Are You Ready for a Dog?

If you don’t have a dog, your kids have probably asked you for one, and if they haven’t yet, brace yourself: Once they get the idea in their heads, you aren’t likely to hear the end of it. Each sighting of a luckier, dog-owning child at a playground, a playdate, or on Disney, Jr. will incite a fresh round of envy; if a cousin, best friend, or next-door neighbor acquires a new puppy, expect guilt-mongering to ensue. Eventually, your responses of “maybe” or “someday” or “talk to your dad” will start to sound hollow, even to you.

I think even dog lovers can appreciate why we’ve held off. We have three high-energy young boys, one of whom I have yet to house-train. I grew up with golden retrievers, and have plenty of warm and fuzzy memories, but also some less savory ones: The endless poop patrolling, the paw prints on the white living room carpet, the frogs and rodents Brandy thrashed for sport and then left like offerings on our front doormat.

My middle son, who’s particularly fond of animals, has started acquiring proxy pets, which have included, in just the past two weeks, two toads, a baby snapper turtle, and six snails from the pond down the street. A big plastic container filled with dirt, weeds, and a rotating collection of bottom-dwellers has taken up permanent residence on our back patio. It’s a cunning strategy, I have to admit, each critter less appealing relative to a fluffy puppy than the last.

My sister has suggested cats as a lower-maintenance substitute, and just last weekend, we took a test drive with a rabbit that belongs to the school science department. Brownie shed a sweater’s worth of fur and twice his weight in droppings over the course of the long weekend, but he was pretty easy to manage, and cuddlier than a snail to boot. But I suspect we could acquire a menagerie, and if it didn’t include a dog, the lobbying would continue. So I spoke with Mary Burch, Ph.D, an animal behaviorist who directs the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Program, which encourages responsible dog ownership. The AKC has some great materials online, and Dr. Burch filled in some additional helpful details. Here are some guidelines to help you assess your family-dog readiness:

Make sure you like dogs, too. One of the biggest mistakes rookies make is buckling to kids’ dog demands when the adults themselves aren’t sold on the idea, says Dr. Burch. Spot will be your housemate, too—for up to 10 to 13 years. Dr. Burch knows a breeder who makes a point of watching how Mom connects with a potential puppy. “If the kids get tired of the dog in a few weeks, she’s going to be the caretaker and proud owner of a new dog,” she explains.

Be realistic about your availability as chief caretaker.. In an ideal world, kids would take the lead in caring for their dog. But all kids require reminders and guidance. You, your spouse, or another responsible adult need to be present a good part of the day, especially soon after your new pet comes home. Kids learn feeding, grooming, and cleaning tasks best by watching you, says Dr. Burch, who also recommends that parents explain why they need to do certain tasks for the dog (it helps the information stick). “Rather than just telling a child to fill a dog’s water dish, a parent can explain what happens when a person or animal doesn’t get enough fresh water,” she says.
Also: If you have a very young child, you or another trusted adult need to be available to be present when he’s interacting with the new dog, since gentleness can be a tough concept to both toddlers and puppies. (The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge, which you can find online, says that young children should always be supervised in the presence of dogs, for the safety of both the animal and the child.)

Understand the costs. Just like kids, dogs need to visit the vet for routine vaccinations, checkups, illnesses and injuries. (The AKC, ASPCA and other organizations offer pet insurance plans to help manage payments.) They also need to be fed special food just for dogs, and in addition to dog’s meals, you’ll want to supply occasional healthy treats. Early on, a crate and some sort of spray carpet cleaner are helpful, and grooming supplies and toys are also important to have on hand. Finally, if you go away a lot, you’ll need to pay a pet-sitter or kennel to watch over your dog. Toss in replacements for household objects puppies inevitably teethe on (slippers, rosebushes), and you get the picture: Dogs don’t come cheap.

Volunteer with your child at a dog shelter to get a taste of caretaking responsibilities. “It’s a great way to determine if a dog is the right pet for the family,” says Dr. Burch. A responsible breeder might also be willing to allow you to have multiple visits to interact with adult dogs to determine if a particular breed is right for your family.

Test your readiness with a lower maintenance animal. Start with a goldfish; if the kids seem committed to its care and feeding, move to a guinea pig or rabbit. They’re cuddly like dogs, but require less work, so they are a good test of whether your family is on board for pet-care beyond a month or two. You may discover, like us, that a dog will be a wonderful pet—someday.