Josh has always wanted a dog. When we started thinking about moving out of the apartment he told me that if we found a place with a yard he was getting a dog, and FYI Josh is never assertive about anything - so this was kind of a big deal haha.
So my friends, the day has come. Next week we are moving into a townhouse with a backyard (nothing huge), and Josh is looking at me with his puppy face, no pun intended, asking if we can please get a dog.
ughhhhhhh.
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE dogs! My family has had at least 2 dogs at a time all of my life, and most recently we have had three amazing labs, whom I wouldn't trade for anything- they are like my siblings haha.
And as you can see, Josh absolutely adores our dogs. Every time we are at my parents house the first thing he does is go out back and play with the dogs.
Getting a dog is a HUGE responsibility, and I know Josh understands this, but at the same time, I can't help but weigh out the pros and cons/issues.The main issue being, Big Dog Vs. Small Dog, which one??
Josh and I both would love to have a Lab, hands down it would be our first chocie. But in a townhouse with a small backyard that seems a bit unpractical, which brings us to Yorkies. Yorkies are the only small dog that Josh and I can agree we both like, and it would be much better suited to living in a townhouse. But then that means it would be an inside dog, which I am not a huge fan of.
But this little one is pretty freaking cute!
I think my biggest issue isn't about having the small dog now, but having it in 5-10 years. When we settle down and have a family, I want my kids to grow up with a Lab like I did, not a Yorkie... so I am conflicted.Here is a picture of when we got our youngest lab Belle two years ago, isn't she precious?!!
So...Do I get a small dog to fill the dog void in Josh's wittle heart? Or do I make Josh wait until we are in a bigger house with a yard where we can have a bigger outside dog? Or do I just get a big dog and make the extra effort to get it to the park everyday to run?What do you think we should do? I need your help! haha
-Katie
p.s. Josh found a Yorkie breeder who is conveniently located on our drive to visit our family this weekend, and after seeing the pictures on the website you better believe I melted and emailed the breeder for an appointment to take a peek at the puppies. Seriously, what am I getting myself into??
11 comments:
That's a tough call. I'm in the process of almost the same situation. Matt is determined to get a dog as soon as he comes back from the deployment. He use to have a yellow lab and he wants one EXACTLY like it. I think he's even thinking about calling it Trog II.
I on the other hand know that with his work schedule I will be the one having to take care of it, feed it, walk it etc and he'll just get to play with it non stop when he comes home from work. Which leads me to wanting a small dog like a wiener dog or a King Charles Caviler. (which both he doesn't want). It's going to be an interesting time.... Sorry to write a book.
You could get a Yorkie now (they're so adorable) and still get a Lab a few years down the road. The Yorkie could be it's "big" brother or sister.
Good luck!
yorkies are adorable.Go with your gut, but know that if you get a yorkie now, you can still get a lab in a few years!
yorkies are so cute!
maybe get the yorkie now and then the lab later. or you could get a pom, that's what we have. i love him!
B wants a friend for gus but we also live in a townhouse with NO yard so it's not an option for us.
you could always wait it out and get a dog in a few years as well ;)
waiting stinks! hehe
Katie! Get a yorkie!! You will LOVEEEE him/her. Marley is a yorkipoo so he, conveniently is hypoallergenic! But his best friend in the entire world is our 80 lb. golden retriever! So get your yorkie for Josh, and get a lab a few years down the road, it will be totally fine:) They will be BFF's no doubt. I'll post a picture of Marley and Macy I took 2 days ago this evening on my blog so you can see just how well they get along! :)
you're definitely in a predicament. i'm going to talk this out and maybe play some devil's advocate for a bit ... hope you dont mind. ♥
mrb and i own a townhouse and lived in it the past 3 years. we have no dogs but 3 cats. sometimes those 3 cats are right under foot and drive me crazy, because we're all sharing 1200sqft of house. we are currently trying to sell our townhouse - reason 1 to start a family - reason 2 to give the cats more room to run!
we have dogsat a few friends dogs. it IS a responsibility because you have to remember to let them out. all times of the day. i owned dogs growing up but had a doggie-door (which was awesome) and it's rough now when i have to dogsit and walk the dog at 1am.
however, if you ARE thinking a dog ... (and i apologize to those yorkie fans up above - i love small dogs!) ... but if you both truly love labs, and if you're thinking about getting a dog ANYWAY, really, why not get the lab. big dogs CAN live in townhouses. (one of my neighbors has a burmese mtn dog. the other neighbor has 3 greyhounds). you seem like an active couple and i'm sure there's parks you can take it to.
ok. rambling done. keep us posted.
im like you - i grew up with two huge dogs my whole life. but the second i moved out on my own i got my own dog. hes a 14lb chihuahua and i wouldnt trade him for the world. he is half my heart! and the way him and matt get along is priceless! i adore small dogs - they are AMAZING! i would def go for the little guy :)
Think about the pros and cons, what is really more important to you, having a big dog where you have to walk it everyday, or having a little dog that is lower maintenance? I agree that you could always have a lab later, but if its what you really want then go for it! You may love the dog so much that the extra effort won't seem like a chore.
Haha I have no advice but good luck with your dog dilemma!
I had to kiss Big Man's ass to get Mia and now he is in love.
I say go for the Yorkie now and when the time is right (aka a bigger house/yard/family) then get a lab! :)
I'd say get the lab! They are the best dogs and soooo smart! I know it's a pain having a big dog in a townhouse. But my friends have a golden and he lives in their apartment. They have a very small yard and he does great. They take him on walks everyday (which is always a great excuse to get out and exercise.) I'm a huge fan of big dogs!
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