three really good reasons to not get a dog

Atlas, the labradoodle, joined our family this past christmas.

Since then, I’ve learned a thing or two about having a dog. Here’s what I’ve discovered: there are three very good reasons not to get a dog.

I mean, this one is pretty obvious. Dogs are animals and by default that means they are not overly concerned with wiping muddy paws before coming inside and relieving themselves in discrete locations. And they shed. Oh, the hair! We thought we were safe with our choice of a labradoodle, but come to find out, the non-shedding factor is as unpredictable as the weather. We bought a shedder.

Each night after wrestling the kids into jammies, brushing their teeth, reading books, saying prayers, tucking them in, I come downstairs to a pup who thinks it’s his turn for some attention. So we play fetch and I rub his belly and give him a treat and within seconds of turning on the tv or sitting down at the computer or opening a book, he is in my face or on my lap asking for more. He needs walks even when it’s raining and playtime even when you’re tired and it doesn’t matter if you’ve been playing tug-o-war with him for an hour – he’ll still want more.

First you buy the dog. Then you buy the dog some stuff {toys, dog bed, food}. Then the dog destroys the toy and chews up his bed and needs fancier food for his sensitive stomach and you spend more money. Then you go on a vacation and pay to board the dog. But you feel bad and so you spend a little extra so he can have some special doggy play time during his lodging stay. He needs grooming and vaccinations and a new leash because he chewed through it and a bigger collar because he grows like a weed. He costs a lot of money.

There is something so right about having a dog in our family.

Atlas is inconvenient; he’s messy and needy and costs money I could find of 384 other ways to spend, but we really can’t imagine not having this sweet puppy in our lives.

He is cute. He is fun. He makes us laugh. He licks up crumbs. He is happy to see us. He is loyal. He is part of our family.

So, even though there are three really good reasons why you should not get a dog, there are even more reasons why you should.

But maybe try to find a non-shedder.