As Christmas approaches, tons of people will be asking for pets, especially college students. I get it. That was me last year. I had moved into my first apartment and just had to have a dog. So I asked my parents for one and they got me one for Christmas. Getting Livvy (my doggo) is one of the best decisions I ever made. She makes me more responsible and dependable because she depends on me. That being said, I had to make some big adjustments to my life to acomodate her. Her are some things you should consider before getting apet!
1. What’s your schedule?
This was the biggest factor for me. Was I going to have enough time to take care of a dog? In my case, I had to rearrange my schedule for her, and even then there were days when I had to have friends go by my apartment to let her out and play with her for a little while.
2. What’s your budget?
You need to ask yourself if you can afford several hundred dollar vet bills, grooming, dog food, and a whole slew of other things. It would be terrible if you get a sweet pup and then can’t afford to take care of them.
3. Are you responsible enough?
You have to ask yourself are you okay with not going to the movies or out on the weekends to stay home and take care of your pup. Your dog when they are still puppies have to go out at least every 3 hours, and sure when they get older you can wait a little longer, but do you really want to leave your dog alone for that long?
These were just a few of the things I considered before getting my dog. In my opinion, you shouldn’t get a dog if you think a good life involves 90% of their time spent in a kennel or with other people. Even now I don’t spend as much time with my dog as I wish I could, but I’m extremely grateful for my friends and family who look after her and make sure she feels loved!