WHY DO YOUR CHILDREN WANT A DOG?
Jacob and Matthew envisioned the perfect pal, someone to play ball with and cuddle ad nauseam. But they had only spent time with a neighbor's beautifully behaved dog who doesn't bark, sits still while you pet him and never chews up toys. I tried to insert some reality into the situation by issuing short downside lectures like, dogs poop and puppies are insomniacs. A more effective approach might have been to borrow a dog for a few days. One family I know actually pretended to have a dog, staging mock feedings, walkings and so on, to emphasize the day-to-day reality of dog care.DO YOU, THE PARENT, WANT A DOG?
My husband definitely did not want a dog, and his clear stance was and has been helpful. The dog would be my dog. Even if the boys helped, I'd be the one to housebreak it, take it to the vet, trim its toenails, make sure it got fed and exercised, give it medicine and find it a sitter when we went away. The toenails held up my decision for a year or so. No matter how responsible your children, at least one parent has to want the dog or all of you will be miserable.DOES YOUR FAMILY HAVE THE TIME?
If you have kids who are always off playing baseball and you grown-ups are seldom home, too, don't get a dog. Most dogs need at least an hour of exercise every day, and they get lonely fast. Without you, they're more apt to start shredding newspapers or spreading the garbage. Dogs wedge themselves right in the center of your family time, and if your lives have no room, forget that doggy in the window.DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY?
Dogs are not cheap. For the first six months, our dog, Ginger, got better medical care than anyone else in the family. Distemper shots. Tablets for worms and fleas. Special shampoo. Antibiotics for her skin. And then there are the collars and leashes, nail clippers, chew toys, disinfectants and the expensive carpet she chewed up. Costs vary depending on where you live and the size of the dog, but puppy shots run about $150 in the first year, and spaying or neutering about $50 to $100. Food costs about $150 to $325 a year, depending again on size, and whether you buy a supermarket brand or a specialty brand sold by vets.MAYBE NOT
If by this time the idea of owning a dog leaves you feeling a little trembly, there are other animals, like fish, guinea pigs, hamsters and white rats, that consume less time and money. Some, like fish and birds, are fine for children under five as long as they know that certain animals are for observing, not touching--and as long as you know you'll be taking care of the pet. Toddlers and preschoolers love to look at fish, and if you sprinkle food in their hands, they make excellent feeders as well. For kids over seven or so, guinea pigs are good choices because they like being picked up and rarely bite.Keep in mind that while starter pets are nice and fairly manageable, they're not going to give you a big slobber on the cheek when you get home.
