Why I don’t have a dog
I don’t have a pet. Dog, cat, fish, bird, rock… nothing. That’s not likely to change in the next 5-7 years, if ever. There are lots of reasons, actually, but here are the three primary “excuses”:
I can’t afford it
According to Glblguy in his post, Don’t buy a dog, given an average lifespan of 12 years, the cost for a dog works out to $7,210.00 ($775 for the first year, then $585/year for 11 years), and that’s ignoring the purchase price! If I had $585 a year sitting around, I’d be out of debt way faster, never mind getting past the purchase and the first year. Personally, I even think those numbers are conservative, because eventually that dog is going to get sick, and then you’re paying out the snout for health care for a pet.
I have allergies
I’m allergic to fur. Yeah, I could take pills, but now we’re into another cost, plus the hassle of remembering to take pills. I’ve got enough problems remembering to take the pills I already have to take for my own problems! I could also get a non-shedding breed, or a fish, I suppose, but then there’s just the general smell that normally comes with the package, of which I’m not fond. That too can be handled through the application of proper grooming/cleaning, for the most part, but then that leads to my third reason…
I don’t want the hassle
I don’t want to spend the time cleaning or cleaning up after pets. I don’t want to deal with the ruined furniture or soiled floors while they’re learning how to behave in my house. I don’t want to have to take them for walks, or pick up their “gifts”. I don’t want to worry about them when they’re sick. I don’t want to have to carve out a space for them in the house. I have kids for all that. 
It’d be easy to read all that and think that I hate animals. I don’t. Actually, I love them. (Well, mostly dogs, but still.) I love playing with them. I love their energy, and I love their love. I really enjoy visiting animals (and frequently their owners).
I just don’t need to have one in my house — even if all three of the other people in my house want one. Fortunately, I have veto power on this one. For now.
So what about you? Are you a fervent pet lover? Dog lover or cat lover? Do you think the cost estimate is right? I’d really like to know that, actually — if you’re a pet owner, what do you think you spend yearly on pet-related costs?
Tags: animals, debt, gifts, Glblguy, kids, life, pets
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November 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I’m more a dog lover than a cat lover I think…as you don’t have to work for a dogs affection
Totally agree with you on the healthcare opinion - but if its your housemates who want the dog, then you can say that it would be their responsibilty and your not going to contribute any money towards it maybe?
Dans latest blog post..Make Money From Blogs With No Readers
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Jeff says:
November 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Well, my housemates are my wife and kids so… it’s pretty much me paying for it.
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November 12th, 2008 at 9:27 am
To me, allergies are a deal-breaker.
The costs can be minimized and/or managed, and you will get used to the hassle, probably to the point where it does not feel like a hassle anymore. (I still do not enjoy cleaning up after my 2 dogs, but the benefit of that ritual outweighs the cost — they get me awake, outside, and walking early every morning, instead of hitting the snooze button endlessly and then going straight to the couch.) But constantly taking medication to control allergies? No thanks.
The standard cost of dog ownership listed on the other blog seem fairly accurate to me. And unfortunately, that standard cost assumes you are very, very lucky. Just about every dog I have owned has had some sort of unusual medical or behavioral problem that required me to spend more money.
That said — the cost of a dog over 11 years is still much less than the cost of many other, less value-adding decisions or habits over a similar period of time. For example, I used to make frequent — almost daily — trips to Starbucks for coffee and a pastry. By eliminating that habit, I saved myself about $1200 per year (300 visits per year @ $4.00 per visit).
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Jeff says:
November 12th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Hey, Jon. That’s a good point about the cost vs. other costs. If I could get my wife to stop buying Diet Coke every day I could save almost $500 a year… it’s been made very clear to me, though, that that is never going to happen.
Still, I think money saved at this point in my life is better directed to debt than taking on more cost.
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November 12th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
dropped in from Commentluv contest — but laughed out loud at this post.
I “rescued” a fox terrier from the SPCA and the little sucker lasted for 18 years. Things I didn’t know until after I was totally attached to him included:
He had epilepsy (grand mal seizures sometimes lasting up to 8 or 9 hours; had to inject valium up his bum to calm him), allergies (couldn’t eat canned dog food so had to buy and mash up concoctions of beef heart/liver, various supplements etc.), developed separation anxiety as he got older (liked to eat the leather centre console in my car), detested other dogs and would snap and bite without warning (technically had to have him muzzled when walking him — all 12 pounds of dog that he was.) He had bad teeth so annual cleaning vet bill was about $500 because they have to put them out while doing the teeth. Finally, he developed some jaw muscle disorder so he couldn’t swallow food and vet put in a feeding tube in his neck down into his stomach and I pureed his food and used a syringe to inject it in the feeding tube. Over the years, I probably could have travelled three times around the world with what it cost me to have the dog.
But having said all that, I really miss the little mutt especially because if you’re nosy like me, you can check out the neighbourhood while walking your dog without looking like some doofus stalker.
Found an ideal substitute though. My neighbour decided she wanted a miniature schnauzer so I look after Maxine most of the time and my neighbour pays all the vet bills.
Sorry for such a wordy first comment on your blog but just couldn’t resist.
Larrys latest blog post..A day to reflect
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Jeff says:
November 12th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
ha ha… see, that’s the kind of story I think happens to a lot of people. Don’t apologize for the length. I like your solution, too.
Thanks for stopping by. Come again!
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November 12th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Reason #1 is reason enough. A responsible pet owner is not unlike a parent and parents have medical bills, food, play and so forth. If you can’t afford it, it’s stupid to take one in. Congrats for being honest about it.
tatas latest blog post..Fellow Bloggers and Blog Readers
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Jeff says:
November 12th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Thanks, tata. I thought it was a good reason myself.
Hope to continue seeing you around.
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November 12th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Hmmm … I’m not saying “the wife” and kids are really pushing for a pet, but I (being said wife) have tried from time to time in the past. But I am saying: Lets see how well your arguments hold up when our little ones are a bit older and really want to own a dog (not just admire one from afar). I grew up having had several dogs in my lifetime and kind of miss that. … Lets just see what happens.
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G.O.D. says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
I have to admit, getting a puppy is like having a newborn for the first couple of months until it is house trained. I’m not going lie to you, I was moaning and groaning every 2 hrs. (even during the night) to take the pup outside and cleaning up the messes inside. And at the time, my kids were 8 and 4 when we got the dog, and they said they would ‘help’ with the dog. Well - they were nowhere to be seen when it was time to take the dog out! Now after 4 years, she is part of the family and is irreplaceable. She is also less trouble than the kids! She also forces me to get some exercise by taking her out.
As for the costs… the first year was probably $800, that includes purchase price, spaying, required vet visits and dog food. The other years, maybe $200, which includes vet visits and food. That is less than getting a hair cut every month (you know what I mean). So, I’m out about ~$1500 over 4 years. After that first year, the animal is cheap. She is a great companion and friend — not a bad trade off. The dog I had previous to the one I have now, contracted cancer in her 13th year. I spent about $3000 in treatments to keep her alive for another six months. In retrospect, I wouldn’t do that again - not because of the money, but because of what it put her through. I was selfish and wasn’t ready to let her go when I had the means to hopefully prevent it. Now, I would just try to make their last days fun and lovable - because that is all they want and that is all they want to give.
I also like cats, except for the last one we had (Psycho-Kitty we called her). The bad thing about cats is that litter box - but that is the major difference between having a cat vs. dog that I have experienced.
I am always amazed at the complications some people seem to have with their pets - either I’ve been real lucky with my pets, or its where they get their pets.
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Jeff says:
January 5th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Psycho-Kitty…. if you ever want to guest post about that, let me know. You could call it “Proof that cats are evil.”
The Kiltster was one of the best dogs ever, and the only one I ever saw (in person) waiting patiently at her seat at the table to eat her hamburger from the fork. Best mannered dog ever. I understand not wanting to let her go.
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November 16th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I do have a dog, and I think $7,000 over the complete life is a bargain, plus you can’t put a price on a life! I can understand wanting the additional cost if you have depts and so on though.
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Jeff says:
November 16th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Yeah, if I was oozing cash I might be able to get over that particular excuse, but for now it’s still a valid concern.
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