• LostCause@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • golden_calf@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      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.

      • Nepenthe@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        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.