Pros and Cons of Having a Pet

“Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward, you can’t imagine living any other way.”

Growing up, I remember having dogs, birds, fish, and hamsters as pets. I have had dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, fish, and hamsters as pets as an adult. I will be the first to say that a pet seemed like too much responsibility and an extra chore as a child. As an adult, you can share the responsibility with family members and learn to enjoy your pets instead of looking at them as burdens.

Currently, our family has three dogs. Miles Morales and Marley Michelangelo are Shih-Tzu and bichon mixes, and Coco Butter is a Shih-Tzu Poodle mix. They all, just like children, have their own personalities. Even though they are the cutest little dogs, they can still be a handful at times. Check out some pros and cons of having a pet.

Pros

• Can create an opportunity to exercise more (daily walks and playing with your pet can cause you to exercise and become more active)
• Can decrease anxiety, stress, depression and increase mental health (having someone to care for lessens loneliness)
• Can teach responsibility (feeding, letting them out to potty, cleaning their areas, caring for pets daily, etc.)
• Can be lifelong companions (the average lifespan for a dog is 10 – 13 years)

Cons

• Can be somewhat expensive (be financially ready to pay for veterinarian visits for health, food, water, snacks, toys, etc.)
• Can cause you to be impatient (if you get a new puppy, potty training takes a lot of patience and accidents are to be expected)
• Can be time consuming (feeding routines, walks, potty time, and providing love all takes time)
• Can require planning (boarding or care needs to be planned if you are going out of town)

At the end of the day, if you are considering getting a pet, love, time, and patience are great traits to have. If you currently own a pet, comment below with their name and what type of pet it is.