I adopted my dog the week before I graduated undergrad. She lived at the shelter I was working at and I fell in love. She had major leash reactivity so I would come early and stay late to make sure she was walked. I did a ton of training with her, had to pay for a knee surgery, and sought out a yard for her to relax in. I didn’t fully know what I was getting myself in to, but I would choose her over and over again. She’s the sweetest girl and taught me so much.
Things to consider: don’t get a high energy breed if you’re not super active. It can lead to behavioral issues because they’re not releasing that energy or using their brains.
Think about size. Bigger is going to be more expensive, but tbh all breeds have their issues. Smaller dogs generally live longer than big as well. You’ll need to ongoing give them meds to prevent flea/tick/heartworm and it’s 100% worth it. Yearly appointments are a couple hundred. Pet insurance is pretty cheap and worth it (re: knee surgery).
Training and socialization are a MUST. If I remember correctly I did some classes with my other dog when she was a puppy that weren‘t too expensive. It’s much easier to teach a dog good behaviors from the get go vs training bad ones out of them (re: leash reactivity). Some times you don’t know how a dog is going to fully be until you have them, but then you're committed. Which brings me to my last point- give them time to decompress. It can take months.
Here are my two cutie patootie doggies!!! GO FOR IT!!! It’s so worth it!
Oct 13, 2024
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When I was 19 I impulsively bought a pet lionhead rabbit from the farmers market where I worked for $20 (tip money and change scrounged up from my boyfriend’s car). we named him Dale. That was another huge free will moment that I could just do something like that but unfortunately I had to live with the consequences of my decision and taking care of a rabbit is a lot of work! Years later I would talk in therapy and cry about how I couldn’t have a dog because it wouldn’t be safe with Dale, the financial obligation was too great, and it was not the right time in my life.
Dale died when he was ten not long after moving all the way across the country with him! He lived a long time for a dwarf rabbit and he was happy and healthy until the end. I had to euthanize my cat Kitty not long after that because she had lymphoma.
I got a kitten and named her Dolly and she was the love of my life! The sweetest goofiest long haired black cat who loved getting into mischief, sleeping on my head, and giving me hugs around my neck and kissing my face. She suddenly started showing symptoms of latent FIP, an untreatable fatal disease, shortly after her first birthday. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and I had to let her go.
The loss of Dolly was tremendous. I couldn’t imagine getting another cat to replace her because I would only ever compare them and she was one of a kind.
Still, I found myself at a shelter and when they gave me a tour of their adoptable animals, I saw this little guy in a cage staring out at me with his big beautiful eyes. When we took him out and brought him to a room to meet him even the shelter staff were impressed by how well behaved he was. I couldn’t leave this sweet wiggly worm behind so I adopted him!
It blew my mind that they would just let me fill out a form and pay them $300 or whatever and take a little guy like this home and that I could finally have a dog. It was a pain raising him in an apartment but he has a house with a yard now and I think (I hope!) that he’s very happy. Several people told me they thought this was a decision I would regret but I wouldn’t change a thing!
Sep 26, 2024
I’ve stumbled into caring for my family dog, a 3 legged lab who is very gray and very loving. Now I’m sold on having an older (5+ years) dog. Training a puppy is a 2-3 year process and old dogs are so sweet and teach you about patience and are easy to care for. Plus, dogs seem to get more vocal as they get older, which is fun
Pic of old dog with amazing grandpa eyebrows, for context
Mar 29, 2024
It’s hard work and everything but come on what wouldn’t you do for this
May 6, 2024
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This has become the norm and every day I grow more disturbed. I understand if somebody is behaving in a harmful way, that is good to document and put out there. But as a whole, it seems, we have become so comfortable with recording people just living their lives. I saw a video of a guy working and the caption of the video was that he was so hot, we needed to find him!!! Why are you providing the Internet with his face and location instead of just going up to talk to him? I saw another of two people on the subway, seemingly a couple, having a very emotional moment. How would you feel if you open up an app and saw a video like that of yourself? I don’t like this level of sibling society surveillance. Why are you videoing an elderly person with sad music dubbed over it to gain likes? It is WEIRD. Don’t even get me started on videos of children. It is WEIRD to use a stranger without their consent to get some kind of fake validation. Get a life.
I don’t mean to come on here and share something so negative, I just don’t have anywhere else to put it and it’s gnawing at me.
Oct 7, 2024
Feb 23, 2025
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It’s to keep us humble otherwise we’d be TOO hot/sexy/cool
Jul 3, 2024