4. Travel Plans <\/span> <\/h2>\n If you travel for work or vacation frequently to a place that doesn’t welcome dogs, you will need to board your dog or hire a sitter. And even when you’re lucky enough to have wonderful service providers, it’s not the same for your dog as being at home with you.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 5. No Fixed Address <\/span> <\/h2>\n If you move often or if you anticipate needing to move several times in the next few years (heading to college, applying to graduate school out-of-state, accepting a new job), now may not be the right time for a dog. “It’s hard to find pet-friendly housing, and that’s one of the most common reasons people surrender their pets to us,” Weimann says.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 6. Major Life Changes <\/span> <\/h2>\n If you can foresee big life changes in the near future (having a baby, relocating, getting married), you might want to tap the brakes. Adopting a dog is a big life change in and of itself. Waiting to get a dog when life calms down a bit is probably a good idea.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 7. Your Child Really Wants a Dog <\/span> <\/h2>\n As much as the kids may want one, is your family (or are you) really ready to care for a dog? Those adorable little furballs also make a mess (think housebreaking accidents and the occasional shredded stuffed toy). Plus, dogs are morning people. Puppies don’t sleep through the night. And a dog of any age needs to move his body daily. “Dogs require lots of exercise, and at minimum need to be taken out to potty multiple times a day,” Weismann says. “If you don’t have a fenced-in yard that allows you to just open the back door to let the dog out, there’s a very real commitment to exercise that the owner must adhere to as well.”\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 8. In Case of Emergency <\/span> <\/h2>\n “If something happens to you, what backup plan do you have for your pet?” McAuliffe asks. “If you break your leg, who will walk the dog?” Even less dramatic happenings such as a change in your job schedule or a traffic jam may require someone you can trust to help care for your pet. It’s important to have someone you trust available for unexpected and potentially frequent emergencies.\n<\/p>\n
McAuliffe suggests making a pros-and-cons list to help weigh the decision. “Generally dog ownership is about being responsible and providing the care and time the dog needs. You want to be sure you can provide your dog with everything he needs.” Weismann says she totally understands someone who has a love for dogs but is not in a position to adopt. And there are other ways to indulge your love of dogs: “Shelters desperately need volunteers, and it’s a great way to get the doggy fix without the commitment,” she says.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are so many good reasons to say “yes” to adopting a dog. But there are just as many reasons to say “no”\u2014or maybe even just “not yet”\u2014to taking on a canine companion. Here are eight signs you’re not (yet) ready for a dog. 1. A Dog Is a 15-Year Commitment When you accept the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dogs-puppies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}