Kids and pets just go together. It starts harmlessly with the goldfish won at the school carnival, graduates to hamsters, and before you know it the ante is upped. Your children want a dog. And a dog can be a beloved addition to your family, if you go in with your eyes open.
· Be realistic about the work that having a dog entails. Decide how much of it you can take on.
· Have your kids list the tasks (including how often and how much time they take) involved in taking care of a puppy. Then work together to determine how those things will get done.
· Don’t expect more of your children than they are capable of doing. Housebreaking, supervising, and obedience training a puppy are tough jobs that take endurance and a sense of humor. Most kids under the age of twelve can’t handle them on their own.
· Plan for the supervision that a puppy requires. The worst disaster my own family had with an escaped hamster was chewed-through dishwasher hose ($139), followed by my having to stake out the hamster at midnight in the den to catch it. (Hamsters are nocturnal, and they might be related to mice, but you surely cannot set a trap!) Puppies are a different proposition entirely. They chew furniture, rugs, books, and anything else that attracts them; make messes on the floor; chase other pets. Some damage and disruption are a certainty, and unlike a hamster, it’s not fair to confine a puppy to a cage full-time.
· Practice before making a decision. If your child will need to get up fifteen minutes earlier every morning to feed and walk the dog, require him to rehearse that for a couple of weeks. Gain real experience by taking care of a friend’s dog for a few days.
· Don’t use a beloved pet as a bargaining chip. Expect that your children will need reminders and encouragement to consistently, reliably take care of the dog. Plan to work through lapses in responsibility rather than threatening to give away their canine friend.
Summer is ideal for housebreaking a puppy if family members are home during the day to help. So plan carefully, get ready for loves and licks, and have a ball!
© 2007 Beech Acres Parenting Center
Information: www.beechacres.org
Fran Hendrick, M.Ed., P.C.C., is director of Parenting Resources at Beech Acres Parenting Center.