Signs You Want a Dog, But Know It’s Not The Time

As many of you know, I am pretty much obsessed with all pups. Young and old. Long hair or short hair. Big or small. Put me in close proximity with a dog and I’m one happy camper, or more realistically probably gasping, staring, and preparing to walk over and ask to pet it.

At the current moment though, it is sadly not the time for Eric and I to add a sweet doggie to our bunch. So in the meantime, I’ve gathered the clear signs that you want a dog, but know you shouldn’t get one…for now.

1. Whenever you see a dog on the street, you instantly perk up, stare, gasp, aww, say hi to it, point it out to all your friends, pet it, ask the owners questions if you’re close enough – really any of these things. Or all of them.
2. When you run into friends that have dogs, you ask where their dog is or how it’s doing first. You also go over to friends’ homes to hang out, but also borrow their dog for cuddles.
3. If you had a dog growing up, or have one back at your parent’s house, you talk about how much you miss it and your mom sends regular photo updates. Here’s Gordo, our nine year old westie, snuggling a stuffed elephant:
4. You already know the type of dog breed(s) you want, and have a list of name options.
5. You look for ways to be around pups regularly, like finding a shelter to volunteer at or reminding pals that you are available for dog-sitting…so pretty plz take a trip.
6. You follow several dog Instagram accounts to get your daily dose – Zilkerbark and Emma the Westie are two of my faves.
7. You have come very close multiple times to making the call that it’s time for the family addition, but always convince yourself otherwise because you know it wouldn’t be fair.
8. Doggies need love and attention! With work and weekly commitments, you’d feel bad if you had to leave it alone a lot or couldn’t make it home in between things.
9. You live in a smaller apartment, and don’t exactly know what your next place will look like. It’d be hard for your pup if he didn’t have much room to play and run around, especially when it’s winter and chances of going outside are slim.
10. You love traveling, and have some big trips you want to take over the next few years, which could present challenges for you and your dog too.
11. Dogs can cost lots of money, and you don’t want that to be a financial burden that would interfere with your pup’s well being when you’re juggling other costs (ex: in our case wedding things).

So for now, those of you out there like me can just rest easy knowing that one day the great moment when we bring our own dog home will come, and it’s going to be the best!