I’m Not Ready For A Dog If…

Getting a dog is a huge decade or more commitment. A dog is hilarious, cuddly, and wonderful, but it’s also a lot of responsibility and work. You’re responsible for another creature’s food, bathroom habits, behavior, health, and happiness. Here are a few of the things you need to consider before adopting a dog.

• I’m renting and my home doesn’t allow dogs. I promise you that you will get caught. Most management companies will evict you as quickly as they’re legally allowed to if you don’t have the pet removed within a few days. You’ll be scrambling to either find a new place to live, or find a new home for your dog. Moreover, you’ll be making it harder for people to rent with pets, because sneaking animals in is exactly the kind of thing that landlords hate.
• I can’t afford the pet deposit. In my area, pet deposits generally range from $150-$350 per pet. There is also usually some “pet rent” added to your bill, and regardless of what your pet damages, the pet deposit and rent usually aren’t refundable. I’ve also always had any pet damage taken out of my regular deposit rather than the pet deposit, so it’s basically money you’re charged to have a pet living in the dwelling with you. Sucks, doesn’t it? Well, pets do cause landlords additional issues. They damage the property, make noise to irritate other tenants, and poop on the landscaping. Irresponsible pet owners have made it harder for everyone to rent with pets, and trying to sneak a pet into your place only adds to the problem. At apartments I’ve rented, you could be charged back pet rent, fined, and the pet deposit in order to keep your pet. Or they could simply choose to evict you.
• I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford the pet deposit at my next apartment or house. This is an incredibly common reason for pets to lose their homes. Circumstances do change, but take a realistic look at your plans and try to plan ahead. Sometimes pet deposits can be waived if you’re moving within the same management company, or paid over a couple of months, but that’s not always an option. Have a realistic plan for keeping your dog with you for his entire expected life span, and then some.
• I own and there are HOA or Home Owner’s Insurance restrictions on dogs, or the type of dog I’d like. See if you can change insurance companies or get your prospective pet approved by your HOA, but don’t try to sneak past. They will be assholes about it. Do a news search and you’ll see HOAs trying to kick out overweight senior pets for being over the weight limit.
• I can’t afford vet care and parasite prevention. Heartworm treatment is expensive, long, dangerous, and painful. Please, please, please don’t get a dog if you can’t afford heartworm preventative every month. The cheapest brand runs about $5 per dose and needs to be administered monthly. Effective flea preventative and tick preventative will vary based on your area, but expect to spend at least $5-$10 per month. In my area, the fleas seem to be immune to Frontline, but in other areas, it works perfectly. Ask other local pet owners what they use. Smaller dogs are less expensive to treat than larger ones for almost all types of vet care, but they also live much longer, so the expensive senior years might be a looong time. Pet insurance can help cushion bigger vet bills, but you’ll still be responsible for the monthly premium and the annual care.
• I would have trouble with the time commitment a dog requires. You can throw money at this, or you can throw time, but you’ve got to do one or both. I know plenty of people who work 70+ hours a week and have dogs, but their dogs go to daycare or they have dog walkers, or some other arrangement has been made. Look up doggy daycares or dog walkers in your area and see what their rates are like. Doggy Daycare tends to run about $20+/day around here for basic services, and boarding is usually double that. Add in grooming, private training, or other specialty services and things can get really expensive. Having someone come to your home to walk or let your dog out is usually less expensive, but your dog is also getting less attention. Most dogs are okay by themselves for a normal 8 hour work day, but some aren’t. Think about your schedule and adopt accordingly.
• I’m not willing to work though some behavioral issues. Behavioral issues are the number one reasons dogs don’t stay in their original home. Even your “perfect” dog, will have some less-than-perfect qualities. Most of the time those issues can be worked on, but it will take work and time and effort and skill and research. If you can’t give that to a dog, then you aren’t ready for one.
• I’m not willing to deal with some property damage, inappropriate noise, vomit on the carpet, etc. Again, even the “perfect” dog is going to damage something at some time. I know someone whose 7-year-old “perfect” lab mix got a severe upset stomach while he was at work. When he came home at lunch after being gone for just a few hours, she had pulled up a bunch of the carpet trying to eat it like grass and then vomited all over his mattress. She was sick, so she freaked out and started misbehaving trying to make herself better. He didn’t get mad, he rushed her to the vet, where she had surgery. Then he came home and cleaned up, paid the damages, and loved his dog, because that’s what it takes to be a good pet parent. Know yourself, know how much you love your stuff, and if it’s more than you can love a dog, pick a caged pet that can’t damage your things.
• The type of dog I want is otherwise inappropriate for my lifestyle or skill level. If you’re a couch potato but you can’t live without the “look” of a husky, you don’t need a dog. I promise that adopting a dog that isn’t right for you because you love a few superficial features is a horrible idea. Everyone will be miserable. You, your neighbors, your dog, everyone.
• We’re roommates and we’re adopting a dog “for the house.” If no one is willing to commit to the dog right now, no one is going to be willing to commit to the dog in a year when your lease is up and you’re all moving. If you have roommates, a dog should be a group decision, but someone needs to be responsible for expenses, exercise, and, most importantly, keeping the dog when the house breaks up. Every rescue I’ve ever worked with has gotten calls from landlords asking us to pick up pets that were left behind when their owners moved out. An incredible number of times, these were adopted “for the house,” and I guess their owners just assumed they would be staying with the house? This is not okay. Pets are responsibility and that responsibility starts the second they come home.