Is a Puppy Worth It? (10 Reasons for You to Ponder!)
Are you thinking about getting a puppy?
Do you feel that a puppy will improve your life or provide that missing something?
On balance, do the plusses outweigh the minuses, and is it worth getting a puppy?
Why Do You Want a Puppy?
People are complex, and you probably have multiple reasons and emotions around getting a puppy.
Before you start contacting puppy breeders, it is worth digging deep and looking at your motivation for thinking about a puppy.
The value of a puppy to your life depends on your expectations.
Your assessment of the worth of raising a puppy relies on how well having a puppy meets your picture of life with a puppy.
5 Top Reasons for Getting a Puppy
Subconsciously or unconsciously, most people get a puppy for one or more of the following reasons:
#1 Substitute Child
When you hit a certain age, your nurturing instincts kick in, and instead of having a baby, you may subconsciously reach for a cute and cuddly puppy.
Some couples give owning a puppy a trial run to see how their family dynamic works when you have a demanding infant in the house.
Others skip the human family in favor of a canine family – with a puppy, you don’t need to save up for an expensive college education.
#2 Substitute Sibling
Families may adopt a puppy to give their children a puppy companion for play and affection.
In many ways, a puppy becomes a younger sibling – a shoulder to cry on and a source of unconditional love and affection.
Children who grow up with a puppy sibling tend to be more flexible, more caring, and physically and emotionally healthier than those who miss out on the joy of a puppy in their lives.
Ask most adults who grew up with a puppy, and they will tell you that a puppy is worth it for the remembered joy.
#3 Companionship
Humans are social animals, and living alone is not most people’s preference.
But modern life means you may live miles away from your near family and friends.
Sharing a house with a comparative stranger is unlikely to fill that need for companionship, and many people choose to share their lives with a puppy to provide an enthusiastic greeting when you get home from work and for fun adventures at the weekend.
#4 Security
Linked with companionship is the need for reassurance – you hope your puppy will provide an alarm system for your home and protection or deterrent for yourself.
Walking with a dog is different from walking by yourself, and having a dog barking may deter potential burglars.
Unless you intend to invest in a security dog with appropriate training, the value of a puppy for security is more psychological than practical.
But having the confidence to go out and about with your puppy improves your community links, increasing your safety as your neighbors will notice if something seems wrong.
Is it worth getting your puppy to improve your security?
Suppose your personal security is your main reason for considering a puppy.
In that case, it is worth choosing to go for self-defense classes and more traditional security measures like a personal alarm and pepper spray rather than a puppy.
#5 Personal Wellbeing
It is worth getting a puppy for your health and happiness.
Plenty of studies prove that a puppy is worth the investment because you will gain physical and mental benefits from your cute puppy that pay dividends for life.
Your puppy will make you go outside and meet other people.
You benefit from the exercise and the green gym points of surrounding yourself with nature, even in a city park.
A gym will allow you to exercise, but you won’t get off the sofa and visit the gym two to three times a day, rain or shine.
The loyalty and companionship of your puppy will substantially improve your mental health.
You get stress relief and a warm cuddly body for sharing your favorite movie, and looking after a puppy means looking after yourself.
5 Reasons Why It Is Not Worth Getting a Puppy
You may think you want a puppy for all the positive benefits, but there are times when getting a puppy is not worth it.
#1 A Puppy Is Not a Fashion Accessory
If you think a cute puppy will look great on your Instagram feed, then consider borrowing or renting one for the photoshoot.
A puppy is intelligent, has needs, requires time and effort, and deserves better treatment than ranking alongside must-have shoes.
The reality of puppy ownership is clearing up poop, walking in all weathers, and hair on your furnishings and clothes.
If it is all about appearance, buy a cuddly toy.
#2 You Are Never Home
If you work long hours, spend time traveling, and treat your home as a place to store your clothes and sleep, then you don’t have the time to spend with a puppy.
Plus, you will need to arrange for your puppy to spend time in kennels or with pet sitters to compensate for your absence.
If your puppy spends more time with other people, it won’t be your puppy in anything but name.
Some people can combine work and travel with a puppy because they can take the puppy everywhere. A puppy is worth rearranging their lives to accommodate a puppy for those people.
Typically, most people don’t have the resources or the influence to insist that their puppy accompanies them to work or overseas.
It is only worth having a puppy if you can spend time together every day, most days.
#3 Financial Pressures
If you work under a tight budget or your employment isn’t stable, you may want to consider if a puppy is affordable at this stage in your life.
Even if you adopt a puppy rather than buying a pedigree, a puppy will involve a significant financial outlay – equipment, food, and veterinary bills.
Plus, a puppy will limit where you can live in rented accommodation and make it more difficult to work away from home or work overtime.
You may save by dropping the gym membership but bringing a puppy into your life will mean spending to maintain your puppy in good health.
This extra financial burden may be a step too far if your budget is tight.
#4 Lack of Support
It takes a village to raise a child, and although it is possible to raise a puppy by yourself, you will need support.
You can pay for a puppy walker and kennels, but you will face times when you need help with your puppy.
Everyone gets ill at some stage, but your puppy still needs its walks and routine no matter how terrible you feel.
Before considering if it is worth getting a puppy, consider how you will deal with the unexpected – illness, delay at work, and everything that may stop you from meeting your obligations to your puppy.
Putting a puppy into kennels requires planning; dealing with an emergency in the next hour means support from someone else.
Do you have someone to step up to look after your puppy in an emergency?
If not, you may want to delay the choice of investing in a puppy until you work on your support network.
#5 Fix Your Issues
It is not worth getting a puppy if you think it will fix some other issue in your life.
Bringing a puppy into the house won’t fix that relationship if you have relationship issues.
There are some issues where a puppy can be part of the solution – losing weight, improving your mental health, dealing with loneliness, and building a community.
But it will help if you are realistic about your reasons for considering a puppy.
The best reason for investing in a puppy is because you genuinely enjoy canine companionship, and you are ready to give the time and energy necessary to build that loving bond.
How Do You Benefit from Raising a Puppy?
The benefits of bringing a puppy into your life are numerous:
- Happiness – cute, cuddly, and fun to be with; puppies bring joy.
- Health – more exercise, more outside time, and a tuned immune system.
- Friendship – your puppy loves unconditionally and brings more people into your life.
- Comfort – a puppy in the home makes you feel more secure overnight.
- Adventure – seeking out new places to walk your puppy introduces you to new experiences.
- Structure – puppies need a routine, which helps structure your day.
- Children – kids do better with a dog in the family for developing responsibility and empathy.
- Relaxation – puppy playtime is a daily de-stressor for everyone.
Many studies show a clear link between bringing up a puppy and happier, healthier lifestyles.
The weight of evidence is that having a puppy is totally worth it.
Are There Downsides?
For some people, there are significant downsides to raising a puppy.
It doesn’t mean you are a terrible person if you find that raising a puppy isn’t worth it. You may be at the wrong stage in your life for a puppy, or a puppy may be the wrong companion animal for you.
The negative side of raising a puppy includes:
- Time pressures – a puppy will soak up massive amounts of time both day and night.
- Expense – bringing up a puppy requires an ongoing financial commitment.
- Loss of freedom – you can’t spontaneously hop on a plane for a weekend break without extensive planning for puppy care.
- Weather – it may be wet and old outside, but you will need to drag yourself out of your warm bed and take your puppy for a walk.
- Dirt – your puppy will bring the outside into your home with mud and wet paws. Plus, your puppy will shed hair on all your favorite clothes.
- Poop – having a puppy means dealing with its poop every day. The idea is sufficient to ensure having a puppy is never worth it for some people.
Finally, the most significant downside to raising a puppy is that a dog’s life is significantly shorter than yours.
You may experience short-lived pets like rabbits, but a puppy is different. If you take on a healthy puppy, you can expect to share between ten and twenty years of your life.
Your puppy is your daily companion for walks, shared outings, and snuggling up to watch TV.
You will see your puppy grow from an uncoordinated bundle of fluff to a mature dog and then experience a decline into old age – assuming nothing more traumatic happens to your puppy’s health.
When you take on a puppy, you sign up for the inevitable sadness of losing your best friend in a few short years.
Committed dog owners grieve for each one of their canine companions, but the joy of sharing the whole of their puppy’s life is worth the pain and sadness of the final parting.
If this puppy is your first puppy, you may find the loss of your pet emotionally draining when the time comes.
The bond with a puppy is enriching, but there will be sorrow at the end.
Adopt a Puppy or an Older Dog?
Most people prefer to start with a puppy because they expect to shape the puppy’s behavior to fit their lifestyle.
An older dog will have habits formed from its life experiences, and some of these habits may be undesirable.
Adopting an older dog instead of having a puppy may be worth it because:
- Less time commitment – an older dog is finished with frequent meals, getting up at night, and needing hourly bathroom breaks.
- Potty training – there may be a few initial accidents, but you can have a reasonable expectation that an older dog will do its business outside.
- Temperament – the shelter will give you an assessment of the dog’s approach to people, children, and other animals.
- Healthy and fully vaccinated – by now, any health issues are identified, and vaccinations are on a care and maintenance basis.
- Appearance – puppies can grow a surprising amount and have radical color changes. You can see what you are getting with an adult dog.
Conclusion
Bringing a puppy into your life may be worth it, or you may regret it.
Trying to assess the worth of a puppy coming into your life is the same value judgment as moving in with a partner or choosing to start a family or a new job overseas.
You can make a value judgment on paper about money, time, and resources, but in the end, having a puppy is a heart’s choice, not one of the mind.
If you are a person who enjoys canine companionship, then having a puppy is always going to be worth it.
If you’ve never experienced sharing your life with a dog and can’t decide if a puppy is worth it, then consider borrowing one.
You can offer to dog sit for a friend to see if a dog fits in your life, or you can volunteer to foster a puppy intended as a working dog for a more extended arrangement.
Most shelters have a short-term fostering arrangement for puppies in need of a loving home rather than a cage, so you can undoubtedly look before you leap.
Is having a puppy worth it?
Only you can answer that question because a puppy is not a commodity; it is a relationship in the making.
All good relationships are worth it.