Your 20s must be one of the strangest decades in life. Some of us are fresh out of education and experiencing the big bad world for the first time, whereas others have worked full time since turning 16. Some may be holding onto their youth, living with family or housemates and spending their hard-earned cash doing exciting things such as travelling and partying. Others are settled down with life partners, buying houses, and might even have children. Then there are those of us who get a dog in our 20’s.
Are you ready for your next adventure? You might be single and looking for companionship, or you might be ready to flex your maternal instincts (but not ready for a child). Or you are just obsessed with dogs! Whatever your motivation is for wanting a dog, I’ve compiled a list of reasons getting a dog in my 20’s changed my life for the better.
As a lifelong dog lover, I knew from a young age my dream was to get a dog of my own as soon as I could. The family dog passed away while I was at school, my parents were not prepared to get another – so I knew I had to make that happen myself. Once I was 24, I knew I was ready to make that dream a reality! That’s when Honey the springador came into my life, my labrador/springer spaniel crossbreed. If you want to learn more about Springadors, check out my post Is a Springador the best dog breed for you? Here is a list of all the benefits of getting a dog in my 20’s, to get you excited – if that’s your dream too.
1. A dog is the best adventure buddy
Most dogs are naturally sociable creatures – they don’t want to be left in the house while you go out and have all the fun, they want to be with you! Once I got a dog, every weekend I was thinking of somewhere fun to take them. I visited so many new parks, national trust properties, and nature walks that I never would have tried on my own, and explored so much more of my local area. When the weather is bad you can be testing out your local dog friendly cafes, or just going to the local pet shop to wander around.
Your dog will definitely get you out of the house on the weekend to do something fun and you have a built-in friend to take along for the adventure. It also changed the style of my weekend activities. I focused on dog-friendly activities like long walks and trips to the pub, instead of shopping and the cinema. Getting a dog in my 20’s pushed me to be more adventurous and explore more of the UK, with the dog at my side. Check out my tips on taking your dog on overnight adventures – How to have the best holiday in a dog friendly Airbnb.
2. Your dog will be your most loyal and constant companion
The unconditional love a dog gives you is the best feeling in the world. Your twenties can be a time of feeling lost and lonely while you try to figure life out, but your dog will always be there to spend time with you. It may not seem like they love you all that much sometimes, if you have a new puppy that is biting you, chewing your things, and generally pushing your patience to the limits. But that wagging tail when you come home tells you everything you need to know about how much your dog loves you. You have an automatic cuddle buddy for all your TV binging for the foreseeable future. Even at your lowest lows and hardest nights, you have a companion in the house who loves you endlessly. Dogs can’t tell anyone your secrets, don’t judge your decisions, don’t hold grudges against you. They just want to be where you are, doing life alongside you!
3. Your dog will help you to make friends in the local area
If you’ve settled in a new town or live in your hometown but your friends have scattered, getting a dog is a great opportunity to meet new people. As you are out walking the dog twice a day it’s natural you will get chatting to people in the park or around your town. Especially if you have a cute puppy everyone wants to stroke! The best friendship I made was at the puppy classes we we went to. I swapped numbers with another 20-something and we met up weekly for dog walks. This turned into meeting with the dogs at the pub, which evolved to invites to BBQ’s, birthday parties, and other totally non-dog related activities! Honey and I both now have BFFs that live down the road.
Making friends as an adult can be hard, but having something in common like navigating life with a new dog gives you something to connect over instantly. Naturally you just might make friends with other people who made the decision to get a dog in their 20’s.
4. The physical health benefits of the daily fresh air and exercise
With the rise of working from home, it’s so easy to live a sedentary lifestyle. If you aren’t in a sports club or don’t have a gym membership, you might not get as many steps in as you should. Even if you to the office, you trade a chair at home for a chair at work. Getting a dog in your 20’s (or at any age) will change that, big time.
In this post-covid world, I only have to go to the office 1 day per week. Before getting a dog, those office trips could be the only time I left the house in the work week. Now, I am outside rain or shine, morning and night, and getting a minimum of 5000 steps in a day. This has done wonders for my physical health, I feel so much fitter. In 2023 a friend suggested going to climb a mountain one weekend, which I would have NEVER said yes to a couple of years ago. When I thought about it, I realised I actually have built up some fitness from getting out over the fields with the dog all the time. So we did it!
5. The mental health benefits of the daily fresh air and exercise
Getting fresh air first thing in the morning is very grounding before logging onto your laptop and starting work. You have time to think about your day, and you will arrive at your desk feeling like you’ve already accomplished something. Walking in the morning is proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Another benefit is getting to experience more of nature. I would never wake up to watch the sunrise previously, but in January those 7:30am dog walks allowed me to experience the most beautiful skies I never knew were happening on the other side of my closed curtains.
Having a dog to walk also provides some structure to your day. For example, walking the dog at lunchtime stops you from eating lunch at your desk and gives you a mental break. Studies show a proper break at lunch is important for afternoon productivity! Now my dog expects a lunchtime walk, she will harass me until it happens and we hardly ever miss it.
6. You will learn a big dose of responsibility
I know this may seem like it belongs on the negatives list, but hear me out. There are two aspects to the growing up I had to do for my dog – personally and practically. Getting a dog in my 20’s has taught me far more about patience than I would have thought possible. Going through the whole training process with a puppy is the most humbling and frustrating experience.
Whether your dog does their business on the carpet after you JUST stood in the garden with them for 15 minutes and they did nothing, or you left them alone for 2 minutes and they’ve torn your tea towel to shreds…. Dogs generally don’t have the level of understanding to realise why they have upset you, so there is little use getting angry and shouting at them. Our dog trainer said that unless you can correct the behaviour while catching them in the act, they will not understand what they are being punished for. You must take all the curveballs they throw at you in your stride, try and remember to use all the positive reinforcement training techniques you researched so heavily, and keep on loving them.
As for the practical growing up I had to do, dogs are a huge responsibility you need to be prepared for. You have to plan your schedule around the dog to make sure you don’t leave them in the house alone too long. Also you have to make sure they get to their vet appointments, and when you plan trips make sure they are dog friendly or find someone to look after them if you do go away. You have to budget to be able to provide your dog all the things they need and deserve like vaccinations, and a healthy diet. Again, although these things seem like a hassle and like they should be on the negative list, the maturity you gain from caring for another being will only benefit you in the long term.
7. You always have an excuse to go home, and someone to go home to
This one might just be for the introverts, but having a dog at home can provide a great excuse to leave that party/work event/other social activity you don’t want to stay too long at. You can make a polite appearance, and then go home to cuddle your dog instead, which I know I would much rather be doing.
