Dogs come in different shapes, sizes and breeds. They may be short, tall, furry, or bald. Their breeds could be German Shepherd, Beagle, Poodle, Pug, or Dachshund. No matter how creepy or strange they look, they turn into our special someone. Thus, we give them endearing and adorable nicknames.

Dogs are also our best friends. They lighten our moods just by staying on our side while we leap for joy or cry of misery. In fact, they comfort us better than human beings, so they have become our best therapy. Sometimes, we just want others to listen and hug us and those are some of their exceptional traits.

Taking care of pets becomes even more memorable when we do so with our loved ones, such as our girlfriends or boyfriends. We treat our pets as our babies that we feed, bathe, and tour them around. As we allow our pets to grow, our romantic relationships grow together, too. We become more connected with each other because pets can bridge the gap between us. We get to know our significant other more since pets can bring out his or her side that we have never seen before, like being thoughtful and gentle. Nevertheless, black is always visible in a world of black and white. There are also reasons not to own a dog with our lover.

15. Commitment

Commitment is a strong word that either strengthens or crushes a person. One definition is the commitment we establish with our significant other, but it does not only involve lovers. It is also necessary to finish your school works or workload. It is for families as well because you have to know who you should be loyal to. Most importantly, it is significant in a relationship between human beings and pets.

Thus, think twice before you enter a huge responsibility because it is no joke to take care of a pet. Pets are not just a piece of garbage that you can throw away when you grow tired of them. They promise you commitment as the both of you should.

14. Break Up

Though you hope and pray that your relationship will be steady, there will come a time when you need to give up because you can no longer endure the pain. You know you deserve better, so you break up with them. Yet, when you break away from a toxic relationship, you are not the only one affected, especially when you have formed a habit the past months.

For instance, both of you decided to adopt a dog. When there is a pending breakup at the end of the line, where would the dog go when they are attached to both owners? Who would be the rightful owner? Dogs can be emotionally broken, too. How can you inflict pain on them when all they have ever wanted is to give you love, security, time, and comfort?

13. Inadequate Time

Both of you have a different set of priorities. You might be devoted to your work more than anything else. You might not be the epitome of time management. You might also be focused on your relationship too much that you neglect this responsibility of taking care of another being. Because of this, you might not deliver the kind of affection that they need and deserve. They must be fed regularly to have a strong immune system to fight diseases or viruses. Apart from food and water, they also need love from their owners. They want a home, not just a house.

12. Fights

People are naturally sensitive, even if their unfriendly impression greets you. They have a soft side as well. They become even more sensitive when their attachments are involved. Thus, adopting a pet can be the root of a misunderstanding since people are attached to their pets.

Just like in your relationship, she also wants an equal amount of time with the dog. She does not want to be the only one exerting an effort for the pet because she would like to see you as a potential spouse. She wants to know if your actions speak louder than words. If you do not meet her expectations, you will end up arguing with her.

11. Center of Attention

Jealousy is always waiting at the corner. We tend to get jealous when they give others the attention that we want to receive from them. Even if they just notice others for a while, we are annoyed. No matter how many reassurances they tell us, we are blinded with envy and anger because it is the fact that they crossed their mind that exasperates us. What if they focus more on dogs and fail to notice your presence? Won’t you get jealous when it seems that dogs are more important to them than you are? Won’t you feel hurt when they choose dogs over you? Here comes another fight.

10. Additional Expenses

Owning a dog means you need to support another life form financially. It is not as easy as you think. You need to calculate the additional expenses since taking care of one is tedious. Some dogs are demanding when it comes to food that they refuse to eat regular dog food. They also need shelter where they can rest. Be it a dog house or tent. Dogs must visit the veterinarian regularly, too, so that they would be fit and healthy. Those are just some of the things that you need to pay for when the two of you adopt a pet. Instead of using the money on movie dates or romantic dates, you need to set aside some money for the dog for its supplies, training, and bills.

9. Allergies

Dogs can trigger allergies because of their fur, saliva, or urine. They may be the reason for continuous sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, facial pain, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, itchy eyes, skin rash, etc., especially when these symptoms appear after your interaction with them. The tendency for you to catch an allergy is higher when the dog resides inside your home or room. It is not like a dog can be hypoallergenic.

If you know your immune system and hers cannot tolerate these allergies, you should not consider owning a pet with her. Just find the dog a home if you cannot provide them one.

8. No Freedom

When you own dogs, you need to consider them in every decision you make. Before you travel, you should take in to account the setup when you leave them. Before you go on a date, you must consider them as well. Before you take a vacation and have fun, you need to think of someone who will look after and take care of them like your other relatives or a dogsitter. You just can’t leave them at home since they cannot take care of themselves. Of course, that also has a price. Or, you can bring them along, but that would add to your expenses and these dogs might experience travel sickness.

7. Too Much Noise

Dogs use barking to communicate with us. They bark when they hear something suspicious or see someone unfamiliar. This is because they are protective and alarmed, or they sense fear. They bark when they want to greet us or play with us. Or, they just want attention.

It is not wrong to protect us from mistrustful individuals, but excessive barking can be irritating because it makes us believe that they are craving for unnecessary attention. It disturbs us when we are busy finishing our assignments or workload. It interrupts us when we are flirting with our partner. The noise that they make just aggravates us.

6. Damages Houses

Dogs can be short-tempered that they ruin your personal belongings and damage the house. They might wreck your favorite vase or painting. They might chew and bite your favorite shoes. They might tear up the couch into pieces. They might also dig up your garden. But, why do they do so?

There are several reasons why dogs can be that hyper. To lessen the pain of having sore gums, they chew on almost anything. They might also be bored, stressed, or anxious, so their solution is to distract themselves and be overexcited. The real question is, can you both handle it? Are you mature enough to be patient with them?

5. Cleaning

Apart from the damages on your house, dogs scatter around dirt, urine, and poop in places that should be restricted. This is what they do to “mark their territory”. Yet, of course, your partner also has her “territory” and the bedroom is one of them.

Dogs can be trained to urinate or poop in certain places, but that also takes time to do so. Before you own a pet, both of you should know the concept of cleaning, especially when it also needs the patience to do so. You should not be “stagy” or “exaggerated” and girls need to control that.

4. Space

Dogs also need their “personal space”. When you adopt one, make sure that you can provide them a home. Do not just leave them abandoned on the streets. They need the warmth of a home, too. There should be a designated place in your home. For instance, you can buy them a tent, bed, or kennel, as long as they are comfortable.

Without a doubt, dogs can also take up your “space”. They might fight with you to occupy the bed or sofa. Hence, know the responsibility and the consequences of owning one since you really need to know how to be selfless.

3. Short Life Span

Being too attached is bound to happen when you are with them most of the time when you care about them more than anything else. But, too much attachment can be dangerous, especially when you make them your world. What if they die without a warning? What if they bid goodbye unexpectedly? Won’t feeling dead while living than actually being dead more painful?

Dogs have a shorter lifespan than humans because 1 dog equal is equal to 7 human years. In fact, an average life of a dog is around 9-15 years. Aging can be seen in their vision problems, frequent urination, confusion, weight gain/loss, fatty lumps, and frequent and deeper sleep. Thus, it can be aching to be attached to a dog since their time on Earth is limited. It can leave a painful mark on your life.

2. Expanding Family

Another thing to worry about when you are just starting a family with her is balancing the care between your baby and dog. Both want your attention. Both want your consideration. The baby might get jealous when you are focusing on the dog and vice versa. Plus, it will take some time for them to accept and get used to each other. If you adopt a dog first before having a baby, the dog still needs to get used to the new setup. If you have a baby first before owning a dog, the baby also has to familiarize himself or herself with the new member of the family.

1. Lack of Sleep

As stated a while ago, owning a dog is like having a baby. A dog aches for attention, care, and kindness. When the dog needs to pee outside, it asks you to accompany it. No matter how heroic it seems, it also has a soft side. When the dog barks at someone unfamiliar or something suspicious, it disturbs you and pulls you to get out of bed. It senses fear and it wants you to comfort itself. When the dog is hungry and cries because of starvation, it licks you for you to feed it. Surely, it cannot feed itself. Due to this, you could not sleep properly. Well, both of you could not.