# Length of time without a dog...



## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

Have any of you spent any time with no dog? (well, since acquiring your first dog, anyway) and what are your thoughts about a "break in the action" of life with dogs?

I've not gone over 3 months without a dog in over 22 years. That was last December to March...now, I'm experiencing my 2nd "round" of no dog. Planning stages at this point...

This break in the action I suppose is a good time to pursue other hobbies or interests, but I find myself only reading dog training books or hanging out on dog training boards or attending club and prepping for our trial! 

I should be *Welcoming* the fact that I do not have to "get right home" or that I can leave town with no worries...I don't want to get to used to this life  (there are people out there who really live this way!!!)


----------



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

A day without a dog is like an egg without salt! :-o Can't do that...


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I went 15 months without my dog when I moved away after my husband was deployed. I didn't know what kind of housing we would find, had a new infant and she was my priority. We ended up only able to afford a appartment. After living there a year we got orders to Germany and I knew I could take my dog with me. My family came to say good bye, pick up my truck I wasn't taking overseas and brought me my dog. When I came back from Germany I had an extra dog in tow . Who could resist right? 1 year and 3 months in my whole lifetime without a dog is all I'm willing to do.


----------



## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Bandera, a Labrador, was the first dog I'd owned in over 25 years. He lived 14 years before I had him put to sleep. I have a working Labrador (cadaver) that I took on because he'd been through 3 handlers and had sat in the kennel for almost 6 months, waiting for a new handler. I may get a dog when I retire and compete in Dock Diving. 

DFrost


----------



## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

I went without my dogs from May 07 till some time in July, so maybe 6 weeks entirely dog free or so.

I actually really enjoyed it, not having the obligations I had before. Then 2 of my dogs came, and it was still not so bad, I could leave them in the house and take off whenever I wanted. Then my 2 shithead puppies came 2 weeks later and that was the end of that :lol: Now they are over a year old and finally reliable in the crate, so I am able to have a life once more without having to come back to pee and crap in the crates and kennels.

Being dog-free is nice, but at the end of the day, the novelty of the freedom wears off pretty quick and it is the dogs that keep me from being bored.


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Perish the thought! The silence would be deafening for me. :-#


----------



## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> Perish the thought! The silence would be deafening for me. :-#


----------



## Melissa Blazak (Apr 14, 2008)

I've only ever had one dog (so far). When Max was going downhill I was sort of looking, but not really. After he died, I felt a lot of grief and guilt that I was thinking about getting another dog. I did start e-mailing around and about 6 months later I felt better about the idea, but still wanted some time off.

So far it's been 20 months without a dog. But I have a breeder picked out, know who the parents are etc. Hopefully the dam will come in heat in May or June (she is an irregular cycler) and I will have my pup by November.

I have enjoyed my "free time", but when the pluses of having a dog outweighed my desire to have "free time" I knew I was really serious about getting another one.

When a co-worker lost her last westie, she and her husband couldn't stand being dogless and within 1 month had another westie puppy.
I don't think I could do that.


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I stack my dogs, have 2 or 3 at a time, have a pup before the older ones pass. That's the only thing that keeps me sane when I lose one. I lost 2 dogs last year one in June and the other in Aug, neither was old enough to go, but cancer and kidney failure had other ideas. Luckily I had Baden but he is very independant. I missed my old male terribly, who was my shadow and snuggler
. Now I gave another pup, she quickly outgrew the cuddly stage and is too spastic to sit down with. If I'm having a bad day and want a doggy kiss, instead I get chewed up and spit out by Dasti or Baden sits in the dinning room chomping his Kong, looking at me as I sit on the couch. Dasti is loving , her love just hurts at this stage in her puppyhood. When she has a little age on her, I might be back to getting doggy kisses. 1 dog is very rarely enough for me.


----------



## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Michelle Kehoe said:


> I stack my dogs, have 2 or 3 at a time, have a pup before the older ones pass.


That's how I ended up with five dogs. 8-[


----------



## Lisa Clark (Feb 14, 2008)

I don't think I could be dogless. Haven't been without in over 26 years.


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I was "dog free" while a college student unless you count my dog who lived with my parents until she was euthanized my Jr. year. Then I was getting started in a job etc. and renting for a couple of years.

So I went from 1973-1979 without a dog..................So lets see........
10 when I got my first one --- 16 out of my 52 years have been without a dog.


----------



## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

In 61 years I didn't have a dog for 4 years in the military plus 3 months while getting myself set up in Costa Rica. I left my dogs with family and got them as soon as I could. Other than that I've had dogs my whole life.

You would think maybe I learned something.:-({|=


----------



## Fanny Kuiper (May 2, 2008)

:-o Wow, I haven't been without several dogs in over 30 years....I just couldn't imagine!:-k


----------



## Melissa Blazak (Apr 14, 2008)

I would have loved to have a dog when I was a kid. But my parents didn't have dogs when they grew up either. So I grew up with National Geographic and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom instead The library was a very good friend too (lots of animal books!). My parents did fall in love with Max when I got him though.


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Michele,

If I was without a dog I would be like you, reading, researching, planning the next one....:smile: 

I would also take the opportunity to travel somewhere remote for more than a week vacation. For example the one dog free stint I have had not including university, I went to Africa for 7 months. Not something I can do with a dog. I would never leave my dog with someone for more than a week I think or I would go nuts and I don't really trust anyone with my dogs anyways. (not even the husband really )


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Visit with Uncle Sam and 18 months in an apartment when I first got married. Other then that I've never in my life been without at least one dog. In the past 40 yrs I haven't been under 2. Usually 3-4.


----------



## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

4 is a nice number to have, 3 is not enough and 5 is to many. If i don't have a young dog around life is boring. My 17 month old had to be put down and 2 wks later i got a puppy cause the house was so quiet, lol


----------



## marcy bukkit (Oct 4, 2007)

I can't imagine not having a dog...but there have been days when I would leave them at the boarding kennel on my day off. Nice to not have to get up early to walk them, nice to be able to go out and run errands, visit friends, etc. without needing to worry about getting home to let the dogs out, nice to be able to roll over in bed and not land on a dog. Just for a day. Then I missed them and needed them at home.


----------



## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Hmm. I think the first 2 years of my life were spent without dogs but I could be wrong about that, I just don't remember.  

Since then I have been without dogs that were "mine" like right now, I have been without Cajun since September but I have many other dogs to occupy my time. I have Duke, my cousin's Rotts that I work with, and client's dogs. I have never been truly dogless for 20 years but I have been without dogs that actually belonged to me.

I couldn't imagine being dogless but I have so many other things to care for that it wouldn't make a dent in my responsibilities, only make me a bit more bored with not having a canine to work every day.


----------



## Jamielee Nelson (Apr 24, 2008)

My dad had shepherds when I came home from the hospital till the day I moved out. I didn't have a dog for 1 year while I was in college b/c the place I lived had really bad fence problems and it was right on a busy street. But as soon as I joined my rescue I bought a kennel/run and had some anyways.

People don't seem to understand why I would want to have dogs when I have to come home at certian times to let them out and train them... but without them I would be bored at home with nothing to do!


----------



## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I haven't been dogless since '81. Stayed at one dog for a few years and then got into sled dogs and have been muti-dogged ever since.


----------



## Greg Leavitt (Aug 31, 2006)

I have had dogs from the time I was born until Quinnie dies my sophmore year of college and I got 2 dogs 3 days after I finished school, before I even had a place to keep them.


----------



## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

Yeah, there is a name for people without a dog, "cat people" and that's what I am now...oh, cat and big "Lily" fish in the tank. But it will not be this way for long. This, my friends, is just not "real life." 

I do like having 2 dogs...puppy and middle age dog seems about right.


----------



## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

Grew up with & around dogs as a kid but was unable to have my own. Got one in college even though there was a no pet clause and had to take him to my grandfathers house when I got caught by the landlord. Jake (my trial lab) was there all of 2.5 weeks when I got a call to come and get Jake back as he had ripped out my grandfathers 3 cherry trees.  
We used to have this game of can you pull the branch out of the ground to tire him out! :-$ oops! 
Went to go get him and moved to a new apartment! Other than that only time without a dog was when I was in the military and didnt want to have to worry about deployments and FTXs all the time. Just didn't seem fair to own a dog that would be put through all the times away; for him or me. [-X


----------



## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

I can remember times when I wanted a dog so bad as a kid that I would steal the neighbors dog, and bring her home. 
The neighbor would watch me do it and then later come and get her dog back. She thought it was cute as she knew I loved the dog. 
Mom and dad finally relented....so after that, I do not remember ever being without a dog for very long at all.


----------

