subject: Consider the reponsibility of being a pet owner [print this page] Consider the reponsibility of being a pet owner
The responsibility of being a dog owner is more than just meeting the needs of one's pet financially. If you are considering adopting a new pet I would ask that you take the following aspects into consideration. Having a pet join your family will bring on additional expenses. Their yearly vet visit, numerous oddities that you will choose to purchase to make your pet's life more enjoyable. When we first purchased our dog, we took her to our vet for the once over and found numerous concerns that needed to be addressed immediately. Nothing serious, just the normal vaccinations, infected ears, trimmed toenails. We also found that we needed to purchase a pet license which would make her legal to reside in our household. After all this was taken care of and quite a drain on our pocketbook, we had a pup who was happy and healthy.
Our next goal was to make her life comfortable. This included obtaining a dog house, feeding dishes, leashes, securing fence's, gates and purchasing chew toys. Little did we know at the time that this pup of ours was capable of climbing our four foot fence which encompasses our one acre parcel. Off to the hardware store to purchase additional fencing to make our property appear like a fortress.
After a short period of time, it became evident that whatever we were doing regarding training, was not working. I researched dog obedience schools in the area and found one that agreed with our type of training protocol. For the small sum of two hundred dollars, we were registered to attend a eight week session, twice a week, to try and make our unruly pup into a somewhat well mannered dog. Our dog loved the classes and the praise that she received. She took to the commands like a fish to water. She truly is a working dog and it was us, as owners, who were confusing her on what we expected.
Additional expense has come about as she has aged. Hip x-rays, special diet, additional beds in every room for her to sleep, all in keeping her comfortable.
I have found the expense of owning a dog to be, at times, overwhelming,. Financially, she has cost us plenty. Putting the cost aside, the other outlook on owning a pet has been far beyond my expectations. She has been my constant companion over the past twelve years. Always here to come home to. She is non judgmental, understanding when its been a rough day, motivating me to take walks and a silent friend over the years. Do I feel that the expense has been to much? Never, I would gladly spend the funds to experience the joys that I have been given. I feel that the monies would have been spent elsewhere without the kickback that she has given me. She has been very wise investment.
I do know that I could have welcomed this pet into our household with probably one third of the cost. As a new pet owners, we felt we needed to do everything that was "highly recommended". My dog does not care what quality of bedding we chose. Half the time, she lays on the floor with just her head propped on her dog bed. She is not impressed that her toys are from the top retailers. She is content with retrieving plastic water bottles.
The biggest investment that we have given to our dog, is our time. Time to spend with her, including her in our family outings, spending time working with her, taking her for walks in the neighborhood. All of this has no monetary numbers attached to it.
The responsibility extends so much further that the financial aspect. The decision to have a pet join your family is allowing yourself to open your heart and experience the joys that a pet can bring. The financial part is nothing compared to the emotional part that plays with your heart strings.
