This post presents important considerations one should make before getting a new pet. Pets can be great parts of our family, but they require considerable attention and care to live a good life.

Pet Ownership Changes Your Life

It is hard to understate just how getting a new pet can impact your life.

A well-trained dog will serve as a companion who stays with you whenever you want them to (as well as when you don’t) and can fit any conceivable lifestyle. Pets can be great companions who teach us more about ourselves and our communities as a whole.

If you want a pet and are ready for the challenges, there is nothing quite like it. However, to ensure you are making a decision that is both in your and your (prospective) future pet’s best interest, you must consider this choice carefully. After all, by getting a pet, you are taking responsibility for the well-being of another life. While most every Christmas move used to present dogs as a common gift, pets are not a decision that should be taken lightly.

For the sake of convenience, “pet” will refer to the traditional home companions like dogs and cats that are likely to spend several years in our lives.¹ However, the advice will be applicable across pet ownership, and all pets deserve to live a life of proper care and treatment.

¹The oldest living pet bird, Charlie, is estimated to be 105-106 years old at the date of this publication. That’s a long time to have a pet.

A Warning: Our Pets Depend On Us

As you seek to add a pet to your life because you want companionship, any pet introduced to your family will need your regular attention and care. Pet ownership is a long-term decision that makes your responsible for another being.

While your pet cat might be able to survive on its own if need be and some dogs have a knack for making friends and finding an abundance of food, that is not the life we promise them when we bring them into our homes.

When we acquire a pet, we are deliberately acting to incorporate it into our lives and make it dependent upon us. This created dependency requires that we maintain a base level of care if we are to give our pets the lives they deserve.

Pet Care can be Intense

Pets require regular care, including food, cleaning, stimulation, and medical attention. This care can amount to thousands of dollars each year, if not more, depending on the type of pet and level of attention given.

Beyond monetary costs, pets require regular training and stimulation if we want to keep them happy, healthy, and acting with good behavior. After all, a tired pet is a well-behaved pet (unless, of course, it’s your overtired puppy and he sees your slippers), and we have all seen a grumpy cat (RIP to the OG) or a dog we didn’t enjoy being around.

Pets will be around for a long time, so you have to make sure you put in the care so your shared time goes harmoniously.

Getting a Pet

If you’ve read this far and decided you still want a pet, great! I have multiple pets and find that they make each day better.

While determining where to get your pet and the specific nature of the process is something intimate that I do not seek to control (only you can determine whether you want to adopt or purchase from a breeder, what kind of pet you want, and the age of the pet you adopt), I can help you narrow down the decision and consider how it impacts your home system.

After all, time is limited, so it is in our best interest to think strategically so we can have fun with our pets and still have time for everything else.

To Begin: Where Do You Live?

Your current residence (as well as expected near-future changes) has a major impact on your pet’s life.

For example, if you want to adopt a dog, you will have different chores needs based on whether you live in an urban apartment as opposed to a house on acres of land (ex. can you let your dog out the back door to go to the bathroom, or is it a planned trip down an elevator anytime Lucy has to go to the loo?). Similarly, if you expect to move cities or switch from an apartment to a house in a near future, these decisions should be factored into our pet plans.

Beyond basic bathroom trips and chores, where you live determines what your pet will be exposed to (just like you). If you live on a farm, chances are your new dog Woofmaster is going to get used to some land and maybe meet some other critters. At the same time, Woofmaster may be exposed to more predators than what Snuffles the city dog might face (assuming that we exclude people and vehicles as dog predators).

Space factors are important to consider to help you decide what size pet fits your lifestyle and to get a sense for what to expect in terms of exercising and entertaining your pet. I’ve known some preposterously big city dogs and some tiny farmhands, but conventional space wisdom, energy requirements, and breed knowledge can save you frustration down the line.

The Indoor Pet

Even if your pet will be indoor-only, it’s important to consider the space you have and whether any of it needs to be pet-free. A cat curled up on your couch may sound cute, but they might be crazy the other 23.5 hours of your day if you live in a 400 square foot apartment and don’t find ways to keep them sufficiently stimulated.

You aren’t happy when you’re bored, and neither is your pet. Consider whether they can be happy in the environment you will provide them.

What’s Your Lifestyle?

Do you travel most weekends, or do you like to spend time at home as much as possible? Does your work take you away for extended periods? Do you work from home?

How you spend your time influences how a pet would fit into your life. If you like to have people over often, it is critical you socialize your pet (which you should be doing anyway) and get them used to others in your home. Similarly, if you spend lots of time hiking or driving, it is wise to expose your pets early and often (based on vet guidance, of course) so they are more used to these activities as they grow.

Some lifestyles lend well to having pets, whereas others might pose some substantial hurdles. There’s always a way to make it work, but be prepared for any additional costs pet ownership might have based on your unique habits and time choices (pet boarding is expensive!).

Consider Your Family

A pet is something that becomes part of your family and relies upon you its whole life. With that, each member of your household must be on-board and accepting if you want your pet to live a good life.

Do you have babies (or expect babies in the near future)? Have your family members had pets before? Each aspect of our family influences what we need to do to prepare for a pet and whether we are ready for ownership.

When you are looking into a pet, you are wise to consider the time needs of your family as it is, whether and to what extent pet tasks can be distributed across the family, and how needs will change as time progresses. For example, if you have young kids who are starting to become more aware and capable of responsibility, you might be able to introduce the concept of chores to them through having them take turns feeding the pet.

Pets can teach discipline, accountability, and thoughtful care. Your family best benefits when everyone is on the same page, open to the new experience, and ready to help as possible. The level of care and attention your family would need to provide would depend on the pet you decide to take home and its age when you get it.

How Old a Pet?

You can get a pet at just about any age of its lifestyle. I often hear recommendations for new pet owners to start with older pets because they’ve already been trained and are shorter, more mellow companions (note: older pets may require substantial medical care and treatment, so consider what you’re doing carefully!). Alternatively, people recommend young pets so that the owners can train them exactly how they want (this is a lot of work and a decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. Good luck!)

Considering your desired pet age, experience, and willingness to learn will help you best determine how old a pet to get and what you need to do to prepare. If you need the puppy experience, make sure you puppy-proof your house and read up on the basic needs of the breeds you’re considering. If you don’t necessarily need a puppy, you can often find young adult dogs available for adoption (including those that have failed out of K-9 training- typically for being to nice- and are already intensely trained) that will require less training and constant supervision.

If you decide on a puppy, you need to recognize that it’s A LOT of work and the countless puppy guide outlines only scratch the surface of how a puppy changes your life.

What Do You Want in a Pet?

This is often the question we start with, but it tends to disappear as we get lost in the pet details.

The most important thing we can do for a pet is love it and give it the time it needs to be happy and healthy. It’s easy for us to do that if our pet choice fits into where we want it.

We’re all different. It’s half the fun of being human.

Our differences shape where we spend our time, how we manage our homes, and what makes us happy. It’s ok to be different, and it’s important to recognize how we weigh our tasks and preferences so that our time and choices work toward our end goals.

Throughout your pet process, think carefully about what you want from a pet and why. If you want a couch potato dog companion, you might not be satisfied with a high-energy Vizla or American Labrador (though they are handsome fellas). Even though your kids want a puppy, you might be overwhelmed spending all your day potty training the dog when you’re trying to make sure your kids put their shoes on the right feet.

Our visions for pets can change, and that’s fine. The more we think about things, the more we are able to parse through our preferences to get to what we want. It’s important we don’t get lost in the sea of details or swept up in a pet craze, becasue we might just trick ourselves into a commitment we weren’t ready to make.

Conclusion

Pets are fascinating companions that are intimately tied to humanity as a whole. While we might not all be ready for pet ownership (and, I’d contend that fewer people are prepared for pets than we think), pets can be excellent family members and teach us a lot about ourselves and the world around us.

If you are considering a pet, be careful to think about whether you are ready to provide a life that makes you, your family, and your prospective pet happy. If everyone’s on the same page, you have the chance to add a new member to your life. However, do not seek a pet solely for companionship or something new without considering whether you are ready, because this decision puts the well-being of multiple lives at stake.

Thoughts? Questions? Recommendations? Let me know!

-G

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