Before getting a dog, think it through
Why should anyone get a dog? That was the question on the table
this past weekend, when I went to see a friend from college who
wanted to know if she should get one.
Before getting a dog, think it through
Why should anyone get a dog? That was the question on the table this past weekend, when I went to see a friend from college who wanted to know if she should get one.
Meg has long been a cat person, so it surprised me a little bit that she was now contemplating life with a pooch. But she likes the idea of having a little companion, along the lines of my miniature schnauzer, Charley.
And the conversation made me wonder, “Hey, why does anyone get a dog, anyway?”
Just like having children, you never know what it’s really going to be like until you actually have one.
So I gave her the standard line: Dogs are a lot different than cats. Dogs need a lot more care and attention. Dogs should be walked every day, and socialized with other dogs somehow.
“It’s like having a 3-year-old, except they’re always 3 years old, can’t talk, and are covered in hair,” I told her.
I also reminded her that dogs, unlike cats, really need to be boarded if you’re away for more than a day, which gets expensive.
Dogs need shots and licenses – well, cats need shots too, but it always seems to be fewer and cheaper – and then there’s the big factor: What that individual dog requires.
Dogs are kind of more like people than cats are, in a lot of ways. They have their likes and dislikes. They usually require some toys and some treats, whereas cats amuse themselves pretty well with a piece of string.
Charley, for instance, needs chewy things to keep busy, satisfied and out of my hair when I’m trying to write. So I get him these braided Nylabone treats, which doesn’t sound like a big expense, but does add up over time. We’re going through a package of Nylabone every 10 days or so. Of course, he doesn’t like any of the less expensive treats.
Okay, so Charley is a spoiled dog. Not as spoiled as some, but a little spoiled.
He also goes to doggie day care once every week or two – again, to keep him from bugging me when I’m trying to do other things. Also, doggie daycare wears him out, so he’s usually pretty mellow the following day.
Charley also needs to be clipped every few months. Yes, some people don’t bother to clip their schnauzers, but we live in the country and when his hair gets long and matted and full of foxtails, it is not fun for me to deal with.
Also my groomer cleans inside his ears and clips his toenails, which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is because it needs to be done and he hates it. So I’d rather someone else did it besides me.
About 90 percent of all this was new to me when we acquired a dog six and a half years ago. I had had a dog as a child, but let’s face it, my poor mother ended up taking care of it.
So you add up all the expenses, plus the occasional vet bills – I figure I’ve laid out about $5,000 in the past six years due to a few emergency situations – and getting a dog is not something anyone should do as a lark.
I was trying to convey all that to my friend, and am not sure I really got through. I kept seeing her eyes light up every time she saw a dog, even a slobbering mastiff that weighed 200 pounds.
She’s got doggie fever.
So we’ll see how that goes over with her husband. I’m thinking it may be a tough sell.
