5 Reasons Not to Adopt a Dog
Dogs are great, and most people know this—perhaps excluding exuberant cat lovers. National Rescue Dog Day is May 20 every year, and people are encouraged to think of the many, many dogs in need of a home. Adopting a dog can be like eating exactly what you want every day – it can come with tremendous regret. Dog ownership is not for everyone. If it’s not for you, that doesn’t make you a terrible person. In fact, it may be a sign that you have a good head on your shoulders.
5 Reasons Adopting a Dog May Be a Bad Idea
1-Incessant Barking
Not all dogs bark constantly, but you don’t always know what you’re getting when you adopt a dog. You may have a neighbor with dogs, and they constantly incite yours to bark, as though the pooches are having a noisy version of a text conversation in all caps. You may have a great backyard and visions of your pet frolicking on your beautiful grass. But, instead, your spoiled fur baby just stands at the door and barks until you let him back inside. Some dogs intrude daily on quiet and solitude, and is that really what you want?
2-Chewing
Puppies are the worst about chewing anything and everything. This can mean expensive wood furniture is ruined, your best leather shoes from Italy could be destroyed, and you can’t keep houseplants on the floor anymore. There are so many ways a dog can mean destruction. Again, it depends on the individual dog and the training he gets. You could be putting everything you prize at risk when you adopt a dog, just the same.
3-Loss of Freedoms
Do you enjoy leaving your home with no worries and then getting home to discover there are no surprises? Then forget about getting a pet. Once you have a dog, travel becomes a major complication. You can’t even go on a road trip in summer without considering what to do with your dog en route to your destination. It’s complicated! Even being gone for work ten hours a day can mean constant feelings of guilt, knowing your dog, who hates being alone, is by his lonesome all that time.
4-Expenses
A dog does not come cheap, even if you are adopting a rescue dog. It’s the day-to-day upkeep that really adds up. A dog that is properly cared for will mean that you need to pay for veterinary bills, grooming costs, food, dog housing at home and for travel, boarding when you travel, toys, tick and flea prevention, heartworm prevention, and damages if your dog bites someone. Are you ready for that?
5-Heartache
Dogs are usually worth all the trouble they make for you. They’re so loyal and lovable. They provide daily incentives to get exercise, which is good for anyone. Dogs are great for kids in a myriad of ways. But have your ever watched the movie Marley & Me? You are looking at getting a broken heart somewhere down the road, when you adopt a dog. Dogs have much shorter lifespans than we have, and the odds are you’ll lose your beloved companion someday. It will hurt like the dickens!
Will You Adopt for National Rescue Dog Day?
If you think of all the advantages of having a dog, it can be tempting to think of adopting. It’s especially warming to your heart when you rescue a dog whose days were numbered at a shelter—they are so overcrowded, it’s almost impossible to find ways around such drastic measures as putting unwanted dogs to sleep. Just give it some thought before you rescue a dog because the downsides can be as compelling as the upsides.
