Should I Get a Dog?
Dogs bring so much to our lives—fun, friendship, and sometimes pure joy. But the wonderful benefits of dog ownership are not without tradeoffs. Having a dog requires a commitment on the owner’s part, particularly a commitment of time, but also commitments of care and companionship. Dogs are not passive pets like tropical fish. They are active members of the family. Some lifestyles are not ideal situations for dog ownership.
Before making the decision to add a dog to your family, here are some factors to consider.
Your Work Schedule. If you are gone for twelve hours or more each day during the work week, and your dog will be all alone during that time, there’s a good chance the dog will get bored, restless, and generally unhappy, which can lead to destructive behavior. Consider whether it is fair to leave your friend alone for that much time. Dogs are pack animals—and you and your family are their pack.
Your Location. It’s certainly possible to have a dog, and take good care of him, no matter whether you live in a cramped urban apartment or have a rural location with a huge area for him to romp. The urban dog owner just faces a few more inconveniences. It may be raining outside, late at night, and you still have to take the dog outside to do his “business.” You can’t just open the back door. In a crowded urban setting, training and socialization of your dog become all the more important, because he will frequently be confronted by strangers. For example, some dog owners have trouble breaking their dog of the barking habit when people walk by on the sidewalk or hallway.
Dogs Cost Money. Purebred dogs can be an expensive purchase, $500-$1000 or more. But even a puppy that is rescued from an animal shelter will require veterinary care throughout his life, starting with puppy vaccinations. Older dogs can have a variety of ailments that require surgery or other expensive forms of treatment. There are many other expenses as well—food, boarding costs when you go out of town, annual licensing. Being aware of the full cost of dog ownership can help make sure it doesn’t put a strain on your family budget.
A 15 Year Commitment. Thanks to better nutrition and advancements in vet care, dogs now routinely have life spans of 12-15 years—or more. Consider whether you and your family can honestly say you want to be responsible for a pet that long. It’s not fair to bring a puppy home, have him bond with your family members, then have to give him up for adoption two years later.
