this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2023
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Growing up we had a dog and my mother got a lot out of it, mainly cause she made me deal with the shit (literally) parts, while she enjoyed the affection and fun playing time. The barking was a nightmare too and I was not equipped as a teenager to train a dog.
So I naturally ended up strongly biased against pet ownership.
Now if someone has a lot of fun doing all that and the right knowledge, knock yourself out, but I‘m glad if there is more of a nuanced discussion and warning about the downsides too.
Namely that getting a pet, or a kid for that matter, isn‘t a fix for mental health issues. It‘s a lot of responsibility, which I‘m sure can be rewarding too, but some research or training should happen before at least.
I understand where you're coming from and as a kid that sucks to be responsible for someone who is supposed to be caring for you.
Anecdotally, when I had mild depression I found the responsibility of a dog really helped me. It got me on daily walks and a schedule that helped me mentally. The cuddle part is nice but the responsibility is what I think really helped pull me out of a slump.
It's not for everyone and certainly not if you don't like dogs. Also actually severe mental issues need meds. The dog can't fix what is truly wrong in those cases.
I'm really glad it helped. It's a fairly big coin toss, to choose such a needy animal, and it's the biggest reason I refuse to own one. I'm a lot better around them now than I was as a kid and it would force me outside, but I don't think I could handle that kind of energy every day, multiple times a day, and no dog deserves the level of neglect it might turn into.