I don't like kids, so... Dogs.

 

I'm in the both camp. Most likely just one of each though, haha.

 

I will likely have a kid in the next few years, but I am much more nervous about it than I ever was about getting a dog. Kids are definitely way more time and money. I would like one of each though. Or maybe one kid and two dogs.

 

I'm not especially fond of children, so dogs (or cats).

I do wonder if it's becoming more socially acceptable to be childless by choice. When we were younger, my husband and I got many odd looks (and I'm sure behind-our-back comments) for saying we didn't want kids. At this point, we're too old and set in our ways for people to still ask.

 

No, you're just past the age where it would make a difference. (No offense.) As I approach "too old", the unasked for comments and advice are getting worse, and ruder.

 

I have kids and dogs. I love my kids and dogs. I, of course, love my kids a heck of a lot more than my dogs. I still love my dogs and enjoy them very much.

Since I have both, I'm actually qualified to say that there's nothing like the love you have for your children. They are my world. I'll agree that dogs are cheaper but kids are worth so much more.
I didn't always feel that way. When I was younger I absolutely didn't want kids. I just thought I didn't really like them and they were a lot of work and something that would take time away from my true love, dogs (which is how I think a lot of childless people feel). I got married and still didnt want kids. Then something changed shortly after being married and I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing to have a baby. Four years of trying and feeling hopeless and we finally conceived my son. Two years later and we had our daughter. Best two things that have ever happened to me.

So that's my choice! I really don't care if other people want kids or not. Just like I really don't care if other people have dogs or not. As long as no one acts like and "enlightened" douce bag over it, I'm fine.

 

At this stage in our life, we are happy with dogs. We are both in our mid-twenties and just do not yet feel ready for children. We are shooting for around 4 years or so from now. We'd like to have 2 kids eventually. And we will probably also have 2 dogs by then. Kids drastically change your life in so many ways. We both want to have our masters degrees and my CPA license out of the way. I can handle studying with dogs in the house, but it would be a bit more difficult with kids. So we are focusing on our careers more at this point, and then we'll worry about children.

 

Well they are two completely decisions IMO: 1. Do I want a dog or dogs? 2. Do I want children? We don't have children, but that decision was made because we didn't want children, not because we would rather have dogs than children.

 

I agree with this.

It's not a matter of 'Do I want dogs or kids?' it's 'Do I want dogs?' and 'Do I want kids?' as two separate issues. I would never consider one to be an alternative to or replacement for the other, they both fill different roles in your life.

 

I'm not much of a "kid person", so dogs (or cats or rats) - no question about it.

 

Children over dogs, if I had to chose.
I'm glad my parents felt that way too!

 

I'm not choosing to have dogs/cats/ginnypigs over having children- I just don't want children.

Having a rough unstable childhood, and having to grow up too fast has left me not wanting children of my own. I fear that I wouldn't have what it takes to make a great mom, and vowed to never make a victim of a defenseless child....... I also come across few children that make me want kids, a lot of kids I witness are unruly, mouthy, sneaky troublemakers and I am someone with a very short fuse. Dogs and I just bond well together, they learn (usually quickly) what it takes to make you happy, and eventually (if ever) never push your buttons.

 

I only have Holly, but I do have two nephews who I love, and yes I would die for them and protect them just like a mum would. But I am glad they go home!.

I can't pick, a world without Holly, no couldn't do that. A world without my nephews no couldn't do that either!. I also love kids, I always thought I wanted a kid when I was younger, but I'm just not sure. I am happy that I can give them back at the moment.

 

I wouldn't choose dogs over children (as we would like to start looking into a child in the next couple years), but I also wouldn't choose children over dogs. If I had a dog that wouldn't be able to handle children, I would either postpone until the dog was gone or I wouldn't have them depending on the timeline.

 

Pretty much. I want kids within the next 10 years (preferably more like 6-8), and I hope to god Nola will still be around then. Nola's good with kids in the family, and there's no way I'd give her up if I had kids. We always had dogs growing up, and I want my kids to be raised with dogs too.

 

I have both, so here's my take on it.

They are two completely different, separate things. I can't even say I love the kids more than the dog or the dog more than the kids...the relationship with each is just so different that it's hard to compare them. I went dogless for a period of time when my kids were babies, but I still wanted a dog. I just knew it was more than I could handle at that point. I'm sure I'll have dogs after my kids grow up and leave me. When I didn't want kids (which was until my late 20's), it wasn't because I thought I could only have kids or dogs and was choosing dogs...it was that I didn't want kids. When I decided to have kids, it meant putting off having another dog, but it never meant I stopped wanting a dog.

To me, it's not an either-or proposition and it's also impossible to compare how I feel about either. I love them both in very different ways, especially as my kids grow older. They become more and more independent and my relationship with them begins to have less and less in common with my relationship with my dog. I can see how it was a little more similar when they were very young, but now? They help train and care for our dog rather than being another being that is solely dependent on me.

 

Well I couldn't of said it better

I love dogs and will always have one until I can no longer care for them, but they are not my children and are not a substitute for children.
I'll have issues having kids when we decide to try, I have less than 10% of 1 ovary, and issues carrying. I swear my body is more effective than the pill! but we have talked about adoption.

Will I have kids? who knows? But dogs are not the replacement.

 

At this time in my life, as a 26 year old female...I do not want kids. Don't know if that will change if I ever get married or anything...

I do find it interesting that if you were to hand me a baby, I would feel kind of uncomfortable and awkward and would rather just give it back to the parent.

Give me a puppy though? You will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. I will hold it, and rock it and comfort it lol. Wonder why that is...

 

I've already chosen.

Dogs.

Don't like children. They're loud, obnoxious, messy. They don't give me warm fuzzy feelings. Don't get me wrong, the laughter of a baby is absolutely infectious....but it is not worth it to me to deal with all the other crap.

Animals FTW

 

Is it weird that this is similar to how I feel about puppies vs adult dogs?

 

I think it separate situations... I never said I would have dogs (instead) of children I just didn't want to have children... I've always had dogs

 

We're planning to add a child to the mix relatively soon, so both. BUT, if dogs lived as long as people... I would consider the possibility of just dogs!

 

No kids here and I'm in my early 40's. MrB has had a ton of health issues over the past 10 years (getting a career ending injury in the Coast Guard, multiple back surgeries - 2 spinal fusions and 1 revision surgery because of hardware failure, severe chronic pain, being labeled a disabled veteran by the VA, etc.) So, kids just never had been on the radar much because of life circumstances. I'm not upset we don't have them. Looking back over the past several years...it would have been very tough to have children and dealing with being a care giver for MrB. He's finally getting his pain issues under control with the help of a pain clinic and he's finally getting his life back. He's only in his early 40's too. 10 out of the 14 years we've been married he's been suffering with severe chronic back pain...so I don't regret the choice not to have kids. I don't see myself having kids at this age either and I'm okay with that.

 

I have never wanted kids, so will not have them.

I agree that they are two completely separate decisions. I just happen to love dogs and not kids

 

I don't know if I want children... if I did then only one... but dogs, I know I want many more.

 

IME, most people who say "I'm choosing dogs over kids" really just mean that they don't want kids at all, and they like having dogs. Not that they actually think you can only choose one or the other, or that they wanted kids, but decided they wanted dogs more. Lots of people still think it's strange to not want kids, so saying that you are going to have dogs instead is kind of an easy way to deflect the question.

 

Didn't decide whether or not I'd have kids based on whether or not I'd have dogs. I have never wanted kids. Now I have dogs. Completely unrelated.

 

why choose? 3 cats 3 dogs 14 chickens... and 1 little girl....

 

I don't like children. I do like dogs.

I think my choice is self evident.

Although I agree that the two things are not mutually exclusive, you can have as many dogs and kids as you want.

 

I don't want kids. I DO want dogs.

No kids might mean more dogs because of more time/money to devote to them. But on the chance I decide to have a child, I will still have dogs.