Before adopting a dog, you must be mentally prepared for a responsibility lasting more than ten years. If you cherish these intelligent and affectionate animals, please make a thorough consideration before adopting. What should you consider? Refer to the following ten self-assessment points. If even one is not met, please postpone your plan to raise a dog! Be honest with yourself; we hope you won’t become the next person to abandon a dog!
　　Purchasing or adopting pets must avoid impulse and so-called pity. Whether cute or pitiful, if you cannot continue to care for them, what happens next will be the cruelest for you and the dog. Therefore, make sure of your intention. Confirm why you want to raise a pet, and whether changes in external circumstances might force you, unwilling or otherwise, to give up on your dog!
　　1. Do you have time?
　　Cleaning up dog waste, bathing, grooming, taking them to the vet, training daily routines, walking and exercising... these are all basic tasks that an owner must do, which take up a lot of time. Are you sure you have that much time? Especially if you plan to raise a puppy, you must carefully consider your schedule to handle the puppy’s frequent illnesses, crying, biting, and inability to go potty in one place. These troublesome traits require the owner to spend a great amount of time looking for the right methods to train and improve them.
　　If your lifestyle means leaving early and returning late, collapsing on the bed when you get home, or often traveling abroad, with no time for the tasks above, please do not raise a dog!
　　2. You are not part of the “Appearance Club” or a trend follower
　　If you value your dog’s appearance to be perfect and flawless, or insist on a breed that is trendy and flashy for taking out, please don’t raise a dog! No matter how cute a dog is, you can get tired of it. No matter how popular a breed is, it will lose trend one day. Taking care of a dog may be fresh and interesting at first, but for someone passionate only briefly, over time it might become a burden, resulting in abandonment. Dogs live long, and it’s uncertain if one day they will become ugly or disabled. If you are prone to liking what’s new and discarding the old, judging the dog by appearances, I advise you not to raise a dog. Otherwise, the dog may soon be cast aside or abandoned to survive alone. Don’t commit such cruelty!
　　Look at the cocker spaniels in public shelters and sanctuaries, unnoticed and unwanted — the result of a sudden breeding craze and now out of fashion. The innocent dogs suffer, while cruel humans continue to breed and trade the latest trendy breeds!
　　3. Do you have financial stability? Are you willing to spend money on the dog?
　　Having money doesn’t guarantee good care for a dog, but lacking money definitely lowers the quality of care. Dog food, vaccinations, microchip implantation, heartworm prevention meds are basic expenses. This excludes grooming costs for long-haired dogs (if owners cannot groom by themselves), snacks, toys, and occasional medical fees for illness or accidents. As dogs age, they tend to get sick more often. Dogs don’t have health insurance, and medical bills can be shockingly expensive. Without financial stability or extra funds, how can you handle all these costs?
　　Therefore, assess your financial situation carefully! If your income barely covers living, and you are willing to scrimp for your dog but end up burdening yourself, that’s counterproductive. It’s unnecessary.
　　Moreover, even with financial means, you must be willing to spend money on your dog to ensure a good quality of life. If you hesitate at the mention of these expenses, even with a good income, I still advise you: do not raise a dog!
　　4. Do you have responsibility and patience?
　　Can you resolutely prioritize your dog’s happiness in any circumstance? By “any circumstance,” I mean: moving, marriage and children, a dog with poor manners, chronic diseases that are difficult to treat, the dog growing old and becoming ugly... When these situations arise, are you willing to uphold your promise, solve these problems, and continue loving your dog?
　　If you dislike trouble, lack patience, want to escape when encountering problems, or easily give up your position, please do not raise a dog!
　　5. Do you have the consent and support of your family?
　　Do the people you live with like dogs? Are they willing to tolerate the inconveniences brought by a dog in daily life? For example: puppies barking, not yet potty-trained, odors in the home, chewing furniture, shedding during coat change seasons (even short-haired dogs shed!), does anyone have respiratory allergies? Do they think children and dogs cannot coexist at home? Especially attitudes of the elders in the family are key (for unmarried people, also consider the attitude of partners or possible future in-laws toward dogs). If the elders only reluctantly tolerate dogs but later feel the inconveniences, they may force the dog to leave. Where will the dog go then?
　　If you are a student renting away from home, though your family’s opinion may not matter in the short term, you still need to communicate with them. After graduation, can the dog come into your home? When you have to serve in the military or study abroad, will your family care for and love the dog as you do?
　　Therefore, if your family (parents) are simply not fond of dogs, please do not raise a dog!