This is a rant rather than me actually seeking advice, just FYI. Maybe someone else will find amusement in this, or, better yet, realize getting a puppy is not for them.

So my mom has wanted a second dog for a long time, and last year in February, she found a purebred Beagle puppy named Lola who was being given away. I had never had a puppy before - my dog was 9 months old or so when we got her - but I was delighted when I came home and she had actually gotten her (this happened while I was on a school trip, and when she told me she had adopted a puppy, I thought she was pulling my leg).

Long story short, it ended up not working out with Lola. She was an asshole who would pee on the floor just to spite you - not normal accidents, she would go away and pee if you told her "no". On top of that, she started biting my younger brother, who was 6 then. The final straw was when we found out she had worms, even though her previous owner had assured my mom multiple times that she had gotten her worm meds (she also knew that Lola bit, and my mom was pissed because she had brought the kids with to pick up the dog, but the lady hadn't said anything).

But, during this time, my other brother, who was 8 then, fell in love with the idea of having his own puppy and training it, since he really enjoyed working on training Lola at the dog school. He was basically heartbroken when we had to give her back.

In the past few months, he's proven he's responsible enough to take care of a dog, so my parents started looking for a new puppy a few weeks ago. One of the first dogs we looked at didn't work out - she kept jumping up and trying to bite our faces, plus she was a fighting dog breed, so that would've definitely ended horribly - but the shelter told us they had a litter of puppies that were almost ready to adopt, and they would contact us when the puppies were ready. The puppies ended up being adoptable the next day, and so my parents took home Spot.

Actually, up until today, I was pretty okay with Spot - he didn't seem bad, especially in comparison to Lola. He has both very pointy teeth and claws, and he should let our other dog have her bed and food and whatnot, but he's cute (as most puppies are), and he seemed like he wasn't doing too bad with training. I mean, maybe part of it is because I've moved out now and only come back once every other week or so, but he seemed fine.

But then today, he decided to poop on the landing - for the second day in a row. Luckily, I caught him and put him outside, where he finished his "business"... And then he turned around and started eating it.

And really, just that one incident doesn't seem so bad, but I'm sort of just sick of having to watch him, too. He can't be left alone in the house for long, of course, and we found out yesterday that there's a puppy-sized hole somewhere in our yard fence, so he can't just hang out there while we're gone. I missed an IKEA trip yesterday because of that, and now I have to stay home and watch him again since my family went to a wedding - something they've known about for months, but my mom didn't think of the fact that they needed a dog-sitter until I was already here, with clothes only packed for the next day because I didn't realize I would be staying three nights instead of one.

Also, it'd be nice if he stopped eating every random thing he comes across, including the plants. At least they're all non-poisonous from having to baby-proof the house for when my brothers were younger...

TL;DR: Owning puppies is a horrible experience. 0/10, would not recommend.

Puppies are a ridiculous amount of work getting them trained and socialized. This all sounds like pretty typical puppy behavior, especially when he's still learning where to do his business (and hopefully will grow out of the eating it... which is a lot more common than people think).

Have you thought of maybe suggesting they get a tether for him while he's outside? Just so he'll still be free to roam and do his business and whatnot, but he won't be able to escape should he start getting any ideas. Also whenever he starts eating something he shouldn't, try re-directing him onto a toy or a treat or something that he can nibble on. They're almost exactly like toddlers when they're puppies -- they'll get into anything and everything. As he gets older he'll be able to be left alone longer, of course when they're young you have to be more attentive.

But I do know your grief haha! I have been working professionally with dogs for almost four years, and have seen my fair share of nonsense and destruction from both the daycare where I used to work, and from my own house-sitting experiences. I once had a dog who shredded his entire bed, which was filled with these little... foam bits and they were everywhere. Then he was sick for three days throwing up all the bedding he ate... it was fun.

Thanks for your suggestions and advice! Yeah, I know they're work, and after dealing with both Lola and Spot, I'm so glad my dog was older when we got her. Gosh, the bed experience sounds horrible, but yep, definitely something a dog might do. At least my dog only shreds toys, she doesn't really seem to be interested in actually eating their insides.

I can't speak from experience because both my late-dog and my current dog were around 2, give or take, when I got them. From what I'm aware, puppies are adorable when they are someone else's puppy, lol. Currently my dog definitely prefers to be the only dog of the family, but my fiance has discussed potentially getting a puppy in the later future. Especially since I've never had a puppy before (whereas his family dog was a puppy when they got her). And I was like, "Okay...and who is going to watch this puppy for 8-9 hours of the day while we're at work?" Lol.

And yea, I was going to say, I've caught my dog eating that before, and he's currently around 5 and a half years old. Definitely agree with trying to re-direct the pup from eating or getting into something that he shouldn't be. I did that with my late-dog when she used to bark at other dogs. (My current dog, on the other hand, would rather bark at a dog than get a treat lol).

So sorry that you had to cancel your plans to puppy-sit! I understand that can be annoying when it was literally thrown on you.

[edit] lmao, after posting this, I got an advertisement across the top of Subeta saying to adopt a Pomsky puppy. Cute, but no.

It's not just puppies. Adopting older shelter dogs is difficult too. We had maybe 3 or 4 dogs that we took home from different shelters. Each time we were told they got along with cats and were totally housetrained. Each time they did NOT get along with my cats and were definitely NOT housetrained. I understand that they were adjusting to a new situation, but they had weeks to get used to being told not to bother the cats, weeks to learn peeing and pooping in the house was a no no, but they didn't seem to even start getting it. I guess after years of having only cats, we're just not dog people anymore. I think the biggest problem though, was just that all three of us were trying to train the dogs, because all of us aren't home at the same time and we didn't all use the same consistent method to train. I love all animals, but dogs are just not in the cards for us.

Definitely agree: puppies are much cuter when they belong to someone else (especially if they're doing cute things on the internet). And yeah, I think part of the reason the shelter decided to contact us for the puppies was because my mom works from home, so the puppy's not really alone for that long usually.

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. On the one hand, maybe it was just the shelter(s) you got the dogs from, since my dog is also from a shelter and she's pretty well-behaved. On the other hand, I know we were extremely lucky with her, since my mom always talks about how exceptionally good she is for a dog in general.

Ohhh my gosh a part of me dies of cuteness everytime I see a puppy video on the internet. And that makes sense. I know my fiance wasn't serious about getting a puppy one day because of our work hours. It was more of a "I can dream, right?" moment lol.

From personal experience, the shelter I got my late-dog from was great. The shelter I got my current dog from was horrible (they tried to convince me out of adopting him by calling his breed 'aloof,' 'independent,' and 'doesn't care for people.' Like seriously, who does that?? You don't want the dog to find a home??) So it really does depend on staff. But that seems so odd that you had that happen at different shelters, too.

But you're totally right, dogs need consistent training. I was trying to train my dog not to grab stuff he's not supposed to (like, a shoe for example). While in the process of teaching him to 'drop it' my parents completely negated my training. If he had a shoe, they would make him let go of it by giving him a treat. AKA, rewarding him for getting the shoe, in his mind. Blew my mind. And my parents wonder why he only went for their shoes and not mine, rofl.

Lol, I can so relate to this. I got a wild hair and decided I was going to get a puppy for my son because he loves dogs. I have been a cat person from the time I can remember. I have always loved cats. So anyways I go to the internet and try to find the perfect breed. That breed ended up being the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Now to find one for sale. That ended up costing out the wazoo but I paid it for him. Absouletely adorable tri color male we named Arthur. But anyways I have a baby so potty training the puppy would fall to my 13 year old sons responsibility. This proved to just not work out at all.Also the puppy would pounce on the baby every chance he got(she was crawling at the time) and she would cry so we basically had to make the puppy stay in the room with my son. Well my son did not do well with the potty training and long story short we had to give the puppy away. At least I found someone who loves dogs and is really good with them to take him. That is not too hard though when the dog is a free AKC registered puppy though. So a very expensive lesson I learned was, I Am not a dog person at all. Like really even though he was cute, he just did not give me the same AWW factor that a cat does. I can not even explain it. And of course cats are soooo much easier to train than dogs. Put down a litter box and there you go, cat is trained(most of the time anyways, not always but of all the cats I have owned only a couple were untrainable and I have had a lot of cats).

I was actually wondering how it works for cats, lol. I love them, but unfortunately I developed allergies to them as a kid.

Yeah, I think my mom expected my brother to take more care of the dog, but it's hard for him, too. He's almost 10, so he's a bit younger than your son, but it's definitely hard to potty train a puppy when you don't really know how to. At least my mom's more of a dog person anyway.

@ Burumun I'm a cat person. but years ago when we found a puppy on the street, in the middle of the winter, looking hungry, we weren't going to let it die, right? We only managed 9 months. well. this was a hyper-active dog, and we just arent like that. in our mid 30s we act like we're in our mid 80s >.> LMAO

i can't say i hate puppies, but i certainly dont like them or want them as much as kittens. your folks need to hire a pro to train the dog, imho [if they can afford it]. we didn't have the money to do so, sadly. we would have done it otherwise. and she would probably still be with us, and we'd probably act some 20 years younger too.

we were lucky to have found a family who loved dogs and had more space for her to run and burn all that energy. we still kinda wish we had a dog, but not a puppy, lol. too much work. but i think generally dogs are more expensive than cats - it's not mandatory to vaccinate an indoor cat over here, but since dogs go out, they need vaccinations, anti-flea treatment, trainer [for obedience].. assuming it's a healthy one and not one that can develop illnesses fast [like some pure breeds]

all in all, don't feel too bad for how you feel. it's normal. [and im sorry to hear of your cat allergy] most cats have an instinct to bury their waste, right? so that's why it's easier with them: just use the litter box with special sand in it. sometimes, you might have to gently hold the cat over it, and to move one of its paws back-forth to simulate the act of covering, while it also touches the sand, so she can feel the texture. most cats will understand what you want them to do there ;) and most cats will relieve themselves in places where they recognize the texture - that's why some will ruin the potted plants by peeing or pooping there ;) mystery solved! ;p

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you guys with the puppy, but at least it found a happy home in the end. But yeah, except for the higher expenses compared to cats, I would definitely recommend an older dog over a puppy, if you get another. The only problem is that really old dogs can be a bit harder to take care of, since they have to go out more often and might have problems moving, but definitely still less effort than a puppy.

Yeah, he's in puppy school, but of course his training has to be continued at home, as well, and sometimes I just don't really feel like caring enough to stop him from chewing on something. It doesn't help that he has a habit of taking all his toys outside.

I'm not sure how it is for cats here, as far as vaccinations and whatnot, but I'd probably want to get them just in case. It doesn't help that my boyfriend doesn't agree with me that it's better for everyone to keep a cat indoors, so there's that. Plus, our laws can actually be pretty strict on keeping animals. I've been looking into getting fish lately, and the smallest tank you can legally keep fish in here is 54 liters (about 15 gallons). Meanwhile, a lot of fishkeeping experts from English-speaking countries I follow recommend a minimum of 2.5-5g for betta tanks.

Huh, I didn't know that about cats, but it definitely sounds much better. Thank you, cats, for having instincts that make your waste much easier to deal with, lol.

my partner wants a pure breed dog, if we ever are to get one [not anytime soon, though] but the desired breed is prone to health issues, mainly respiratory ones. :/ we both agreed that we're would get an adult dog anyways ;p we have nothing against senior dogs [except their shorter time with us]. we would also like to adopt [not buy] - but i'm pretty sure that this is not something impossible, especially when people realize they made a mistake when getting said dog.. "The only problem is that really old dogs can be a bit harder to take care of, since they have to go out more often and might have problems moving, but definitely still less effort than a puppy." Less effort than a puppy? sign me up! because i like my comfort a bit too much >.>

our 2 cats are indoor cats. we don't think vaccinations are needed. BUT, i'm aware not everyone has our living conditions [on the 5th floor, with little possibilities of escaping to the outside], so other people might want to consider getting those vaccines for their cats [especially when the possibility of escaping is bigger].

i wouldn't recommend fish as pets, nor birds because they're difficult to take care of. well, if you do your research, learn as much as possible and so on, it should be ok. All i'm saying is that fish/birds are more sensitive than cats/dogs and can die without a warning sign [well, ok, even cats/dogs could die without a warning, but the chances are somewhat lower].

"his training has to be continued at home, as well, and sometimes I just don't really feel like caring enough to stop him from chewing on something." omg! i can relate to this so much! haha! XD my puppy almost chew the wire of the fridge [only L-RD knows hows she got to it, because i can't remember].. i luckily saw in time, and managed to put said wire away from her reaching. i can't imagine a dead puppy and a dead fridge at the same time. [and i like my fridge o.o not more than i like/d my pets, but you get the point]

Ah, yikes. Maybe see about getting a hybrid that looks like the desired breed. Otherwise, I know there are some breeders trying to breed really unhealthy dogs, like pugs, back to earlier, healthier forms. Maybe that's something you guys could check into? As for the possibility of finding one in a shelter, you could also look into breed-specific rescues. Otherwise, you might get lucky with normal shelters - my parents certainly did with the puppy.

I've been researching fish, so no worries, I think I should be able to start taking care of them! And even if I hadn't, as a fulltime student, I just don't have the funds to start fishkeeping right now, anyway, lol. At least not until Christmas, maybe. Hopefully by then I'll know what I want that can live together - at the moment I can't start, anyway, because I've been having problems figuring out how to stock a tank with fish I like that are compatible.

Yikes about the fridge! But yeah, having a puppy is like having to baby-proof the house a second time, and I'm so glad I don't have to deal with it regularly. The only problem is with our yard now, since we have two walnut trees, and he likes chewing on the shell pieces from the fallen ones. Even though it sucks, I think I prefer him tearing up the lavender bushes and the lawn... At least he can't really get hurt that way.

I know you said this was a rant and not really looking for advice. However if you'd like I can help. I'm a dog trainer in real life and have been doing it professionally for over two years. Not professionally much longer :)

I don't post for advise, because I have no experiences with care for dogs.

It seems your mother is a little impulsive and I think she would be at least more decent is she will take more responsibility by her self to babysit the pup instead of you when there are special events.

Further more I believe not everybody is the right person to keep a dog.

Sorry for the late reply, I was going to post but then forgot. I think so far my parents are fine, and I can't do much since I don't live with them, but if it's alright, I might ask you if anything comes up, then. Thank for for the offer!