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If you don't see the value in that sort of thing, then you're probably better off not having a dog at all.
I think there's serious value in chasing off varmints and a 24/7 security beastie that can't be hacked or bypassed (except maybe with a steak). Not to mention an escort against other dogs (and possibly humans) when we go for walks. That's what I want. Not a critter to sit on my bed and eat my oranges.
Our dog[s] sometimes had a companion/pack of 2, but for most of her life, the one that survived the longest--about 20 years--was alone.
You said you would speak to a vet before getting a dog. I hope you follow through and do so. A vet will reiterate what many of us have tried to tell you here.
I am raising mine with a wolf - not a dog. Not sure if this accentuates the advantages claimed by the OP - or is detrimental to them. But it is working so far (4.5 and 1 year old so far)
My family (pre-marriage) always had a dog, but I never bonded to it or felt like it was my dog. He or she was a dog who lived there. Cats and I get along fine, and I think I'm pretty empathetic, but I lack the doglover gene. Our daughters like dogs, our son not so much. I have no doubt about the love some people have for their dogs, though, and having a beloved pet is a great experience for a child.
Julia, you and I are cut from the same cloth. I lack the dog lover gene, too. Intellectually, I get the appeal, but in practice, I just don't feel it. I'm not a dog hater by any stretch, but I'm not drawn to them the way other people seem to be.
Last edited by randomparent; 04-23-2015 at 01:27 PM..
Or not. You are trying to put every dog in a box, not every dog is the same. If you train a dog as a puppy to be outside, then it will want to be outside.
9.9 times out of 10 it would rather be inside with you. Give it a choice and I'd be willing to bet it would rather come in the house than stay outside 24/7. It will be resigned to being outside because it has no choice.
I totally get that some people don't care for dogs or other pets and of course, there's nothing wrong with that. If you don't care for pets, don't have them. I'm quite sure the kids will be just fine.
What is totally wrong is getting a pet and tossing it in the backyard like it's livestock. While a dog is an animal, it's one that has been domesticated by humans for thousands of years and evolved to live with humans, not outside like a horse.
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