Survey - why did you get a dog?

ORIGINAL: jones

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.

 
I have enjoyed reading all the stories are well and also feel a little more connected to everyone here because we all have that common denominator: love for animals, love for dogs.
 
And thank you to the ones, who responded to me. []
 

Well I'm new here and after reading all these great stories I decided this would be a great place for my first post.
When I turned 10 my mom and dad got me a dog but 6 months later dad was transfered and I had to give up the dog, and I never got another one after that. A few months after moving into my first house I decided I wanted a dog, someone that would be there when I came home and a buddy to do things with. I researched and researched attempting to find the "perfect" puppy. I have a small house with a big yard, and the dog would have to be home alone for 8 hours or more a day when I worked and this would be my very first dog, so it was going to have to be willing to learn with me. My best friend had done Mastiff rescue for years so she started calling some breeders and friends looking for me. She contacted a lady who said she knew of a dog that they were wanting to place but it was an adult dog, and not one that would be considered a match for my situation. He was a 5 year old Alaskan Malamute named Tank. Tank had spent his life being shown and working as a sled dog and competing in sled pulling. His owner had passed away and all the local Malamute breeders had taken in her dogs and were finding good homes for them. After seeing me around her Mastiff's my friend was convinced that I could handle it and after spending hours on the phone with the breeder who was working on finding a home for Tank they both felt that we would make a good match. I had always loved Malamutes and when they sent me a picture it was love at first site so I set up a time and I drove 4 very nervous hours worried and thinking What if he doesnt like me and all other bad things. The breeder interduced me to some of her Malamutes first to see how I interacted with them and I guess I passed because she then called another breeder who was keeping Tank to bring him over. I was scared right up to the point were he sniffed my hand the first time then licked it, after that it was like we had been together for years. When it was time to leave I took his leash and opened the door to my truck and he jumped in and over into the back seat and sat down like he had been doing it all his life. The drive back was me talking to him while he just listened and watched out the windows. It was not all roses after that though, we went through some rough times the first 6 months together, like seperation anxiety, him learning that he wasnt going to get moved around again, me learning how to handle somone that was as hard headed as me. He and I learned many things during that time but now, 2 years later, I wouldnt trade it for the world. Tank is my buddy who is always waiting at the door tail wagging when I come home, we go everywere together, and he is part of our family. My mom and dad call him there grand-dog and mom keeps pictures of him on her desk at work, and they both spoil him rotten. Well thats my story and the reason I got my dog.

I have always LOVED animals and I always had some type of pet: turtle, rabbits, birds, hamsters, gerbils, but I always wanted a dog.  When I was four or five my parents bought me a yellow lab mix, but we soon discovered that my mom was allergic and we had to give her up about three years later [].  After that I thought I would never have a dog.  But after my parents got divorced, my dad bought one, Buster, for my sister and I.  He was a christmas present when I was about 12 years old.  I was soooo happy to have a puppy.  He became my dog very quickly, as I walked, fed, and played with him all the time.  We lived with our dad for 6 months out of the year and our mom 6 months out of the year and alternated weekends all year, so he got a lot of time with me and my parents only lived about 5 minutes apart so we could walk there if we wanted.  I still have Buster (he lives with me now!!) and I think that I will always have dogs.  They are just the best companions and so funny.

I didn't grow up around dogs (one of my friends had one so I did play with him sometimes, but NEVER would I let his slobber get on me hehe).  Then I went off to college and still, it was not much of a concern.  Towards the end of college and in the next couple of years, the people I dated all had dogs and I would play with them and just relax with them and started to want one.  My current BF is a big dog fan (dogs in general, and big dogs hehe) but his dog is at home in Florida with his parents because when he moved to Maryland for work, he had one day to find a place to live.  The apts. he was planning on prior to coming allowed dogs but once he saw them he said no way to living there.  So he went to the apt. complex next door and liked it but no dogs.  So, I always heard him talk about his dog and stuff, but how he missed it.  This peeked my interest in dogs more... and one of the women I worked with had a small dog I liked.  I also had a big interest in pugs.  Then, he asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  The only thing I could think of was a dog.  He would have happily gotten me one but the timing was wrong.  It was October and I still had grad school 2 nights a week until May which kept me out of the house 13 hours in a row.  Also, his apt. didn't allow dogs and I would be staying there a couple of nights a week.  So, I decided that June I'd get a dog.  I started looking on petfinder and researching some small breed dogs.  I realized although I thought pugs were cute, there were things I didn't like.  I also dog sat for my coworker's dog and loved it!  My bf kept saying he didn't like little dogs like I wanted but suggested a dachshund, so that was one of the breeds I looked into.  On my graduation day, I stopped at the SPCA just to look.  I knew I needed to wait 2 more weeks because we were going on a 4 night vacation and my roomies, although ok with me getting a dog, did not want to be responsible for it.  So, I looked... and there she was!  Staring at me and looking all cute... a dachshund!  I asked to play with her and the people said I couldn't because someon else was adopting her.  I left with an application for future use, but upset I couldn't have her.  For some reason, I called 15 min. before they closed and found out the people did not adopt her.  I faxed in my application and called before they opened the following day (after I found out my coworker would watch her while I was away... yes, not ideal to leave her right after getting her, but I wanted her and felt I would be a great home for her).  They told me she was going on a news segment at 12 and that she'd be adopted by 1, and that I could not reserve her without having played with her yet.  So, I was freaking out and then, my coworker offered to watch my class from 1 pm until the end of the day and then meet me at the SPCA to see if she thought the dog would be good for me, since she was experienced with dogs and would be babysitting while I was on vacation.  My principal approved this and I went to get Zoe.  Luckily, she was still there (they put a diff't dog on tv, as I had suggested) and I played and fell in love.  I had to wait until 3 days later to take her home because since I was a first time owner, they wanted me to go to their dog basics class first. 
 
Since then, my BF got a house, Zoe and I moved in, she plays in the yard, has changed his view of small dogs (he is a sap around her), and we make a perfect family!  Zoe has a good life now and makes me smile on a daily basis and THAT is the reason I got a dog .

When we finally were in a house (after apartment life) in 1982, we got out first "adult" dog.  We got Sasha when she was a few months old.  We had her for sixteen years. I spent a lot more time wiht her than I did most people.

When she died, we had no dog for nineteem months.  DH was actually happier without a dog.  Then I had a breast cancer scare and DH said I could get another dog.  I spent the entire year before this researching Am Staff bloodlines. I found Gypsy's breeder through the Responsible Dog Breeders of Oregon.  I spent three months convincing her I was the right kind of person for one of her babies.

Gypsy came home with us in April, 2000. She's only left us to be shown and is the light of my life.  She has been a perfect companion to my DSs, cats and as a breed ambassador.  We hope to have her around for many, many years!

I was born with dogs and have been competing in events since I was 8 yrs old.  As I grew, I found that this was what I wanted to do with my life.  Many of my fellow juniors went on to other "hobbies" and lost interest in the 'dog thing' but I did not.  My life revolves around my dogs, both socially and competitively, so they ARE me lifestyle, as opposed to fitting into it.

ORIGINAL: AngelDog

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.

I can identify with this a lot.    I have bipolar disorder and it is sometimes really hard for me to do things like, you know, leave the house, especially right now that I'm waiting for my immigration stuff and can't work or go to school.    I was scared of getting a dog because I was worried that I would fail her, but in the few months that Louise has lived with us my life has changed so much.    Even if I wouldn't go out and be social or keep a regular, healthy schedule for my sake, I do it for her.   She brings me so much happiness I do not even know how to describe it and she makes things easier; she makes me look forward to waking up, has forced me to get to know people in my neighbourhood and she makes me laugh a hundred times a day.    There have been all sorts of studies about the health benefits of dog ownership and I absolutely know that she has improved my quality of life in ways I could not have imagined. 

He found me, I didn't choose him.  I rescued him. 

I "got" dogs because lifes not complete without them.
 
I got them from shelters or off the street because they are the sweetest angels and need loving homes.

Well my first dog, Princess, i was only 4 when i got her, actually, when she was born. My parents dog got pregnant.(excuse them they didn't know any better) So i basically had her from day one. When she turned about 3 we really started to bond and she started sleeping in my bed and spent every waking hour with me. I loved her so so much. I will never NEVER forget her. [&o]

Maisie i got because I needed another dog to love and keep my mind off the loss of my best friend. She will never be like Princess, but i am learning to be paitient and appreciate the times when she is calm and gives me those puppy breath kisses[8D]

So thats how i got my two dogs..