Now, you’re not going to hear from us that you shouldn’t get a dog. What do you take us for? We love pets! But it is true that having a dog isn’t all fun, fun, fun. You’ll find plenty of articles across the web that go through the many benefits of getting a pet, but not so many that detail some of the downsides. Below, we’ve put together some of the less than awesome aspects of having a canine companion in your life. If you already have a pet, you might nod your head or learn something new. If you’re thinking of getting a dog, it’ll give you something to think about before making the commitment.
Full-Time Commitment
There are many people who kind of want a dog, but if you’re actually going to make the commitment, then it’ll need to be more than just a casual ‘want.’ The reason being is that while walking along the beach with your four-legged friend will be a highlight, there’ll be periods when you want to, you know, have dinner with friends or take a trip to another city, and you won’t be able to, because pooch needs you. You’re going to have to forever be thinking about their needs, in much the same way you would if you had a child. Even going out for one day will need to be planned out meticulously to ensure your dog isn’t left behind.
Cost Issues
All you need is you, your dog, and you’re happy right? Things like money and convenience don’t matter when you have that bundle of joy in your life. Only, alas, they do, especially the money side. If you’re currently struggling to make ends meet, then adding a creature that requires food, toys, trips to the vet – all of which cost money – might not be the smartest decision that you could make. While you can account for the obvious expenses quite easily, you can never quite be sure when you’ll need an emergency trip to the vet, which won’t be cheap. As such, financial security is a must.
In the Home
When you look at your home, you see a well-planned, well-kept property. Your dog sees one big playground. While they’ll rarely cause any damage to your house intentionally, you’ll have to accept that accidents are going to happen. For instance, there’ll be times when they pee on the carpet, or when they chew your brand new headphones. Even things like dog hairs on the couch might be an issue. Individually, they’re all small things, but when you put them all together, you might find that your pet is causing a lot of frustrating issues around the home.
Sit, Boy, Sit
It’s relatively easy to “train” a human into acting civilized and all that. They just copy what all the other humans are doing! But your dog? Well, it’s a different creature, and left to its own devices, it’s going to do all those things that dogs love to do, which are nearly always at odds with what humans what the dog to do. So you’re going to spend many an hour – and likely a lot of cash – training your pooch to behave. It will happen eventually, but it’s worth remembering that every dog is different. Some pick up their training quickly, while other dog owners have to wait years and bring in the experts before their pet finally gets in.
Interacting With Others
You might have a good grasp on your dog’s behavior while you’re in the home. But your dog isn’t going to always be inside the home. They’re also going to be part of society, which means interacting with other humans and dogs. While you’ll mostly be in control of these interactions, there’s always a chance that something will go wrong, purely because you can’t prevent every accident from happening. To get an idea about some of the consequences that can arise from interactions between your pet and the public, take a read of some dog bite legal questions. It’ll be your responsibility to ensure that your pet doesn’t pose any danger to the public and other dogs.
Contrasting Sense of ‘Clean’
Ah, you have to love dogs. They just want to play. This is especially admirable when it’s someone else’s dog, but when it’s yours, it can be mildly frustrating. And it’s not their fault; it’s just that you and they have a contrasting sense of what’s clean! When your dog sees a puddle of mud, you can get bet that they’re going to throw themselves into it, no matter how much you beg them not to. It’s not the worst crime they can commit in the world, but it does get annoying, especially when you know they have to travel home in your spotless car.
Life Decisions
Humans crave freedom. How nice it would be to think that you can take off and begin a new life at the drop of a hat? As we get older, we acquire responsibilities that make this more and more difficult. And, like it or not, your dog is going to be one of those responsibilities that play a role in your life decisions. It’s not easy to pack up and move overseas when you have a canine to think about! So make sure you’re 100% committed to your present life before bringing a puppy into the world. You’ll be tied to it for the duration of their life, or at least you will without paying a large price.
You’ll Outlive Them
Finally, it’s worth remembering something important: you’ll outlive your dog. This isn’t a nice thing to think about, but it is the reality, and that means that it has to be thought about! Think about how you’ll cope when your dog reaches old age. It’s going to be tough on you no matter how philosophical you are about death.
Hopefully these points haven’t put you off getting a dog. It’s important that you know them, though!