Had dogs all your life or not?

Not only did I not have a dog, but we weren't allowed to have any pets.  We had a full household already without any pets to ad to the mix. 
 
Don't get the wrong impression of my parents, they are wonderful animal loving people, but they knew us kids too well to know that we wouldn't have taken care of them like we should of and they were way too busy to do it right.
 
DH always had beagles (either one or two at a time).   So when we finally were able to get a dog there was no question as to what kind.

I've had dogs (and a bunch of other pets) my whole life.  I can't imagine it any other way.  I feel really weird when I go to someone's house and they don't have a dog or any pets.  I just can't imagine living like that.  I would be SO bored and lonely.
I've actually have only had three dogs in my life- a cocker spaniel until I was ten, and my two girls now.  We haven't gone a day without a dog and I plan to keep it that way.

I have had dogs in my life since the day I was born..can not imagine life without my dogs

I've had dogs since I was around 4 or 5 years old; my first dog was Alaska. And the dog's I've had throughout my life were Alaska, a white Boxer, Georgia, a white Boxer, Clair, a tawny Boxer, Budman, a pit bull, and Suzie Q, a Dachshund.

I never had a dog growing up.  As I got older I wanted a small dog.  So, I got one when I finished grad school.  All my bf's families through college had dogs.... that may have affected my decision, I dunno.  My current bf has always had dogs too.

I was born into a family with dogs, and have never been without at least 1.

I grew up with dogs the only time I didnt have one was when my step-dad Lab Harley died[]. Though at my Dads house we had a redtick hound and a walker hound mix. Growing up my Dad was constantly bringing home strays he would find in the streets at work and nurse them back to health then find a good home for them. Now I have my own puppy and the WEEK we move into a place with a yard we are getting another dog... one is good but just not enough [sm=floating.gif]

I've had family dogs around (mostly GSD, most of them rescues) as I was growing up. DH's family also always had dogs (IS mostly). After I left home, I was dogless until about 5 years ago - about 15 years without dogs!  We felt we did not have enough job & lodging stability to bring a dog in the picture and waited till we were able to buy a house and be more assured of the future to get Spip.

I've had dogs all of my life.  My first was a welsh terrier, named taffy.  Although I don't remember her because after she bit me in the face as a toddler, my parents found her a new home without kids.  After that I had Lady, the most wonderful Golden Retriever in the entire world!  I also lived with a Yorkie named Maddie, a golden named Abby, and of course my Papillon, Jester.  When I buy a house, I think I will get my own Golden Retriever or a GSD.

My grandparents had dogs and we were around them, more often after we all moved to Texas. In California, we had a puppy for a little while but he died from heartworms. He was a Schnauzer mix and was the runt of the litter, so his name was Little Bit, as in a little bit of dog. About 21 years ago, I rescued a female Lab off of the street. She had the sweetest disposition though she was afraid of stairs. At the time, I didn't know any better and would carry her up and down stairs and she didn't mind. But I was living in an apartment and they wouldn't let me keep her. So, I rehomed her with an old man who wanted a sweet dog to play with his grandchildren. I had taken her to the Dallas Shelter and there was a long line. The old man walked and said to me, probably because I was the only one who noticed him, how he was just looking to get a nice dog. Talk about serendipity.
 
In 1988, I rescued off the street a 5 month old kitten that my first wife named Misty, after the song by Harold Arlen. She was a North American Shorthair Tabby, brown with black tiger stripe, white belly and green eyes. I had her until 2-17-05, when I had her pts for drastic kidney failure. Labor Day Weekend 2004, we got Shadow, a Siberian Husky/Lab mix from a friend who couldn't keep him anymore. He will be 4 years old next month. June of last year, 2006, we rescued from the tree of a friend's house, Jade, our cat. All white with eyes of green, like Jade, hence, the name. At first, I thought she was Tabby but her coat length and her facial structure look more like Turkish Angora. She is 1 year and 5 months (?). My estimate is that she was born in January of last year.
 
I've always wanted a dog. Now that I have my own house, I can have one and he's here to stay.
 

The dogs I had growing up always had to stay outside.  My parents and grandmother didn't think dogs belonged inside, up on the furniture or on the beds.  I don't think I bonded with those dogs the way I have with the dogs I've had as an adult.  Any dogs I've had in the last 30 years have been real family members, not just "pets."
 
Joyce

My family had dogs when I was born.  When I was 5 or 6 and my folks split up, my sis and I went with our mom and we didn't have a dog for the longest time.  We then got 2 Malimute/Chows and they had to live outside[&o]  Well, we moved again and didn't get a dog.  I moved in with my dad and he had a dog.  She lived up until 1 year ago.  I had already married and moved out.  Now Justin and I have our 3 beautiful doggies!

DH had dogs his whole life, but there were outside farm dogs. I was raised with dogs as well. I can even rember my first, Icey. There was maybe 1 short year when we did not have a dog, but we had other pets as well.
 
My parents raised GSD's when I was a child, at one time I remember the original Kord, Lady and Holly. Holly had a litter to Kord and there were 12 puppies. Whoa, 14 dogs in the house at one time!(actually in the kennel area)
 
Tru

i didnt have dogs growing up. my parents didnt really like the idea of getting a dog for me, when they knew they would have to take care of it. after MUCH begging i got a guinea pig. it had been our traditional family pet.. we 4 over the course of time.
i now live alone and i had been playing with the idea of getting a dog for a long time. but i knew i couldnt afford it, living alone and with school and all.
the 2 i have now were given to me and i actually didnt plan for them at all. if it had been upto me, it would have been years until i got my first dog and i would have prefered to start off with one.
but life has it's ways, so here i am with my two bounce balls []

I got my first dog when I was 5, I think.  She was a yellow lab mix, which my parents (my dad, my mom told him not to because she is allergic) got for me from a pet store.  I named her Shera and we were inseparable.  I loved her so much. When I was 8 they ended up taking her to the shelter.  [&o]  They could not find a new home for her and claimed that the house we were moving to (renting) would not allow dogs and that my mom was too allregic to her.  I don't know what made them think this was ok...
 
After that I had a lot of hampsters, gerbils, fish, turtles, rabbits, and birds, until after my parents got divorced and my dad got Buster for me and my sister.  Buster became my new best friend and has been now for about 12 and a half years.  When my dad passed away in 2002, I took Buster to live with me and then in 2004 we moved in with SO and his 2 dogs, Max and lady.  Now we also have Benny.  I don't think I'll ever be without a dog in my life, and as long as my kids are at home, neither will they.
 
I think growing up with dogs teaches some responibility and caring that you can't learn anywhere else.