If you’re serious about buying a puppy or adopting a dog, borrow or pet sit a dog.
To really get a feel for living with a dog, borrow the dog for as much time as possible: a week or two would be ideal. If you borrow a grown dog, consider how much extra work a puppy would be on top of taking care of a dog.
Deciding to borrow a dog is especially helpful for first-time dog owners, who often underestimate the work involved in choosing a dog. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of how much fun it will be to cuddle with a new puppy and take her for walks.
It’s a lot easier to forget how much work it is to walk the dog after work when you’re tired to the bone, clean up dog poo in the back yard, feed and water the dog, and clean up after accidents.