“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”
Josh Billings, Comedian
Pros and Cons of Owning a Dog
You think about getting a dog? Great! While there are indeed many joyful things that come along with having a dog, there are also some issues related to it.
In this article, I show you all the pros and cons of getting a dog as a pet so that you can better decide whether you still want to get one or if you want to get another pet instead.
Table of Contents
Advantages of Getting a Dog
- Dogs are friends for a lifetime
- Dogs are loyal
- Your dog will protect you
- Can be a good substitute for security cameras at home
- You will have some company
- Your children will love to play with your dog
- Dogs are smart
- You can teach them nice tricks
- Getting a dog can help you in difficult periods of your life
- You may be able to start a business around your dog
- You can rescue a dog from an animal shelter
- Caring for a dog can give you a purpose in life
- Dogs can just make your life so much better
- Many of your friends will like your dog
- Dogs are among the most popular pets
Dogs are friends for a lifetime
One advantage of getting a dog is that you will also get just more than a normal pet.
You will also get a friend for a lifetime (at least the lifetime of your dog 😉).
Your dog will love you unconditionally and will always be on your side, no matter what.
It doesn’t matter whether you have lots of money or if you are broke.
Your dog will stay with you and will never even think about leaving. Instead, he will do everything to encourage you and will also try to make you happy again in case your dog sees that you are sad at the moment.
Hence, dogs are indeed like really good friends which you can trust blindly and don’t have to worry that they may betray you in some way.
Dogs are loyal
In general, dogs are also quite loyal animals. This means that you will always be their favorite person if you treat your dogs well.
There will just be no other number one for them and this can give you a great feeling of importance.
Moreover, while many humans may come into your life and will leave soon after, your dog will not do the same.
While most humans are not loyal but often try to take advantage of you, your dog will be there for you even in difficult times of your life and this can really give you motivation to carry on and not to give up during those periods.
Your dog will protect you
Another upside to having a dog is that he will also always try to protect you.
For instance, if you are in public and other people may try to bring you down or may threaten you in some sort, your dog will be there for you in case the situation escalates and he will try to protect you, no matter what.
In fact, dogs are quite effective when it comes to protecting their loved ones and they will be far better than any other security measure that might bring you in serious trouble.
Consequently, getting a dog can also make quite a lot of sense in case you don’t feel safe in public and are also not a strong person who can take care of yourself.
Can be a good substitute for security cameras at home
Another good thing about having a dog at home is that he will simply make security cameras obsolete.
If you get a smart dog and train him accordingly, burglars will have no chance of entering your home since your dog will be like an alarm bell and will also deter potential burglars pretty soon.
In fact, dogs are pretty effective when it comes to securing your home since they are always active and are also much more flexible compared to fake security cameras or other safety measures.
You will have some company
Getting a dog can also make quite a lot of sense in case you are alone quite often and urgently want to have some company.
This is often the case for older people.
Their friends have often already passed away and they have nobody around.
In turn, many of them develop mental issues since we as humans are social creatures and need company to stay happy and mentally healthy in the long run.
Thus, getting a dog can also be a great idea if you are one of those people who suffer from loneliness due to various reasons and don’t want to stay alone any longer.
Your children will love to play with your dog
Having a dog at home can also be great in case you have children.
Playing with your dog will not only be a real pleasure for you, but also your children will love chasing your dog around and spending time with him.
Many neighborhood kids will come over to your place to see your cute friends and chances are that your own children will also become really popular due to that.
Consequently, they will also have a pretty easy time finding new friends since the love for dogs can be a huge factor when it comes to making strong connections on an emotional level.
Dogs are smart
Another benefit of getting a dog is that dogs are simply pretty smart.
Of course, this is not true for all dogs out there.
Yet, there are some dog breeds that have impressive mental skills and if you get one of those dogs, chances are that your dog will learn pretty fast and that he will know what you want from him.
Moreover, you can also train your dog for various purposes.
For instance, if you go for a walk with your dog, you can train him to behave and to stay calm.
For the nighttime, you can train your dog to observe your property and to bark in case of something unusual happens.
As you can see, your dog can be useful for various reasons due to his high intellectual skills compared to many other animals that would just not have the same mental capacities.
You can teach them nice tricks
If you spend enough time with your dog, you will also be able to teach him or her really nice tricks.
In fact, your dog will be eager to learn new things all the time and your family and your friends will be really impressed when they come over to your place.
Also your children will love to teach your dogs new things and will be really excited when those tricks finally work.
Getting a dog can help you in difficult periods of your life
Dogs can also be a great support during difficult periods of your life.
Sooner or later, most of us experience situations that are difficult to handle and we are often overwhelmed when we have to deal with those extreme things.
Some people who experience bad things in their lives are also not able to get out of their misery alone and may just give up instead of carrying on.
In such a case, having a dog around you can be great since he will feel that something is not right and that you need his support.
In turn, he will do everything to make you smile again.
Moreover, studies have shown that dogs can also have real therapeutic effects on humans and can also help you in case you suffer from mental issues to a certain extent.
As you can see, your dog will be more than just a friend.
He can also be a potential life-saver for the darkest times in your life.
You may be able to start a business around your dog
Another advantage of having a dog is that you can also build a real brand around him.
In fact, some people become really famous on social media and you can also start a dog blog if you want to.
All those things not only give you the chance to become more popular, but you can also make some serious additional money out of it.
Some people even make a full-time income from making videos of their dogs that do nice tricks and make people laugh.
In fact, animal videos are quite popular on channels like YouTube and you may be able to build a huge audience that you can monetize later on in various different ways.
You can rescue a dog from an animal shelter
You can also do a good deed by getting a dog.
Instead of getting your dog from a regular breeder, you can also just rescue a dog from a shelter.
This will not only give you a good feeling since you behave in an altruistic manner, but it also helps the shelter since it will have more capacities for new animals and your dog will likely also have a better life at your place.
As you can see, this is a win-win situation for everyone and you should really consider getting a shelter dog instead of going the conventional way of just buying your dog somewhere.
Caring for a dog can give you a purpose in life
Many people also report that their dogs give them a real purpose in life.
Especially if you experienced pretty bad things in the past and also don’t know why you should live anymore, your dog may give you the strength to carry on with your life instead of just giving up.
In fact, you will know that your dog will be dependent on you and that you need to feed him.
This can give you some additional motivation and some hope for the future and you may also get up on your feet again due to the emotional support and the purpose that comes along with having a dog at home.
Dogs can just make your life so much better
If you have a dog, you know that dogs can just make our lives so much better.
Since they are loyal and are always there for you, even in the darkest times of your life, many people develop deeper connections with dogs than they could ever make with humans.
Hence, your dog can support you in various different situations on an emotional level and can therefore just make your time on earth much more enjoyable.
Many of your friends will like your dog
Also your friends will love to come over to your place to see how your dog is doing.
In fact, many people like dogs and you will always be the center of the universe with your cute friend.
Dogs can also be great to make new connections since you will talk to many different people in a natural way when you go for a walk and you may also find your significant other during those occasions.
Dogs are among the most popular pets
Dogs are also among the most popular pets in the world.
This means that people will also respect you most of the time and will not consider you weird like it would be the case if you got a pig as a pet instead.
Thus, you also don’t have to fear being socially excluded by getting a dog and you will perfectly fit into society.
As you can see, there are certainly many nice things that come along with getting a dog.
Yet, caring for a dog also implies many issues which I want to talk about in the following chapter to give you a comprehensive picture regarding what having a dog at home really looks like.
Disadvantages of Having a Dog
- Dogs can be noisy
- Getting a dog can be costly
- Dogs will need space
- You will have to take care of your dog
- Problematic if you want to go on vacation
- You will have to say goodbye sooner or later
- Getting a big dog may be risky in case you have small kids
- You will have to clean your home more often
- Your neighbors may not be happy
- Dogs can smell quite a lot
- You will have to get vaccinations for your dog
- You have to go to the veterinarian if your dog gets sick
- Getting a dog will take away some of your flexibility
- You have to go for a walk even when the weather is bad
- Your dog may break things
- Some dogs will just not listen to you
- Dogs are just ordinary pets
- You may need a dog trainer
- You may be allergic to dogs
Dogs can be noisy
One disadvantage of getting a dog is that your dog can simply be quite noisy.
Your dog will often bark if he sees squirrels, birds and other animals and may wake you up in the middle of the night, even though you only wanted him to bark in case of burglars.
This can be really annoying and can cost you plenty of valuable sleep.
Consequently, insufficient sleep can also lead to serious long-term health issues and you should make sure that you are willing to pay this price before getting a dog.
Getting a dog can be costly
You should also not underestimate the costs that come along with having a dog.
You will have to buy your dog and if you want to get a certain exotic breed, you often have to pay several hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a dog puppy.
Moreover, you will also have expenses for food and for medical treatment.
Hence, getting a dog may also not be a good idea in case you are on a budget right now and simply can’t afford to spend money on pets.
Dogs will need space
You should also make sure that you have enough space at home before getting a dog.
Most people underestimate the space a dog needs to run around and to stay healthy in the long run.
While a house with a big garden would be perfect, a small apartment will not be the right place to keep a dog for a longer period of time.
Consequently, you should also not get a dog if you are space-constraint right now and can’t provide natural living conditions for your dog.
You will have to take care of your dog
Another disadvantage of having a dog is that you will have to be there for your dog all the time.
It doesn’t matter what issue your dog might have, you will have to resolve this issue.
You may also be liable for damage your dog might do to others and you should therefore also make sure that you get proper insurance so that you will be covered in case of emergency.
Problematic if you want to go on vacation
You will also have to find someone who looks after your dog when you want to go on vacation.
If you don’t have friends who can take care of your loved pet, you may be in serious trouble and may even have to cancel your vacation plans.
Sure, there are also animal hotels where your dog could stay for a certain period of time in some regions.
Yet, if you live in rather remote regions where those places don’t exist, you will have a hard time managing your vacation plans.
You will have to say goodbye sooner or later
Dogs will not live forever and chances are that your dog will pass away before you do.
This also means that you will have to say goodbye to your loved dog sooner or later and this can really break your heart.
It can be especially hard for your children and you should make sure that you are strong enough to deal with this issue in a proper manner as a family before you get a dog.
Getting a big dog may be risky in case you have small kids
You should also not underestimate the risks that come along with having a dog at home.
Especially if you want to get a big dog and your kids are still small, your dog will have much more power than your kids and may really hurt them, even though your dog might not even intend to do so.
Consequently, you will always have to look after your kids when they come close to your dog and this can eat up additional time which you might need to manage other important things.
You will have to clean your home more often
Another downside of having a dog is that you will also have to clean your home more often.
Your dog will just lose some hair and he will also bring some dirt from your garden inside your four walls.
Thus, make sure that you are also willing to spend more time cleaning your home before you make the decision to get a dog.
Your neighbors may not be happy
Since your dog may be pretty noisy, your neighbors may also not appreciate your decision of getting a dog at all.
Some of them may even not like dogs and may try to convince you to give away your dog pretty soon.
Few of them may even try to sue you and you may have to deal with many unpleasant things in this regard.
Dogs can smell quite a lot
If you don’t care for your dog in a proper manner, chances are that your dog will smell quite badly in the long run.
This also means that your home will start to smell in a rather unpleasant manner and you should therefore make sure that you also wash your dog in rather short intervals.
You will have to get vaccinations for your dog
You will also need to get vaccinations for your dog.
In some states, this will even be mandatory and it also implies that you will have to spend additional time and money on the well-being of your pet.
While this might not be a problem if you have plenty of leisure and also don’t have to worry about money that much, it can be a real problem if you neither have leisure nor money.
You have to go to the veterinarian if your dog gets sick
Your dog will also suffer from many minor issues.
Quite often, you will have to see the veterinarian to cure your dog and this will lead to additional costs.
It can also be quite annoying to spend time sitting in a veterinary practice while you could spend this time with your kids or on other nice things instead.
Getting a dog will take away some of your flexibility
In general, getting a dog will also take away plenty of flexibility.
Since you will always have to care for your dog, you will have less time for other things.
While some people just do on short city trips on weekends, you may have to stay at home and care for your pet.
In fact, your level of freedom will be confined in various different ways and you should take this into account before getting a dog for your place.
You have to go for a walk even when the weather is bad
Your dog will also not care whether it rains or snows outside.
He will just force you to go for a walk with him and you will simply have no other choice than to obey.
There are natural processes that are in place and this means that you will have to go for a walk with your dog on a regular basis, no matter what.
Your dog may break things
Your dog will also run around at your home and sooner or later, your dog may also break things.
Hence, especially if you have really precious furniture or other objects of value, you might think twice and may rather go for a slower pet instead.
Some dogs will just not listen to you
While some dog breeds are known to comply with your commands quite well, others may be more problematic in this regard and it may cost you some nerves to train your dog in the way you want him to behave.
Dogs are just ordinary pets
You should also be aware of the fact that dogs are quite popular pets and that many families will have one.
This also implies that you will not stand out with your dog and if you are a person who wants to be in the spotlight all day long, you may rather want to get a more exotic pet instead.
You may need a dog trainer
Some dogs are also just difficult and in such a case, you may also need a dog trainer who could train your dog to make him more responsible.
This will also cost you some additional money and you should make sure that you are willing to invest this money in your dog or if you rather want to invest it in other projects.
You may be allergic to dogs
Your allergies may also prevent you from getting a dog.
You might not know it yet, but you might be allergic to dog hair.
Thus, before getting a dog, make sure that you are tested in a doctor’s office to avoid any unpleasant surprises in this regard.
Top 10 Dog Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Dog Pros | Dog Cons |
|---|---|
| A dog can be your best friend | Dogs can be costly |
| You will have company | You have to invest lots of time |
| Dogs can help you during difficult times | You have to see the veterinarian |
| Your dog will protect you | You will be liable for potential damage |
| Your kids will love your dog | Dogs can be aggressive |
| You can teach your dog nice tricks | You will have to clean your home often |
| Dogs can be pretty smart | Dogs can be loud |
| Your life can just get much better | You may need a dog trainer |
| Dogs are loyal | You will not have an extraordinary pet |
| You can rescue a dog from the shelter | Dogs can smell quite poorly |
Should You Get a Dog as a Pet?
As we can see from the previous discussion, there are many advantages and disadvantages of getting a dog as a pet.
In the end, you need to have a look at all the pros and cons yourself so that you can make a profound decision that is in line with your personal preferences and circumstances.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/d/domestic-dog/
https://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my own plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
