From the moment you saw him, you fell in love. He’s tall, dark, and handsome … and a gorgeous eight-week-old Labrador puppy. You’ve been dreaming of adopting a dog for weeks, but there’s only one problem; you’re not sure if the man or woman in your life is also ready for the responsibility of a furry baby.
How can a girl know if she can have her dog and her guy too? Here are six signs to look for before you and your significant other become official puppy parents.
Think of dogs as a permanent curfew – only instead of being grounded if you come home late, you’re faced with a pee-stained carpet or chewed-up slippers. Before you bring a dog into your world, make sure that you and your significant other have set schedules. This way, it’s easier to plan who will take care of the dog on which days and at what times. If you always work late and your boyfriend travels three weeks each month, a goldfish might be a better choice.
The type of dog you get – from teacup poodle to Great Dane – will determine if Fido needs a small kennel or a room to himself. Nonetheless, any dog will need a bed to lie in, enough room to walk around and, preferably, access to a small area outside. Don’t bring a dog to a studio apartment that already feels stuffed with two people! You’re also going to need some spare cash, whether for shots, grooming or surprise medical emergencies. Make sure that both of you realize that when you adopt a dog, you may not have the money needed for other activities like fancy date nights or vacations.
Don’t adopt a dog thinking you’ll “figure out” how to split up the responsibilities as you go along. That’ll likely end with no one feeding the dog or the dog being fed twice but never being let outside to go to the bathroom. Instead, as Glamour suggests, create a plan of attack. Who will walk the dog? Feed him? Bathe him? Take him to the vet? Pay for his grooming? Bonus points if you create a chore chart or calendar so everyone remembers their jobs!
Besides the basic plan, though, you should also talk about backup plans from B to Z. What if the dog has a major health issue? Do you pay thousands of dollars or put him down? If the dog doesn’t seem to be the right fit for you, how long do you keep trying before calling it quits? And, perhaps most importantly, if you two do ever break up, who gets the dog? Breakups are hard enough – you don’t need a custody battle at the same time.
Ask yourself why you really want a dog and ask your partner the same question. If you both want a dog in order to enjoy doggy companionship and cuddles, experience a shared responsibility or feel more like a real family, then great! But if you’re getting a dog because “everyone” else seems to or because you know it would make your partner happy, then rethink your options. Not only does a dog deserve better than that, but your relationship does too.
