I've been using 'no backyard' as my excuse not to get a dog. At 32, I think I'm done waiting for one
A few weeks ago, I caught myself browsing dog adoption listings for the third time in a month. I do this periodically — scroll through photos, read the bios, imagine one of these dogs in my apartment. Then I close the tab because I’ve convinced myself that I shouldn’t own a dog.
After all, I don’t have a backyard with dog-friendly features. I don’t have the space. And I don’t have the right setup for owning a dog.
At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’m 32, single and living in Las Vegas. I work from home full-time. I’ve had a cat for 11 years. And I’ve spent my entire adult life constructing reasons why dog ownership isn’t for me yet — even though, on paper, I’m exactly the person it’s for.
The American Humane Association found that the person most likely to consider getting a dog is someone single, younger and living in the Western United States. The American Pet Products Association reports that 65.1 million U.S. households own a dog, with millennials making up the largest share of pet owners at 33%.
I fit the profile perfectly. So why am I still on the outside looking in?
The excuses that keep piling up
The backyard isn’t my first condition. It’s just my latest. At 20, I said I wouldn’t consider owning a dog until I owned a home. At 25, I moved into my first house but didn’t have a backyard.
During COVID-19, I was home all day with a fully remote job and more free time than I’d ever had. A Forbes Advisor survey found that 78% of pet owners they surveyed acquired their pets during the pandemic. I had every advantage those people had, plus a mortgage. I still didn’t get a dog.
Now I’m back in an apartment, and the goalposts haven’t just moved — they’ve left the field entirely. If I keep this up, the next excuse will be income. Or a partner. Or a fence. The pattern is obvious once you see it: the conditions aren’t a checklist. They’re a stalling tactic.
What’s making me reconsider owning a dog
What finally cracked something open wasn’t a big moment. It was a small, honest question: should I own a dog, or do I just like the idea of one?
I went looking for the answer in research, and what I found surprised me — not because the benefits of owning a dog were news, but because they mapped so precisely onto the gaps in my life.
The American Kennel Club cites research showing that dog ownership can reduce loneliness, lower stress and improve cardiovascular health. A Washington State University study found that just 10 minutes of petting a dog significantly lowers cortisol levels. Dog owners are nearly four times more likely to meet daily physical activity guidelines, according to a 2019 study published in Scientific Reports. And 85% of respondents in one national survey said interacting with pets reduces loneliness.
I live alone. I work from home. I’m not looking for a relationship. The reasons to own a dog aren’t abstract for me — they’re a direct answer to the heaviest parts of my daily life.
Not having a backyard was never the point
The backyard guilt comes mostly from social media — TikTok videos of dogs experiencing grass for the first time, running in ecstatic circles. Those clips are beautiful. They also tell a story people miss: those dogs were loved in apartments first.
They were walked, played with and cared for long before the yard showed up. The yard was a celebration, not a prerequisite.
Plus, Las Vegas has dog parks, hiking trails 20 minutes from the city and sunshine almost year-round. I would still be able to spend time outdoors with a dog, even without a yard.
Owning a dog for the first time in an apartment isn’t a compromise. It’s just a different version of the same commitment — one where the quality of life comes from time and attention, not square footage.
What I’m actually afraid of
Stripped of the backyard excuse, what’s left is simpler and harder to admit: I’m afraid of doing it imperfectly. Every condition I’ve set has been a way to delay the vulnerability of saying yes to something I can’t fully control.
But dog ownership was never going to start perfectly. That’s what “for the first time” means. You learn with the dog, not before it. And waiting for every variable to line up isn’t caution — it’s just a polished version of avoidance.
I haven’t gotten a dog yet. But I’ve stopped pretending the apartment is the reason. The reasons to own a dog have been stacking up for years. The only thing on the other side of the ledger is fear dressed up as practicality — and at 32, I think I’m finally ready to call it what it is and move forward anyway.
And who knows — maybe a backyard is in my future after all. If it is, I’ve already got plans for it (and you can read all about it here).
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
