The heartbreak of dogs......Are they worth it?

Of course they are.

It’s been a rough year for us. We’ve had to put down two dogs within 6 months.
The first, a 15 month old English Mastiff that had hip dysplasia so bad he couldn’t hold his rear end up.
Just last week our old Boxer suddenly stopped eating and could barely walk and we didn’t want him to suffer. We were thankful in that both times, the vet came to our home so they were at least comfortable.

Having gone through so much heartbreak this year got me thinking about why we do this to ourselves. We know dogs don’t live that long and we are going to have to say goodbye. Yet we do it, sometimes over and over again.

I know there are very different opinions on here, as to the purpose of dogs. Some of you feel dogs are a tool, for protection and or trained to do a job. Others feel they are their “children” and treat them as such.

Myself, somewhere in the middle. My husband trained both to be very protective when I was home by myself, yet friendly to everyone when he was home and always let us know when someone pulled in the driveway.

So, I’ve given it a lot of thought. Why keep doing this to myself? (We still have a 7 month old English Bulldog.)

I feel safer with a dog in the house, especially when hubby works late.
I like to think we give our dogs a good, loving home.
Playing with a dog, even for a few minutes a day, makes me forget the day’s worries.
They always manage to do something that makes me laugh.
If you’re messy like me in the kitchen, they always find that bit I dropped.
When I’m sad, they are great to cuddle with.
It’s just nice to have a companion, since the kids are grown.


So, in my opinion, of course they are worth it. They give so much, and ask so little.
What do you think?

reply to post by chiefsmom


they are definitely worth it. pets are like members of the family. they know when they are loved, and they will love you back.

pets have such an effect on humans that they are often used in therapy to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression.

some people think that just because they are animals, that they are somehow inferior to us. while it is true that humans are more intelligent than the average animal, we must remember that we are animals too, and even though we may be smarter than every other specie, we are also the only specie that systematically kills ourselves over petty things such as religion, land, and resources or money. as if any one human has any more right to land or earth's resources than any other human.

my last pet was a guinea pig, he was very animated and i did feel love being reciprocated from him. and it is a love that very VERY few humans have ever given me.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

I agree, I'm a dog lover.

My friend was thinking about getting a dog and he said, "but then you gotta watch them for like 10-15 yrs, it's like having a kid." The first thing I thought when he said that was just the opposite, i thought, "ah man, some day i'm gonna lose my dog."

Dogs are definitely your best friends, I won't know about the heartbreak for hopefully a long, long time.

It took me a few dogs until I was blessed with my best friend. I have had him 8 years now hes still plays like hes a puppy. It is defiantly worth it especially when you get "The right one" I would not trade my dog for anything period.

Kole

For all the love and joy you recieve in the time you have them, yes it is worth it. For the amount of homeless pets despeartely in need of homes and love, yes it is worth it.

reply to post by Youji69


Thanks for sharing! Sorry about your guinea pig.

I lost my golden retriever/lab mix four years ago and it still hurts, but never will I regret having gotten her for a minute. She was a great hiking partner and kept the rodent population down along with the cat. Here's a funny story when we first got her she was about 2 years old, the cat would go out and bring back a mouse alive, give it to her to play with until it stopped moving and she got bored, then he would go grab it and run off into the woods. It was hilarious the rest of the time they were always at each others throats, unless mice were involved. Not to mention she had a six sense of things, anytime something bad would happen she would lay her head on your lap and look at you, then a few minutes latter her comes the phone call. Happened with my grandfather passing she just laid her head on my mothers lap. The only thing she wasn't able to do is stay still if a bear was around, she would hide behind my leg and beg for protection. Can't blame her really neither could I for crying out loud. So, in other words absolutely dogs are worth it and plan to fill the void here shortly with a husky or Ridgeback.

reply to post by SadButTrue


Thank you. I hope it is a long time for you as well!

Wow it's a trip that you posted this today. I lost a puppy last night because my girlfriends kids let him out the front door without telling anybody. It took maybe 5 mins for me to notice the dog missing but we couldn't find him. Dog Fighting and theft happens here quite often so I'm hoping he went to a good home because we have checked all the pounds. He was a lil over 3months and was brindle presa canario so he was a prime target for both. I told my girlfriend before she surprised with this puppy that I didn't want another dog due to how hard it is losing them. Now I think she understands where I was coming from, but all in all I'd definitely rather have a great dog for a short amount of time then never knowing the unconditional love they offer. I think they're worth it but it's a hard personal choice because basically in getting 1 I know I'll watch it die and I'm tired of that

I'm also sorry to hear for your loss. But it's so worth it. If they are loved, exercised and fed right they are truly amazing companions. I think it's funny how humans love and attach themselves to an animal, and when they die or get old we think, "oh no how will I handle this"... or "how could I ever bond with another", just remember that even though they live a fraction of the life we live, all those moments you shared with your buddy are golden and were EVERYTHING to the animal so it's a positive.
Humans have the ability to understand time and death and we have complex and sometimes narcissistic emotions, but dogs live in the moment and don't contemplate these things.
Just us

We all know how tough it would be to survive in the wild. Maybe we play god by domesticating them, but if they are happy and healthy then they don't know any different, and will probably live a longer life with us than out in the wild.
Caring for any animal is a privilege, not a right though, and so many animals are neglected or abused. As long as you have time and energy for them then there is nothing but love and companionship to be shared.
Which is what living life is all about.


(me and my boy )

reply to post by chiefsmom

of course they are
its like asking if relationships are worth it because lets face it 90% would probably end within the first year..
dogs and all animals give us something that we will never get from any commerical product and its so important to nurture it in all forms

i am so sorry for your loss. i believe dogs are more noble than people, and my dog is one of the best people i have ever met. she is loving, kind and she has a sense of humor

she is the third dog i have had in my life, and while i dearly loved my last two dogs, i have to say that my current dog is The One, like a poster above mentioned. she is amazing, and i'd fight lions and tigers to keep her safe. she is my best friend and a treasured member of my family. i would never trade my time with her for anything.

but i do know what you mean. losing my last two dogs, even to old age, ripped my heart out each time. honestly, i don't know what i will do when my current dog's time is up. sometimes i feel like i won't be able to take it. coming home to my dog, who loves me and is always happy to see me, is often a highlight of my day. i can't imagine her not being there.

my wife and i have considered getting a puppy while my current dog is still around, that perhaps the transition might be easier with another dog. but i'm not sure. my dog still has many years in her, and i don't know if she'd want to share all the attention she gets.

my grandfather was an awesome guy, one of the kindest men you would ever hope to meet. he would play with my dog and rough her up. his eyes lit up when they interacted. it was easy to see that he loved dogs. but he didn't have a dog the last years of his life and i always wondered why. i asked my dad about it and was told that my grandpa simply couldn't handle the loss of the dogs he had so he just didn't get any more. always made me sad for him.

i do believe they are worth it. they are the best companions that exist. some people might not understand why dogs are so wonderful, but that's their loss. i plan to always have a dog, but that does mean i get my heart broken every 10-15 years, i guess. but there is no better, more honest friend than a dog.

please take care.

You left out "unconditional Love".
We have four dogs. Even when we come home the barking choir breaks out and doesn't stop until we walk in the house. Love aside I am glad we do it for another reason.

A few weeks ago, someone broke into our neighbors house and raped her. Broke her arm and more. I am not sure what our dogs would do in the event of a real threat to us. The intruder could possibly lose their life either through protection or being licked to death.

What I know for certain is that NO one will ever enter our house without the canine alert system going off loudly. We cannot even come in. clearly, no one else would even dare.

Dogs are good people. They are only with us physically for a short time. Their memory stays with us forever. Bark, will someone scratch me behind the ears now?

I'd say no, they're not worth it but then again, I think dogs are filthy, disgusting creatures.

Much prefer cats myself. Still heartbreaking to lose a pet though.

reply to post by curious7


personality makes up for a whole lot. and when you look at it dogs arent to different to humans. were disgusting creatures really

Well actually I'd disagree with you and say cats are perhaps the "dirtier" creature, regarding their claws and bacteria in their mouth. I'm not particularly a germa-phobe, but I do remember where dogs and cats lick themselves at times
I'd say they're similar in terms of intelligence and ability to show emotion or love.
But use your imagination and pretend it was your cat that we're talking about.

ETA: im not sure why it cut the right half of the photos off, use your imagination lol.

Here are (almost) all of the dogs that make my life worth living at times. (missing my oldest dog patches, she is 16, Just couldn't find a picture of her! she is australian shepard, collie mix)

Kiley my two year old Black Lab/Short Legged Beagle Mix, She is my little baby
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0f891e11459d.jpg[/atsimg]

Carmen My boyfriends dog He is a Chow and Retreiver? Mix Seven years old
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/867e7424536b.jpg[/atsimg]

My Dog Derfel, he is hound and rotwiler I think. He is about 5 years old? He is a great gaurd dog.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/693f0c348abc.jpg[/atsimg]

My moms two new family additions, they are a month old. Adonis is the fluffy one, Ringo is the short haired one. They are both brothers and are Pomeranian Chihuahua mixes. Little Rascals (:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8f927581771e.jpg[/atsimg]


Sadly I am missing a picture of my love patches. She is still alive but suffering from incontinence and hip displaysia, cataracs and Deafness. She is still doing well given the challenges she is dealing with. I'm sure her time is running thin, but we love her while we have her. She got me through most of my childhood and my transition into adulthood as my first dog bitsy had to be put down when I was four. She was stung by a bee and she was a scottish terrier.

I love cats, fish, lizards, etc... But my Dogs always come first. I love them, and nothing will ever be able to replace them; and I'm pretty sure they love me too.

I lost my maltese of 17 years and english bulldog of 5 years in the past four months. I still have a hard time dealing with it, almost worse than losing a relative to be honest. I see my maltese in my dreams almost every night, I feel she comes to me to comfort me. I know I will have another someday but the heartbreak of losing them can be almost unbearable.

Originally posted by Mellok
Well actually I'd disagree with you and say cats are perhaps the "dirtier" creature, regarding their claws and bacteria in their mouth. I'm not particularly a germa-phobe, but I do remember where dogs and cats lick themselves at times

I'd say they're similar in terms of intelligence and ability to show emotion or love.
But use your imagination and pretend it was your cat that we're talking about.

edit on 14-9-2011 by Mellok because: (no reason given)

You know, I've never had a cat that had claws or mouths full of bacteria (no more than our own teeth or nails anyway) and I honestly think cats are way more intelligent than dogs.

That and they have awesome personalities, all dogs to me just seem like morons.

Stupid AND disgusting, just the kind of traits I don't want in a pet.

Plus you have to pick up a dog's poop, you have to give them baths, they stink when they're dirty. No thanks. I've chosen not to have kids because of those things, certainly not gonna have a dog for the same reasons.

reply to post by chiefsmom


my condolences for your losses. the little ones carve a very special place in our hearts, so deep and so dear. try to remember the good times and the fun you shared.

over the years we shared our home with three different bunnies who found themselves in need of a place. each of our girls were wonderful, and each lived far beyond their expected years. when the last girl went it hurt so bad i gave away all the cages and things. i couldn't take that heartbreak again. i'm just a big mush and just thinking of them makes my eyes leak, as did reading the posts here. except for cat person, but whatever.

Chili is a cinnamon Chow Chow that is the center of life in our home, we don't have children. She is just the cutest, fluffiest little thing, so sweet and very smart. Chili was rescued from terrible circumstance long ago, horrible people did jail time, that's how bad it was. Some people just need to burn in hell.

Chili is 11. We try to keep in mind that she is not eternal, that the day will come, but thankfully it's not today.

Anyone who has not known a Chow is missing out. They are an elegant and old breed. This is not the kind of dog that has 'dog breath', slobbers all over the place, or sticks their nose in your companys crotch when they come to visit.

Chili has a unique structure; she doesn't plod across the floor, she has this regal little gait as if she's wearing high heels. People always stop and compliment her on her looks when we are out for walks. Some think she looks like a lil bear, others say a lion.

The funniest thing is seeing tough guys, like the big burly garbage pick-up men, who immediately act like little kids when they see her. "whose a little oobie-boobie? who's a cutie? that's right, you are!" Crack me up, but i keep a straight face and bite my lip. Chili has the power of the cute. None are immune.

I'm thankful that Chili is in our lives. I really don't know what I'll do without her except cry and probably take up drinking, very hard, and for a very long time.