As a lover of animals, I enjoy the company of all furry friends. I especially love dogs, as they are known to be lovable creatures, and make great house pets. Despite this, dogs require a great amount of care– maybe more than people realize. While it seems like everybody owns or wants a dog, in my opinion, dogs are not the ideal animal for the majority of pet owners.
The work of owning a dog starts before you even get your brand-new puppy. According to Dogster, you must put time and effort into researching what breed works best for your lifestyle, due to different temperaments, sizes and needs. You should also obviously determine whether or not you have the time, money and patience for a dog. Ignoring this step, I see many pet owners’ excitement about a new furry friend overshadowing the needs their dog might have. This already starts pet owners on the wrong foot with their animal.
In addition to daunting research, supplies for your new pooch can be expensive, and your pet’s needs could go above hundreds of dollars. It takes a large amount of time to train a dog, and depending on the dog, potty and behavior training can run down your patience quickly. In recent years, I have noticed an uptick of dogs jumping on top of me, running around without a leash or even biting me. While these animal behaviors are definitely not new, I can’t ignore the lack of training and care being given to dogs. To me, a dog acting out in an extreme way is a clear sign of its owner’s lack of responsibility. I understand that any pet can act out in a negative way, but when dogs do something such as destroy property, hurt other animals or injure people, I feel owners are oftentimes at fault.
I have seen many dog owners in my life and on social media simply excuse their pet’s poor behavior. They blame children who were harmed or scared by a dog, stating the child must have been provoking the animal in some way. A pet owner may even try to brush off the behavior by saying their pet had never acted that way before, and that the behavior won’t happen again. While these things can be partially true, a dog’s owner cannot leave all the responsibility on the victim or the dog.
When it comes to the daily responsibility of taking care of a dog, I have seen an increase in those neglecting the animal. It’s also not rare that the average person’s schedule requires them to leave early in the morning and not return home till the late evening. This takes away from a dog’s enrichment time, and also forces a pet to stay inside the house for multiple hours without using the bathroom. While this has always been an issue for certain pet owners, I have seen this increasing since the pandemic. Over lockdown, the majority of us were stuck alone at home with a lot of time on our hands. Many people bought pets at the time, but have since returned to their regularly scheduled duties. To me, it seems like those who spontaneously purchased a dog cannot adequately care for the animal anymore.
From my observations as an animal lover, I feel many dogs are being purchased as a decorative addition to a family or home, without regard for the seriousness of the responsibility. Not being prepared to care for a dog can negatively impact both a dog and its overwhelmed owner. I believe dogs are great animals, and when cared for, can return the love you show them. However, it is time to critically analyze pet ownership before adopting a dog.
