Can money ever buy you love? Sure. Just use the money to buy a dog. Dogs don’t waffle when it comes to making permanent commitments. Without hesitation, they promise to love and protect you for the rest of their lives (but if you want “obey” added to the oath, you’ll have to earn it through training). Having a dog makes you healthier. Medical science has proven that enjoying an animal’s companionship helps you relax and may even lower your blood pressure. Besides, dogs give you an incentive to enjoy long walks on lovely spring days. A dog will also enhance your circle of friends. Dog owners naturally gravitate to each other when out walking their pets, and it’s easy to meet people with common interests while attending training classes or other dog-related events.
But while dog ownership usually adds exciting new dimensions to a person’s life, it doesn’t always work out that way. An occasional owner views the dog as nothing more than a burdensome responsibility; an incredibly sad situation for dog and owner. Yet these unhappy owners must have thought they wanted a dog or they wouldn’t have gotten one. What went wrong with their owner-dog relationships, and how can you keep it from happening to you?
SOMETIMES TIMING IS EVERYTHING
People often become impatient and acquire their dog too soon—before they have the time and stability to enjoy it. Bad timing is one reason why many nice dogs are neglected or even lose their unhappy homes. So before debating what kind of dog you want, it’s smart to decide whether owning any dog fits into your life right now. Asking yourself the following questions should help.
Can I Afford a Dog?
The initial price of a dog is only one of the costs to consider. All dogs need food and shelter, annual vaccinations, regular worming, preventative medication for heartworm, a collar and leash, grooming equipment, their own dishes, a variety of toys, and occasional treats. They also need veterinary care when they are sick or hurt, and should be spayed or neutered. Some dogs also need professional grooming at a salon every six weeks or so. If none of those items poses a financial burden, ask yourself if you could afford emergency treatment if your dog broke its leg. Priorities may come into play. If your dog’s accident would put you on a budget of beans for a month, be sure you and your family would be willing to make the sacrifice.
Will I Enjoy a Dog’s Dependence?
Unlike children, dogs don’t grow up and become independent enough to take care of their own hair, make their own breakfast, or bathe themselves. In fact, your dog will depend on you for daily care all its life. For most dog owners, the brief daily routine is relaxing and warm; a favorite, fun part of their day. But if years of caring for a dependent dog sounds like a drag, that’s exactly how it will feel.
If you’re thinking about getting a dog because your children want one, I bet they promised to do all the grooming, feeding, potty training, walking, and cleaning chores. Don’t believe it. Yes, children can acquire a sense of responsibility from helping with dog care, but they shouldn’t be left totally in charge of the process (the exception is an older child who spent several years working with the family dog in a 4-H project and is probably ready for a dog of his or her own). Dog care should be a family affair with other family members ready to substitute if Junior has basketball tryouts on his night to feed and walk Spot.
Division of labor should be discussed before a family acquires a dog, but don’t expect it to be set in stone. In the end, someone has to take overall responsibility to make sure Spot has fresh water, is fed on schedule, is walked when he indicates a need to go potty (or allowed out if the yard is fenced), is exercised, trained, groomed, and has his feces removed from the yard. Since you are the one reading this book, that person will probably be you. So you should be the one who decides if you will relish or resent the responsibility.
Is My Life Missing a Dog?
Dogs purchased for the sole purpose of improving a boring life are often ignored once their novelty wears off. This is heartbreaking and incredibly unfair to a loyal pet. Before acquiring a dog, ask yourself if you are prepared to love one for its entire life, not just use it for a brief interlude of entertainment. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to think a dog will add zest to your life. Loving a dog is life-affirming in itself, and involvement in dog activities, such as agility trials and animal- assisted therapy, can add excitement and accomplishment to a once mundane existence. Still not sure? Ask yourself this: Is ten years of love and commitment from a dog what I really want, or would two weeks in Tahiti be equally gratifying?
Do I Have Time to Give a Dog Affection, Training, and Exercise?
A new dog will need more of your time during the period of adjustment (your first few months together) than at any other time, but it will always need and deserve some of your time. One of the reasons we love dogs so much is because they are social animals. Dogs give and desire affection. They also need daily exercise, grooming, and an occasional brush-up on their training. You may have time on your hands today, and wish those hands were petting a Pug or throwing a Frisbee for a frolicsome retriever, but think to the future before getting a dog. Do you have a demanding career? Climbing the corporate ladder might mean moving every few years, or working such long hours that a gleeful dog greeting you at the door might feel more like pressure than privilege. Are you planning to raise a family? Once the babies come, will you have enough time and energy to tend them without ignoring your dog? Are you in college? Inexpensive rentals in university towns often accept dogs, but when you move on and start your career it might be hard to find an affordable rental that permits pets.
Will a Dog Fit Into My Home, Family, and Lifestyle?
Your spouse’s feelings, your children’s ages, the size and location of your home, your activity level, and your travel plans are all important considerations when deciding whether to make a dog part of your family. Bringing a dog home when your spouse doesn’t want one is unfair to everyone. Sure, there are cases where the reluctant spouse learns to love the dog, but there are even more cases where one partner never came around. Having to defend your dog on a daily basis becomes tiresome and reduces the pleasure of dog ownership. In fact, many perfectly nice dogs are residing in the pound because their owners decided keeping them wasn’t worth the hassles at home.
If your children are still babies or toddlers, do yourself a favor and wait a few years before acquiring a dog. Children and dogs go together like milk and cookies, but only after the kids are old enough to understand the difference between a living animal and a stuffed toy.
Dogs need daily exercise, and while a few breeds can get their workout in a studio apartment, most of them need either a brisk walk or access to a fenced yard. They also need to go outdoors to relieve themselves. If you have a fenced yard, that’s no problem, but it’s a big consideration if you live in a fifth floor walk-up. And yet millions of people in city apartments delight in their dogs and walk them before and after work—rain, snow, sleet, or shine. Also, many city parks include a safely-fenced area where dogs can run and play with each other while their owners watch and chat.
How you feel about your home is another consideration. Is the atmosphere casual and relaxed, the kind of place where the kids eat popcorn in their bean bag chairs while watching cartoons? Or is it immaculate and perfectly appointed, the kind of place where the family removes their shoes before walking on the cream-colored carpet? While some dogs are exceedingly clean and some breeds shed very little, even the cleanest and most reliably trained dog may become ill one day and make a mess in spite of itself. When that day comes, will the accident be treated as a brief annoyance or a major tragedy?
When dog-owning families go on vacation, they either board their dog or take it along (unless they are blessed with reliable friends or relatives who volunteer to dog sit). With a little advance planning, it’s easy to find motels and campgrounds that accept dogs. But if you live alone and are a frequent business traveler, consider the expense of boarding your dog or hiring a house sitter every time you have to leave town.
The Next Step
If you’ve answered these questions and are still ready to leap into loving a dog, slow down. That old saying, “Look before you leap,” was never truer than it is here. For a happy owner-dog relationship, both partners must be right for each other. Read the next article to help you determine what type of dog matches your personality and lifestyle.
