Hidden costs of dog ownership

A quick google search will bring up a long list of expenses to take into account when considering adding a dog to the family. But beware, some of those lists might miss some important hidden costs!

1. If you're the kind of person who tends to run late a lot, don't get too attached to your crockery. You might think your empty dinner plate can wait in the sink but don't be surprised if your furry companion is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that every last bit of tasty is extracted (I'm looking at you Rude Dog). Like Billy, your dog may not grasp the fragility of these little slices of yum.

2. When you're embarking on a grand apartment clear-out, be prepared to discover just how much useless equipment your dog has acquired. The head halti will rub his sensitive little jowls and while Pawz dog boots may well have worked spectacularly for every other dog you've ever met, it's fair to assume your pooch will be the single exception and will shred his boots within two walks. At which point, the rest will be tossed into bottom of the dog bin in frustration.

3. You will find a hundred ways to justify the purchase (he'll look less intimidating, I'll use it on fosters to get attention, it's only a couple of bucks...) but the bottom line is, you just know your pooch is going to look adorable in that pirate hat/ scarf/ sweater and there may be no good reason to buy it but you're going to anyway.

4. Do you wear a lot of white? You're going to adopt a black dog. Do you have lot of black in your closet? Well, don't waste your time looking at the others, you're guaranteed to fall in love with a white dog so just narrow down your search straight off the bat. Short hair or long hair, in all probability your dog will shed all over you. At which point you will suddenly realize that your new best friend does not compliment your favorite outfit. Now may be the time to buy a multitude of lint rollers and clothes brushes (and, quite possibly, a new vacuum cleaner). On the other had, you could just go shopping for a whole new set of clothes.

5. In all likelihood, your dog is going to be the cutest in the whole wide world. It will become increasingly important to ensure that EVERYone else knows this. Luckily the internet has provided you with many forums for sharing vast amounts of photographs (I cannot, however, guarantee that your facebook friends will be as appreciative as you expect of 372 different angles of "my dog sleeping". At which point, I advise you to start a blog). Unfortunately as time progresses, your trusty combo of point and shoot camera/iphone will start to seem woefully inadequate and your daydreams will fill with images of fancy gadgets with many lenses and large price tags. Inevitably you will succumb, it's just a question of how long I'm you're going to be able to hold out.

P.S. I am the worst blogger in the world and forgot to tell you all that Emily@Our Waldo Bungie and Froggy won the birthday giveaway! Guys, don't forget to email me your mailing addresses (bwpawsblog@gmail.com)

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