I had no dog between the ages of 24 and 30, and I felt much the same. Somehow being a dog owner is part of my self-identity and without one, something was missing. So I bought a house with a garden and got Xena.
As other people have commented, dog charities often welcome volunteers, especially for walkies. You could see if there's a Dogs Trust centre near you; they keep some older dogs who can't be rehomed due to ongoing health problems needing constant medical care (some other UK dog charities would just destroy such dogs). Those dogs need social contact like any other, and that might be a way of getting dog contact time without being tempted to adopt one before you're ready.
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Date: 2007-02-16 11:11 am (UTC)As other people have commented, dog charities often welcome volunteers, especially for walkies. You could see if there's a Dogs Trust centre near you; they keep some older dogs who can't be rehomed due to ongoing health problems needing constant medical care (some other UK dog charities would just destroy such dogs). Those dogs need social contact like any other, and that might be a way of getting dog contact time without being tempted to adopt one before you're ready.