We just started fostering pending adoption of a giant Golden Retriever and it's been almost 10 years since we had a dog. I am having a very hard time managing my anxiety about inserting this guy into our house/routine. So, this question is an off-shoot of a problem that I realized I had when I had my first kid. I had a very hard time with the transition and felt trapped because I could not shake the feeling that I was solely beholden to this creature. I am having these feelings again with the dog - but not nearly as bad as with a baby.
I held off getting a dog for a long time because I knew this would be a problem. I have only so much bandwidth to manage with every day which is used up pretty quickly. Figuring out how to insert a dog into the routine has caused me a lot of anxiety and stress. But I don't want to cheat my family out of the joy of having a dog or cheat the dog out of a great home with people who love him.
For the record, he is settling in nicely and is already enjoying playing fetch, going on walks, and being near us. The kids are helping out by taking him for walks and playing with him. The main issue has been that he is not a fan of riding in the car, however, and we are probably going to need some extra training to get him to a place where he will even voluntarily get into the car.
So my question really comes down to how do I manage this anxiety and these feelings because I want to make this work - if not with this dog than some other dog. I am 90 percent certain this is a ME problem and not a dog problem.
I held off getting a dog for a long time because I knew this would be a problem. I have only so much bandwidth to manage with every day which is used up pretty quickly. Figuring out how to insert a dog into the routine has caused me a lot of anxiety and stress. But I don't want to cheat my family out of the joy of having a dog or cheat the dog out of a great home with people who love him.
For the record, he is settling in nicely and is already enjoying playing fetch, going on walks, and being near us. The kids are helping out by taking him for walks and playing with him. The main issue has been that he is not a fan of riding in the car, however, and we are probably going to need some extra training to get him to a place where he will even voluntarily get into the car.
So my question really comes down to how do I manage this anxiety and these feelings because I want to make this work - if not with this dog than some other dog. I am 90 percent certain this is a ME problem and not a dog problem.
