Can you have a dog with an ostomy?

I love dogs.  There is nothing better than coming home to a lovely dog that 100% loves you and lives to be with you.  They can make your life joyful and also when they pass they literally feel like a family member is lost.  So is it still Ok to have a pet even with a stoma? It seems like it would be pretty hard to have a dog with a stoma since this topic is so near and dear to me I wanted to go over it.  One thing I really wasn’t told was how to deal with pets when you get an ostomy. I love my dogs and would never get rid of them and to be honest, my ostomy nurse and surgeon were fantastic.  I just didn’t think to tell them I had dogs.  I have two little dogs but let me tell you they have some strength to them. One is a lovely Yorkshire Terrier and the other is a Scottish Terrier. Now the small Yorkshire Terrier is a very hyper dog who is very one-track-minded.  The Scotty is on the opposite end of the spectrum.  He is very calm and concerned but also has the most killer instinct.  That goes along with his nature of being a true hunting animal.  The Scotty is also very loyal and to a fault, he is a protector.  So how does it stand to go outside with my dogs and my ostomy supplies all at the same time?  It can be a bit difficult and there are a few things I should have done better. 

Training really matters.  People can train their dogs in different ways and my wife and I were raised to train our dogs differently.  I have always had very well trained dogs that walk beside me and do not run off after anything.  My wife grew up with the idea that dogs are wild and should be free when they are on a leash.  I was used to using a 6-foot leash and even running with my dogs on a daily basis. My wife always used a 30-foot retractable leash so they could run wild and be free.  Well, let's face it the dogs we got together were not well-trained 6-foot leash dogs.  They are basically wild pulling animals and my wife hates it when I attempt to keep them in line.  So they would always pull and yank and get involved with my ostomy supplies on me and it became a big problem.  

This does not mean you need to be mean and treat the dogs like they are doing wrong.  They were trained by us to be wilder and it is not their fault.  But what it meant was more training by us and using lots and lots of treats for them to change their ways. 

I had to be able to walk them and take them out when needed so we took lots of time and my wife had to do a lot of it to start to train them to behave on a leash. It is simply wise to train your dogs well and don’t let them pull you and injury you. Don't be afraid to have them trained by a family member or even a professional trainer if you have to.