Here’s a very simple
way to decide whether or not you should buy, adopt, rescue or foster a dog.
Check all that apply, then find what you score below.
¨ A
member(s) of your household hates, fears or has allergies to dogs or has
religious beliefs that dogs defile our homes and bodies.
¨ You have
other pets in your household that do not get along with dogs.
¨ You have
young children that are out of control.
¨ Your
lifestyle has no routine.
¨ Your
lifestyle requires that you not be home more than 12 hours a day and you cannot
find a reliable replacement.
¨ You cannot
financially afford maintaining a healthy physical, medical and psychological
environment for your dog.
¨ You do not
want to keep the dog in your home and are planning on leaving it in a garden,
on a rooftop or on a balcony.
¨ You are
already deciding whether you are getting a dog and you haven’t googled “how to
housebreak my dog” yet.
¨ Your
marriage or domestic partnership is tumultuous.
¨ You cannot
find a reliable source to bring your dog from.
¨ You are
replacing a departed dog or person.
¨ You are
less than 12 years old.
¨ Your child
wants a dog.
¨ You expect
your child to take responsibility for the dog.
¨ You think
dogs are human babies.
¨ You think
you are a dog.
¨ There is
physical or verbal abuse in your household.
¨ You are
anti-social.
¨ You have
owned a dog previously and had to give it up or euthanize it because of
behavioral issues.
¨ You
believe that a dog needs to be controlled and not trained
If you
checked any of the above criteria: YOU ARE NOT READY TO HAVE A DOG. If you don’t
get why, then you REALLY are not to ready to have a dog.
