hello i am a 29 year old single male. i want to get a dog. i've never had one before. i live in an apartment, but it's a big house turned into apartments, so theres a yard outside.
What are some reasons why i should and should not get a dog? (finances are generally not a factor here)
also i work at home
So yeah dogs are amazing, the reason not to get one is time. You just have to put forth a lot of time, effort and patience that first year. Potty training itself requires rigorous diligence, expect to set an alarm and wake up every 4 hours even on work days to properly do it
But a properly trained dog is absolutely amazing, they’re with you wherever you go and you can pretty much mold them to behave how you like to an extent with some give or take with a dogs personality. For a first timer I’d recommend a high intelligence dog but not a work dog, guard dog or hunting dog, it’s hard to find a good breed that’s intelligent, isn’t one of the above and not hyper-active but there’s some breeds that strike a good middle ground like labs and retrievers. Even then people often give those dogs up the first year because they didn’t realize how much attention puppies can need.
Don’t get me wrong I’ve raised my 4 dogs starting in college working full time, you can find time needed it’s just a matter of being willing to go the extra mile when they’re young (and I have some energetic breeds) Just a lot of people don’t realize the time commitment and rehome dogs because they aren’t getting the attention they deserve
>time
honestly aside from my work, my time is spent in front of a screen doing nothing good. i think with a dog i'd go out all the time and hike and just be outside
>breed
i want a yellow lab like my OP pic related
I know getting one will drastically change my daily life / routine and add stress. but i really want one
if I lived in a complex, i wouldn't consider a dog, but the place i'm at has a big yard for it to hang outside. i'm hoping by next year or a little after I can get a house, so by then another dog for sure. and a cat.
thank you for the replies. currently the pros outweigh cons, but i am a little nervous about what i'm signing myself up for.
dogs are social animals and suffer loneliness.
If you have to be away for work for a big part of the day it would be better to get some other type of animal, especially small ones that you can keep more than one.
You could keep more than one dog if you have the space, but if you've never had one it would be a hard start.
nevermind, I read that you work from home.
Then there isn't really a problem, as long as you're committed to being responsible for a being who'll depend on you like a child that never grows and needs affection and companionship.
I would still suggest to get more than one animal, but it's fine to start with one dog
ty for the reply, anon. I've thought about the commitment and lifestyle change a lot, but I'd be ok with it. the pros outweigh the cons for me there. to your point about the loneliness of the animal, ideally I would get two dogs. I don't like the idea of just having one to sometimes be by itself or not learn social skills. but two dogs right now is not possible. honestly I don't know if my landlord will let me, but it's not unlikely. I've been waiting until I have a house an my own yard before getting pets, but houses are so expensive and I really want a dog.
So the biggest barrier to me getting one is really just being a rentoid. anyway thanks for your reply.
I like two dogs too, I got a dog for my dog and another dog for my other and it really helps curb the loneliness and give them an outlet for play. I do like raising dogs individually though, it’s easier to hone in on what the puppies doing wrong. For example if I find shit I know it’s my youngest and not my older ones. Dog parks etc can really help for socialization with a single dog. Personally I’d say start with one and if you love what you got get your older dog a puppy after a year.
And renting with a dog fucking sucks no way around it, my first dog was abandoned on my couch in college and is considered an aggressive breed, got denied a lot of houses. But ultimately I found landlords that I could just say “look I’ll bring the dog to you so you can see they aren’t aggressive” and it worked out.
Eventually I got lucky and bought though, hated renting with dogs. But don’t let it be a barrier to getting a dog just know it can make things more difficult. However if you avoid the “aggressive” (I use the term loosely) breeds nobody will bat an eye you’ll just have to pay the pet deposit
barking is fucking annoying, just get a monitor lizard, they do everything you probably want a dog to do without the neuroticism (since you're clearly not getting a pet to give it an occupation)
im not a reptile person. i don't understand reptile people.
>doesn't understand wanting this experience IRL
brain injury or something? bad infection as an infant?
do I think they're cool animals to study? yes. do i want one as a pet? no.
what misgivings do you have about getting a dog-sized lizard? it's not that difficult to make an enclosure for them. you can actually trim their nails a little too.
look m8. this is a dog thread. if you don't understand why someone would want a dog over a reptile, i don't know what to tell you. im way too lazy to formulate my thoughts on the matter. gl to your lizards
i'm approaching your dog thread with an alternate proposal
the lizard is basically a dog but cooler
nta but i had a blue tongue skink. they're cool, they're interesting but they're not pets. they're more like decoration. i get the same vibe from my tarantula
>thinks your skink compares at all to a monitor
you know nothing
Are they really like dogs, lizard-kun? I’ve seen that one video of a guy calling his alligator to him, but say I wanted to go for a hike. Could I put my lizard on a leash and have it walk with me for 5+ miles?
No, they aren't.
i guess if you're a hiker you're not going to get the same MILEAGE out of that pet, no
kek why do you keep pushing this on OP you jackass
for fun