[doggydogdog]

Greetings everyone,

I am doing a project for my class and need to identify some problems pet lovers have (more specifically for dog owners).

Questions:

What problems do you ever have with owning a pet? How did you find a solution for this problem?
Do you tend to forget to give medication? How did you find a solution for this?

Thank you guys so much!

 

[inkii]

I forget to take my own medicine, but I very rarely forget my dog's.

My biggest problem with owning pets has been finding pet-friendly housing. Virtually all of the apartments I've found in the area only allow small dogs, disallow certain breeds, limit you to two pets per apartment (no matter how many bedrooms, no matter how many human residents), and charge exorbitantly high "pet rent" or "non-refundable pet deposits." (I don't mind a refundable pet deposit against damages to the apartment, as that's reasonable. But if my dogs don't create any extra cleaning work when I move out, I don't understand why I should be charged more.)

Done right, raising a pet is expensive. My dogs eat about $80 of dog food per month if I don't find it on sale (which is why I always find it on sale, lol). A typical vet visit is upward of $100, at least twice a year per dog. $20 per month for flea/heartworm preventatives. Plus the small stuff: toys, training treats, treats, a bed, etc. I spent probably $50 a month on training treats before I started making my own. Some breeds require professional grooming every one to two months, which usually costs upward of $40 each time. Training classes are so incredibly useful, but they're not cheap -- prices range from $15 to $150 per hour (no, that's not a typo) depending on the aptitude of the trainer and the type of classes.

The problems with owning pets are similar to the problems of having children, on the whole, except that people understand how much change they're signing up for when they have a child.

 

[Kwenami]

You'll also want to consider reactive/fearful dogs need a lot more attention and training in some areas. It can be pretty hectic trying to help out dogs that snap when they get nervous.

Other common problems are related to house training, manners training, resource guarding...

 

[AllieD]

I think one of the biggest problems most dog owners have is other people. People don't know and certainly don't teach their children the proper way to approach dogs. (in general) Some people think (or act like they think) that if you take your dog into public it's ok to approach or pet them.

 

[Kytkattin]

Mostly my biggest problem has been people reacting to how many I have. I personally don't think 3 dogs and one cat is all that many, and it is well within my means to take care of. People also often criticize what I choose to feed. So I guess my biggest problem with owning pets is other people. I tend to ignore them.

My biggest problem with my actual pets would be making sure they are 100% housebroken, and fur. At least from the cat, fur is everywhere. For housebreaking it is just a matter of training, for fur, it is a matter of grooming (and giving up after you have enough fur for 2 other cats).

I don't give medication per-say. Well, yes I do if you count heartworm preventative/flea treatments. Every day some of them get a cranberry pill and fish oil with their dinner. That is pretty easy to remember to give. For the heartworm and flea treatments, I have the days those are due scheduled into a phone app called Medi-Safe. I keep my own medication schedule in the same app, and it has proven to be VERY beneficial and invaluable.

 

[HouseIsaZoo]

Problems:House mates & regular visitors to the house who contradict my training (eg allowing Hugo to jump up & mouth at hands).
He has seperation anxiety (though not too bad) & it can be difficult to arrange schedules so he isn't alone for too long.
I feed a combination of raw, cooked & a small amount of dry food & it can be stressful to make sure he gets all his nutrition & enjoys the meal variety.
Public that are disrespectful...either they interrupt training sessions or parents who let their kids handle him incorrectly & obviously gave never shown them how to properly interact with dogs!
People that don't maintain control of their dogs & then put Hugo in risk!

 

[smoochypooch]

My two biggest problems have been behavioral issues (one dog had slight fear aggression when I got him, the other was terrified of anything and everything) and other people--you would be amazed how many people I've had ask loudly, "Is that a PIT BULL?"

 

[gsdlover7]

1. Housing. If you don't own a home (and in this economy, even if you've paid down 3/4ths of your mortgage, you can't count on owning your home), you are going to have trouble finding housing. I have owned dogs that range from 15lb to 90lb and even with a 15lb adult beagle mix, I had trouble. Now, with a 70lb GSD, we had to obtain special approval and we pay $100/month extra in "pet rent." At our last rental, we had to pay a $600 nonrefundable pet deposit per year. We have a GSD, but since she's a mix, our vet calls her a Belgian Mal. If it weren't for that, I don't know where we would be able to rent; GSDs are banned breeds at almost every rental community.

2. Adopt vs buy. Adopting vs purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder is a difficult decision to make. If you choose to purchase a puppy from a reputable breeder, you're looking at a price tag of at least $500, probably closer to $1,000; but if you adopt, you may bring home a dog that has behavioral problems requiring lifelong management. (Many dogs do not exhibit their full personality in a shelter.) For me, personally, my first rescue was extremely fearful of humans and took about 2 years to rehab; my current dog (GSD mix) is 6 years old and severely dog aggressive and may never be able to be unmuzzled around another canine. That means I can never take her out, even for a 3AM pee, without muzzling, triple checking the collar and leash, etc., and we will have weekly training with a veterinary behaviorist ($$$$$$) forever.

3. Veterinary care is costly! We unknowingly adopted a dog with EPI, and she has also developed hip dysplasia. Those conditions cost us another $60+ per month, but of course we would never not treat those ailments.

4. Travel. Travel is limited to places we can reach by car, so we can take her with us; behaviorally, there is no way I could board her or leave her with a friend or sitter. However, being forced to avoid travel helps us save money!

 

[jclark343]

I also think proper exercise can be hard. I am lucky enough to have a decent sized back yard and am a memeber of an agility club but I believe a lot of people don't have the means to properly exercise a dog. A lot of people will say walk a dog but most dogs, especially younger ones, can walk circles around the normal person and not release all of their energy. I, as a fairly young (Probably paranoid) women, am also not a fan of walking my dog just anywhere. I am always afraid of creepers, but also afraid of the enviorment I may not see (glass in the grass, something I may not see that the dog picks up, bugs the dog may be alergic to, snakes, etc). I understand the necessity to people. I have had to do it when I lived in an apartment, but I am really not a fan.

I also agree with the housing thing. I am lucky to have a dopey black lab, but even with a non aggressive breed it is hard to find a place to live.

 

[techigirl78]

While I agree with the others, I have what may be a silly response . . . they are addictive. The other issues you can usually manage to an extent and plan for like when you lose a pet you love dearly. Yet, once you own one, they seem to multiple. This is how I got to 4 cats and 3 dogs at one point. Now I have 3 dogs and 2 cats. I think I have learned that the best numbers for me and my family is probably 2 dogs and 1-2 cats. Yet, if my house is open and a pet comes up that is in need, who knows what the future holds.