 |
| Image Source |
There will come a time when most children will ask if they can have a dog. You may be concerned about the challenges of being a dog owner presents, but there are ways to tell if your family is ready to deal with them.
Are You Allowed Pets?
The first thing you have to consider is if you are allowed to keep pets where you live. If you have your own home it will not be a problem, but it could be if you live in an apartment complex, for instance. You will know from when you moved in whether pets are allowed or not. There are some states that ban certain breeds too, and you should check this out before buying any family dog.
No Allergies
As much as they may love the dog, if a family member is allergic to them they could suffer a great deal. It is worth getting the family checked out first, especially very young children and older people. Most kids will outgrow the allergy and it could be a case of just waiting another couple of years. This will seem like a lifetime to your child, but it will soon pass and then they can have the dog they have been dreaming of.
 |
| Image Source |
Can You Afford It?
On a day-to-day basis, dogs are not expensive to keep, but vets bills or pet insurance can soon add up. You have to be honest with yourself about whether you have the spare money to pay for these things, or your pet could be unwell and you not be able to pay for their treatment.
They will also need toys to play with and their own bed to sleep in and this are the sorts of thing that will soon mount up.
Do You Have The Time?
A dog needs you to devote some time to it if you want it to stay healthy and happy. They have to be bathed, groomed and played with as well as ensuring they get plenty of exercise. Some people get around the exercise problem by using on-demand dog walking services. Then they know that even if they are out all day, their canine friend will get the walk it needs with someone who understands dogs and will know how to care for them.
Does Everyone In The Family Agree?
Does everyone in your family agree that it would be good to own a dog, or is one of your children frightened of them? Although owning a dog could be good in helping them to get over this fear, it could also create a lot of stress and anxiety for them. Children will not always relate their fears to anyone, and you should ask each family member if they have any problem at all with your buying a dog.
Adding a new member to the family should be something that everyone is happy with, and that is really the last hurdle to decide if your family is ready for pet ownership.
On a day-to-day basis, dogs are not expensive to keep, but vets bills or pet insurance can soon add up. You have to be honest with yourself about whether you have the spare money to pay for these things, or your pet could be unwell and you not be able to pay for their treatment.
They will also need toys to play with and their own bed to sleep in and this are the sorts of thing that will soon mount up.
Do You Have The Time?
A dog needs you to devote some time to it if you want it to stay healthy and happy. They have to be bathed, groomed and played with as well as ensuring they get plenty of exercise. Some people get around the exercise problem by using on-demand dog walking services. Then they know that even if they are out all day, their canine friend will get the walk it needs with someone who understands dogs and will know how to care for them.
Does Everyone In The Family Agree?
Does everyone in your family agree that it would be good to own a dog, or is one of your children frightened of them? Although owning a dog could be good in helping them to get over this fear, it could also create a lot of stress and anxiety for them. Children will not always relate their fears to anyone, and you should ask each family member if they have any problem at all with your buying a dog.
Adding a new member to the family should be something that everyone is happy with, and that is really the last hurdle to decide if your family is ready for pet ownership.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to share your thoughts. However, kindly refrain from adding links in your comments because they will be marked as spam and filtered out. Thank you!