I love dogs as much as the next person, maybe more than any normal person actually. I stop to pet almost every dog I cross paths with, I love staring at dog pictures and videos on social media, and I never turn down an opportunity to go pet puppies at the shelter. As excited as I am to someday have a dog of my own, I won't be getting one until I am out of college for a number of reasons.

The biggest reason that I am choosing to wait to adopt a dog is the financial responsibility. For me personally, I want to be stable in consideration of my own needs before taking on the needs of another living creature. If you get a dog, you need to be able to handle their vet bills as needed, buy food for them and other necessities, and you need to be able to pay for someone to come watch them if you go out of town. A part-time job is usually enough to take care of yourself, but you may be pushing it of you take on another mouth to feed.

Dogs also require a lot of time and attention from their owners. In my experience, full-time students with part-time jobs have very limited time to give to a pet. You need to be able to have them on a schedule with feeding, they need adequate exercise and playtime, and you need to let them out to use the bathroom as needed. Most people don't realize how much work a dog is until they have one.

Another hindering factor would be renting an apartment or living space. Most complexes have an added fee for pet owners that must be paid. This usually isn't a very high upcharge. However, if your pet causes damage to your apartment that needs repair or requires replacement, that could cost you a lot more than you would expect.

While roommates can be super helpful in caring for a pet, some people do have pet allergies. When you share living spaces with other people, you have to be courteous of their needs and wishes. If you live with someone who really can't be around pets, you need to respect their struggle and continue to keep the living space friendly for everyone living there.

As much as I love to love on other peoples' dogs and dream of giving a shelter dog a good home, I know that I probably won't be able to meet the needs of a dog as well as my own while I am still a student. While it does suck that I am making this conscious decision to not have one of the most loving creatures by my side, I know I'm making the best decision for myself and for the dog's sake. I've lived with dogs all of my life, and I know that this wait will pay off in the end when I do get my own furry friend.

In the meantime, if you need a dog sitter you know who to call.