I desperately, more than anything, want a third dog. I know. It’s insane and foolish and a terrible idea. Yet I can’t let it go.
I peruse Petfinder almost daily. I had to actively stop myself from downloading the app onto my phone. The other night, our neighbor’s dog got loose and, seeing as how the family didn’t go looking for him, I contemplating telling them that if they weren’t going to care for him, I would gladly take him off their hands. But I couldn’t do that to their kids (or could I?)
My husband knows that I want to add another furry member to our family. He supports it…eventually. He entertains my delusions of puppy grandeur, and recently, even agreed to go meet a dog I found at a local shelter (the dog was adopted before we had a chance to get there. Good for the dog. Sad for us). But he knows, more than I do, that right now is not the greatest time to add a third dog to our family. Although timing-wise it’s perfect, financially it’s a horrible choice. Here’s why:
- Adoption fees. I have no interest in purchasing a dog from a store or a breeder. I prefer to adopt one from a shelter or rescue organization. However, even that comes with upfront fees, and some of those fees are really expensive (particularly from some of our local rescues). While we might have a few hundred undesignated dollars, spending it on adopting a dog is probably not the most prudent use of our money. It’s better served going into savings or keeping around for another dog emergency.
- Regular expenses. A third dog means more food, another crate, additional vet appointments, grooming, preventative meds and all the other monthly expenses that go along with responsibly adding a dog to our family. With money being a little tighter than usual due to my leave, we’re having to make cuts. Adding in more expenses every month means cutting back even farther and quite frankly, we’ve made pretty much every cut we can.
- We’re trying to move. Putting our house up for sale is a pretty daunting task. We’re just about done with all the repairs and cosmetic fixes and we even have our realtor lined up. And we really need to move. Bringing a new dog into the house means more chances for accidents and destruction of property like what happened to poor Crystal from Budgeting in the Fun Stuff. We cannot have that happen if we want to sell our house in the next year. Our wallets just can’t take having to spend that kind of money on home repairs.
- Our house is just not big enough. My house is not small but it certainly isn’t big enough to accommodate 3 dogs and 3 humans. Just having the 2 dogs is a stretch sometimes. Also, if we added a third dog, we’d have to fence our backyard. Right now, with the 2, it’s not a big deal to put them on their leashes and take them for a walk. Adding a third to that mix would bring a chaos that I’m not sure I could handle on my own (or my husband could handle on his own).
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[…] last week? And who did that FABULOUS redesign on her blog? Jana at Daily Money Shot really really wants another dog. Like really. As someone with 4 dogs, I don’t think I’m in a position to comment, but […]
You sound a lot like my wife. She would love for me to say yes to getting another dog 🙂
Sean @ One Smart Dollar recently posted…Subscribe to INC Magazine for as low as $4.00 Per Year – New or Renewals
I’m struggling with this exact thing. I want a companion for our boston terrier, and there are so many dogs in need of a home out there, but we don’t own our home and we can’t go through the stress of trying to find a rental with TWO dogs – one is enough!
I’m like this with cats. I always want more. Unfortunately I already have a ton at my house, including 5 kittens. No more!
This Aggie Saves recently posted…April Goals Update
My wife is anti-pet because she “knows” that she’d have to do all of the hard (and stinky…) work… I still want a bunch of chickens some day though… Cat or dog would be nice but I’m more into pets that can create income 🙂
Nick recently posted…How much house is too much…
I really want a dog right now. We have a cat who is the lord and master of the house (or so he thinks) so when we do get a dog, he/she needs to be cat friendly. I kind of want to get a puppy so that they can get used to each other before the puppy gets bigger. But right now, I know I can’t have one. Our yard isn’t fenced and the cost would be stretching us a bit much. But I still really want one. I also know that I can’t do the fostering thing–I don’t have that ability to not get attatched.
bogofdebt recently posted…Spending Recap 4/23-4/29
Not having a fenced yard is actually much better for us (though a lot of rescues don’t like it). It means that my dogs can’t go out unless they are onleash- so there’s no jumping the fence or digging under the fence- ie no escaping (which there was plenty of when we had a 6′ tall privacy fence). It also means that I have to walk them and take them to the dog park for their exercise, which is also exercise for me.
shanendoah@the dog ate my wallet recently posted…Sunday Evening Post #40
We added a third dog to our family for about a month, but then found out that our city has a limit of 2 dogs per house (so we gave her to my bf’s parents).
Three dogs is a HUGE handful! But they are fun.
Michelle recently posted…Spending, Life, Income and Food Updates… 4/30/2012
I’ll be honest, I thought it would be a lot harder to think about adopting Howie out than it is. I know a lot of people who foster end up adopting their first foster. It happens because the people who want to foster an animal love them.
What is working for us is that Howie (the foster) and Larry (my punk terrier) get territorial around each other. Junebug (my Beagle) doesn’t seem to mind anything, but Larry is positive that Howie is stealing my time and attention. Once Howie is adopted, we’ll probably wait a month or two before fostering again, to give Larry some “just family” time.
And while we love being a 2 dog household, I honestly can’t imagine that we’ll be able to go another 10 years (roughly the expected life spans of the current dogs) without adopting a third.
shanendoah@the dog ate my wallet recently posted…Sunday Evening Post #40
I’m in almost the same situation, right down to the daily perusing of Petfinder. I just have a cat and desperately want a dog. I’ve finally convinced my fiancée that I can’t wait any longer, and we are going to be ready to get one come September (come on, September!). We’ve settled on an adult beagle from a breeder, the size and temperament fits our lifestyle. Yes, expenses will go up, but that is something I’m willing to deal with. I feel your pain!
Jordann recently posted…May 1st NETWORTH Update!
I really want a dog! I have 4 cats though and no yard so having a dog just doesn’t make sense. Also, I’m pretty sure my boyfriend and roommate would both move out if I brought home another animal.
I’d say wait until you have a new house – and then see if you have the time, energy and space. Then…maybe. 🙂
Young Professional Finances recently posted…Tax Refund Shopping Spree
I love dogs too! There are also health benefits owning a dog or other pets. Having a dog is an allergy fighter. According to Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, “children will be more allergic if there are pets around” is a total myth.
What I really wanted to say initially was I love dogs! 🙂
Regards to all dog lovers,
Belinda
Yeah, Oreo killed our carpet, BUT luckily we ended up needing to rent this place out anyway when we move in September. We would have had to get new carpet within 3-4 months, so yay…I just wish she hadn’t eaten the door frames…
Crystal @ Prairie Ecothrifter recently posted…Keeping it Simple: Strategies for Financial Security