Good or bad idea to get a dog?

jumbledideas

My 7 year old has been begging for a pet dog for years now. TBH I don't want a dog, nor does my OH, but the kid is serious.:P Having said that, I love dogs, grew up with them, but not sure about the responsibility.

Is it even advisable to have a dog where there are three days a week that no-one is home between 9 to 5? This wouldn't be all year round as himself only works contract hours in education so has summers, christmas, easter off etc.

We live in a small house with a small back garden.

The kid loves, loves, loves all animals and is as responsible as a 7 year old could be, has a lot of patience and perseverence but sure, I know who'd be picking up the poop on a dark wintry walk.:rolleyes:

We've been skirting this issue for a while now- it's a very big deal in our house! If a dog is possible, and yes, we have all been reading about breeds ( the kid really really is serious and sticks books in my face regularly along with looking it up online ), would anyone recommend a spaniel ( cocker) or a sheltie ( I thought these guys were too active but someone recommended them) or open to advice, really.

Nody

Greyhound I guess; very low energy breed so being alone for so long would be less of an issue and if you get an adult you don't have to deal with as much training and puppy training. Could be a good starting point and you'd save a rescue dog at the same time while giving your child an oppertunity to show they can handle part of the duty (you're correct that you'd be the one responsible in the end).

andreac

To be honest, if you both dont want a dog i wouldnt be getting one as the novelty will wear off soon enough with your child after a while and the poor dog then will be left not wanted.

Dogs are seriously hard work and will be around for at least 10 years so are you prepared to have a dog in your home for at least that long?

Please dont get a dog just for your child, its absolutely the wrong reasons and unless everyone is on board in the household then you shouldnt get one.

Toulouse

Agree with Andreac only get a dog if you want one, never get one for a child. This is a life that you will have to look after for the next 10 to 15 years all going well so not something to be taken lightly.

See this thread here for example! http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057046743

Also what measures are you willing to put in place on the days when everyone is gone 9 to 5?

seamus

jumbledideas wrote: »

TBH I don't want a dog, nor does my OH

There's your answer.

The child is 7, this will be your dog for the rest of its natural life, the duty to take care of it will fall to you.

Wait until your child is a bit older and can actually assist with looking after the dog (say 11 or 12), and see if he (she?) is still as crazy for one.

RubyGirl

Maybe volunteer in a rescue to help walk dog's etc or talk to the rescue about fostering a dog. Don't get a dog just for a 7 year old, my daughter has a dog, she's 6 but it's me who will do all the work, she will play, and snuggle up with her in the evening but I'd be the main care giver. Don't mind at all either.

maggiepip

Yourself and your husband dont want a dog so please dont get a dog. You cant get a dog just because your 7 year old wants one. Almost all children want a dog but thats no reason to get one.

Also children need to be taught how to treat a dog as kids can be very good at confusing dogs with inconsistent behaviour which can cause problems. So yourself and your husband will have to play a huge part in training both your dog and child. A dog is a lot of work all round. The dog will be yourself and your husbands responsibility. Thats a bit much when you say you dont even want a dog. So many dogs end up locked outside living crappy lives or dumped in the pound because irresponsible people get them for the wrong reasons.

cocker5

jumbledideas wrote: »

My 7 year old has been begging for a pet dog for years now. TBH I don't want a dog, nor does my OH, but the kid is serious.:P Having said that, I love dogs, grew up with them, but not sure about the responsibility.

Is it even advisable to have a dog where there are three days a week that no-one is home between 9 to 5? This wouldn't be all year round as himself only works contract hours in education so has summers, christmas, easter off etc.

We live in a small house with a small back garden.

The kid loves, loves, loves all animals and is as responsible as a 7 year old could be, has a lot of patience and perseverence but sure, I know who'd be picking up the poop on a dark wintry walk.:rolleyes:

We've been skirting this issue for a while now- it's a very big deal in our house! If a dog is possible, and yes, we have all been reading about breeds ( the kid really really is serious and sticks books in my face regularly along with looking it up online ), would anyone recommend a spaniel ( cocker) or a sheltie ( I thought these guys were too active but someone recommended them) or open to advice, really.

OP,

To be honest if both you and your OH arent keen on a dog please dont get one... at the end of the day it will be the two you who will be left caring for the dog, paying for the dog etc... not your child.

Puppies are great and extermely cute BUT are major work, not work that a 7 year old can manage. they need alot of time and energy invested in them to get the best out of them (if you know what i mean).

Like AndreaC said the novelity will wear off and while you child may love the dog etc I dont doubt that, love isnt enough for a dog. The require lots of training, stimualtion, money, pet insurance, kennels (when you go away), picking up their poo (2/3 times per day)...... they are a min 15 year committment... so IMO is you and your hubby are not 100% that you want a dog / puppy then please dont get one.

The shelters are stuffed to the rafters with dogs , many gotten for kids, now they are too much hassle, or kid has lost interest etc and they are literally dumped there. Now Im not saying you would do this but its a MASSIVE problem in Ireland today.... worse still the dog gets its own "dog pen" down the back of the garden and there it remains for 95% of the time.

I have a cocker and while i ADORE my guy he was a MASSIVE pain in my back side as a puppy. Cockers need alot of excercise like one hour off lead MIN per day, they are really hyper as puppies... my guy didnt relax a little after 2 years and they are prone to medical issues.

Honestly IMO if a family were to get a dog / puppy its should be 100% supported by all family members... having a dog is a family commitment... it cannot and shouldnt be 75% a 7 year old and parents the rest.

Hope this helps...

BTW you mentioned you have a small garden both breeds you mentioned would go MENTAL in a small garden with a two walks a day min

cerastes

seems like its been all said,

Having a dog, one i didnt want but ended up being the person looking after it, feeding, walks, scooping up the poo, dont do it (edit as in, it sounds like you dont want this, if you did, different story), the dog I have is great (but she is only calming down a bit now after 2 years), but it was never my plan and I could do with the time I spend on her elsewhere, saying that, Im at home so not away the whole day for a number of days.

A 7 year old wont know the work involved and a parent shouldnt be forced into getting one.
Maybe a cat? a female, neutered, might be a suitable alternative, still can be very social, but they look after themselves too. from my experience, I would not recommend a tom.

Inexile

Dont get a dog until both you and your partner want one. Dogs take time, money, commitment and a lot of patience. I have three adult dogs, all lovely and I do love and enjoy them, but some days I do think life would be easier if I didnt have them.

For example, my dogs live inside the house. A few weeks ago one of the dogs had a tummy bug and when I came home one evening there was a small poop accident which needed to be cleaned up. That was no bother, there was another similar accident the following day at lunch time, again no real bother . However it was embarassing as we had other people over at the time. On arrival home that evening there was at least five pools of watery crap all over the kitchen floor. At that point I just wondered why did I have dogs.

if you dont want to or cant manage events like this and more dont get a dog.

aonb

Its all been said in previous replies, but if your child is animal mad, what about getting him something like some gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs? They are shorter lived (:o) and will give the child a pet that is far easier managed than a dog or cat.You could get the child a few fish too - then s/he has LOTS of animals/pets & pressure off you parents!

You can see how you go on from there, but its sickening how many dogs are given up to rescues/pounds etc when the reality kicks in, and the cute little puppy turns into a grown dog with so many needs/work involved/cost etc etc.

jumbledideas

Thanks for all the replies. I know very well the responsibility of having any animal which is why I am very shy of it. We thought about having a smaller pet but really if I were going to have any pet at all, it would be a dog. I grew up on a farm and have a fairly unsentimental approach to most animals except horses and dogs for which I have great affection, probably because it is returned ten fold. I know if we take on a dog it is for life ( the dogs life!) and I wouldn't ever take on an animal thinking it is disposable.

So while I am reluctant it is something I am thinking about. If we were going to bring a dog into our family it would probably be in the spring time so we have plenty of time to think more on it.

BTW guys, I know there is a bit of a horrified reaction as I said neither myself nor my husband want a dog, but don't worry, we have a lot of love to give IF we do decide to go with a dog!

Our garden ( I'm not great with measurements) is about 5/600 sq metres.

andreac

To be honest, it doesnt really matter what size your garden is. The dog needs to be exercised outside of the home so a garden can be big or small.

I own 2 rottweilers, soon to be 3 and my garden is very small, but my dogs are rarely in the garden. They are walked twice a day and really only use the garden to go to the toilet etc and live in the house mainly.

So try not use your garden as an indication of what type of dog you get.

kylith

Firstly, I'll echo everyone else; if you and your partner don't want a dog dont' get a dog. No matter the promises and the pleading it WILL fall to you to walk and take care of it.

Secondly, if you DO decide that you want a dog 9am to 5pm is too long for a dog to be on its own, unless you rehome an older dog who is used to it. It is much too long for a puppy to be left alone, and many adult dogs will get bored and destructive if alone this long. Think about hiring a dog walker to let them out at lunchtime, or about getting two older dogs that can keep each other company.

aonb wrote: »

Its all been said in previous replies, but if your child is animal mad, what about getting him something like some gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs? They are shorter lived (:o) and will give the child a pet that is far easier managed than a dog or cat.You could get the child a few fish too - then s/he has LOTS of animals/pets & pressure off you parents!

Thirdly, please don't get fish unless you've researched how to keep them; it's actually a very costly, frustrating, and time consuming hobby. Common goldfish (the ones you get in petshops) grow to over a foot in length, live about 20 years, and keeping them in a goldfish bowl is akin to keeping a dog in a crate and claiming it's ok because the animal can turn around. A goldfish needs at least a 120L tank (which will cost about €300 and be about 3'x2' in size), plus a month's setting up time. Check out the Aquarium, Vivarium, Terrarium forum for more info.

stargazer 68

jumbledideas wrote: »

BTW guys, I know there is a bit of a horrified reaction as I said neither myself nor my husband want a dog, but don't worry, we have a lot of love to give IF we do decide to go with a dog!

.

Have to agree with others OP don't get a dog unless you all want one. Having 'a lot of love to give' is no reason to get a dog. The looking after of it will inevitably fall to you, there are days when there is no one in the house for hours, who looks after it when you are on holidays etc. Trust me my mother has a dog (which she loves) but finding someone to look after it for holidays, even weekends away is a nightmare.

seamus

Indeed, there's a popular impression that goldfish are tiny fish which don't live very long. That's because people don't look after them and they die.

It would be like saying that cats only grow to the size of a hamster and live for about 4 months before you have to flush them down the toilet.

In terms of "teaching responsibility", fish are actually really bad for this, because like plants you get very little feedback about their condition until it's too late - that is, unless you are experienced at keeping fish. Animals are better because we are able to empathise more easily with them and even a child will notice when they're out of sorts or not eating/pooping/drinking like they should.

OK, so you seem like if you got a dog you would look after it, but you're not sure about it yet. So waiting until next year and having a good long think about it is a good idea.

To a certain extent, having a dog is a bit like having a young teenager in the house. They still rely on you to feed them and take them places. You can leave them alone in the house for extended periods during the day, but you may or may not come back to something having been damaged. And you can never go away for the weekend without making arrangements for them. So it can be restrictive - which may be exactly what you don't want now that your child is getting older.

yellowlabrador

It doesn't do a child harm to want something and then to be denied. I wanted pigeons. I dreamt of them and one of my uncles was a pigeon fancier, but never got even a feather. My daughter was horse mad and wanted a horse. Again for practical reasons, she could only dream.
I would volunteer to walk dogs for a shelter or for an older person and maybe foster a dog during the holidays when someone will be at home. That way you can decide if you can commit yourself.

muddypaws

You do seem to have an understanding of the realities of getting a dog for a child, i.e., that its the parents that are actually responsible, and you and your husband sound as though you would take that on, and love the dog. I got a dog when I was 13, and when I left home a few years later, my parents wouldn't let me take him with me, as much as they had said he was my responsibility, they knew that as a young, single person, my lifestyle wouldn't suit the dog moving out with me.

Only you really know your child and your own circumstances, but I think its great that you're not just jumping straight in and getting a pup.

I think it's been mentioned above, but would you consider maybe fostering for a local rescue? It is a pretty hard thing to do though, looking after a dog and then letting it move on to it's forever home, but you may join the very special group of people that are 'failed fosterers'

Your child may well be one of us - i.e. an animal nut, who will grow up to have lots of dogs, maybe work with them etc, so if you do feel that you can commit to a dog for the whole of it's life, even when your child has left home, then this could be a great thing. There are lots of things that children can do with dogs, agility, obedience etc, that could open up a whole new world of friends and opportunities. Are you ready to be up early on a Saturday morning, driving to an agility show in the middle of nowhere in the rain, with your wellies?

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

jumbledideas

yellowlabrador wrote: »

It doesn't do a child harm to want something and then to be denied.

Don't worry, she gets denied a lot of things! She is animal mad in general, so if she had her way we'd have a menagerie in the house. She is also pony/horse mad, so she goes horse riding and, of course, she would love a pony...:pac:

muddypaws wrote: »

.

I think it's been mentioned above, but would you consider maybe fostering for a local rescue? It is a pretty hard thing to do though, looking after a dog and then letting it move on to it's forever home, but you may join the very special group of people that are 'failed fosterers'
.

There are no local animal welfare/rescue places but to be honest I don't think she'd be able to give up an animal once fostered. It would break her little heart! We have minded dogs for friends before while they were on holidays and that worked out fine as she knew that dog had her own family and was going back to them. Also I thought about the guide dogs/ a local family fostered a puppy for them too but I would be afraid it would be very hard to give up the dog at the end, for all of us, really.

There wouldnt really be a problem going on hols, as I said, I grew up on a farm and my brother would take any pet no problem while we are away.

Mainly I'm worried about a dog being alone three days a week either in the house or garden for a very long stretch- 9 to 5 or sometimes 6. I think that's a very long day and I don't know if 2 dogs is the answer- double the responsibility.

Of course she want's to be a vet when she grows up, but hopefully that's just a phase!

seanaway

For what it's worth...

If you have to think 'should I shouldn't I?'

Wait until you can say...

'I want and know I will commit to a dog in our life.'

It isn't fair to look at a dog (or any animal) as a should/shouldn't.

biko

Speaking from experience, the novelty will wear off quickly and you will be left holding the leash.
It was suggested above, and I agree, start with smaller indoor animals like hamsters or similar and make the child clean the cage, feed and water them etc.
Once they show they can handle that then, maybe, think about getting a dog.

ShaShaBear

If she is animal mad, and after something four-legged, furry, intelligent, affectionate and all-the-while easy to look after, doesn't require much exercise and has a decidedly shorter lifespan than a dog or cat, I'd really recommend a pair of rats.

A lot of people, especially parents, turn their noses up at the idea, but you can leave them alone all day while you are at work as they will be asleep, and you can spend an hour or two supervising your daughter while she interacts with them. If you get them off a good breeder (one of which is floating around here on boards) they will be fully accepting to a person's hand and you will have less risk of nipping than you would with a puppy. They like to play in toilet rolls, cereal boxes, piles of shredded paper, cloth tunnels and they adore human attention. Their cages need to be spot cleaned daily (just a case of using tissue to lift poo until you get them potty trained, which is ten times easier than with a dog) and bedding changed and cage toys and beds cleaned once a week. Their feed is very, very cheap and fantastic treats can be made from stuff at home like Cheerios on a string, or a paper-stuffed toilet tube with some porridge oats or dried pasta in the middle.

The cost of getting two, a good sized cage and toys are much cheaper than preparing your house for a puppy, and they will give your little girl a starting level of responsibility with a creature that will reciprocate love and affection. She can teach them their names, get them to do tricks if she is patient and interested and there are many fun crafts like making tunnels and castles out of cardboard that she can engage in with you guys to make their free-range time more interesting. Lifespan for healthy rats is about 3 years, and if she looks after them well, after they have passed she will be older and much better experienced if you decide then to get a dog.