Worst things about owning a dog

I'd like to take inventory of the worst things about owning a dog. There are just so many fabulous things that I just don't think I have enough space to type them. But I think I have the time and energy to make a list of the worst things. So here goes.


THE SHEDDING. Hair over here, hair over there, hair everywhere. Hair in clumps. Hair in the carpet, clogging up the vacuum cleaner. Hair in the backseat of my car. Hair in my mouth.

THE MUD-STAINED CLOTHES. Greta's a jumper. Always has been, always will be. I have a collection of clothes that will be permanently stained with mud and dirt from her paws because she has jumped on me consistently every time I walk out the back door. I now am sure to change into those clothes before I walk outside.

THE VET BILLS: I would bet we pay more for their medications and vet visits in a year than we pay for my husband and I. It's expensive. Especially with Miss Sickly (Greta). But we do buy their medications through an online catalog instead of at the vet's office, so that cuts down on costs a little bit.

THE POO: This is probably the biggest one. The worst of the worst. Who likes poo? Not me. I wish I had some statistics on dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs in public places. I'm betting it's at least half of dog owners. Well I'm a responsible dog owner. I pick up after my dogs. But I generally don't have the opportunity to. They usually do their business in our yard. It's a rare occasion when they poo on the walks. Cassie has only ONCE pooed outside of our backyard. Greta used to pretty regularly when we walked in the afternoon. But now that we walk in the morning, I just don't think the timing is right. So what happens is, our backyard ends up a stinkfest. A nasty, smelly land of poo. If I was dedicated, I would go around with my handy grocery store bag and pick up daily. But I'm not. I wait until the weekend, until it smells like I put my head in our garbage can. At least the girls generally don't congregate in the area of the yard where they do their business.

So what am I missing? Tell me what your least-favorite parts of owning a dog are.