The Hardships Of Owning A Dog

When I moved to Texas my husband and I discussed getting a dog. We both had dogs our whole lives. His dog, Dodger, died last Christmas when he came home for holiday block leave. I had two Pomeranians at my mom’s house and knew I would miss the quiet. We searched online for a rescue dog. When we came across Pete, an American Pointer mix, we knew he was the one. Two weeks later we adopted Pete. I never noticed the amount of responsibility a dog requires until I moved out and got my own. Owning a dog can be very hard because it requires a lot of money, care, and time. First, one of the hardships of owning a dog is the amount of money it costs: “The total first year cost of owning a dog is [approximately] $1,270” (Weliver). We met the lady we
were adopting Pete from at a PetSmart. We did not have any supplies for a dog at home, so after she left we went inside the store to buy food, a harness, a leash, toys, and bowls. We only bought the necessary stuff right then, but he is a 45-pound hyper dog, so he goes through a big bag of food a month and destroys toys quickly. We later had to buy him a huge kennel to keep him out of trouble while we are gone. We also had to buy cleaning supplies to clean up his messes. We live in an apartment complex, so they have a pet deposit. That was the next substantial amount of money we spent on our dog. Our non-refundable deposit was $350. This is supposed to cover any damage caused by Pete and carpet shampooing to get out the pet stains. We also have to pay an extra $15 a month “pet rent.” During our recent search for a new rental house, we found these costs are very common when renting. These deposits could be non-refundable, refundable, or both. A month later we had to take Pete to the veterinarian for a new rabies shot. We also ran out of monthly Heart Guard, which is for protection against heartworm. The women we got him from didn’t have any paperwork for his last heartworm test, so we had to get him tested in order to get more of the prescription. We also were planning on having to board him later next month, so he had to receive Bordetella and Parvo shots, too. The whole visit cost over $200. Luckily, he was already neutered or else that could have been a $100 to $200 surgery. Later, I started to notice the amount of care a dog requires.
Pete is only two years old and because he is an American Pointer he needs a lot of exercise or else he will not go to sleep at night. Our one-bedroom apartment does not have enough room for him to chase a ball in, so we either take him to the dog park for a few hours or take him on long walks. Every time he goes to the dog park he gets covered in slobber and dirt, so he has to get a bath. Bathing a medium size dog is not easy. I think I walk out with more water on me and the floor than on him. An even harder task that needs to be done every two weeks is clipping his nails. I have to lay him on the ground and sit on top of him in order to complete the
task. Finally, the last reason owning a dog is strenuous is because of the amount of time he entails.
Pete was completely untrained when we got him. The previous owner said she tried everything to get him to learn simple commands like sit and lay down. She even took him to a trainer and he couldn’t get him to either. We tried multiple kinds of dog treats to try to get him to respond, but nothing worked. One night when I was cooking chicken he actually acted excited about the smell. The only way he would learn was with boiled chicken. It still took him a month or so to respond to the commands without the food. We are still training him to heel and fetch because he struggles with those two. Training is lifelong and will never end.
I noticed I have to clean the house more often because I have a dog. He leaves hair everywhere he walks or lays and pieces of chewed up toys all over the house. Though my apartment isn’t very big it still takes a while to vacuum the carpet, the couch, and his kennel. I have to clean at least once a week or my allergies will start to act up. Sometimes if I do not walk him enough, I have to clean up his urine or feces. Getting the smell out of the carpet takes
time. Whenever my husband and I want to go out for the night or take a day trip we have to plan around Pete. He has to be walked at least three times a day and fed twice. We either have to ask a friend to do it for us or plan for him to be boarded. I have to take extra time when planning trips to accommodate for him. I am going home for 5 days in November to visit my family and still don’t know what I’m going to do with Pete. All the boarding places around here are booked for holidays months in advance. In conclusion, owning a dog means spending money, giving it care, and dishing out more time. The dog will need various supplies and have to go to the veterinarian at least yearly. It will need plenty of daily care and strenuous amount of time. Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters every year (“Pet Statistics”). If someone is thinking about owning a dog, then I recommend making sure they recognize the commitment. Otherwise, the dog may have to be surrendered to a shelter, like many are today, and left there until another family comes along.