Survey - why did you get a dog?

I got Tootsie because my bf had 2 dogs, but they were his. I wanted my own, to do with what I wanted, train how I wanted, etc...I had nothing that was mine, not even a car. Tootsie was mine.Its pretty sad when you realize that you have nothing of your own. Getting Tootsie makes me feel better about myself. Plus, who can resist a baby corgi?

I had dogs when I was a child. The dog kept digging out and my dad made us take them to my aunts house in the country so that they had plenty of room to run.  He also would not letus have any more dogs.  My mom hated cats so we were without animals for about 10 years.  One day a stray cat had kittens in my garage and we kept 3.  remember my mom hated cats, yeah right!  within a year, we only had one cat left.  He was an indoor very spoiled cat.  When the cat was 10, a stray dog had puppiesunder the house.  We kept one.  The dog and the cat were buddies.  My cat was diagnosed with liver cancer and I thought I was going to lose him soon.  2 years ago, I walked into Petsmart and saw this little dog and adopted her.  She is the only one that I adopted and  had to actually pay to get her.  I thought that she would teach my older dog how to play and be a dog (because she thinks she is human) I also got her to help me ease my pain when my cat died.  I had to put him down this past December.  My older dog has never been a very active dog.  She learns fast and I never had to take her to an obedience class because she was so smart and perfect.  Boy, this little one that I got is  very hyper.  She loves to run and herd all the birds and squirrels out of the yard.  She love to hurdle furniture. I needed to control her better so we went to obedience class and then intermieduate obedience then we joined agility and intermediate agility.  My 2 dogs are like night and day.  they are so different.  My little one exhausted me but she keeps us laughing and I am so glad that we got her.. She livened up the house(and destroyed a few very expensive pair of shoe on the way) try to watch TV or talk to people and all you hear is "squeak- squeak" from her squeaky plush toys.  Her new favorites are the little pyramids from the mystery of the pyramids toy that we just got from Dog.com

I had had yellow lab, Gumbo, for almost 11 years. I grew up with her, and when we had to euthanize her, I was devastated. I cried and carried on so much that I even made my dad physically sick, which is quite an accomplishment. After seeing how hard I took her death, my parents thought it was best for me to not go through that again, and I do understand their perspective, but getting another dog would have healed my heart at the time. Anyway, fast foward several years later...about a year into our relationship, Brett and I rescued a cat who was living under a friend's couch. The cat refused to come out when anyone was around, but I pulled her out of there and took her home. Brett's grandma named her Chipper after Chipper Jones (she's a Braves fan), but Chipper lasted all of three weeks. She was extremely sick, which is why she never got out from under the couch. She had a severe liver infection, and while she was hospitalized, she had two heartattacks and died. So after that, Brett and I started thinking about adopting another cat. Cat somehow morphed into dog, and we contacted Brown's foster mom and visited him twice before the home visit. After we passed the inspection and all that, Brown was ours. Grey came along a few years later, once we were married and moved to MS. He melted my heart, and I had to have him. So I drove Brett insane until he busted him out of the pound lol.

I grew up with dogs. We first had a rough collie named Tessa. I don't remember her, as she died young (she was sleeping under one of my uncle's trucks, I believe, and he didn't see her and ran her over). We got Kimo when I was 2. I don't remember him as a puppy but I do remember him following me around. I'd get on a bicycle and ride around with him running around with me. I taught him to jump over things and left and right (which I though we important skills for running along side my bike). We also go Meeko when I was young (3 or 4), and I don't remember her puppy stage.  Meeko was, however, close to my "ideal" dog (I say close because she attacked my cats often enough, was somewhat dog aggressive, and was intollerant of other children if they didn't behave well around her). Anyone, I think I had this awesome foundation for loving dogs... and have for as long as I can remember. When I was 16, Kimo had gone deaf, and I'm pretty sure he had cataracts. He also couldn't control his bowel movements, and so, lived out on our enclosed porch. Every morning I would get up and clean up after him... sometimes he was even laying in it Anyway, one night, not long before a storm, I let him outside. At the time, it's just what we did... he didn't wander anymore (I know it was no where near responsible anyway). He went missing after about 15 minutes and we never saw him again. There were no tracks in the snow, no sign he'd been attacked by anything, and he wasn't anywear beside the road. I cried myself to sleep for weeks because I felt it was my felt and I prayed for his forgiveness.
 
Meeko passed away when I was 17, about 1.5 years after Kimo. I remember it quite clearly. I took her for a walk in the woods on Saturday, went to a paintball tourney Sunday. Monday she wasn't eating and was breathing heavily. We took her to the vet Tuesday... but it was too late. He gave us medication for an enlarged heart, but she died early Wednesday Morning. I feel terrible because of that too... she was crying and probably scared but I didn't sit with her through the night... instead I tried to get some sleep. The following morning, we had her cremated.
 
For 5 months, we were dogless. Being dogless was painful for me many days as I missed the companionship I got with Meeko and Kimo.
 
 I kept asking if we could get a dog, but the answer was always no. But, I became more persistant.. I really wanted an Akita puppy, but couldn't find any (my parents told their friend that I only wanted a female, and her last male puppy sold fast). For a week, I scowered papers for either an Akita or Malamute puppy and checked petfinder every day to see if there were any for adoption in our area. None. Then, one day, I got the huge classifieds magazine and there was an add for Mal puppies, but they were in Maine... to make a long story short, we drove 4 hours to Buxton, ME to get Maddi.
 
Maddi isn't quite (*cough* hardly) the dog I had in mind. She doesn't like to cuddle and she is the apitamy of malamute temperment... after all, she had no training for the first 4 months of her life (Kimo was totally different, my dad got him at 8 weeks). I do regret not getting her sooner as I think I could have taught her some things better if she'd been younger, but she's made me understand dog behavior a lot more than I did. She made me understand the importance of socialization (she FLIPPED out when she first saw our neighbors). Often it's still rough, but I know (I mean hope) that in the next 6months to a year, she will be less exuberant puppyish and conduct herself in a more civilized manner ([sm=rotfl.gif]yeah right).
 
Anyway, this is a long post of rambling. I  could have summed it all up by saying that I don't know how to live minus a dog or two.

This is lovely, I feel like I know everyone a little better now!
Olinda, thanks for sharing your story. I'd say there are plenty of 'wrong' reasons to get a dog, but yours is certainly not one of them.

great stories!

I got my first dog about a year and a half ago (my family had dogs growing up but i didn't have much to do with them) I had wanted a dog for several years mostly because they fascinate me but also for companionship and a hiking partner. I love hiking and its hard to find someone who wants to go with you every day of the week! It wasn't until last year that I had enough time, money and a good living situation to make it work. I was planning on getting a youngish athletic dog 1 - 2 years (landlord said, "no puppys") i had the idea in my mind that it would be a lab mix, but somehow ended up adopting an 8 year old, exceedingly overweight (at the time) chow mix instead!!! Whinny, as we renamed her, just caught our eye even though there wasnt' anything that attractive about her. partly, she really reminded us of our obese cat, stella, but her personality was just so sweet and everytime i walked by her cage she scootched up and stuck her paw on the gate. so i took her home and within a month she had proved herself an EXCELLENT hiking buddy, and also had lost 20 pounds and built up alot of muscle, so now she's in tip top shape especially for a 9-year old.

The dog I lost in'04 was one my oldest DS came home with in Jan. of '89.  He was 6 weeks old & I got the sad story "well, he's the last one left of the litter and if someone doesn't take him, he's going to the pound."  Right. [] DS had moved home yet again because he was between apartments, but by the time he moved out again Bud was MY dog and I told DS that if he took the dog with him, I'd be over there every day checking on him. About a month after I lost him, I went to the shelter to donate an almost full bag of senior dog food and there was Max - this little pup - all ears and tongue - jumping around, licking my hand through the cage.  And when I took him outside, he actually came when I called him. There was just no way that I could have left him there. So I filled out the papers, they sent him the next a.m. for the big snip and the rest is history.[] Max is the first dog that I actually chose myself.

Joyce

I've always been very connected with animals. I can't imagine not having a dog. They are my best friends. Period.

Ditto Jean.  I can't remember a time when there hasn't been a dog in my life.

I'm sort of like jeano and Glenda.  I have always been connected to animals on a very deep level.  I don't remember ever *not* wanting dogs around me.  I love them as much as my friends and family. 

Thanks, everybody - I have really enjoyed reading these - don't stop sharing! LOL
 
I think the idea that there are so many different paths to dog ownership that all culminate in these intense emotions really intrigued me.  I grew up around dogs, but Ben is the first dog who is really "mine", and there have been chunks of time when I did not have a dog and felt, acutely, that empty space a dog fills.  Also, there really is a leap between "dog lover" and "dog owner"...I know lots of people who love dogs but realise they cannot provide the best homes for them, for various reasons.  Yet many of us here have actually reorganised our lives, if necessary, in order to be able to have a dog.
 
Olinda - I think your reason for getting a dog is not only a good reason, but maybe one of the best reasons.  If he has helped you to heal when nothing else could he has given you an incredible gift - thank you for sharing your story.
 
It is nice to read these because whatever the reasons are, they are all good reasons. 
 
Kate

Ok this will be a short reply comparing to everyone else =( I don't have much to say.

The reason why I decided to adopt a dog because I need to change my lifestyle. As of right now, My lifestyle routine is, Waking up, Online, Shower, Online, Eat, Online,and Sleep. Sometime on special day(s), I would hit up my cousin house, and we would be like party animals (dancing, singing karoake, Jogging, do things that productive and would work us out lol. which I think it is a good thing for me, because that the only time I sweat lol and also I sweat when the weather is hot)
I know this is a bad lifestyle, and that is why I decided to adopt a dog.  Also other reason why I want a dog is, I really need a companion. Everyday, I think alot and Stress out alot. I try to keep my mind off those things that leads me to headache or stress, but it doesn't work. So a dog probably will help cure for those things that I need to work on.
Right now, I'm in the process of adopting a dog and I hope they will pick me to adopt the dog. (Please pick me)
There are other reasons as well, But I stop right here. Hehe

Olinda, your story is beautiful.
 
Unlike most of you, I have never owned a dog before nor did I grow up with dogs around me. Mika is my first dog, and it has only been three months since I adopted her. I have always loved dogs (animals in general, actually) and when I was a kid, I was jealous of my friends who had dogs of their own. I liked the responsibility of taking care of something and the love and companionship you'd get in return. I loved dogs best because of the unique way you could interact and bond with them. However, my parents did not allow me to have one because I was too young, and they were certain I would get sick of the dog in a few months' time. Fast forward ten years, and here I am with Mika. I'm actually glad my parents postponed allowing me to have a dog, because now that I'm older, I truly understand how much time and effort it takes to take care of one. I wanted a purebred puppy, but browsing the Internet I found the website of a local foster for dogs. I called, stopped by the lady's house and there I found Mika. Funnily, I didn't tell my dad (who was with me when I dropped by) which dog I wanted to adopt, but when I asked him which one he liked best, he said Mika had caught his eye as well!  

Because I'm a sap, and I can't say no.

Seriously, I love them. I am not particularly fond of people, and don't connect with a lot of people. I connect, deeply, with dogs. I feel completely comfortable and happy, when I'm with my dogs. I seriously doubt I'll have a dogless time in my life, again.

Well...a lot has happened to me in the past year. My parents sold the house I've lived in my whole life because my mother was retiring, my father had already been retired for a few years and they just did not want to live on Long Island anymore. They were relocating to South Carolina and had basically said, you can come with us or you can stay here but your basically on your own. I moved into an apartment with my sister and my whole life started to change. I was dealing with being away from my parents, which really forced me into adulthood. I really started to see things for what they were, instead of what I wanted them to be. This included my academic future, my relationship with my boyfriend and my relationship with my parents.
 
My sister has a cat, but it's always been "her cat". I felt incomplete for some reason. For my birthday, my sister wanted to get me a kitten. I have nothing against cats, I just didn't want one. I wanted a dog, but I just didn't think it possible.
 
So we went to the local shelter to look at the kittens. In order to go to the kitten section, you have to go thru the puppy section. [] I fell in love with all the dogs there and just could not shake the idea of getting a dog.
 
A few months went by and I had gone back to the shelter. I had picked out a black pitty mix who had a lil white spot on her nose. I would have named her Oreo. I have my bf call my landlords and they said no dogs. I was so crushed. I left that night empty handed.
 
The next day, my landlords called my bf at work (reason being, they speak very little English, and he speaks Portuguese) and said I could have a dog! Yippee!!! But it would have to be a small dog and it would be my reponsibility. Etc Etc Etc. I went back to the shelter that same day to pick up Oreo. I filled out all the paperwork and the shelter denied me. DENIED! Turns out, they have a policy where they dont allow people to adopt if someone won't be home with the puppy at all times. I can understand the policy now but boy did I cry my eyes out that night.
 
But I didn't give up. In February, my bf and I had driven down to SC to visit my folks. My dad had told me about a flea market that sells all different types of puppies. We went to this flea market the day of the Daytona 500. Now, I'm a NASCAR fan but I also live in NY. The Daytona 500 might as well be a holiday in the south. I know y'all know what I'm talking about. 
 
There were no puppies at this flea market. However, later that day, we had gone to a Petsmart and they were having an adoption day. An orginization called Heartsong Animal Rescue of Georgia was there. And there was Miss Cookie. [] 
 
I held her, she looked at me like, "who do you think you are?" and rested her lil head on my shoulder. I was sold.
 
It was the best $100 I have ever spent. She has made my life so much more meaningful and happy. I am thankful for everyday that I get to spend with her.