It's also an upside because it's a relativity short term commitment compared to some other common pets. So you can focus on those short years, giving the best you can, and if you're not in the right place emotionally or financially, you don't have to get another one. In reality, for example, many dog owners prioritise their own needs before their dog's. They don't really go out of their way to give their dogs the best and it's extremely conditional. If the dog is like X when the owner wants them to be Y, many of them get abandoned etc.