Sacrifices Made, Large Or Small

[Little Gifts]

I have always travelled a lot. A major OS trip every two years since I was a teen, going away for three months at a time at the very least. Luckily I always had a reliable dog loving family member stay at my house to care for the dogs (even though I worried about them a lot while I was away). After my oldest SBT hit 12 (her son was 11) I decided it was unfair on anyone else to have to make a decision about her future if I was busy enjoying myself on holiday for months at a time and she developed a health issue. Both were rescue dogs left in my care who never actually left my house again. The son injured himself during a panic when he was 12.5 and was pts. His poor mum just aged overnight after he was gone but then another young sbt needed a carer not long after. She never left either and my old girl came back to life. My old girl has been gone 2 years now and that young naughty sbt has ended up being my heart dog. I left her for a month last year and it was HORRIBLE!!!! She was fine - it was me who didn't cope.

So no long holidays is the biggest sacrifice I've made for the last 6 years and I don't regret it one bit!

As an adult though I don't think there has ever been a day when either myself or someone I arranged has not fed my dogs and let them into the house before dark. I have never felt comfortable with upsetting that schedule just so I could stay out after work. Their comfort and basic needs are my responsibility, even if I have to drive an hour to do it before turning around and heading back to where I was.

[Remarkabull]

I think if you feel dogs are making you sacrifice other things, and you are not receiving appropriate benefits & pleasure from dog keeping in exchange, it is time to change something.

Just because you sacrifice something doesn't mean you feel negatively about it or are not receiving appropriate benefits/pleasures from having your pets.

Completely agree with above. We all make sacrifices for many different reasons and having pets and being responsible means that sometimes you can't do everything you'd like to do. The love and enjoyment I get from my dogs makes up for those things though.

[kelpiecuddles]

We don't travel as much as we would if we didn't have our animals. i am hoping that when we build our new house I might be able to find someone who would be willing to come and house sit for us so we can go away a bit more, we live in a popular summer tourism area and often like to go away over christmas/summer so it would work well for someone who was interested(especially since we will be set up in a such away that someone would be able to bring their own animals with them if needed - stay tuned DOLers!)

[Marion 01]

Dogs have been part of our lives ever since I can remember, mostly German Shepherds, then came the littlies, first a longhaired chihuahua, then a papillon, they lived in the caravan with us while OH was building our new house, then we shifted into the house, and in 1988, we added a Bichon, then a year later another Bichon and a toy

poodle(daughters), then a year or so later we adopted a 7 month old Bichon boy, and that was our household at the time, our lives revolved around them and we needed to go away we went separately so that one of us was at home with the dogs. Then when we moved up to where we are now, we went from our new brick home to an old home on acreage and no neighbours (heaven). By then we had lost the first two dogs to old age related reasons. Started looking at showing, and got ourselves our first Tibetan Terrier in 1994, and ended with 11 of them over the next few years, while losing a couple of our Bichons to old age during this time, but in all the years of grooming, bathing looking after and loving our dogs I have never once thought of it as a sacrifice. Our "social life" revolved around our dogs. Minimal hours spent out, then back home to the dogs. Our family at the moment includes one TT who is 13 yrs old, the four cross breed girls who are just over 10 years old and the two new TT girls who are now 7 months old and given us and the others a new lease on life I must say. Our house is not a palace by any stretch of the imagination, but it is home to us and the dogs, the money we could have put into the house, we have helped our vet build a lovely new building and whatever else he needs. Would do it all again in a heartbeat.

[Pollywaffle]

Whilst I used the word 'sacrifice' in my original posting, I have never once regretted making the lifestyle decision I have made...my dogs are worth every penny and I wouldn't change having them for anything...but the big question is...do they appreciate it? :) So interesting to read of what others have foregone for their dogs...just shows our commitment and love for our dogs....I am delighted to be part of a community that feels that way..

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[HazyWal]

I think if you feel dogs are making you sacrifice other things, and you are not receiving appropriate benefits & pleasure from dog keeping in exchange, it is time to change something.

Just because you sacrifice something doesn't mean you feel negatively about it or are not receiving appropriate benefits/pleasures from having your pets.

Completely agree with above. We all make sacrifices for many different reasons and having pets and being responsible means that sometimes you can't do everything you'd like to do. The love and enjoyment I get from my dogs makes up for those things though.

Couldn't have said it better myself

[kiesha09]

Wow this topic is so valid for me right now. I was just explaining to one of my best friends (non doggy person) in the last few days how yes I have to make some sacrifices for my dogs but the love and enjoyment I get from them makes every single sacrifice worth it 100 times over.

I was explaining this to her because for her birthday next weekend she has booked a house for us all to have a weekend away. But unfortunately I can't go. The house doesn't allow pets, my OH is overseas for work, my parents are overseas for work, I have to book into the kennel months in advance and my brother has a new puppy who my dogs are not very fond of so there is no one to look after them but me.

She was quite mad at me because I can't go and said something along the lines of the sacrifices I make for my dogs are ruining my life and taking away all my freedom.

She's not a dog person so really doesn't get it but I'm really not worried aobut it. Yes I'm sad that I can't go to this one particular event but it isn't the end of the world. The joy that I get from my pooches each and every day and the endless amount of laughs they give me make missing out this time around ok.

[WreckitWhippet]

I sacrifice nothing, it's called "life with dogs" and I love it.

[eschlachter]

Interestingly, I can't think of a single sacrifice I've had to make for my dogs. I suppose if you count financial sacrifices, then yes, they do tend to be expensive, but I can't think of anything I'd rather spend the money on.

I think I have the opposite problem. I get frustrated because I have to sacrifice time with my dogs due to work commitments. I work weekends, which means I don't get to do undertake the recreational activities with them that I enjoy.

So true, for me too. I'm currently trying to build my own business (which would mean working from home) simply because it would mean I would never have to leave the woofies at home to go to work! I'm always a little jealous when I read the articles about people who have 'pet friendly offices' and are allowed to have their dogs with them at work.

Yes, however, I have made (a) sacrifice- the main one being (and I'm getting this feeling also from the OP) that me and the other half don't always see eye to eye when it comes to the dogs- in his words, 'they're the only thing we EVER argue about!' Which is true. And sometimes stressful. But we work it out. My number one human relationship would ostensibly be better without dogs, but he doesn't know what I'm like to come home to when there aren't dogs there too!! :)

I really feel (like many who have already responded) that my dogs ARE my life, and I love my life- so no sacrifice required. Sometimes, it is hard to convince others of the value one places in that life, but hey- if they value you, what else can be said?

[Melina Bea]

We all have to make sacrifices for pets, or kids, etc. even if its something as simple as money spent on them instead of other things.

Whether we LOVE making those sacrifices is a different matter altogether. Just because you say "I'm sacrificing this or that" doesn't mean that you don't love your pets/kids or that you should change anything.

As for myself, my family is in South America, my 2nd family is in Europe. I knew when I got my dog that for the next 15-20 years I will not be able to visit my families as much as I want to. But it was an informed decision and the dog won hands down. That's a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make in exchange for a much richer everyday life :)

[corvus]

We use the "Dogs are indoors at home" line as an excuse to leave social functions when we've had enough. ;) People never question it. Even non-doggy friends and relatives ask us "How are the kids?" because we have no human kids and they get that our dogs are part of the family. Life would be different without the dogs, and we would do things we don't do so much at the moment, but we chose the life we lead and are happy with it. Nothing was sacrificed.

[W Sibs]

All the major decision in my life, I do think about how it will effect the dogs but I never felt I've sacarfice anything.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I don't believe in going out during the week - I've been at work all day and don't feel it's fair to leave the dogs again. You could call it a sacrifice but they are the greatest joy in my life so it's a pleasure. Holidays are difficult because I choose to own several dogs and foster as well. My dogs are old, on expensive meds and because of their ailments, it's almost impossible to leave them.

The way I look at it is that a holiday's only for a week or two. Would I rather be on my own for 50 weeks a year or have the dogs and miss out on the holiday. Having lived without dogs for far too many years as I was in rented places, I know what the answer is!

[Guest]

Is it really a sacrifice? A few holidays postponed because of big vet bills and not wanting to stay out late because we have to get home for the dogs but I dont see that as a sacrifice. Maybe sitting on the floor to watch tv because I dont want to move the dogs off the lounge. Not going out on new years eve incase of fireworks. Still not really a sacrifice. We would rather spend it with the dogs than a drunken crowd.

Agree :)

[Guest Clover]

No sacrifices here, I chose to have my dogs and that's how it is. Maybe one day when the oldies are no longer with me I might do an OS trip, it is not on top of my must do list though.

[HugL]

Sacrifice for my dogs ...... Don't think so (non-dog friends may disagree)

When making decisions we do consider how it will affect any animal we have at the time just like we have to consider our kids. The dog(s) fit in, I have more problems with the kids!

Guess I sacrifice more for the kids but, just like having animals, that was our decision.

[gwp4me]

A sacrifice for me would be a life without my dogs and horses. Will never happen, don't want to have to go away on holidays either. Every day is a holiday, as is now, for me.

[mantis]

When I had Kenny, I had to rent dumps of houses yet still had to pay top dollar, because they were the only places that would allow dogs, it used up my small amount of super.

Now I have Cougar & am lucky enough to live in a cheap unit. 3 months ago I broke 2 of my fingers in a fall, the Doctor said he would have to put pins in them so they healed straight, but that would have required a stay in hospital. There would have been no one to look after Cougar, so I refused. Now I have 2 crooked fingers on my left hand, with limited use because I can't bend them properly. My dogs ALWAYS come first. :laugh:

[Pollywaffle]

When I had Kenny, I had to rent dumps of houses yet still had to pay top dollar, because they were the only places that would allow dogs, it used up my small amount of super.

Now I have Cougar & am lucky enough to live in a cheap unit. 3 months ago I broke 2 of my fingers in a fall, the Doctor said he would have to put pins in them so they healed straight, but that would have required a stay in hospital. There would have been no one to look after Cougar, so I refused. Now I have 2 crooked fingers on my left hand, with limited use because I can't bend them properly. My dogs ALWAYS come first. :laugh:

that is certainly devotion!

[Loving my Oldies]

I don't think I would call anything a sacrifice - more of an adjustment, really.

I would certainly have a lot more money and a much nicer lounge suite and lovely Persian rugs on the floor (so there goes any money saved :laugh: ).

There has been a lot of heartache along the way since dogs came into my life. Their devotion, stoicism, live-for-the-moment attitude and acceptance make me feel totally inadequate and unworthy a lot of the time.

I would certainly have lots more unbroken sleep, I would be able to hop in the car and go off on a quick holiday, I could fly up to Brisbane or down to Melbourne for visits at a moment's notice.

And, like Mantis, I have put off an operation because I simply don't know how I would manage looking after myself, 5 dogs and one cat while in a sling 24/7 for six weeks and unable to drive for 6 weeks and very restricted for another six weeks.

Anyone in the market for 5 dogs and one cat ? :laugh: :laugh: