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Our dog had surgery last summer and could not use the stairs. My husband got the camp bed out of the attic and put it in the living room. We slept on that bed for two weeks until the doggo could manage the stairs again.
I’ve spent 2 of the past 12 months with my mattress down on our main floor, literally on the floor after it being practically thrown down the stairs lol. One dog had emergency stomach surgery and couldn’t do the stairs, then one other came down with a rare disease that caused him to go blind overnight. A suddenly blind 135 lb mastiff, confused, scared, dizzy, not feeling well, and running head first into everything…the stairs had to be blocked off. Hope your pup is better ❤️
I know mate our last lab somehow swallowed a so that was a cheap vet visit. Our golden was having similar less intense symptoms the other day so obviously we took him to the vet expecting the worst, luckily they just think he had a bad stomach
Our main living area is upstairs and the downstairs/entrance floor gets too cold year-round for anyone to be comfortable down there. But for the last several weeks of my elderly dog's life, I carried her 45 lbs up and down those stairs multiple times a day. We figured out a hold that was good for both of us and she just waited and trusted me to get her up or down. I would have done it for years if she'd needed me to, honestly wish she'd needed it for a few more weeks at least before it was time to let her go.
so sorry for your loss friend. i carried my beloved Lucky in and out of an ancient apartment building and down icy steps in her last weeks two years ago February. gawd that still hurts so much. My girl, gone forever. A few more weeks is never enough. I let her go on for too long.
I did that when my old dog was ill. Slept downstairs so I was there so he could easy go outside to toilet even when he wasn't strong enough to use stairs
Loved that so so much
For a few years I carried my older girl up the stairs, not because she couldn’t, because it became a habit after we moved into a house with slippy wooden stairs. Once we left and went back to carpet, she decided the stairs weren’t for her at bedtime.
She would happily do them herself during the day if she fancied a nap.
Towards the end of her life she developed a brain tumour, this effected her vision and the medication effected her balance.
I slept on the floor with her for 2 months until the time came to say goodbye.
I’d sleep on the floor for the rest of my life to be able to have one more moment with her
I sold my house when he (Max, the dog) got sick - it was the only way I could afford it and not go into debt and become even more stressed after my fiance died suddenly. It was actual, pure hell for a year there.
We now live in a small, kinda sad apartment but near a gem of a state park and he is healthy at 2 years old. I have no regrets.
I would do this for my dog. I bought a house on a half acre so he could have trees and squirrels to chase. I’d sell it if it meant I could keep him alive if something went wrong. My dog, also a Max, is the love of my life and does everything with me.
I stopped telling people why I was selling. I understood that some thought I was crazy but once I made the choice I knew in my whole being it was the right one. I also used to think “you dog people” were nuts and now I am one!
Don’t stop telling people as I have nothing but admiration for you (and a bit shame that I might not be able to do the same, I just apologize to my girls for that lol.)
If I end up in a van by the river I will tell everyone how love of a canine got me there :) in the meantime the “downsizing” narrative gets nods of approval.
I also have a Max (Maximus) who is 6 years old and 120lbs and was completely paralyzed in November with a ruptured disc in his neck. Very expensive surgery, 2 months of no sleep and 24/7 care, hand feeding and physically carrying and rolling his baby walrus sized butt to the yard a million times a day. We just got home from his very expensive physical therapy a few hours ago. He’s currently sleeping on a full size firm latex 2” mattress topper, on 1 of my sheets, in my living room (where we’ve been sleeping since November) after being dried off with my new soft microfiber towels that I bought for myself in October… but they’re now his towels, and he has most of my pillows now too. We have 1.5 more PT sessions left on our account, and I gotta figure out a way to buy another expensive package of 8 sessions next week to continue his rehab. He needs a job.
Just a suggestion… try a go fund me! I have seen friends and family do this and people are more than willing to help out. It’s humans that we have less regard for. Thanks for taking such good care of Maximus.
I have one listed in my bio. We wouldn’t have made it this far without it. The plan before his surgery was he would be needing to start PT mid February, but immediately after surgery the neurologist said he was thinking about it, and since he’s such a large dog he wanted him up ASAP. XLarge dog, and weak legs don’t mix. So he told me to get him to PT immediately. I had just floated approx $17k on credit cards for the surgery and a week in hospital, and I couldn’t swing PT too. He had been at the vet for diarrhea, and had an abdominal ultrasound- brought him back out to me on a stretcher and said he was still feeling sedation, but he was actually paralyzed in all 4 legs. I had paid for that too. If you’re curious about what PT looks like I’ve posted several videos.
Being near a park is frickin incredible. It changes your life, being able to be outside on the regular that easily.
If you can afford rent, you could probably afford a mobile home?
It’s a spectacular one with waterfalls and miles and miles of trails. Max is an Anatolian so he’s super confused at why there are other people in “his” yard but he’s getting more gracious with every outing.
I considered a mobile home but with the commute I’d have it doesn’t make sense. I’m scaling my business this year and am on track to do really well but if not I’ll just move somewhere affordable (like Portugal:)
I got a puppy 2 months into no drinking and having her had definitely helped keep me going. I’m a better person without drinking. Will be a year in March!
Nice man I'll be at a year in march too. I constantly think how much happier my dog is getting a walk at 9am instead of noon and a bunch of other shit he probably likes too since I'm more present
This is awesome. I can relate. I've really struggled with being functional in sobriety, but since my dog showed up in horrible shape needing a home 6 months ago, he has made me be able to be consistent with work, have more energy, be more responsible, have more peace and joy. He's become a vital part of my recovery success today.
Not exactly the question, but my dad and stepmother took $20k less on their house vs another offer because the lower offer couple was *so* excited about the possibility of the yard for their dog.
Funny you mention that... The house we literally just bought was appraised 20k higher than our accepted offer. I made it very clear how excited I was about the big yard for our two huskies to frolic in. Essentially my top priority while we searched for a home!
I’m a grown woman with no kids and pushing 50, and I have a bedtime because the dog says so. Right now it’s 9:30 p.m. and he’s fussing at me because he wants to go to bed and snuggle.
Same. When my old boy - sadly gone now - got to about 15 he started standing by the TV room door at 8.30pm and barking at me until I gave in and went to bed with him. I had two years of early nights - probably very healthy.
My dog sits at the bottom of the stairs when she wants to tell us it’s bedtime. Every time I see her there I tell my kids “alright, everyone get ready for bed, Nyx says so”
Not really crazy because I love the car we got either way but when we went car shopping the first thing I did was measure the back to make sure both crates would fit. If they wouldn’t that immediately eliminated that car from the running.
This will be me when I pay off my car and get a new one. I take my dogs in the car to go to our walk destination, it’s a little chaotic taking 2 beagles in a Honda civic 😂
We bought a 4Runner specifically because of the back window feature. It rolls down so he can enjoy and sniff the breeze while confined in his safe space/crate.
(Obligatory plug for r/FurRunner)
I literally bought a Jeep Wrangler so that I’d have a convertible he could ride in because he’s not allowed in the one with custom leather. But now I’ve got two of them and the Wrangler isn’t quite big enough for the both of them. Though I don’t think there’s anything bigger that I can take the top off of.
I declined a job offer because it would require that I return to office. I had just welcomed home my pup maybe a month or two prior at the time. One of the driving reasons I *finally* picked up a pup was due to my ability to work from home.
I refused the offer and shared that I could not rightfully abandon my pup right after I brought him home. I was not trying to negotiate; I simply told them "no thanks." They countered with a hybrid position. I thought about it for a nanosecond and politely refused again. They returned with a written offer reclassifying the position as fully remote and gave me an unexpected bump in pay to boot--so it all worked out in the end.
And I most likely will be relocating to a larger place within the next year--despite having no interest whatsoever in a larger space for myself. I live alone. I do not need it. I do not want it. And it's definitely going to cost me substantially more. But it's for the doofus pupperhead.
I have avoided finding a better paying job because I have been taking my dog to work with me almost every single day since I got him 9.5 years ago and I can't bear the thought of suddenly having to leave him home alone for 8-9hrs 5 days a week. I just can't. And I think he'd honestly be fine cos he's super chill when he's home alone and I'm out... but I just can't suddenly do that to him at this point. Besides, my job is sufficient, and I enjoy it, and I'm not struggling, so why upset the status quo for a few extra bucks when I know I'd just be stressed / guilty all day long about him alone at home? Nah.
Wow! That's amazing! I've avoided applying for some jobs because I know my dogs won't do well with me working away from home 8+ hours a day everyday. Your story makes me wonder if I should take a chance and try to negotiate the flexibility later.
When my then future (now current) wife rented our first apartment, my wife suffered a great family loss and to coupe she rescued a puppy…our apartment contract did NOT allow pets. We managed to hide the pup for a couple of months but eventually we got the “u cant have a dog” warning. So to avoid breaking the one year lease which came with ridiculous financial repercussions…our beloved pup stayed spent the nights at my parents house..and my wife and i would alternate days going to see her DAILY…i would even spend some nights at my parents house with her..for the last couple of months of our lease…we literally only came to our apartment to eat, shower, and sleep…anything outside of that and work was going to my parents house to be with our puppy.
After our lease was finally up, we were able to get a place that allowed pets :)
Fast forward to now, we added another pup to our family..and now our entire lives revolve around them. I find myself constantly researching how to make my babies lives better…they went from regular kibble..to fresh food diet that my wife and I personally pick out the ingredients for and consult a veterinary nutritionist for proper recipe amounts. These dogs currently eat healthier than my wife and I! 50% of the fridge is their ingredients…they even have a SEPARATE freezer for their meats! They have cooling mats on each floor of the house…they have dental treats that are made with one ingredient and are approved by VOHC…we bought a TWO full size kitchenaid food processors to purée their meals..we bought a food dehydrator to make their own high value healthy treats…i pay a trainer $130 a week plus another $180 for daycare…hell they even have health insurance with unlimited coverage and only a 1k deductible…mind you my wife’s and my health insurance deductible is $3k each!
And my lease on my car is up next month…and guess who is going from a standard sedan to an SUV…all.because.of.my.dogs.
Have i spent a shit load of money on my babies?? Yes?? Will i continue to? Absolutely! Do i regret getting any of the pups?? Never…i would spend and do all those things over again (AND more) if i could.
I see all the amazing sacrifices everyone else has made for their dogs and I think about how I changed my bed from a single to a queen just so I could sleep with 2 dogs, and how I stopped travelling so much because my dogs would literally wait at the door and stop eating and I'm just like :/
Much love to all of you who sold your house, bought a bigger house just for your dog, declined a job offer, getting sober (I'm proud of you!!), commuting x hours a day to and from work, adopted a special needs dog, etc. Y'all are amazing.
Well, gulp, my 12 year old hound mix is dying of lymphoma and won’t eat his kibble anymore and has gotten really skinny. Got some steroids and appetite stimulant for him for the rest of his very numbered days from the vet.
We went on an AK fishing trip last summer and came home with a lot of fish. Caught way too many pink salmon (practically chum version of salmon) which I only use for salmon burgers or a salmon dip….until now.
I am now throwing in the whole pink fish into the oven daily and stripping the meat for my Copper boy. He loves it. Was eating rice I cooked for him with it, but has since ditched the rice. He will only eat the salmon and I will cook every single fish I have left for him until it’s his time to go. 🥹 And so happy to do it for him. ❤️ I’m getting all weeping just typing this.
Mines not crazy, but one of my dogs is apparently epileptic......
He currently takes 2 different meds a total of 4 times a day, so I had to change my work schedule. Luckily where I work is pretty great so it wasn't a hassle. I imagine it would be a big thing for other people to pull off.
Yeah, my pup takes medicine 3x a day for a neurological condition too, so I have to pay a dog walker $400/month to give him medicine since I’m back in the office.
Well I was a perfectly happy renter but I bought a house so I could have dogs. But I do like the house still, 23 years later and it was the best financial decision I ever made. But I bought it because my building didn't allow pets.
I let my dog keep the dog that she found.
(We did follow everything recommended in my jurisdiction and made lots of efforts to find the dog's owner. Little dude apparently did not have people looking for him.)
I ended things with a guy I was dating because he refused to let my golden retriever (then 6 month old puppy) sleep in bed with us. My dog is a prince and my little spoon every night and no one can change that. Easiest break up ever.
My husband, on the other hand, despite being terribly allergic to dogs, begged me to let *him* spoon my puppy the first night he slept over instead of me. That’s how I fell in love and knew he was the one. 😂
My boyfriend is a cat guy. Period. The end. The first time I went over to his house, as soon as I parked in his driveway immediately realized I hadn't told him my dog would be attending with me – it was so natural for me; he goes everywhere with me. It hadn't even crossed my mind. So I sat in my car and sent him a text. "Um, I'm here. But I have my dog with me and just realized I forgot to mention that. Is that okay?" As I waited for his reply, I knew that if he wasn't okay with it, we would be going back home (45 mins away) and I would be losing his number promptly. His reply came, finally. "Well, I have a cat, so... I don't know? I guess?" I let him know my dog was great with cats (in that he completely ignores their existence), and it's definitely been the cat who's been most bothered by the dog's presence. My boyfriend has secretly, never-to-be-admitted-out loud fallen in love with my dog. They are great buddies and they often spoon in bed, excluding me from all affection.
I had worked so hard and finally was offered a great promotion!!! Yeah for me. Except, I had adopted a rescue puppy the day before. We had lost my soul dog Griffen and his sister was going downhill quickly. She wouldn’t eat, play, snuggle or really anything. We were so concerned that we were going to lose her too. She was only three at the time. The golden retriever rescue I reached out to came through big time. They had a 5 month old who had been hit by a car and almost lost his eye. He was painfully thin and very timid. We introduced them and they seemed pretty good together. Not quite the same as her relationship with Griff but she definitely was interested and started to “live” a bit more. I turned down the promotion because I would have been back in the office full time. I couldn’t do that to either dog. They were both fragile and needed some intense love, attention and of course supervision while they built their relationship which ended up being pretty great. So ya, what’s an extra 25,000 a year 🤷♀️. Pups came first and I didn’t regret it at all. Eventually I did end up with an even better promotion that didn’t require me being in the office full time. 🐶🥰
My girlfriend pressured me into buying a house and then left us, and despite everyone telling me to give my buddy up for adoption I commuted 2.5 hours each way until I could afford to sell the house and move us closer to work. It was about 20 months of commuting that far.
Thanks. Our girl is now elderly and she previously loved to lay on our son’s bed, looking out the window. When he moved out he took his bed and she lost her ‘window seat’ so we got her a daybed. As she got older, the step up/down was too much for her so we cut down the (metal) legs. Now, at 13.5 she can enjoy her “kingdom” in comfort.
She’s worth it, no question.
My girl is 13 too! She’s a black lab mix ☺️. I’m always looking for things that help her stay comfortable in her senior years, I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for something like that. And they are absolutely worth it 🩷.
Wife and I drove little over thousand miles each way to give her away to family members with a better home for her. (we were living in an apartment and the neighbors constant fighting and banging, made her a nervous wreck, now she lives the pampered life of a social media "influencer".)
I built a dog shelf under my desk, so my dog can sleep just above my feet. He's got a nice little bed in there too. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George built a bed under his desk.
The love of my life dumped me and offered to take the 6 m/o puppy with him if I thought it’d be too much to handle alone
EVERYONE urged me to let him, or to rehome him at least, there’s no way! I wouldn’t be able to deal with him alone in the state I was in! But, like the stubborn little bitch I am, I told him and them no fuckin way.
And for the next few months, I was admittedly practically catatonic with grief… but I still took that bastard to the (99% of the time empty) dog park near on every damn day. Bought 20 tennis balls and would throw them with great vengeance and furious anger lol, barely even looking at where they went, often uncontrollably sobbing the whole time (wow, in hindsight, I wonder why no one else frequented the dog park…)
But we made it through! And now we are happy in a new home, with a big ol fenced yard, and he even has a new dad and brother, and mom doesn’t stare at the ceiling and cry all day anymore
Everyone who told me I should get rid of him has eaten their words and apologized :-) he turned out to be an extremely good and well adjusted boy
When my first husband informed me he was leaving me the first words out of my mouth were “you’re not getting the dog.” And I meant it, I would have fought him tooth and nail before I let him take the dog I hadn’t wanted. Fortunately it didn’t come to that.
A couple of years later he called to chat (not idea why). He asked me how’s Flash, “dead.” Then he asked how my mother was, “she’s dead too.” (They had died with a month of each other which just about killed me). Ex never called to chat again.
Oh sweetheart. I’m so incredibly sorry. I’m sure I don’t have any words that would help, but this stranger has you in her thoughts tonight. I hope things have gotten… “better” I guess is not the word, but.. more tolerable. I’m glad you got to keep Flash for the time he had left.
A dog is a reason I can never move. A Great Pyrenees from a nearby farm adopted us when she was only 2 months old. She has never been abused nor neglected. Sweet dog, but absolutely will not be touched in any manner. I can’t get a collar on her or get her in the car whatsoever. I’ve even tried sedatives from the vet. She essentially belongs to the property (we’re very rural) & cannot be taken anywhere else to live. Therefore, I must stay to take care of her.
I got my dog (large breed) in 2019 when I was 28. I quickly realized she hated walking to work with me. I didn’t know how to drive, so I took some driving lessons, drove my housemates car for a bit, got my license, and bought a car. Literally all for the dog’s comfort and safety.
We took a 6 day vacation a few weeks ago. I hired a live-in person to take care of him. I could not bear thinking of him alone and just having someone come to walk him. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I wasn’t going to go if I couldn’t have a full time sitter.
I don't travel more than a days drive, and almost never more than a day or two.
I ask a lot of my dogsitters, but I have found a couple good ones. It's expensive though. I often pay more for dogsitting in my own home than I do for my own lodging when I do leave town
We upgraded:
-from a Queen to a King bed (even though he was never supposed to sleep in the bed with us hahahahaha)
- from a car to an SUV (our dog is tall and didn't like being in the back of the car, also DogDad was worried about not having Air Con on a roadtrip with him, even though we'd never leave him in the car alone ever and would obvs have the windows down for the drive)
- from renting a 1 bed 1 bath to owning a 2 bed 2 bath (so now not only does the dog sleep in our bed, he sleeps in the spare room and seems to think its his)
We are currently looking at wedding/elopement venues and my HARD must-have for any is that the dog is allowed to be there. Not dog friendly? We'll get married somewhere else.
I get up every morning at 5:30 am because that's when the dogs get up, and they like to go to bed at 10 pm and get cranky when I'm still up finishing laundry or something.
I don't need to get up then for anything else. I would LOVE more sleep.
But the puppers wanna go out.
Thanks for asking the question! So many people that I like here!
We were in an apartment when we adopted my first girl, and after realizing she needs her space, I pushed to get a house with a yard, which was insanely stressful at the time (we had NO plan to get one lol).
I have a flexible job and will never switch jobs because it allows me to take care of them (if my boss is reading, it’s also because I love the job, please never fire me 🤣)
Packed the hell up and moved where they could safely drink out of the streams. ...it was partly for us, I hated the pollution where we lived and missed the clean forests of my childhood. But it was also because the dogs drink stream water and I didn't want it to be nasty sewage water.
I’ve done all those things for my dogs 😂
But the craziest thing I do is wake up 2 hours early to train and exercise my dogs before they go to work with me. If it were up to me, I’d sleep in those extra hours.
I also work a job where I can take my dogs with me and one that pays me enough to show and train my dogs. I have no real love for working as a dog groomer.
I also drive a minivan (even though I’m too cool for one) and live in a house even though I’d prefer a studio apartment. And all my furniture in that house is unattractive modern furniture. I love Victorian furniture but they’re usually too tall for my dogs to jump up onto.
Oh and all my beautiful 100 year old wood floors are covered by tacky yoga mats 🫠
When my last dog got old, my whole house became a geriatric ward for dogs. There was a ramp to get in and out of the door, carpet runners across the hard wood floors so that he wouldn't slip, and stairs to get up and down from the sofa and bed. When we finally had to put him down, it broke my heart but I knew it had to be done.
We’re on the verge of buying a new car for our 80lb malamute mutt but in the meantime we’ve covered all our beautiful hardwood stairs treads with carpet runners with little paw prints on them because he is terrified of the stairs. 🤣
Ripping up all the carpeting and replacing it with lvp because she chews rugs and carpeting, buying ottomans so she has a step stool to get on the beds, getting a baby gate to put in front of the outside door, getting a Gunner crate for the car with a fluffy bed in it, and paying for daycare every day (and sending her with a lunch and sometimes a puffy jacket or fleece).
I have a little dog. Where I walked her (the back oval of a primary school, and across the road to a large park) there was lots of bindis, she started to become afraid of grass in general and would reach the posts on the oval and then baulk at going further. So one night, about midnight, I put a weedsprayer backpack on, and crept over there and sprayed from the oval to over the road and did as much of the park as I could with Bindi kill.
We pay 1000$ more in rent to have a backyard in a HCOL city for our dogs. I didn't even like the lady apartment either but they deserved their first City yard!
My pup has separation anxiety. So for a while O gave up showering when mg husband wasn't home, closing the bathroom door, etc. We are now at a point where I can pee or shower alone again.
I slept in a recliner for two weeks after my dog had surgery. He wasn't supposed to jump up and off the furniture. We had literally just adopted him shortly before that and hadn't crate trained him yet and his favorite spot was the couch so we had to block it off. He did have a dog bed that he slept in but needed to go out frequently at night so, there I was in a chair... next to his bed.
I took my bed off its frame so my girl could get up without overtaxing her joints. Prior to this I had a friend build her a ramp to get up there, but she fell from the lower end and wouldn't use it after that. So I'm on a mattress and box spring on the floor.
I bought my house because of the yard, knowing I would be getting my dog. Bought a bigger car because I wanted to make sure he was comfortable when we had a car seat in the back one day. My husband turned down a better paying job because he wouldnt have as much time off and our dog would be home alone more often. I don’t think these things are crazy… I feel like our dog didn’t ask to be part of our family and the least we can do is take him into account when making life decisions that impact all of us.
Putting a doggie door between ours and our neighbors fences so our pooches who were besties could always play. It meant we always either had two dogs or none but it was wonderful.
I’m saving up to buy an old truck so that in the summer, my dog and I can fix up a bed in the truck bed and sleep under the stars. It also needs a bench seat so she can cuddle up next to me on drives (buckled in, of course).
I'm buying a car with heated rear seats. It'll be a lot higher than I planned for my car budget, but my baby gets cold. We know they're our babies when we consider them when picking out a new car.
Kia Seltos SX (one of the two top trims) has heated rear seats, if you haven't considered it as a reasonably priced option!!! I love mine. My dog doesn't actually use the back seats (except as a low, accessible passageway to the front due to his short legs... outside ground > rear floor > rear seats > centre console > passenger seat) – he's my co-pilot, I almost never use those heaters but they were just part of that trim lol.
My boyfriend is allergic to dogs but I feel so bad making my dog sleep in a crate or on the floor so I bought him a
bassinet to sleep in right next to my side of the bed. He loves it!
Planning to take up to a year off work to focus on re-socializing and training my reactive small dog, and possibly fostering a dog once I have this under control. My industry is slow right now so it seems like a good time and I have savings and low overhead costs.. When one of my dogs died suddenly and traumatically in November, it jolted me and made me realize I find more meaning caring for my animals than I do at work. Which seems obvious but I’m a work-obsessed workaholic and it took a sudden and intense grief to make me fully understand the priorities of life…
I bought a house to allow my dog to have more time off leash! Literally the driving force to buying a house. My dog now has .44 acres to run around as he pleases!
I rescued a pack of feral dogs and kept 4/15. For years, I didn’t travel, not even for weekend trips, because I was the only person who could walk one of the dogs.
Finally, after years of rehabilitation, my sister is able to walk her and in Nov 2022 I went back to visit Japan. If not for my dogs (and cats), I’d move back to work there but for their sakes, I’m staying out for now and glad just to be able to visit occasionally again.
I work 3 days a week so I have time to take my girl to the beach and just hang out- despite the fact that I could use the extra money. I bought her her own portable fan and then I bought her an air conditioner that I refused to buy for the human occupants of the house because she’s a bulldog and should live a life of comfort.
god so many things, i got rid of my platform bed and got a bed with 14” clearance and decorated it because one of my dogs loved crawling under the bed and now that’s his space, we bought a house an hour away from the city because that’s what i could afford, just so they get a yard, i traded my motorcycle for a car because i wanted to drive them around places (but i got a backpack for them when i can afford another motorcycle ) and currently im debating on whether or not to get into silicone making and 3d printing as a hobby to make them custom easter eggs that don’t break after a couple of times of them opening
We could buy pretty much whatever vehicle we wanted (all things being equal, we probably would have bought an Audi Q5), but there is a new Honda Odyssey in the garage because it has a low entry height, we can remove and move the seats to allow plenty of room for our dogs to stretch out and the floor is flat (no annoying humps like there are in the Toyota Highlander).
I guess that makes us dog nerds now by choice.
I moved from a nice, affordable apartment near a park I loved because the noise in the building made my dog anxious. I live in a house now with a yard and not so much noise. He's much calmer and no longer bark/howls when I leave him alone. My rent is higher and I have to drive him to any park for walks and exploration time now, but I still think it was the right move.
I didn't have a dining table 2 years so my senior dog could have a play pen. When we first moved into my small apartment, she had a real hard time with separation anxiety. The play pen really helped.
She died in September and I miss her every day. I did adopt another dog after she died. He hated the play pen so I think I'll finally get a dining table.
Before pets I was motivated to try applying for really remote work / relocation / no ability to go back for long periods of time 6 months-1+ yrs but now since having taken in a rescue dog (unplanned) I don't think I can anymore 😭 remote work would allow me to pay off mortgage a lot FASTER but I feel like it was meant to be with this dog lol
I have always wanted a dog since I was young but family never did. I wanted one later in life when I had things more settled but didn't really want to go 'shopping' for one, more like if one kinda came to me / opportunity popped up unexpectedly to me / from a rescue.
Also I have a senior bunny 😭😭 even though there isnt as much love for them i really care for him and hes been through a lot
I stayed in an unhealthy relationship with an ex for at least 2 years after I realized it was over just so my dog had a reliable/familiar person home when I traveled for my job.
I had a paid off perfectly fine car with only 60k miles. It was too small to fit my dogs so I decided to buy a jeep to fit them comfortably and trade in my car for cheap. I now have a $800 monthly car payment just to fit my Great Pyrenees. I miss my no car payments 🥹
Put a mattress on the ground and slept on it with my dog post-surgery since he wasn't allowed to climb things and our/his bedroom was upstairs; switched from a coupe to an SUV so my dog would have a better time in the car; put runner rugs down throughout my whole house in intricate paths when my dog became terrified of hardwood floors; most recently tried every type of dog food on the planet to get my (very) sick dog to eat enough to get his 4th chance at life.
These aren't all for the same dog, and nothing crazy, but I'll do anything for my pups!
We started entertaining the idea of buying a travel trailer RV for camping because our dog really prefers being inside and would beg to go inside the truck when we’d take him camping.
Turns out we also like the glamping life, and the dog is much happier now!
Bird dog owner here so let’s see. Last summer I would make a weekly 200km round trip to my training partners property to use their homing pigeons. I keep an assortment of quail, chukars and the occasional duck in my backyard in a variety of hutches/coops for training. I’ve spent god knows how much money on gas since I put 25,000kms on my new SUV just in the past 10 months to drive to different areas of my province so my dog could get wild bird contacts, we could hunt or train.
Next fall I will fly my dog across the country so she can hunt birds in Montana, where she’s from. So word of advice for anyone thinking about this hobby, it’s a commitment lol.
We built a ramp when my heart dog got older, and then when that was too much of an incline, I made a potty area out of tarps and rolls of sod on the deck for her
I bought a second home.
I have my primary home, and I love to hike and camp several hours away but couldn't always bring my dogs. And at times, i had to rush home to get back to them.
I saved money for several years till I had enough for a down payment to buy a small cabin in that area. Now I bring them with me to the cabin and I can explore freely without worrying about a 2+ drive home!
I have given up traveling. My main boy now, gets meds 3 times a day and he gets super stressed in new areas. So despite him being small enough to fly, he can't.
I have given up dating.. My girl doesn't like men. So anytime she sees a new man, she goes psyco.
I just adopted my dog and she had mad separation anxiety and was very clingy… I stopped going to the gym for a year to gain her trust and love and to be close to her. She is still a clingy girl, but no more separation anxiety and I 100000% have her trust! 🩶
Now off to lose this “puppy weight”
I had a paid off car that worked great but my dog was scared everytime we went anywhere. I literally got a new suv and now have a car loan because of her 🫤 I love this dog so much, she is a lot happier in the suv.
Pulled out all our grass and put in pea gravel in the back yard, and gave away all my plants bc she was digging them all up anyway. Now the whole back yard is hers to do with as she pleases.
Learned to drive and bought a car because street traffic became an anxiety trigger for our dog and he needed to be exercised along hiking trails and suburban dog parks.
Nothing makes him more content than laying on a heating pad. I have several for him all around the house that I will plug in for him at any time day or night.
Did it help? My girl didn’t show signs of separation anxiety until after living in the same apt for like 9 years we moved to another. I’m pretty sure the only thing that finally helped was Prozac and time (and neighbors/friends watching her while I was at work)
My partner and I bought a car and moved from our city apartment to a house in the country because 1 of my dogs is fearful of strangers and was just too stressed living in an apartment building in the city.
He's loving life as a country dog!
My dog had severe anxiety and had a lot of feelings when seeing another dog, so we would walk him at odd hours to avoid other dogs, any travel plans would be to accommodate him so we wouldn’t run into many dogs, we could only be gone from the house for a few hrs at a time, luckily I work from home, however we just had to put our loving boy down this past weekend, and we are just trying to adjust to this new life without him. So hard, we’d do anything for him, hold your babies close ♥️
Love this thread! After I got my 9 week old dream dog, my husband and I didn't leave the house together for over 5 years because he didn't like being alone. He had severe health problems from the start so multiple expensive vets, food and medicine required. I don't even want to know how much I've spent meeting his every need but he's totally worth it.
Got my dog a dog. We now have 3 dogs. Long story short my middle child is developmentally delayed (didn’t know that was a thing until $$$ was spent, trainers were met, and a behavioral vet was involved), and his anxiety and lack of confidence only went away when in the presence of puppies. So we got a puppy, which gave my eldest a break from her brother who never grew up, and has helped my middle child calm down. Now our youngest gives me a run for my money because despite having two dogs before him, he’s flipping my dog knowledge on its head lol He’s a true wild child.
In Jan 2022 I quit my job bc my 13 year old Westiepoo developed IVDD and was temporarily paralyzed in 2 legs. Once she was able to walk she still needed extra care, so I never went back to work. She just recently passed away in Dec, so she was able to enjoy 2 extra years that she may not have had without the proper care.
Last June I moved into my parents house bc I rescued a very reactive Beagle that did not enjoy apartment living. He always loved their house, so I knew it was the best option for him! My dad even put in a door on my end of the house with a porch, doggy door, and fenced in area for him
I’ve turned down a few trips with family and friends last year and this year
Moved her across the country to live with me because her previous home (my sister) was too chaotic and she needed a quiet home to retire in. She’s almost 16 years old now and living her best life filled with naps every day
Went through a separation where my ex owned the house we lived in a HCOL province. Less than 1% vacancy rate in for rentals, then only a handful of those rentals in the whole region allow dogs. It left me in a tough spot. As a professional 30y/o I chose to not have a fixed address and legitimately couch surfed for 9 months until I could secure somewhere dog friendly. I wasn’t leaving my dog behind. My ex graciously allowed my pup to stay at their house until I found a place. I drove 1 hour each way several times a week to visit my dog, take him on adventures, deliver dog food etc. during all of this. Pup and I are so happy now.
We built our house and because of the lot the main bedroom was on the second floor but my pup had arthritis. That's why We have an elevator. When she wanted to go to bed she would go and stand by the elevator door.
I stayed way too long at a dysfunctional job because I could bring my dog to work and everyone loved having him around. I live alone so I don’t have any help to watch him and my dog is an old antisocial fart so doggy daycare is not a good option for us.
I ended up getting laid off which was a blessing in disguise because I was forced to move on. I didn’t think I could find another job that would be so accommodating of my dog but I was wrong! My boss loves dogs and basically expected me to bring him. I think she really wanted to hire my dog and I’m just the baggage that comes with him.
There are many reasons why I’m not interested in dating but one of them is that my dog already sleeps on the other half of my bed.
I went homeless for my dogs once. Took me three months to get a place. Lived in my car during a colorado winter. I still have them. Despite the complex telling me to just get rid of them.
Currently, I have left our bedroom and moved into my own bedroom so that my elderly 13yo mastiff can sleep on a mattress on the floor with me every night for the remainder of his arthritic life. He can’t get up or down safely from our big bed.
My collie cross comes to work with me every shift because she has ocd and nibbles at soft blankets if she cannot come with. So I have to leave the road facing door open so she can watch the road through the security gate all day or night. She sat in the rain at the gate between the house and office in a flash flood a few days ago because I thought she was staying home. Still feeling bad about that.
When my last dog was very old he had difficulty to stand up because of hips issues, I cover the floor of living room with a big canvas so the floor wasnt slippery, and it was easier to clean if he piss hiself on the floor.
My partner slept on the couch for like 6 months because our dog could not (COULD! NOT!) settle on his own outside of the bed or in the bed if both of us were in it.
We just brought a house with a yard this last October for our 3 year old golden retriever. We'd been living in apartments up until this point. He died exactly a month after we moved in after colliding into the retaining wall in the very backyard we got for him.
I’m building a house and spending entirely too much money on custom built in dog gates and a dog water bowl filler… it’ll make life easier on me too but it’s a lot of money and makes my home significantly harder to sell in the future potentially.
I bought a school bus and renovated the entire thing with zero knowledge. I live in a city but my dog looooves the outdoors and she deserves to hangout in the middle of nowhere with me and chase birds. I would have used that money to travel over seas but seeing her happy in my bus is the best feeling.
I choosing vacation destinations or accommodations based on pet-friendliness and opting for road trips instead of flights to make travel more comfortable for the dog.
Changed my bed to be lower
When I move, any new place has to have a long hall because her favorite thing is to run down the hall to catch her toys.
I don't travel, vacation or even stay overnight anywhere EVER. she would be devastated.
I "wear" her like people wear babies, lol.. Wrap and all.
My car is full of multiple dog carseats, so she can choose which one she wants to sit in.
Her bed time routine takes an hour. I get her onto her baby bed, tuck her in on her back with her 2 blankets. She lifts her paw to indicate she wants her eye scratched. I scratch until she stops lifting. If I move? She lifts that paw again and I basically just do whatever she asks until she decides it's enough. She also decides bedtime.. If she wants to be up until 4am, well I guess I gotta deal with it.
I have a water filter only for her.
I agreed to take my dog when I lived in a pet free apartment. I did the complete house buying process in 1.5 months and got my pup when she was 12 weeks old. Did I mention I was also single and 24 yrs old? Honestly best decision I’ve ever made.
One of my beagles had Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (Doggie Alzheimers) she'd pace a lot and stare into space but, was otherwise a happy little girl. She lived to eat. She came to the point she'd just go the bathroom while she was walking and then pace right through it tracking it everywhere if we weren't there to catch it right away. We eventually put her in diapers which we had to change about 5 times a day and clean her back end with a warm cloth. It was a lot of work but, gave us 6 more months with her.
Haven’t been on holiday outside uk for 9 years, can’t bear the thought of him wondering where we have gone or that we have left him. He’s a jrt so he’d be pretty unforgiving!
Well we have what I dubbed the satanic ritual which is that after she eats at 8ish am she gets a mini greenie, her joint vitamins in a ball that she can nose around, and a dried fishie and that completes her ability to summon satan.
Also she’s next to me right now and farted so badly it woke me up at 3am and she also stole my top blanket that I needed because it is cold out.
I would die for her.
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Our dog had surgery last summer and could not use the stairs. My husband got the camp bed out of the attic and put it in the living room. We slept on that bed for two weeks until the doggo could manage the stairs again.
I’ve spent 2 of the past 12 months with my mattress down on our main floor, literally on the floor after it being practically thrown down the stairs lol. One dog had emergency stomach surgery and couldn’t do the stairs, then one other came down with a rare disease that caused him to go blind overnight. A suddenly blind 135 lb mastiff, confused, scared, dizzy, not feeling well, and running head first into everything…the stairs had to be blocked off. Hope your pup is better ❤️
Hope you're pup has slowly got used to it ❤️
Thanks! After a week in the ICU he unexpectedly got his eyesight back. It’s been a ride! But anything for these kiddos, right?
I know mate our last lab somehow swallowed a so that was a cheap vet visit. Our golden was having similar less intense symptoms the other day so obviously we took him to the vet expecting the worst, luckily they just think he had a bad stomach
Our main living area is upstairs and the downstairs/entrance floor gets too cold year-round for anyone to be comfortable down there. But for the last several weeks of my elderly dog's life, I carried her 45 lbs up and down those stairs multiple times a day. We figured out a hold that was good for both of us and she just waited and trusted me to get her up or down. I would have done it for years if she'd needed me to, honestly wish she'd needed it for a few more weeks at least before it was time to let her go.
so sorry for your loss friend. i carried my beloved Lucky in and out of an ancient apartment building and down icy steps in her last weeks two years ago February. gawd that still hurts so much. My girl, gone forever. A few more weeks is never enough. I let her go on for too long.
this is so sweet
I did that when my old dog was ill. Slept downstairs so I was there so he could easy go outside to toilet even when he wasn't strong enough to use stairs Loved that so so much
For a few years I carried my older girl up the stairs, not because she couldn’t, because it became a habit after we moved into a house with slippy wooden stairs. Once we left and went back to carpet, she decided the stairs weren’t for her at bedtime. She would happily do them herself during the day if she fancied a nap. Towards the end of her life she developed a brain tumour, this effected her vision and the medication effected her balance. I slept on the floor with her for 2 months until the time came to say goodbye. I’d sleep on the floor for the rest of my life to be able to have one more moment with her
I did the same! 8 weeks sleeping in the living room, in an air mattress.So he wouldn't try to jump in the bed with us.
I love this. Family is family.
I sold my house when he (Max, the dog) got sick - it was the only way I could afford it and not go into debt and become even more stressed after my fiance died suddenly. It was actual, pure hell for a year there. We now live in a small, kinda sad apartment but near a gem of a state park and he is healthy at 2 years old. I have no regrets.
I would do this for my dog. I bought a house on a half acre so he could have trees and squirrels to chase. I’d sell it if it meant I could keep him alive if something went wrong. My dog, also a Max, is the love of my life and does everything with me.
I stopped telling people why I was selling. I understood that some thought I was crazy but once I made the choice I knew in my whole being it was the right one. I also used to think “you dog people” were nuts and now I am one!
Dogs deserve our everything. They give us everything for 10-15 yrs. The least we can do is make those 10yrs an absolute ride!
Don’t stop telling people as I have nothing but admiration for you (and a bit shame that I might not be able to do the same, I just apologize to my girls for that lol.)
If I end up in a van by the river I will tell everyone how love of a canine got me there :) in the meantime the “downsizing” narrative gets nods of approval.
You're a good person. I'd do everything for any dog I've had. Might have just looked at with some of the best dogs that deserve everything
I also have a Max (Maximus) who is 6 years old and 120lbs and was completely paralyzed in November with a ruptured disc in his neck. Very expensive surgery, 2 months of no sleep and 24/7 care, hand feeding and physically carrying and rolling his baby walrus sized butt to the yard a million times a day. We just got home from his very expensive physical therapy a few hours ago. He’s currently sleeping on a full size firm latex 2” mattress topper, on 1 of my sheets, in my living room (where we’ve been sleeping since November) after being dried off with my new soft microfiber towels that I bought for myself in October… but they’re now his towels, and he has most of my pillows now too. We have 1.5 more PT sessions left on our account, and I gotta figure out a way to buy another expensive package of 8 sessions next week to continue his rehab. He needs a job.
Just a suggestion… try a go fund me! I have seen friends and family do this and people are more than willing to help out. It’s humans that we have less regard for. Thanks for taking such good care of Maximus.
I have one listed in my bio. We wouldn’t have made it this far without it. The plan before his surgery was he would be needing to start PT mid February, but immediately after surgery the neurologist said he was thinking about it, and since he’s such a large dog he wanted him up ASAP. XLarge dog, and weak legs don’t mix. So he told me to get him to PT immediately. I had just floated approx $17k on credit cards for the surgery and a week in hospital, and I couldn’t swing PT too. He had been at the vet for diarrhea, and had an abdominal ultrasound- brought him back out to me on a stretcher and said he was still feeling sedation, but he was actually paralyzed in all 4 legs. I had paid for that too. If you’re curious about what PT looks like I’ve posted several videos.
Being near a park is frickin incredible. It changes your life, being able to be outside on the regular that easily. If you can afford rent, you could probably afford a mobile home?
It’s a spectacular one with waterfalls and miles and miles of trails. Max is an Anatolian so he’s super confused at why there are other people in “his” yard but he’s getting more gracious with every outing. I considered a mobile home but with the commute I’d have it doesn’t make sense. I’m scaling my business this year and am on track to do really well but if not I’ll just move somewhere affordable (like Portugal:)
Getting sober. Realizing I was a shitty dog owner was the turning point for me.
I got a puppy 2 months into no drinking and having her had definitely helped keep me going. I’m a better person without drinking. Will be a year in March!
Nice man I'll be at a year in march too. I constantly think how much happier my dog is getting a walk at 9am instead of noon and a bunch of other shit he probably likes too since I'm more present
my dog makes me a better person
Good on you, that's awesome
i'm proud of you
This is awesome. I can relate. I've really struggled with being functional in sobriety, but since my dog showed up in horrible shape needing a home 6 months ago, he has made me be able to be consistent with work, have more energy, be more responsible, have more peace and joy. He's become a vital part of my recovery success today.
Not exactly the question, but my dad and stepmother took $20k less on their house vs another offer because the lower offer couple was *so* excited about the possibility of the yard for their dog.
they are amazing people for this i hope both sides of their pillow is cold at night
Funny you mention that... The house we literally just bought was appraised 20k higher than our accepted offer. I made it very clear how excited I was about the big yard for our two huskies to frolic in. Essentially my top priority while we searched for a home!
This is magic. The Internet is magic.
Oooh….. that is AMAZING ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Tell your parents a lot of people love them for this.
I’m a grown woman with no kids and pushing 50, and I have a bedtime because the dog says so. Right now it’s 9:30 p.m. and he’s fussing at me because he wants to go to bed and snuggle.
I feel this lol. 37 with no kids and the pets all start to get mad if I’m up past 10pm.
Same. When my old boy - sadly gone now - got to about 15 he started standing by the TV room door at 8.30pm and barking at me until I gave in and went to bed with him. I had two years of early nights - probably very healthy.
Yes! Dogs insist on bed time!
My dog sits at the bottom of the stairs when she wants to tell us it’s bedtime. Every time I see her there I tell my kids “alright, everyone get ready for bed, Nyx says so”
grown woman, no kids, pushing 40. ours is 8:30.
What a sweet life you have!
Not really crazy because I love the car we got either way but when we went car shopping the first thing I did was measure the back to make sure both crates would fit. If they wouldn’t that immediately eliminated that car from the running.
When I bought my new car, most of my requirements were based off the pup and her crate 😂
This will be me when I pay off my car and get a new one. I take my dogs in the car to go to our walk destination, it’s a little chaotic taking 2 beagles in a Honda civic 😂
We bought a 4Runner specifically because of the back window feature. It rolls down so he can enjoy and sniff the breeze while confined in his safe space/crate. (Obligatory plug for r/FurRunner)
I bought a 4Runner in 2007 because my girl's crate would fit in the back. 368K miles later and 5 more dogs and I still have it.
I literally bought a Jeep Wrangler so that I’d have a convertible he could ride in because he’s not allowed in the one with custom leather. But now I’ve got two of them and the Wrangler isn’t quite big enough for the both of them. Though I don’t think there’s anything bigger that I can take the top off of.
I declined a job offer because it would require that I return to office. I had just welcomed home my pup maybe a month or two prior at the time. One of the driving reasons I *finally* picked up a pup was due to my ability to work from home. I refused the offer and shared that I could not rightfully abandon my pup right after I brought him home. I was not trying to negotiate; I simply told them "no thanks." They countered with a hybrid position. I thought about it for a nanosecond and politely refused again. They returned with a written offer reclassifying the position as fully remote and gave me an unexpected bump in pay to boot--so it all worked out in the end. And I most likely will be relocating to a larger place within the next year--despite having no interest whatsoever in a larger space for myself. I live alone. I do not need it. I do not want it. And it's definitely going to cost me substantially more. But it's for the doofus pupperhead.
I have avoided finding a better paying job because I have been taking my dog to work with me almost every single day since I got him 9.5 years ago and I can't bear the thought of suddenly having to leave him home alone for 8-9hrs 5 days a week. I just can't. And I think he'd honestly be fine cos he's super chill when he's home alone and I'm out... but I just can't suddenly do that to him at this point. Besides, my job is sufficient, and I enjoy it, and I'm not struggling, so why upset the status quo for a few extra bucks when I know I'd just be stressed / guilty all day long about him alone at home? Nah.
Wow! That's amazing! I've avoided applying for some jobs because I know my dogs won't do well with me working away from home 8+ hours a day everyday. Your story makes me wonder if I should take a chance and try to negotiate the flexibility later.
I'm so glad it worked out so well for you! Someone hook me up with an offer like this pls
When my then future (now current) wife rented our first apartment, my wife suffered a great family loss and to coupe she rescued a puppy…our apartment contract did NOT allow pets. We managed to hide the pup for a couple of months but eventually we got the “u cant have a dog” warning. So to avoid breaking the one year lease which came with ridiculous financial repercussions…our beloved pup stayed spent the nights at my parents house..and my wife and i would alternate days going to see her DAILY…i would even spend some nights at my parents house with her..for the last couple of months of our lease…we literally only came to our apartment to eat, shower, and sleep…anything outside of that and work was going to my parents house to be with our puppy. After our lease was finally up, we were able to get a place that allowed pets :) Fast forward to now, we added another pup to our family..and now our entire lives revolve around them. I find myself constantly researching how to make my babies lives better…they went from regular kibble..to fresh food diet that my wife and I personally pick out the ingredients for and consult a veterinary nutritionist for proper recipe amounts. These dogs currently eat healthier than my wife and I! 50% of the fridge is their ingredients…they even have a SEPARATE freezer for their meats! They have cooling mats on each floor of the house…they have dental treats that are made with one ingredient and are approved by VOHC…we bought a TWO full size kitchenaid food processors to purée their meals..we bought a food dehydrator to make their own high value healthy treats…i pay a trainer $130 a week plus another $180 for daycare…hell they even have health insurance with unlimited coverage and only a 1k deductible…mind you my wife’s and my health insurance deductible is $3k each! And my lease on my car is up next month…and guess who is going from a standard sedan to an SUV…all.because.of.my.dogs. Have i spent a shit load of money on my babies?? Yes?? Will i continue to? Absolutely! Do i regret getting any of the pups?? Never…i would spend and do all those things over again (AND more) if i could.
That is awesome !!!! You know you found yourself a GOOD / GREAT partner when you share this type of values ❤️
I see all the amazing sacrifices everyone else has made for their dogs and I think about how I changed my bed from a single to a queen just so I could sleep with 2 dogs, and how I stopped travelling so much because my dogs would literally wait at the door and stop eating and I'm just like :/ Much love to all of you who sold your house, bought a bigger house just for your dog, declined a job offer, getting sober (I'm proud of you!!), commuting x hours a day to and from work, adopted a special needs dog, etc. Y'all are amazing.
I think what you’ve done shows how much you love your dogs and you sound like an incredible owner. Don’t discount yourself. ❤️
I plan on getting a King size bed for me and my cat lol 😂
Well, gulp, my 12 year old hound mix is dying of lymphoma and won’t eat his kibble anymore and has gotten really skinny. Got some steroids and appetite stimulant for him for the rest of his very numbered days from the vet. We went on an AK fishing trip last summer and came home with a lot of fish. Caught way too many pink salmon (practically chum version of salmon) which I only use for salmon burgers or a salmon dip….until now. I am now throwing in the whole pink fish into the oven daily and stripping the meat for my Copper boy. He loves it. Was eating rice I cooked for him with it, but has since ditched the rice. He will only eat the salmon and I will cook every single fish I have left for him until it’s his time to go. 🥹 And so happy to do it for him. ❤️ I’m getting all weeping just typing this.
Mines not crazy, but one of my dogs is apparently epileptic...... He currently takes 2 different meds a total of 4 times a day, so I had to change my work schedule. Luckily where I work is pretty great so it wasn't a hassle. I imagine it would be a big thing for other people to pull off.
Yeah, my pup takes medicine 3x a day for a neurological condition too, so I have to pay a dog walker $400/month to give him medicine since I’m back in the office.
That sucks. You rock for taking care of them.
Well I was a perfectly happy renter but I bought a house so I could have dogs. But I do like the house still, 23 years later and it was the best financial decision I ever made. But I bought it because my building didn't allow pets.
I let my dog keep the dog that she found. (We did follow everything recommended in my jurisdiction and made lots of efforts to find the dog's owner. Little dude apparently did not have people looking for him.)
I ended things with a guy I was dating because he refused to let my golden retriever (then 6 month old puppy) sleep in bed with us. My dog is a prince and my little spoon every night and no one can change that. Easiest break up ever. My husband, on the other hand, despite being terribly allergic to dogs, begged me to let *him* spoon my puppy the first night he slept over instead of me. That’s how I fell in love and knew he was the one. 😂
My boyfriend is a cat guy. Period. The end. The first time I went over to his house, as soon as I parked in his driveway immediately realized I hadn't told him my dog would be attending with me – it was so natural for me; he goes everywhere with me. It hadn't even crossed my mind. So I sat in my car and sent him a text. "Um, I'm here. But I have my dog with me and just realized I forgot to mention that. Is that okay?" As I waited for his reply, I knew that if he wasn't okay with it, we would be going back home (45 mins away) and I would be losing his number promptly. His reply came, finally. "Well, I have a cat, so... I don't know? I guess?" I let him know my dog was great with cats (in that he completely ignores their existence), and it's definitely been the cat who's been most bothered by the dog's presence. My boyfriend has secretly, never-to-be-admitted-out loud fallen in love with my dog. They are great buddies and they often spoon in bed, excluding me from all affection.
I had worked so hard and finally was offered a great promotion!!! Yeah for me. Except, I had adopted a rescue puppy the day before. We had lost my soul dog Griffen and his sister was going downhill quickly. She wouldn’t eat, play, snuggle or really anything. We were so concerned that we were going to lose her too. She was only three at the time. The golden retriever rescue I reached out to came through big time. They had a 5 month old who had been hit by a car and almost lost his eye. He was painfully thin and very timid. We introduced them and they seemed pretty good together. Not quite the same as her relationship with Griff but she definitely was interested and started to “live” a bit more. I turned down the promotion because I would have been back in the office full time. I couldn’t do that to either dog. They were both fragile and needed some intense love, attention and of course supervision while they built their relationship which ended up being pretty great. So ya, what’s an extra 25,000 a year 🤷♀️. Pups came first and I didn’t regret it at all. Eventually I did end up with an even better promotion that didn’t require me being in the office full time. 🐶🥰
My girlfriend pressured me into buying a house and then left us, and despite everyone telling me to give my buddy up for adoption I commuted 2.5 hours each way until I could afford to sell the house and move us closer to work. It was about 20 months of commuting that far.
Not crazy but bought a daybed then cut the legs down so she could get on/off it more easily.
Oh, I love this idea!
Thanks. Our girl is now elderly and she previously loved to lay on our son’s bed, looking out the window. When he moved out he took his bed and she lost her ‘window seat’ so we got her a daybed. As she got older, the step up/down was too much for her so we cut down the (metal) legs. Now, at 13.5 she can enjoy her “kingdom” in comfort. She’s worth it, no question.
My girl is 13 too! She’s a black lab mix ☺️. I’m always looking for things that help her stay comfortable in her senior years, I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for something like that. And they are absolutely worth it 🩷.
My girl is a yellow lab mix! We’ve had her since birth. Dogs are absolutely perfection! 💜
Wife and I drove little over thousand miles each way to give her away to family members with a better home for her. (we were living in an apartment and the neighbors constant fighting and banging, made her a nervous wreck, now she lives the pampered life of a social media "influencer".)
Sometimes giving our babies up is what’s best for them even though it hurts.
I adopted a special needs dog, and it's been the most rewarding experience. <3
Same here! No eyeballs, but he always knows where I am!
So did I. Minus a leg, but twice as much love
I built a dog shelf under my desk, so my dog can sleep just above my feet. He's got a nice little bed in there too. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George built a bed under his desk.
can we see???
The love of my life dumped me and offered to take the 6 m/o puppy with him if I thought it’d be too much to handle alone EVERYONE urged me to let him, or to rehome him at least, there’s no way! I wouldn’t be able to deal with him alone in the state I was in! But, like the stubborn little bitch I am, I told him and them no fuckin way. And for the next few months, I was admittedly practically catatonic with grief… but I still took that bastard to the (99% of the time empty) dog park near on every damn day. Bought 20 tennis balls and would throw them with great vengeance and furious anger lol, barely even looking at where they went, often uncontrollably sobbing the whole time (wow, in hindsight, I wonder why no one else frequented the dog park…) But we made it through! And now we are happy in a new home, with a big ol fenced yard, and he even has a new dad and brother, and mom doesn’t stare at the ceiling and cry all day anymore Everyone who told me I should get rid of him has eaten their words and apologized :-) he turned out to be an extremely good and well adjusted boy
When my first husband informed me he was leaving me the first words out of my mouth were “you’re not getting the dog.” And I meant it, I would have fought him tooth and nail before I let him take the dog I hadn’t wanted. Fortunately it didn’t come to that. A couple of years later he called to chat (not idea why). He asked me how’s Flash, “dead.” Then he asked how my mother was, “she’s dead too.” (They had died with a month of each other which just about killed me). Ex never called to chat again.
Oh sweetheart. I’m so incredibly sorry. I’m sure I don’t have any words that would help, but this stranger has you in her thoughts tonight. I hope things have gotten… “better” I guess is not the word, but.. more tolerable. I’m glad you got to keep Flash for the time he had left.
A dog is a reason I can never move. A Great Pyrenees from a nearby farm adopted us when she was only 2 months old. She has never been abused nor neglected. Sweet dog, but absolutely will not be touched in any manner. I can’t get a collar on her or get her in the car whatsoever. I’ve even tried sedatives from the vet. She essentially belongs to the property (we’re very rural) & cannot be taken anywhere else to live. Therefore, I must stay to take care of her.
I'm grinning because you're awesome.
Thank you. Her mother & her father also belonged to the property. Sadly, her dad died summer of 2022 & her mom was stolen 2 months ago.
Iove this thread
Very wholesome :) I’m just nodding along to a lot of these, “yep, same!” as I’m cuddling my pup!
Me too!! Reading through everything and loving that there are so many people that love their furry family as much as I do!
I got my dog (large breed) in 2019 when I was 28. I quickly realized she hated walking to work with me. I didn’t know how to drive, so I took some driving lessons, drove my housemates car for a bit, got my license, and bought a car. Literally all for the dog’s comfort and safety.
We took a 6 day vacation a few weeks ago. I hired a live-in person to take care of him. I could not bear thinking of him alone and just having someone come to walk him. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I wasn’t going to go if I couldn’t have a full time sitter.
Super understandable
I don't travel more than a days drive, and almost never more than a day or two. I ask a lot of my dogsitters, but I have found a couple good ones. It's expensive though. I often pay more for dogsitting in my own home than I do for my own lodging when I do leave town
We upgraded: -from a Queen to a King bed (even though he was never supposed to sleep in the bed with us hahahahaha) - from a car to an SUV (our dog is tall and didn't like being in the back of the car, also DogDad was worried about not having Air Con on a roadtrip with him, even though we'd never leave him in the car alone ever and would obvs have the windows down for the drive) - from renting a 1 bed 1 bath to owning a 2 bed 2 bath (so now not only does the dog sleep in our bed, he sleeps in the spare room and seems to think its his) We are currently looking at wedding/elopement venues and my HARD must-have for any is that the dog is allowed to be there. Not dog friendly? We'll get married somewhere else.
I get up every morning at 5:30 am because that's when the dogs get up, and they like to go to bed at 10 pm and get cranky when I'm still up finishing laundry or something. I don't need to get up then for anything else. I would LOVE more sleep. But the puppers wanna go out.
All three dogs heads are under the covers because I’m still up (past ten)
Thanks for asking the question! So many people that I like here! We were in an apartment when we adopted my first girl, and after realizing she needs her space, I pushed to get a house with a yard, which was insanely stressful at the time (we had NO plan to get one lol). I have a flexible job and will never switch jobs because it allows me to take care of them (if my boss is reading, it’s also because I love the job, please never fire me 🤣)
Packed the hell up and moved where they could safely drink out of the streams. ...it was partly for us, I hated the pollution where we lived and missed the clean forests of my childhood. But it was also because the dogs drink stream water and I didn't want it to be nasty sewage water.
I’ve done all those things for my dogs 😂 But the craziest thing I do is wake up 2 hours early to train and exercise my dogs before they go to work with me. If it were up to me, I’d sleep in those extra hours. I also work a job where I can take my dogs with me and one that pays me enough to show and train my dogs. I have no real love for working as a dog groomer. I also drive a minivan (even though I’m too cool for one) and live in a house even though I’d prefer a studio apartment. And all my furniture in that house is unattractive modern furniture. I love Victorian furniture but they’re usually too tall for my dogs to jump up onto. Oh and all my beautiful 100 year old wood floors are covered by tacky yoga mats 🫠
lol moving 7 hours south so my dogs could be in the sunshine more and get to swim whenever they want 😂 no regrets
When my last dog got old, my whole house became a geriatric ward for dogs. There was a ramp to get in and out of the door, carpet runners across the hard wood floors so that he wouldn't slip, and stairs to get up and down from the sofa and bed. When we finally had to put him down, it broke my heart but I knew it had to be done.
We’re on the verge of buying a new car for our 80lb malamute mutt but in the meantime we’ve covered all our beautiful hardwood stairs treads with carpet runners with little paw prints on them because he is terrified of the stairs. 🤣
Ripping up all the carpeting and replacing it with lvp because she chews rugs and carpeting, buying ottomans so she has a step stool to get on the beds, getting a baby gate to put in front of the outside door, getting a Gunner crate for the car with a fluffy bed in it, and paying for daycare every day (and sending her with a lunch and sometimes a puffy jacket or fleece).
I have a little dog. Where I walked her (the back oval of a primary school, and across the road to a large park) there was lots of bindis, she started to become afraid of grass in general and would reach the posts on the oval and then baulk at going further. So one night, about midnight, I put a weedsprayer backpack on, and crept over there and sprayed from the oval to over the road and did as much of the park as I could with Bindi kill.
Bindis are a form of prickler plants if anyone was wondering. This is sweet.
We pay 1000$ more in rent to have a backyard in a HCOL city for our dogs. I didn't even like the lady apartment either but they deserved their first City yard!
I am considering turning down a $150k per year job bc I would have to be in office 5 days a week, meaning less time with my boy
See if you can take him in!
I wish! It’s a major food distributor so may be tricky
My pup has separation anxiety. So for a while O gave up showering when mg husband wasn't home, closing the bathroom door, etc. We are now at a point where I can pee or shower alone again.
Paying a small fortune on power bills for aircon 24/7 because my dog hates the heat
I slept in a recliner for two weeks after my dog had surgery. He wasn't supposed to jump up and off the furniture. We had literally just adopted him shortly before that and hadn't crate trained him yet and his favorite spot was the couch so we had to block it off. He did have a dog bed that he slept in but needed to go out frequently at night so, there I was in a chair... next to his bed.
I took my bed off its frame so my girl could get up without overtaxing her joints. Prior to this I had a friend build her a ramp to get up there, but she fell from the lower end and wouldn't use it after that. So I'm on a mattress and box spring on the floor.
I bought my house because of the yard, knowing I would be getting my dog. Bought a bigger car because I wanted to make sure he was comfortable when we had a car seat in the back one day. My husband turned down a better paying job because he wouldnt have as much time off and our dog would be home alone more often. I don’t think these things are crazy… I feel like our dog didn’t ask to be part of our family and the least we can do is take him into account when making life decisions that impact all of us.
Putting a doggie door between ours and our neighbors fences so our pooches who were besties could always play. It meant we always either had two dogs or none but it was wonderful.
I’m saving up to buy an old truck so that in the summer, my dog and I can fix up a bed in the truck bed and sleep under the stars. It also needs a bench seat so she can cuddle up next to me on drives (buckled in, of course).
I'm buying a car with heated rear seats. It'll be a lot higher than I planned for my car budget, but my baby gets cold. We know they're our babies when we consider them when picking out a new car.
Kia Seltos SX (one of the two top trims) has heated rear seats, if you haven't considered it as a reasonably priced option!!! I love mine. My dog doesn't actually use the back seats (except as a low, accessible passageway to the front due to his short legs... outside ground > rear floor > rear seats > centre console > passenger seat) – he's my co-pilot, I almost never use those heaters but they were just part of that trim lol.
My boyfriend is allergic to dogs but I feel so bad making my dog sleep in a crate or on the floor so I bought him a bassinet to sleep in right next to my side of the bed. He loves it!
Planning to take up to a year off work to focus on re-socializing and training my reactive small dog, and possibly fostering a dog once I have this under control. My industry is slow right now so it seems like a good time and I have savings and low overhead costs.. When one of my dogs died suddenly and traumatically in November, it jolted me and made me realize I find more meaning caring for my animals than I do at work. Which seems obvious but I’m a work-obsessed workaholic and it took a sudden and intense grief to make me fully understand the priorities of life…
I bought a house to allow my dog to have more time off leash! Literally the driving force to buying a house. My dog now has .44 acres to run around as he pleases!
I rescued a pack of feral dogs and kept 4/15. For years, I didn’t travel, not even for weekend trips, because I was the only person who could walk one of the dogs. Finally, after years of rehabilitation, my sister is able to walk her and in Nov 2022 I went back to visit Japan. If not for my dogs (and cats), I’d move back to work there but for their sakes, I’m staying out for now and glad just to be able to visit occasionally again.
I bought a dang house with a yard!
I work 3 days a week so I have time to take my girl to the beach and just hang out- despite the fact that I could use the extra money. I bought her her own portable fan and then I bought her an air conditioner that I refused to buy for the human occupants of the house because she’s a bulldog and should live a life of comfort.
god so many things, i got rid of my platform bed and got a bed with 14” clearance and decorated it because one of my dogs loved crawling under the bed and now that’s his space, we bought a house an hour away from the city because that’s what i could afford, just so they get a yard, i traded my motorcycle for a car because i wanted to drive them around places (but i got a backpack for them when i can afford another motorcycle ) and currently im debating on whether or not to get into silicone making and 3d printing as a hobby to make them custom easter eggs that don’t break after a couple of times of them opening
Got a second dog, so first dog wouldn’t be lonely.
In the last few months of her life we moved our mattress to the floor so my dog could still sleep with us. She couldn’t jump up on the bed anymore.
We could buy pretty much whatever vehicle we wanted (all things being equal, we probably would have bought an Audi Q5), but there is a new Honda Odyssey in the garage because it has a low entry height, we can remove and move the seats to allow plenty of room for our dogs to stretch out and the floor is flat (no annoying humps like there are in the Toyota Highlander). I guess that makes us dog nerds now by choice.
I moved from a nice, affordable apartment near a park I loved because the noise in the building made my dog anxious. I live in a house now with a yard and not so much noise. He's much calmer and no longer bark/howls when I leave him alone. My rent is higher and I have to drive him to any park for walks and exploration time now, but I still think it was the right move.
We lived on a corner with a stockade fence. It was a school bus stop and my aussome aussie loved kids. So we put windows in so he could see them!
I have seen those. What a great idea!
I didn't have a dining table 2 years so my senior dog could have a play pen. When we first moved into my small apartment, she had a real hard time with separation anxiety. The play pen really helped. She died in September and I miss her every day. I did adopt another dog after she died. He hated the play pen so I think I'll finally get a dining table.
Before pets I was motivated to try applying for really remote work / relocation / no ability to go back for long periods of time 6 months-1+ yrs but now since having taken in a rescue dog (unplanned) I don't think I can anymore 😭 remote work would allow me to pay off mortgage a lot FASTER but I feel like it was meant to be with this dog lol I have always wanted a dog since I was young but family never did. I wanted one later in life when I had things more settled but didn't really want to go 'shopping' for one, more like if one kinda came to me / opportunity popped up unexpectedly to me / from a rescue. Also I have a senior bunny 😭😭 even though there isnt as much love for them i really care for him and hes been through a lot
I stayed in an unhealthy relationship with an ex for at least 2 years after I realized it was over just so my dog had a reliable/familiar person home when I traveled for my job.
I had a paid off perfectly fine car with only 60k miles. It was too small to fit my dogs so I decided to buy a jeep to fit them comfortably and trade in my car for cheap. I now have a $800 monthly car payment just to fit my Great Pyrenees. I miss my no car payments 🥹
Sad one — came home solo from an international family trip to help my sweet greyhound cross over when she fell ill.
I just turned down a job paying 15k+ more a year because the travel component would require me to be away from my dogs more than I am ok with.
Put a mattress on the ground and slept on it with my dog post-surgery since he wasn't allowed to climb things and our/his bedroom was upstairs; switched from a coupe to an SUV so my dog would have a better time in the car; put runner rugs down throughout my whole house in intricate paths when my dog became terrified of hardwood floors; most recently tried every type of dog food on the planet to get my (very) sick dog to eat enough to get his 4th chance at life. These aren't all for the same dog, and nothing crazy, but I'll do anything for my pups!
My parents ripped all the grass out of the backyard because their dog was allergic
Oh yeah I bought a house so they’d have a great yard to play in
Switched to an SUV so they would have plenty of space to ride.
We started entertaining the idea of buying a travel trailer RV for camping because our dog really prefers being inside and would beg to go inside the truck when we’d take him camping. Turns out we also like the glamping life, and the dog is much happier now!
Bird dog owner here so let’s see. Last summer I would make a weekly 200km round trip to my training partners property to use their homing pigeons. I keep an assortment of quail, chukars and the occasional duck in my backyard in a variety of hutches/coops for training. I’ve spent god knows how much money on gas since I put 25,000kms on my new SUV just in the past 10 months to drive to different areas of my province so my dog could get wild bird contacts, we could hunt or train. Next fall I will fly my dog across the country so she can hunt birds in Montana, where she’s from. So word of advice for anyone thinking about this hobby, it’s a commitment lol.
We built a ramp when my heart dog got older, and then when that was too much of an incline, I made a potty area out of tarps and rolls of sod on the deck for her
I bought a second home. I have my primary home, and I love to hike and camp several hours away but couldn't always bring my dogs. And at times, i had to rush home to get back to them. I saved money for several years till I had enough for a down payment to buy a small cabin in that area. Now I bring them with me to the cabin and I can explore freely without worrying about a 2+ drive home!
I have given up traveling. My main boy now, gets meds 3 times a day and he gets super stressed in new areas. So despite him being small enough to fly, he can't. I have given up dating.. My girl doesn't like men. So anytime she sees a new man, she goes psyco.
I just adopted my dog and she had mad separation anxiety and was very clingy… I stopped going to the gym for a year to gain her trust and love and to be close to her. She is still a clingy girl, but no more separation anxiety and I 100000% have her trust! 🩶 Now off to lose this “puppy weight”
I bought 2 houses for 2 different dogs.
I had a paid off car that worked great but my dog was scared everytime we went anywhere. I literally got a new suv and now have a car loan because of her 🫤 I love this dog so much, she is a lot happier in the suv.
Its not much and I’m naturally lazy so taking my dog out everyday for the last 7 years is one of the few things on my daily schedule.
Pulled out all our grass and put in pea gravel in the back yard, and gave away all my plants bc she was digging them all up anyway. Now the whole back yard is hers to do with as she pleases.
Learned to drive and bought a car because street traffic became an anxiety trigger for our dog and he needed to be exercised along hiking trails and suburban dog parks.
Nothing makes him more content than laying on a heating pad. I have several for him all around the house that I will plug in for him at any time day or night.
Husband drove two hours to buy an anti anxiety crate from someone because our new adoptive dog has separation anxiety.
What is an anti-anxiety crate?
Did it help? My girl didn’t show signs of separation anxiety until after living in the same apt for like 9 years we moved to another. I’m pretty sure the only thing that finally helped was Prozac and time (and neighbors/friends watching her while I was at work)
Spent around $9k on cataract surgery, all told, for my blind buddy. I live full time in an RV.
My partner and I bought a car and moved from our city apartment to a house in the country because 1 of my dogs is fearful of strangers and was just too stressed living in an apartment building in the city. He's loving life as a country dog!
Bought a house! His separation anxiety made him bark a lot and in an apartment the neighbors were annoyed.
My dog had severe anxiety and had a lot of feelings when seeing another dog, so we would walk him at odd hours to avoid other dogs, any travel plans would be to accommodate him so we wouldn’t run into many dogs, we could only be gone from the house for a few hrs at a time, luckily I work from home, however we just had to put our loving boy down this past weekend, and we are just trying to adjust to this new life without him. So hard, we’d do anything for him, hold your babies close ♥️
Love this thread! After I got my 9 week old dream dog, my husband and I didn't leave the house together for over 5 years because he didn't like being alone. He had severe health problems from the start so multiple expensive vets, food and medicine required. I don't even want to know how much I've spent meeting his every need but he's totally worth it.
I didn’t go to Oxford because I couldn’t bear to leave my dog.
Got my dog a dog. We now have 3 dogs. Long story short my middle child is developmentally delayed (didn’t know that was a thing until $$$ was spent, trainers were met, and a behavioral vet was involved), and his anxiety and lack of confidence only went away when in the presence of puppies. So we got a puppy, which gave my eldest a break from her brother who never grew up, and has helped my middle child calm down. Now our youngest gives me a run for my money because despite having two dogs before him, he’s flipping my dog knowledge on its head lol He’s a true wild child.
In Jan 2022 I quit my job bc my 13 year old Westiepoo developed IVDD and was temporarily paralyzed in 2 legs. Once she was able to walk she still needed extra care, so I never went back to work. She just recently passed away in Dec, so she was able to enjoy 2 extra years that she may not have had without the proper care. Last June I moved into my parents house bc I rescued a very reactive Beagle that did not enjoy apartment living. He always loved their house, so I knew it was the best option for him! My dad even put in a door on my end of the house with a porch, doggy door, and fenced in area for him I’ve turned down a few trips with family and friends last year and this year
Moved her across the country to live with me because her previous home (my sister) was too chaotic and she needed a quiet home to retire in. She’s almost 16 years old now and living her best life filled with naps every day
I ripped up and built an entire new deck because I wanted shallower steps that would have less of a long term impact on my young small dog’s joints.
Got another dog to be friends with my older dog. They are best girlfriends now
Went through a separation where my ex owned the house we lived in a HCOL province. Less than 1% vacancy rate in for rentals, then only a handful of those rentals in the whole region allow dogs. It left me in a tough spot. As a professional 30y/o I chose to not have a fixed address and legitimately couch surfed for 9 months until I could secure somewhere dog friendly. I wasn’t leaving my dog behind. My ex graciously allowed my pup to stay at their house until I found a place. I drove 1 hour each way several times a week to visit my dog, take him on adventures, deliver dog food etc. during all of this. Pup and I are so happy now.
We built our house and because of the lot the main bedroom was on the second floor but my pup had arthritis. That's why We have an elevator. When she wanted to go to bed she would go and stand by the elevator door.
I went into crippling debt and then later a part 9 debt agreement. In the end she died. So yeah. No happy ending for anyone
I stayed way too long at a dysfunctional job because I could bring my dog to work and everyone loved having him around. I live alone so I don’t have any help to watch him and my dog is an old antisocial fart so doggy daycare is not a good option for us. I ended up getting laid off which was a blessing in disguise because I was forced to move on. I didn’t think I could find another job that would be so accommodating of my dog but I was wrong! My boss loves dogs and basically expected me to bring him. I think she really wanted to hire my dog and I’m just the baggage that comes with him. There are many reasons why I’m not interested in dating but one of them is that my dog already sleeps on the other half of my bed.
Ever had to express your dog's bladder or help them poop? My pup injured her spine and her whole back end stopped working for a bit.
I went homeless for my dogs once. Took me three months to get a place. Lived in my car during a colorado winter. I still have them. Despite the complex telling me to just get rid of them.
Currently, I have left our bedroom and moved into my own bedroom so that my elderly 13yo mastiff can sleep on a mattress on the floor with me every night for the remainder of his arthritic life. He can’t get up or down safely from our big bed.
I bought her a house.... I mean I bought a house
Abruptly moving out of my home and getting two new jobs with over an hour commute to sustain us once I found out that my shitty stepfather hit him.
I occasionally get my disabled ass on the floor so I can cuddle my beagle who is elderly and can no longer jump in my lap.
My collie cross comes to work with me every shift because she has ocd and nibbles at soft blankets if she cannot come with. So I have to leave the road facing door open so she can watch the road through the security gate all day or night. She sat in the rain at the gate between the house and office in a flash flood a few days ago because I thought she was staying home. Still feeling bad about that.
When my last dog was very old he had difficulty to stand up because of hips issues, I cover the floor of living room with a big canvas so the floor wasnt slippery, and it was easier to clean if he piss hiself on the floor.
My partner slept on the couch for like 6 months because our dog could not (COULD! NOT!) settle on his own outside of the bed or in the bed if both of us were in it.
We just brought a house with a yard this last October for our 3 year old golden retriever. We'd been living in apartments up until this point. He died exactly a month after we moved in after colliding into the retaining wall in the very backyard we got for him.
I’m building a house and spending entirely too much money on custom built in dog gates and a dog water bowl filler… it’ll make life easier on me too but it’s a lot of money and makes my home significantly harder to sell in the future potentially.
I had my windows frosted for privacy, I had them leave a gap at the bottom corner so my girl can still sit on her couch and look out the window
I bought a school bus and renovated the entire thing with zero knowledge. I live in a city but my dog looooves the outdoors and she deserves to hangout in the middle of nowhere with me and chase birds. I would have used that money to travel over seas but seeing her happy in my bus is the best feeling.
Sheltering through a catastrophic natural disaster because I couldn’t evacuate with him.
I choosing vacation destinations or accommodations based on pet-friendliness and opting for road trips instead of flights to make travel more comfortable for the dog.
Changed my bed to be lower When I move, any new place has to have a long hall because her favorite thing is to run down the hall to catch her toys. I don't travel, vacation or even stay overnight anywhere EVER. she would be devastated. I "wear" her like people wear babies, lol.. Wrap and all. My car is full of multiple dog carseats, so she can choose which one she wants to sit in. Her bed time routine takes an hour. I get her onto her baby bed, tuck her in on her back with her 2 blankets. She lifts her paw to indicate she wants her eye scratched. I scratch until she stops lifting. If I move? She lifts that paw again and I basically just do whatever she asks until she decides it's enough. She also decides bedtime.. If she wants to be up until 4am, well I guess I gotta deal with it. I have a water filter only for her.
I agreed to take my dog when I lived in a pet free apartment. I did the complete house buying process in 1.5 months and got my pup when she was 12 weeks old. Did I mention I was also single and 24 yrs old? Honestly best decision I’ve ever made.
I bought an RV so we can go traveling together.
One of my beagles had Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (Doggie Alzheimers) she'd pace a lot and stare into space but, was otherwise a happy little girl. She lived to eat. She came to the point she'd just go the bathroom while she was walking and then pace right through it tracking it everywhere if we weren't there to catch it right away. We eventually put her in diapers which we had to change about 5 times a day and clean her back end with a warm cloth. It was a lot of work but, gave us 6 more months with her.
Haven’t been on holiday outside uk for 9 years, can’t bear the thought of him wondering where we have gone or that we have left him. He’s a jrt so he’d be pretty unforgiving!
I had a baby for my dog
Well we have what I dubbed the satanic ritual which is that after she eats at 8ish am she gets a mini greenie, her joint vitamins in a ball that she can nose around, and a dried fishie and that completes her ability to summon satan. Also she’s next to me right now and farted so badly it woke me up at 3am and she also stole my top blanket that I needed because it is cold out. I would die for her.