Owning a dog responsibly can be a costly business even if you don’t actually have to pay anything to get your dog.
The cost for food, vets bills, toys and beds, boarding kennels (if you go on vacation), etc. It all really quickly adds up to a not-insignificant amount.
Then there are other reasons you may not be able to have a dog:
- Maybe someone you share a home with is allergic to them.
- Maybe you live in rented accommodation where dogs are not allowed.
- Perhaps you have a job that keeps you very, very busy, and that means you do not have time to care for a dog.
If you really love dogs but can’t for whatever reason own one of your own, it can be frustrating, to say the least.
So we decided to write this post to come up with some suggestions about how you can get to hang out with some dogs without actually having to own one.
Table of Contents
- Volunteering at a Dog Rescue Center
- Working at a Dog Day Care
- Dog Sitting Websites
- Do Lots of Walking
- Foster Dog Care
Volunteering at a Dog Rescue Center
One really awesome way to hang out with dogs is by volunteering at a dog rescue center. Just get on Google and see where the local ones nearest to your home are.
These are the dogs no one currently wants. They have been abandoned and are in special need of love, affection, care, and cuddles. So you get to enjoy the dogs, and they get a loving buddy. This is a win-win situation of the highest order!
Working at a Dog Day Care
You could consider working part-time or even full time at a doggy daycare center. Lots of busy people leave their pet pupsters at places like this when they go to work. And many of them will be looking for good quality employees. The money won’t be amazing, but the dogs will be!
Dog Sitting Websites
The internet is an amazing resource. One really cool thing about it is dog sitting websites. Using these sites, you can advertise yourself as a dog sitter willing to dog sit for other people’s dogs temporarily.
Not only that, some of them will even pay you for doing so! Rover.com is an excellent site if you are interested in giving this idea a try. (If someone owns a young dog, you could help them house train a puppy if they work all day).
Do Lots of Walking
Not only is walking really good for you, but it is a really easy way to meet random dogs and their owners. Get your butt off your sofa, find a park, and make friends with some cute pooches.
Foster Dog Care
If you have the ability to look after dogs temporarily, then fostering might be a good option for you. Sometimes dogs need to be fostered for a few weeks or months before they are permanently housed in their new forever homes.
So, this could be a great way for you to temporarily own a dog and also help out local rescue centers at the same time. Here is a link with more details.
Ok, so thanks so much for reading this little post. We hope that it helps inspire you with ways you can meet and care for dogs without actually having to fully own one and let it live in your home.