, we will take the responsibility seriously.

We may try hosting a pet for a week or so when our friends who have a golden doodle go on vacation. I think at home trial will bubble up more issues for us as well.

The Humane Society of Silicon Valley in Milpitas is worth checking out--they do a good job matching dogs to families. I'm sensitive to dog stink. Mine stinks when he's wet. He sheds all over. But he doesn't drool and he doesn't stink up the house. We're lucky. Some dog homes stink, and those homes are always cleaner than mine. My dog is not allowed in the bedroom part of the house and has a doggie door to access the back yard.

We do not worry about burglars or prowlers and that's nice. The kid who desperately wanted a dog, however, quickly discovered that dogs aren't that great. So he's mine. Woohoo.

Lots of reasons not to get a pet, but smell shouldn't be a big one.

Something else you could try is fostering a dog for a shelter or rescue. Not only will it show you what life is like with a pet, you'd be doing something selfless for a homeless animal. Wonderful message to send to your children.

"The kid who desperately wanted a dog, however, quickly discovered that dogs aren't that great. So he's mine. Woohoo."

This. I don't think it could be said any better. It's very difficult for a child to understand what dog (or any pet) ownership really means. There can be some (or a lot) of work involved. At least one adult (probably all) in the household needs to accept this responsibility. It means time/work (exercising the pet, taking the pet to the vet, picking up after it), money (vet costs, food costs, toy costs, training costs), and sometimes some grossness (picking up accidents and/or vomiting, things like anal glands, licking, drooling, etc). I don't have children, but I imagine a pet can understand that caring for another life is rewarding but is still a responsibility. A dog doesn't live as long as a child, but they can live a really long time (depending on breed maybe 5-25 years), so you're signing up for a responsibility for a long time. If you're lucky, your child will help accept some of this responsibility now or maybe in the future. I think it's wise to expect the possibility that all this responsibility may fall on you and your husband. But perhaps you can start by walking your child through the responsibilities you expect her to cover (daily walks, attendance/participation in dog training classes, feeding, watering, grooming, picking up of waste, etc).

For me, having a dog pays off big time. But I also selected a dog that really fits in with my lifestyle. I love my dog so much that it's hard to express. But I've dealt with my fair share of work, money, and grossness. One thing to consider about a dog is that their cost in time and money is not necessarily constant. A puppy takes a lot of time and startup cost. In the middle of their life with you, a dog usually takes some less time and money. As they age, they often start costing a lot more. My dog is 10 and will hopefully live a few more years. She is currently costing me probably around $150+/month just for food and medication. Last year I paid for several surgeries (cancer) and vet visits. I don't regret it one bit. But I feel like it's something no one talks much about when you're picking out a young healthy dog.

Side note: anal glands are not always a problem. And most likely you would have a professional (vet or vet tech) address any possible problem that might arise. But, like cat spraying, it's a possibility that a dog owner has to understand and accept.

Thank you, Tinan! I had no idea!

Pricklypearcactus brought up a good point about medical issues. Although we've had dogs for many, many years (I'm older than dirt) medical science has advanced in dogdom and catdom. Until even a few years ago, other than regular checkups and vax, there was little, if anything to be done medically if your dog became ill or injured. Today, there are a whole slew of medical advances available for pets, including stem cell transfers and kidney transplants.

Our family learned how costly treatment for cancer for our dog could be and since then have purchased insurance for our more recent dogs. It allowed us to provide the best medical treatment for our 9 year old lab when his spleen needed to come out this past March.

You might also want to budget for insurance for any dog (or cat) which comes to live with your family.

Helene

P.s. people have commented that they would not have guessed we have 2 large dogs when they come into our home.

DH (who never had a dog) and the kids say they want a dog. We babysit a friend's dog and after a day or two the novelty wears off and I'm walking the dog all by myself! I grew up with cats/dogs and I just don't want the responsibility at the moment. I'm the mean one stopping our family from having a dog!! Neither one of my kids are real dog/animal lovers like I was as a kid. Not only did I walk/train my dogs, I also volunteered to walk other neighborhood dogs. I don't see that level of interest in my kids or DH, so no dog at this time in our lives.

blubird, can you share more info about your pet insurance? Maybe I should consider it for future dog(s). If you don't mind, what's the approximate cost per month? And what do they cover?

Kids don't seem to be into dogs, once they get them. My 5 year old likes to be near the dog, but if you think about it, what exactly can a kid do with a dog? My dog weighs about as much as my two kids put together so he'll probably be dead before they're big enough to walk him (which is a shame because nobody annoys you when you have a scary-looking doggie).

So go ahead and "get the dog for the kid", but only if you secretly want one for yourself. :)

I'd start with a cat, though. Much less needy.

I prefer cats, especially the ones that poop outside, but I am awfully fond of my dog and the dog home security system can't be beat. (Ask the local police department about the best way to deter burglary. Woof.)

A dog and a child can be real friends, can love each other, can cuddle together. I loved my dogs as a child (and now). I couldn't wait to get home from school to see them (and it was mutual).

I loved my cat too but she couldn't have cared less when I came home from school! (I suppose not all cats are like that)

Two of my kids couldn't live without a dog, the others could not care less about having a dog. But they ALL take care of the dogs: let the dog in and out, clean up after the dog (once they are old enough), walk the dogs they are physically able to walk, etc.

In our house, parents decide what chores children do--it isn't up to the children.

That said, dogs deserve love and friendship, and you can't order children (or anyone else) to provide that. My kids are all friendly toward the dogs, but the two who really love them are the two the dogs choose to sleep with.

I have two largish dogs (a mixed breed and a golden) and, yes, I do think my house sometimes smells like I have dogs. I clean, I wash linens and dog beds, use scents and odor neutralizers, have air purifiers (for allergies, really) etc., but at some point I think it's kind of inevitable. Like the tumbleweeds of golden retriever hair all over my house in the spring. ;)

I also wanted to chime in and say that, when it comes to your home, there's more than just the potential for smell that you have to consider. For example, one of mine just broke a window jumping up and barking at a dog walking by on the sidewalk. The other recently put a big dent in the wall (with her hip) while wrestling with her "brother." These are kind of extreme examples (and I have young, high energy dogs), but, at least in my experience, it's inevitable that a pet will barf on your expensive rug or a dog will randomly decide to "dig" your new sofa, etc. (And yes, of course training is important, but they're still dogs and will sometimes act like it.) If you and your husband aren't prepared to let these things kind of roll off your back -- and it would be understandable if you weren't! -- I'm not sure a pet, dog or cat, is a good idea. Most of us make adjustments in our lives, one way or another, for our pets, and you'd have to figure out whether that's something you're interested in doing.

A friend of mine has a really lovely standard poodle (from a great breeder), who doesn't shed. I don't want to get into the "designer dog" drama but I would strongly suggest that you do a lot of research before buying a purposely bred mixed breed dog (or buying any dog from anyone!). I have a rescue and a purebred from a fantastic breeder, and don't think either choice is right or wrong. Just be honest with yourself about your family's wants, needs and limitations are.

Um, ok, but why resurrect a 7 year old thread to say so?

IdaClaire, maybe that post will be edited to tell us how. Hmmmm....

Ah yes, because @BlakeParsons is an air duct cleaning "PRO."

Man, I hate this crummy SPAM garbage. Houzz needs to get a grip on it. It's cheap and degrading to the integrity of this site.