Houses make it cheap to get your dog!

[Skalm]

I guess MMM's most recent post reminded me of this.

So a few weeks ago my sister-in-law contacted me saying that she had a friend trying to find a home for a 4-year old GSD/Husky. My wife and I have wanted a dog for a while, but our apartment doesn't allow them, so we said we'd think about it.

I would be ok with paying slightly more to have a pet, but I didn't want to go overboard. We go looking at apartments that allow 45lb dogs, and lo and behold, there are none. Or if they do allow that weight, the breed is on a restricted list. No houses for rent on CL or anywhere else we could find would allow pets at all, but especially not GSD/Huskies.

Resigned to our dogless life for a few more years, I say we can't take him and proceed with life. While hanging out with some friends, I mention that there isn't anywhere around that rents that allows pets.

And cue the barrage of suggestions to buy a house. You don't need 20% down, just eat the PMI and use an FHA! You don't need an emergency fund for repairs, nothing goes wrong with a house the first year anyway. Payments on a 30-year mortgage are less than rent in this area anyway. It doesn't matter that you're house poor, just do the 6-month same as cash to get some nice furniture! And on and on.

Out of idle curiosity, I decided to see what this dog would cost if we bought a house (in an area we'll stay in for probably <5 years), didn't buy furniture, stayed with a 2.5% down on a cheapo house, and did everything else normally, and it ended up costing about $450/mo over what we pay now, not counting the risk of owning a house with >80% LTV and the associated costs of owning a house, not counting the potential loss of selling the house on such a short term, plus $9k up front that we would probably never see again.

So yeah. No dog.

[tarheeldan]

Lol!

[Drew664]

Moral of the story, 'other people are great at spending your money'. I find this to be true most of the time.

[FLA]

I got married at 24, had an apt, but my beloved dog was with my parents, we had the similar  issues as you.  I looked at our finances and goals, home ownership was on that list.  So ex-husband was gently pushed into thinking HE had decided we were ready for a house, lol.  Gullible, much? But honestly our lease would be ending, we were planning for a house and it did not hurt our financial plan to pull that trigger early.

Which is all great and fine, but the reality of it was I was participating in this purchase pretty much solely because I hated so much not having my dog.  I told my ex, I don't care too much about the house, it just had to be fenced so we wouldn't have to pay for that.

After a few weeks looking, he figured it out because I had to constantly tell our realtor that it had to be fenced so stopping showing us ones that weren't. He looked at me and said, "Am I buying a flippin' HOUSE so we can have our dog?"  I said no, it was a good time for buyers (it was), we needed more room for when we had kids and it's a bonus to be able to get my dog back." 

We didn't speak for a while. In the end, he said it was time to get one before having to get a new lease, it was a buyer's market and yes, we would need room for kids. But he was mad I manipulated him over a dog.  I am fully aware I did not play fair over my dog,  but in the end it worked out really well. He forgave me and fell in love with my dog.

I would do it again, anytime. If someone came to my door and said, "no more dogs in this neighborhood."  I would move even it set me back a bit financially. Go ahead, face punch me. Dogs Lives Matter, lol

[sky_northern]

I have a friend that has to rent a house instead of an apartment because of their dog (her and her husband, no kids). I might be bias because I don't like her dog, but I don't think paying and extra $1000 on rent and who knows how much extra in heating, etc for the extra space of a house on top of normal dog expensive is worth it.

[vivophoenix]

I got married at 24, had an apt, but my beloved dog was with my parents, we had the similar  issues as you.  I looked at our finances and goals, home ownership was on that list.  So ex-husband was gently pushed into thinking HE had decided we were ready for a house, lol.  Gullible, much? But honestly our lease would be ending, we were planning for a house and it did not hurt our financial plan to pull that trigger early.

Which is all great and fine, but the reality of it was I was participating in this purchase pretty much solely because I hated so much not having my dog.  I told my ex, I don't care too much about the house, it just had to be fenced so we wouldn't have to pay for that.

After a few weeks looking, he figured it out because I had to constantly tell our realtor that it had to be fenced so stopping showing us ones that weren't. He looked at me and said, "Am I buying a flippin' HOUSE so we can have our dog?"  I said no, it was a good time for buyers (it was), we needed more room for when we had kids and it's a bonus to be able to get my dog back." 

We didn't speak for a while. In the end, he said it was time to get one before having to get a new lease, it was a buyer's market and yes, we would need room for kids. But he was mad I manipulated him over a dog.  I am fully aware I did not play fair over my dog,  but in the end it worked out really well. He forgave me and fell in love with my dog.

I would do it again, anytime. If someone came to my door and said, "no more dogs in this neighborhood."  I would move even it set me back a bit financially. Go ahead, face punch me. Dogs Lives Matter, lol

so you are unapologetically manipulative,  and end your story with a cheeky spin of  "black lives matter"......

[FLA]

I would do it again, anytime. If someone came to my door and said, "no more dogs in this neighborhood."  I would move even it set me back a bit financially. Go ahead, face punch me. Dogs Lives Matter, lol

so you are unapologetically manipulative,  and end your story with a cheeky spin of  "black lives matter"......

By saying I would do it again, I was NOT saying I would manipulate a husband again, I meant I would buy a house again with the main reason being I want to have dogs forever.  I did apologize to my ex-husband and he accepted it, even saying it turned out to be a good thing as we then started having kids. And if I did not know every detail of our budget, our down payment savings, how much house we were thinking about, would our retirement savings decrease, etc, I would not have pushed him if it was not a fiscally sound decision.

so mea culpa, mea culpa, I manipulated my husband into a house a few months sooner than we would have because of our lease ending, primarily so I could have our dog. But I am not a moron, we bought smart and sold at a profit we had not anticipated.  A thousand lashings.

and if a joke offends you, I apologize but I sincerely believe all dogs matter, as anyone who knows me at all would know

[MgoSam]

Now that I have a home, I am tempted to get a dog. I won't right now, as my schedule doesn't conform to having a dog and it is cruel to keep a dog, a social animal, alone all day. But someday I would be interested in a dog. My house is a townhouse, they have a limit of one dog that's up to 20 pounds, so I would be limited, but I found myself dreaming of a puppy last week.

[FLA]

my schedule doesn't conform to having a dog and it is cruel to keep a dog, a social animal, alone all day. But someday I would be interested in a dog. My house is a townhouse, they have a limit of one dog that's up to 20 pounds, so I would be limited, but I found myself dreaming of a puppy last week.

I spoke with my vet about working all day and she said if you put a video feed in there, you would see they find a sunny spot and sleep for hours, which trumps being euthanized at the shelter. And that made so much sense.  But then I had jobs where I was out for 4 hrs, then working from home, so it didn't matter. 

I found puppies to be hard, only dealt with them twice. It worked out because ex and I were on weird shifts, so someone was pretty much always home. I don't know how you can do it if you aren't home for long periods because of house training.  But people do it all the time so it must work out.  I prefer older dogs

[CanuckExpat]

I spoke with my vet about working all day and she said if you put a video feed in there, you would see they find a sunny spot and sleep for hours, which trumps being euthanized at the shelter. And that made so much sense.  But then I had jobs where I was out for 4 hrs, then working from home, so it didn't matter. 

I did this experiment before with a laptop and extra webcam when I was in grad school, the dog did essentially spend her time sleeping on the sofa, getting up to stretch and then laying back down.. it's a tough life. I did also check in her during the day and she seemed pretty relaxed, but this would really vary from dog to dog I think, and not sure if I'd trust a puppy like that.

If anyone is interested in trying it, it's pretty easy to set-up.

On the OPs note, we may have purchased a quite expensive house based on a discussion that started with talking about getting a second dog. It wasn't the only reason (we didn't care for our rental at the time anyways), and the purchase has worked out well so far, but that's one hell of an expensive dog :)

[MgoSam]

my schedule doesn't conform to having a dog and it is cruel to keep a dog, a social animal, alone all day. But someday I would be interested in a dog. My house is a townhouse, they have a limit of one dog that's up to 20 pounds, so I would be limited, but I found myself dreaming of a puppy last week.

I spoke with my vet about working all day and she said if you put a video feed in there, you would see they find a sunny spot and sleep for hours, which trumps being euthanized at the shelter. And that made so much sense.  But then I had jobs where I was out for 4 hrs, then working from home, so it didn't matter. 

I found puppies to be hard, only dealt with them twice. It worked out because ex and I were on weird shifts, so someone was pretty much always home. I don't know how you can do it if you aren't home for long periods because of house training.  But people do it all the time so it must work out.  I prefer older dogs

Yeah, that makes sense. What I do mean is that some days I'm gone early in the morning and might not get home until the evening, that is too much time without taking my dog out.

[Cassie]

WE sometimes travel in our RV with 3 Maltese & 1 GSH/Husky mix & found that some campgrounds had the shephard as a breed they excluded. He actually looks like a Malamute so we just told people that was what he is.  Worked like a charm:))

[russianswinga]

I am fully aware I did not play fair over my dog,  but in the end it worked out really well. He forgave me and fell in love with my dog.

This would be marriage-ending for me. My wife wants a dog. I told her - not as long as I'm alive (We have 2 sphynx cats and a chinchilla already, and a 5-month old baby)

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

[regulator]

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

Um, you are talking about the canid that co-evolved with human for thousands of years and spends most of its time loafing on couches?

[FLA]

This would be marriage-ending for me. My wife wants a dog. I told her - not as long as I'm alive (We have 2 sphynx cats and a chinchilla already, and a 5-month old baby)

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.
[/quote]

well, you would marriage ending for me.  I did say that I apologized, he accepted it and it was actually a very good time to buy a house on which we made a nice profit.  It got us into gear to start having kids, as my ex was quite a bit older than me, this was good, as well. He loved that dog and when he was 14, got cancer with mets, my husband was sobbing, begging the vet to try chemo when they only thing left for our dog was pain medicine and a loving home.  So yeah, I totally ruined his life by pushing for a house that was good for us, but I secretly wanted my dog.  I said our lease was ending in a few months so this really was no big deal, all the other reasons you buy a house were there, but for me, the top one was to have my dog back. Sue me.

Does your wife really, really want a dog? And you "told" her she can't?  She's not asking for a horse or an actual wild animal (not to be confused with the wild animal known as  dog who must live on a farm). I get you have a baby, not the optimal time to get one, but seriously, not until your dead? Doesn't she have an equal say? If I was a man and my wife carried my child for 9 months, once I held that baby, I would do anything for my wife. She isn't asking for diamonds.

"Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now".  Have you met non-farm dogs IRL?  There are actual real non-farm dogs that are blissfully happy, go on walks if your yard is small, which is good for the dog, but also the person.  They are content with just some human affection and for many, beats the alternative of being euthanized.  Many love children and studies say owners live longer.  Are you perhaps mixing up your farm animals?  You better bone up, you're gonna be singing Old McDonald for a good long time.  I hope you meet one someday and surprise your wife by "allowing" her to have one.

oh boy, you're gonna be singing B-I-N-G-O over and over, you do know that one is solely about a dog and not a wild boar or coyote? Have FUN!

[FatCat]

There are a lot of breeds that are really best suited for house dogs and not "farm dogs" at all.

But then I know plenty of people that have moved just so their spouse could finally get that horse they've always wanted so I guess it depends on how much one person wants that particular pet and how much the other person wants to stay married to that particular person.


Ahhh, marriage....

[SwordGuy]

I would do it again, anytime. If someone came to my door and said, "no more dogs in this neighborhood."  I would move even it set me back a bit financially.

If someone came to my door and said "no more cats in this neighborhood", I would tell them to F off.

[FLA]

If someone came to my door and said "no more cats in this neighborhood", I would tell them to F off.

that's much cheaper than moving and more satisfying!

in NYS, they passed a law that the elderly in assisted living and senior housing cannot be forced to get rid of their dog or cat when they move in, unless it's clear they can no longer take care of it and the dog has to be small. I love that.

 

[MrMoneyMaxwell]

my schedule doesn't conform to having a dog and it is cruel to keep a dog, a social animal, alone all day. But someday I would be interested in a dog. My house is a townhouse, they have a limit of one dog that's up to 20 pounds, so I would be limited, but I found myself dreaming of a puppy last week.

I spoke with my vet about working all day and she said if you put a video feed in there, you would see they find a sunny spot and sleep for hours, which trumps being euthanized at the shelter. And that made so much sense.  But then I had jobs where I was out for 4 hrs, then working from home, so it didn't matter. 

I found puppies to be hard, only dealt with them twice. It worked out because ex and I were on weird shifts, so someone was pretty much always home. I don't know how you can do it if you aren't home for long periods because of house training.  But people do it all the time so it must work out.  I prefer older dogs

I too was worried about this. I had housemates throughout college, turns out my dogs just went into my room and slept on my bed until I would get home. They seriously just sleep all day long when I am not there. (and they are both herding dogs, with high energy).

I walk them about 2-3 miles per day, occasionally go for a run, and go on long mountain hikes on the weekends. Will it be easier with a big yard? Yep. Will it change how often we walk/run/hike? Nope.

[Apocalyptica602]

We live in a suburban sprawl of a relatively large city utterly PACKED with apartment complexes right next to each other, belonging to different real estate ownership companies all in competition.

Despite this renter-friendly environment, there are still only TWO complexes in the area that allow dogs at all, and ONE (the one we live in) that allow our 2 (small) dogs.

Our dogs (Shih-Tzu Maltese mixes) are very much companion dogs and couch potatoes, although we do walk them 3-4x a day at a decent distance and speed. My wife and I sometimes joke that they're our little living stuffed animals, who just want to be hugged and held and kissed.

That being said, we want a house for a number of reasons, one of which is a yard to play in and 3rd, larger dog.

[Papa Mustache]

We love having a dog although she adds planning complexity when we want to go out of town. We have a friend with whom we trade chores. I fix her appliances or vehicles occasionally and she keeps our dog for us when we go out of town. Win-win.

We wanted a house so we could have a dog but mostly we just wanted out of rental property. First a rental house. It worked out okay but it was next to a busy intersection.

Apartment living showed us a never ending stream of oddball neighbors - the drug dealer, the goth couple that were always nice to us but occasionally had major screaming matches at odd hours, the redneck boys who moved to town and had their 14 year old girlfriends over one night. It ended with one of the 18+ yr old boys beating one of the girls up in front of the apartment building. I called the cops of course.

I guess we needed a better apartment but this was average next to campus housing. Some folks call it the "campus ghetto".

For about $50 more a month we bought our first house in a nice quiet neighborhood across town, 10 min commute. This was a better place to raise baby #1. Soon after came our rescued English Setter. Great dog.

[Money Mouse]

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

Um, you are talking about the canid that co-evolved with human for thousands of years and spends most of its time loafing on couches?

[Cassie]

My ex would not let me & the boys have a dog. He was a jerk & when the last 1 was 18 i divorced him. I have 4 dogs now & a much better hubby:))

[Marus]

My advice if you want dogs in your life would be to volunteer with your local humane society.  I've started walking dogs with them recently and it's been a fantastic experience.  You get the warm fuzzy feeling of making a difference in an animal's life but you don't have to pay anything and it doesn't inhibit your freedom at all.

[MgoSam]

My advice if you want dogs in your life would be to volunteer with your local humane society.  I've started walking dogs with them recently and it's been a fantastic experience.  You get the warm fuzzy feeling of making a difference in an animal's life but you don't have to pay anything and it doesn't inhibit your freedom at all.

THIS!!!! I LOVE dogs, but there is a huge difference between being a dog lover and a dog owner. By volunteering we are given the opportunity to spend time with dogs, while (more importantly) helping good dogs out.

[MgoSam]

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

Um, you are talking about the canid that co-evolved with human for thousands of years and spends most of its time loafing on couches?

Great image! Can't really blame the dogs.

[FLA]

For about $50 more a month we bought our first house in a nice quiet neighborhood across town, 10 min commute. This was a better place to raise baby #1. Soon after came our rescued English Setter. Great dog.

I love this! It always amazes me that for not much more, sometimes less you can buy instead of rent.

[FLA]

Um, you are talking about the canid that co-evolved with human for thousands of years and spends most of its time loafing on couches?

[/quote]

would someone be so kind to tell me how to copy this pic for FB or emails? Nothing I am trying is working

[Megma]

my elderly mini poodle is pretty happy in my townhouse, with its tiny yard. In fact when people used toteSe me for having a small dog I would say she was "apartment/travel size for my convenience"

Also, as I also have a cat, they attract fleas by the boatload. Crap is it hard to get fleas off a cat when they get them. A dog is a factor of ten easier to keep flea free.

This would be marriage-ending for me. My wife wants a dog. I told her - not as long as I'm alive (We have 2 sphynx cats and a chinchilla already, and a 5-month old baby)

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

well, you would marriage ending for me.  I did say that I apologized, he accepted it and it was actually a very good time to buy a house on which we made a nice profit.  It got us into gear to start having kids, as my ex was quite a bit older than me, this was good, as well. He loved that dog and when he was 14, got cancer with mets, my husband was sobbing, begging the vet to try chemo when they only thing left for our dog was pain medicine and a loving home.  So yeah, I totally ruined his life by pushing for a house that was good for us, but I secretly wanted my dog.  I said our lease was ending in a few months so this really was no big deal, all the other reasons you buy a house were there, but for me, the top one was to have my dog back. Sue me.

Does your wife really, really want a dog? And you "told" her she can't?  She's not asking for a horse or an actual wild animal (not to be confused with the wild animal known as  dog who must live on a farm). I get you have a baby, not the optimal time to get one, but seriously, not until your dead? Doesn't she have an equal say? If I was a man and my wife carried my child for 9 months, once I held that baby, I would do anything for my wife. She isn't asking for diamonds.

"Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now".  Have you met non-farm dogs IRL?  There are actual real non-farm dogs that are blissfully happy, go on walks if your yard is small, which is good for the dog, but also the person.  They are content with just some human affection and for many, beats the alternative of being euthanized.  Many love children and studies say owners live longer.  Are you perhaps mixing up your farm animals?  You better bone up, you're gonna be singing Old McDonald for a good long time.  I hope you meet one someday and surprise your wife by "allowing" her to have one.

oh boy, you're gonna be singing B-I-N-G-O over and over, you do know that one is solely about a dog and not a wild boar or coyote? Have FUN!
[/quote]

[MrsPete]

I found puppies to be hard, only dealt with them twice. It worked out because ex and I were on weird shifts, so someone was pretty much always home. I don't know how you can do it if you aren't home for long periods because of house training.  But people do it all the time so it must work out.  I prefer older dogs

My parents have always chosen dogs in the 8-year old range, which aren't too hard to find -- people give them away all the time for various reasons.  I always wondered why they did this.  I mean, some of them came with bad/insufficient training, and it seemed that they didn't have their dogs all that long, and they reached the expensive senior-citizen stage sooner. 

Then we got a puppy last summer.  Yeah, I understand my parents better now.  He was real work those first few weeks -- and he caught onto house training pretty quickly.  If I'd been working when we brought him home, I don't know how we'd have handled his training.  But now that he's two, he's WONDERFUL, and we can't imagine being without him. 

However, when the time comes that we lose him ... I'm not so sure I'd jump on the puppy bandwagon again. 

[MrsPete]

I love this! It always amazes me that for not much more, sometimes less you can buy instead of rent.

Definitely less, if you're looking long-term. 

[FLA]

My parents have always chosen dogs in the 8-year old range, which aren't too hard to find -- people give them away all the time for various reasons.  I always wondered why they did this.  I mean, some of them came with bad/insufficient training, and it seemed that they didn't have their dogs all that long, and they reached the expensive senior-citizen stage sooner. 

I read about this wonderful program shelters are starting to do, hospice for dogs, they go live in a foster home and are kept comfortable until the end. Having been a hospice nurse but now disabled, I am hoping way down the road to do this. I think my hospice skills would be transferable and unlike fostering a dog, it would not be an option to keep him because I've grown attached.  This is so up my alley, our shelters don't do it. I'm hoping I get well enough to create a program or they accept me as a foster person who will take dying dogs.  I can't imagine they have people banging down their doors asking to do this so I'm hopeful.  After 23 yrs of taking care of people, I kind of want a break from humans, and dogs make me happy.  Helping one not suffer in a comfortable place with love sounds like a job handpicked for me. Knowing the hospice door was closed for me, likely forever, was really hard to accept. I want to serve, I can't right now. But this is my goal

[Papa Mustache]

I love this! It always amazes me that for not much more, sometimes less you can buy instead of rent.

Definitely less, if you're looking long-term.

Yep - rest of our life. That's long term enough for us. ;) Gotta live somewhere.

We have participated in a animal transport program to get dogs from shelters to their new homes anywhere in the country. Someone functions as the organizer and breaks the trip into ~100 mile pieces and then they ask for volunteers to agree to drive sections of the trip. Of course some of the volunteers house the dog overnight as well.

That is how we got our current Irish Setter. She was a dog in a shelter on borrowed time. Great family dog. Very high energy but settling down now after several years. Previous English Setter was also in a shelter.

I truly believe these animals understand that they have a good situation when they are adopted from a shelter and appreciate it.

[zephyr911]

If we looked at property to let a damn flea-wagon roam in my backyard / patio, I would have to reconsider the marriage. Dogs are wild animals that deserve nothing less than a small farm to live on, not a townhouse with a 10ft patio that we have now.

Um, you are talking about the canid that co-evolved with human for thousands of years and spends most of its time loafing on couches?

The couch thing is so true.
My two dogs have a door to a big lovely backyard full of wild things to chase. When I come home and open the garage door, 99% of the time they're coming from inside to see me. Lazy fuckers!

FLA, did you know during that shopping experience that fences can actually be BUILT after buying a house? *facepalm*

[MgoSam]

I love this! It always amazes me that for not much more, sometimes less you can buy instead of rent.

Definitely less, if you're looking long-term.

Yep - rest of our life. That's long term enough for us. ;) Gotta live somewhere.

We have participated in a animal transport program to get dogs from shelters to their new homes anywhere in the country. Someone functions as the organizer and breaks the trip into ~100 mile pieces and then they ask for volunteers to agree to drive sections of the trip. Of course some of the volunteers house the dog overnight as well.

That is how we got our current Irish Setter. She was a dog in a shelter on borrowed time. Great family dog. Very high energy but settling down now after several years. Previous English Setter was also in a shelter.

I truly believe these animals understand that they have a good situation when they are adopted from a shelter and appreciate it.

Irish Settlers are great dogs. Did you hear about this tremendous settler?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/dog-watches-guard-trapped-best-friend-week-lost/story?id=33844752

[FLA]

FLA, did you know during that shopping experience that fences can actually be BUILT after buying a house? *facepalm*

yes, of course, I am not as stupid as this thread sounds.  We were putting the whole enchilada on the down payment.  We never took on debt so it would've been a year easy before fencing.  I did not completely rule out fenceless dwellings, it just so happened that the first house we saw ended up being the one we liked best, and it had a fence.  Most importantly, the ex loved the house.  He said, "I am never leaving here unless it's in a body bag."  oh, if only that could've been arranged............JOKE!

[zephyr911]

Irish Settlers are great dogs. Did you hear about this tremendous settler?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/dog-watches-guard-trapped-best-friend-week-lost/story?id=33844752

Settlers are also great for occupying new territory and turning wild woods into aesthetically pleasing farmland.
The look on that basset's face in the 2nd pic is like "wow, I am so sorry I was such an idiot and caused all this trouble... please just pet me and tell me I'm a good dog"

yes, of course, I am not as stupid as this thread sounds.  We were putting the whole enchilada on the down payment.  We never took on debt so it would've been a year easy before fencing.  I did not completely rule out fenceless dwellings, it just so happened that the first house we saw ended up being the one we liked best, and it had a fence.  Most importantly, the ex loved the house.  He said, "I am never leaving here unless it's in a body bag."  oh, if only that could've been arranged............JOKE!

Fair enough. DIY fencing isn't that hard though... no need to choose between a year without one and a new one on credit.

[FLA]

Fair enough. DIY fencing isn't that hard though... no need to choose between a year without one and a new one on credit.
[/quote]

I was married to the least handy man on the planet, but he stubbornly refused help or advice.  Even when he was up on a ladder changing a fluorescent bulb for the first time.

Me:  you shut the power off, right? Do you want me to double check? (I am 100% sure he has not done this)

Him: Of course, I am not THAT stupid.  I can change a lightbulb.

I head to garage to quickly turn off power, I hear a sizzling sound and see him fly off the ladder across the room.  Once I knew he was alive, this was the funniest thing this idiot had done yet.  I did not laugh.  He calls an electrician to come change a "messed up fluorescent bulb" and storms out, drives away. 

I turned off power, followed the diagram, it worked, canceled electrician.

There was the time, he couldn't get an old toilet paper holder off the wall, easily solved with his mallet if you didn't mind a hole bigger than your head.  The time he was sure he could patch a hole on the roof, got up there, panicked, could not move and would not try to get down.  My neighbor was a fireman, I ran over and asked if the fire dept would get him down, sighs, "cats, fine, assholes who should never leave ground, we'll do it but we will make fun of him."  And they did.  We got a new roof and that winter he was so obsessed with the snow rake and ice formations, I started noticing brown things on the lawn. He was scraping so hard, our new roof was coming off! $800 that spring. The number of times his thumb was superglued to something was astounding, sadly as a nurse, I knew how to detach him. But once was so bad, so incredibly stupid, I said I couldn't find the stuff because I had to watch him deal with this all day, "damn it! I glued my self to the new Sports Illustrated!" He went about the day attached to the magazine, he made himself food, watched tv, "ugh, I need a shower, this is a PITA!"  I walked over, tore the magazine away from his thumb, I could not speak, it was so funny. 

Doesn't matter, first house was beloved and bonus fence. People can be thrifty, which we were when we negotiated for the house, but not DIYers when they know their limits. 

[druth]

I have the complete opposite problem.  I bought a house, with a yard, and a big tall fence.  I desperately don't want a dog, but boyfriend does.  I feel like it will disrupt my cats, it will be a big burden on me for walking, vet, care during vacations, etc.

I have said 'maybe if you take care of everything with the dog', but he has 1100$ in student loan payments every month and still owes me for part of our cats surgery a while back (to be fair I offered to not make him pay and he wanted to), and I know that even if he gives 100% there is no way I can have a dog in the house and not have to take care of it some.  Also one of the cats is an asshole, and I don't want to deal with the dog undoubtedly getting clawed up just for existing.  Also number one reason is...  I just don't want a dog.

But he says "but we have a house! with a yard! and a big tall fence! Perfect for a dog!"

Ugh.

[FLA]

dogs need to be in pre-nups, I think. 

If you get pushed into a dog, many shelters want you to bring your pets in and they all meet in a room.  Well, if the cat goes nuts with every dog, maybe BF will realize this isn't the time.

dogs are work but if you get a mellow slightly older dog, personally I think that's easiest.  The shelter can tell you if it's house trained.  I used to walk my dogs but if I was busy with the kids or like now, when I am ill, they are completely happy with the backyard.  I told the vet I can't walk them now and I can't drive them to the dog park (older dog hates this anyway and hardly anyone is ever there).  I felt guilty, she said even just a small back yard is ok, they need some outside time, play time, cuddle time and the other 20 hrs they are usually asleep or just lying around.  I told the shelter I wanted a low shed dog.  I ended up with the most scared, bony, gashes on her body, had some southern tick disease (she came up North after hurricanes), but she looked at me, I looked at her with the gate open and it took an hour, she came and sat on my lap. Hands down best dog ever, most well-behaved, and she only trusts some people but those she does, she adores.  I have been sick a year, she literally does not leave my side.  She is as low maintenance as they come, food, water, heart worm and tick stuff, eat twice a day, goes out 3 times and that's it. Oh, the vet or a groomer have to do her toenails because she goes ballistic.  Maybe a dog like that would worm its way into your heart. She did mine because all I was there for was to drop off dog food.  All the way there, I said out loud, "do not go in the dog room, do not go in the dog room".  Went straight into dog room.

this is just me, if I were a cat person relenting on a dog, I would be very clear with DBF what type is ok and what you do not want at all.  Like maybe you don't want a high energy, big, jumps all over you, dog.  Or one that needs all kinds of training. Or needs fancy grooming. I took in a co-worker's elderly mother's dog.  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, they have a reputation of just wanting lots of affection. I love him but if I had realized that long flowing coat is not a function of magic, but rather $56 at the groomers, I would have thought twice then taken him anyways.  My haircut-$10.  Not fair. 

But if you are dead set against this, don't get pushed into it, you'll both be unhappy

[FLA]

   Also number one reason is...  I just don't want a dog.

But he says "but we have a house! with a yard! and a big tall fence! Perfect for a dog!"

Ugh.

re-read this, you not wanting one does not sound easily change-able.  You trump the yard with a big fence.

[MsSindy]

I found puppies to be hard, only dealt with them twice. It worked out because ex and I were on weird shifts, so someone was pretty much always home. I don't know how you can do it if you aren't home for long periods because of house training.  But people do it all the time so it must work out.  I prefer older dogs

My parents have always chosen dogs in the 8-year old range, which aren't too hard to find -- people give them away all the time for various reasons.  I always wondered why they did this.  I mean, some of them came with bad/insufficient training, and it seemed that they didn't have their dogs all that long, and they reached the expensive senior-citizen stage sooner. 

Then we got a puppy last summer.  Yeah, I understand my parents better now.  He was real work those first few weeks -- and he caught onto house training pretty quickly.  If I'd been working when we brought him home, I don't know how we'd have handled his training.  But now that he's two, he's WONDERFUL, and we can't imagine being without him. 

However, when the time comes that we lose him ... I'm not so sure I'd jump on the puppy bandwagon again.

Yeah, our last 2 dogs have both been about 2 years old. Young enough to still have a lot of energy and life left in them, but way beyond the puppy stage.  Puppy's are soooo darn cute, but unless I'm fully retired, I wouldn't get one.

[FLA]

the good thing about puppies is they go fast at a shelter. We adopted a pregnant beagle once, they wanted her puppies back to sell.  We weaned them, my poor ex was sobbing at the shelter giving them back.  I am not a fan, but that memory of him I will never forget, lol

Even though I was a nurse, I was scared I wouldn't know what to do when she went into labor.  It was NYE, ex had a gig. I called my mom, not a dog person, but this was so amazing.  We were crying tears of joy, we were ridiculous. 3 born before MN, 3 born after.  the vet said there were three different fathers. I didn't even know that can happen.    This was way better than my OB rotation in school. 

[Papa Mustache]

Irish Settlers are great dogs. Did you hear about this tremendous settler?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/dog-watches-guard-trapped-best-friend-week-lost/story?id=33844752

The look on that basset's face in the 2nd pic is like "wow, I am so sorry I was such an idiot and caused all this trouble... please just pet me and tell me I'm a good dog"

What a great story. Yes that second picture says SO much! (I'm such an idiot... Can we go home now?)

Great link - I'll share that one around.

[Sibley]

My advice if you want dogs in your life would be to volunteer with your local humane society.  I've started walking dogs with them recently and it's been a fantastic experience.  You get the warm fuzzy feeling of making a difference in an animal's life but you don't have to pay anything and it doesn't inhibit your freedom at all.

THIS!!!! I LOVE dogs, but there is a huge difference between being a dog lover and a dog owner. By volunteering we are given the opportunity to spend time with dogs, while (more importantly) helping good dogs out.

You can work with cats too!

[MgoSam]

My advice if you want dogs in your life would be to volunteer with your local humane society.  I've started walking dogs with them recently and it's been a fantastic experience.  You get the warm fuzzy feeling of making a difference in an animal's life but you don't have to pay anything and it doesn't inhibit your freedom at all.

THIS!!!! I LOVE dogs, but there is a huge difference between being a dog lover and a dog owner. By volunteering we are given the opportunity to spend time with dogs, while (more importantly) helping good dogs out.

You can work with cats too!

I could, but that would require antihistamines. I love cats, and I wasn't allergic to them.

[LoneWolfstache]

Moral of the story, 'other people are great at spending your money'. I find this to be true most of the time.

It's amazing how this effect compounds itself like a high interest rate loan when other sheeple start to build off a comment made by one person that sounds like good advice;

ex."you should by a brand new car that's better on mileage, you'll have the dealer warranty and save money on fuel, plus you'll be happier pulling up to your destination in a new car." --OR-- "you need to start saving for a house, all you need is just enough for a down payment. You can get it as long as your credit score is good, that way when you retire at 65 you should be done making payments and you'll have it made!" --DON'T FORGET TO MENTION--"Oh?! you don't have enough money for that right now?? Just get a loan so you can buy that (car/house/shit), that's what loans are for, just pay them off as you work over time, everyone does it."

Then when the sheeple in the group all start nodding their heads like " yeah yeah, uhuh, oh yeah, yup, rabr rabr rabr rabr..." like they've all figured out how to live life...

that's when I drive the bus right off the cliff and say: "That's really stupid."

then everyone looks at me like I'm insane, I start laughing and say: "that all sounds really nice if I wanted to voluntarily slave my life away to the 'man' and be a drone for 40 years."

Then they say: "well its sounds like you don't want to work and be poor."

They I say: "Sounds like you don't want to be free and live a fulfilling life."

Then they rebuke in futility: "I am free, I'm an American, I live a free and fulfilling life, I've worked hard to have so many nice things..."

Then I politely interrupt: "Can you be just as happy and fulfilled without them?"

And that's where they all fall silent and I say: "I'll be sitting in the park watching the grass and my stock portfolio grow." (apparently I have really bad anti-mushtachian anxiety)