Right now I am at the stage in life when my peers and I are all settling down, getting married, and… getting dogs! Well, to be honest, some of us started with the canine trend a few years before getting into serious, committed relationships with another human, but now I’m seeing more than ever, my peers moving on to the next stage of their relationships: dog parenthood. But is this the right move? If you’re reading this, you might be wondering yourself, “Should I get a dog?”
Well, before you bite the bullet, here are a few things to think about. Aaaaand, since I’m a big fan of dogs and dog ownership in general, lets start with the positive aspects of canine companionship first:
1. Dogs get you moving
Unless you’re a big fan of having a house (or yard) that smells like dog urination and defecation, then taking your dog out for walks is a key element to dog ownership. But for me, this is more of a blessing than a chore. For the brief time as a working adult before owning dogs, I would wake up just in time to get dressed, grab a quick bite, and hop in my car to head off to work. Now, with two dogs, I wake up in plenty of time to take my long-legged dog for a jog and my short-legged dog for a walk. And you know what? Those morning jogs and walks are probably the highlight of my day. Starting the day off with a walk not only jump-starts your metabolism by getting your body moving, but exercise causes the release of endorphins, putting you in a good mood right off the bat. Not only is this daily exercise good for you (and your dog!), but its habit-forming! Even when I'm on vacation or traveling without my dogs, I find myself wanting to go for those morning and evening cardio-sessions.
Taking the doggies out for their daily doggie exercise also keeps me moving in all seasons. I know the dogs need their cardio as well as their time to go to the bathroom in rain or shine, heat or cold. On hot summer days, I find a body of water to bring the dogs to, and frequently I’ll get in for a dip myself. On cold, dark, winter evenings, the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is go out in the dark and cold. All I feel like doing is sitting inside with something hot to eat and something silly on the television and work on my winter fat layer. But the Dog Mom in me tells me that I need to take the pups out for some exercise, so I bundle up, grab a flashlight, and take the pups out. In this way, getting the dogs moving keeps me moving as well (and helps prevent too many inches being added to my waistline in the cold months). After these winter walks, I actually feel more energized and motivated than I did beforehand, and I’ve gotten to see some pretty spectacular starry skies on clear, cold nights.
2. Dogs get you outside.
Going hand in hand with point #1, dogs get our booties out of the house and into the fresh air of the great outdoors. I have seen more sunrises, more sunsets, and have spent less time looking at my phone screen since owning dogs. They are the perfect reason to get out first thing in the morning, to watch the last rays of sunlight hit the trees in the evening, and if you're lucky like me, to watch them chase geese at lunchtime! When I get home from work, I don't just go in the house and turn on the television. I either take the dogs for a walk around the lake, a hike up the Arnold Rim Trail, or on a trail ride with the horses through the pine trees. Even when I lived in the "city", I still got to enjoy the fresh morning air as I walked down the sidewalks in San Jose. As a society that spends too much time indoors (in my opinion), we could all benefit from the doggy excuse to get outside a little more each day.
3. Dogs make you laugh
Sometimes I just watch my dogs and wonder to myself “Why do I even need TV?” Every single day my dogs make me giggle to myself, laugh out loud, and feel the necessity of snapping a picture to share the laughs with my husband or parents.
Enzo in particular just kills me. Maybe its just his sheer corgi-ness that gets me: the stubby legs, the fluffy bunny butt, the big fox ears. But I think its more what he does. For example, Enzo sleeps in the funniest positions. Honestly, some of it might have to do with the fact that even normal-dog-sleeping-positions just appear comical based on the fact that his legs are more like T-rex arms than normal dog legs. But it could also be that he likes to snore while sleeping on his back with all four legs in the air. If seeing that doesn't make your morning start off great, I don't know what will! Seeing Enzo in the snow just amplifies his comical moves. He has to leap like a deer to get through deep powder, and has an intense love for rolling in fresh snow, all four legs in the air, butt wiggling back and forth. He brings laughter to everyone around him, as do pretty much all dogs. Their personality and silly antics keep us giggling, and as they say, laughter is good for the soul.
4. Companionship and Protection
As the wife of a man who travels for work on a regular basis, I’m home alone a decent amount. But with two dogs home with me, I never really feel alone. When I get home from work, the welcome I get when I open the front door makes me feel like the most special, important, loved human on the planet. I frequently have full conversations with them - they make for excellent listeners (and occasionally good talkers too). They are great road trip buddies, hiking partners, photograph subjects, sounding boards for big decisions. In addition, they give me a feeling of safety and security. Our bigger dog, Tesla, is particularly protective, and will ward off any unwanted visitors, be they bears wandering up on the deck at night in search of trash treasures, or construction workers who arrive at the house before I’m there to give a proper introduction. Even the sweet, stubby-legged corgi will let out a growl if he hears strange animal sounds in the night. If it wasn’t for them, I’m not sure I could handle nights alone up here in the mountains.
So those are a few positives.
I could come up with a ton more. I mean, probably at least a million more reasons why dogs are AWESOME. Buuuuuuuut there are a few things to weigh before deciding to bite the bullet and get your own Canis familiaris. So here’s some food for thought on the potential downsides of dog ownership.
Time.
This is one of my pet peeves. If you don’t have time for a dog, DON’T GET ONE. And I’m not talking about time to give them just the necessities of food and water. Dogs need TIME. They need you to take them for walks, and not just the kind of “walk” where you let them go to the bathroom and immediately return inside the house. If you’re the type of person who likes to do lots of non-doggy activities right after work, or even if you just work crazy long hours, think twice before you get an animal that loves you and waits for you all day, just to have you leave them alone for 12 hours straight. If you don’t spend the time with them that they crave, their behavior will indicate the lack of care and you’ll end up spending time cleaning up accidents and fixing chewed floorboards anyway.
2. Money
To take care of dogs correctly, it does cost money. They need to be fed, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered unless you plan on breeding them (which is an entire other subject… but my opinion is that most people should NOT breed their dogs. There is a demand for specific breeds of course, but we don’t need more backyard breeders adding more dogs to a world with too many dogs and not enough homes). And of course, there are the emergency vet bills, which I feel are inevitable at some point for nearly all dog owners. Whether your dog has swallowed a sock or eaten something toxic or gotten some weird ear infection from swimming in yucky lake water, there is a price tag that sometimes can be tough to handle. All that said, dogs are 100% worth every penny, but if you’re not in a stable financial situation, and if you can’t afford to pay the bills if the unthinkable happens, don’t take on the responsibility.
3. Pick an Appropriate Breed
This is something that comes up in conversation between me and other dog lovers ALL THE TIME. There are SO many different breeds and types of dogs, with varying traits, energy levels, sizes, hair length, etc. So if you aren’t a super duper active person, get a breed that doesn’t require a ton of exercise. If you don’t want to put a lot of time and effort into grooming your dog (or want to spend money to have someone do it for you), don’t get a long haired breed that requires a lot of coat maintenance. If you live in a very hot area, don’t get a dog that is bred for staying warm in arctic climes. It astounds me how often people choose dog breeds based on how they look or on the image associated with a particular breed rather than getting something that suits their home the best. So if you are thinking of getting a dog, do your research on what type of dog would suit your capabilities best.
4. Housing Situation
Make sure you’ve got the right headquarters for your doggy palace. If you’re renting, keep in mind that many landlords have a strict No Pet Policy, and even if the house you’re renting now is dog-friendly, your next one might not be. Also, its much easier to find housing that allows for small dogs or non-shedding dogs, but if you have a 120lb Newfoundland with long black fur, you might have a hard time finding a place to live. Even if you own your own house, make sure it is both safe and functional for the dog breed you are thinking of having. Some dogs are great in apartments, others need space to roam. If you live near a busy street and don’t have a fenced yard, be prepared to only let your dog out while on a leash, or run the risk of him getting hit by a car. If you have light-colored carpet, have the number of a great carpet-cleaner handy.
So What’s the Take-Home Message?
Dogs are the best. But do your research first, and make sure that you’re ready for the joys AND the responsibilities!
