If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you may have seen my question I posted about families with dogs. I wanted to know if you regret the decision to get a dog with kids. I was given some amazing feedback and I promptly made Brandon read all of it. Ha! Brandon is not wanting a dog right now and he has very valid reasons, that I agree with even! He is warming to the idea but I wanted to weigh the pros and cons here and see if any of you have some input into our dilemma.
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| Foxy, my brother and sister-in-law's dog. |
Pros:
A play partner/friend for my kids
A deterrent to robbers, etc.
{this is a BIG one on my list because of where we live}
My kids would learn to care for an animal
We would help give a needing animal a home
Cons:
It will bring in stuff {fleas, dirt, all around ickiness}
It will shed
It costs money
One more thing to take care of
It will stink
Side note: I know that I would need a dog that has been potty trained and crate trained before becoming ours. That is one thing I don't have the ability to tackle, and I'm well aware of it.
My friend Jessica made a good point when I talked about the fleas on facebook. She said that you treat your yard and you bathe your dog. That's what keeps the fleas, etc at bay.
I will admit, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to taking care of dogs. I had one as a kid but she got run over by a car. {it was a sad day} So I grew up with cats. I love animals and I want that incorporated into our family.
I will NOT be that wife who just does things even though her husband is not on board. I want Brandon to be in this with me, not against me.
So we shall see. I'm sure it's a losing battle but I think I'm waring him down. muahahaha!
And mom...I know you are about to text me and tell me I shouldn't get a dog.
Do you have a dog and kids? Did you get the dog after having them? What are your thoughts?
My warning isn't again one dog. One SINGLE, well behaved dog is fine. It's perfect actually. It's when things are going so famously well with the first one that you think you need a second one...well that's when things go south. One = Good. Two = Trouble. Please note that as I type this my number two is curled up in my arms. He is also the subject of most of my Instagram photos and Tweets. And I love him to pieces. But he's trouble. PS--Get a dog. But just get one.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of this post: "And mom...I know you are about to text me and tell me I shouldn't get a dog". LOL. Maybe you can compromise. Revisit it when Zeke is a little older, maybe get it as a Christmas present or something for the kids? Stella only costs me $40 a year, and that's just for her annual visit and vaccines. I coupon for dog food and treats and save a good chunk of $ there. I am sure Brandon will come around and see the light! Dogs are good for kids! Maybe he'll be more open to it when the kids are a bit older...?
ReplyDeleteI have all the same pros and cons on my list! But there's no way I'm getting Rob to budge on the issue right now. How will you choose what kind of dog to get if you do?
ReplyDeleteWe have a Maltese. NO SHEDDING! It's so great to not have dog hair all over the house. He's really pretty low maintenance.
ReplyDeleteMy family has always had dogs and I loved growing up having them around. They were/are a lot of work. And the fleas have been a constant battle for us but I think dogs are a great way to teach responsibility and alert you to strangers.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that I tagged you in my post today. http://classyinkc.blogspot.com/2012/02/your-it.html
We don't have kids, but we do have two dogs. Love them!
ReplyDeletewe have two dogs. both we had before our kid.
ReplyDeletePROS- they are amazing with her and we love them so much. she loves them. they make me feel WAY safer when I'm home alone.
CONS- they shed on my furniture and clothes, they cost lots of money (vet bills, food), they poop A LOT, we have to find dog care when we want to go out of town (bc of this we can never have last minute plans), sometimes they bark at the wrong time and wake the kid up.
I do not have kids but grew up with dogs and would not change that for the world. There is a special bond that kids share with dogs. I have a dog now and yes he is work.. but he is so worth it! Adopting a dog from a local rescue group may be the right way to go, a lot of those dogs live in foster homes and are already house trained and trained in a lot of other areas also.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest getting a dog who was fostered. That way he's already potty trained and has all his shots and is already neutered! Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteI was going to tell you all about my childhood with my dog but noticed some of your readers have already hit on that topic. I got my dog when I was in 6th grade and I still have him today (well my parents do). He really helped us get through some hard times,Divorce, death, he helped my mom cope when we left for college. He is such a blessing to our family. Also, HE DOESNT SHED!! There are several dogs that don't. Kosmo (my dog) is a maltese. The best dogs! We bathe him probably once every couple of weeks. He doesn't smell too bad but he doesn't spend much time outside. He is kennel trained loves being in his kennel. Anytime we leave he goes in his kennel and he is perfectly happy. I hope you talk your husband into a dog! good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy Labrdoodle is hypoallergenic, which means he doesn't EVER shed. It's friggin fantastic. I get the brain of a Labrador (genius btw), with the curly hair of a poodle (presh), and no grody brown hairs all over my house! Except mine... :) So there's that! A ton of little dogs are hypoallergenic as well!
ReplyDeleteWe had dogs before kids. I love them both dearly, but the first one is a Golden and he has a bunch of health problems.... and he likes to eat baby clothes. We've had him since he was a puppy. The second we adopted when he was already 1 from the pound for $25. He's a mutt and the best dog I could ever ask for. The two of them together are SO much easier than our first dog alone was for us... But again, that was pre-kids. I think we will always have two dogs BUT I do say stick with one. Anytime you leave town, the boarding costs are sooo expensive unless you have friends that will watch the dog. Also, definitely adopt and try to stay away from a pure bred. While reputable breeders bread quality dogs, there are still a lot of things that even the best breeders cannot prevent - for instance, many of the Goldens my family has owned (even those costing several thousand dollars) have had thyroid issues.
ReplyDeleteI think with an older dog (read 1 year +) you're not going to have issues with potty training. Granted it depends on the breed - smaller dogs may still have issues and often times are surrended not having been potty trained, but you don't find that as often with bigger dogs. I've found crate training to go smoothly, with both of our dogs. We don't crate them now, but when we did we had no issues regardless of whether they had been introduced to the crate as a baby or an older dog. Again, this can depend on the breed. I would avoid really dominant breeds if you're worried about training issues - it takes someone who is willing to put in a lot of work with a dog to make these great family dogs.
There are several days a year when the dogs get sick on the carpets or beg for attention and I am just exhausted and want to be left alone... But seeing how obsessed my little girl is with them, and being raised with dogs myself, I cannot imagine my home without them. They make it home. I think you have to REALLY want one and be dedicated to the idea of a dog for a decade +, but if you are, they are worth all the "are you KIDDING me??!!" moments.
And as if this post wasn't long enough, our house has totally been cased before and I'm CONVINCED no one followed through in robbing our house or targeting us because of our dogs. We live in a relatively safe neighborhood but I felt way more comfortable being home alone with the baby when I was on maternity leave knowing that strangers are freaked out by my dogs. Based on their barks, you'd never know we had a Golden Retriever and lab-mix in th ehouse... and despite me thinking they'd never harm a fly (okay, the golden really wouldn't, he'll hide behind me), the lab-mix full out rushed a friend who came in the house without knocking until I greeted them. He's much more protective than I gave him credit for.
I dont have kiddos yet so I can't give you advice on this one but I think a dog brings so much love and a special dynamic into a household, especially children who can learn to love something like theyve never loved before!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have been having this debate for a few months. Our St. Bernard passed in Nov 2010 and we had her for 11 years. I miss her but don't miss having a dog. Granted my twins are only 2 but I'd rather wait until they are about 4-5 to get a new dog. I might have to cave sooner than that. When we do get another dog it's going to be a goldendoodle. :)
ReplyDeletei grew up with dogs, horses, sheep, cats, and chickens. LOVED having animals as a kid, but never shared a home with them. i suppose you have to ask yourself what you're willing to sacrifice for your kids to have a fluffy friend. i personally have 10 reasons why we don't have a dog (http://stillinstlouis.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-10-reasons-we-dont-have-dog.html)
ReplyDeletei don't think i'll ever understand dog people, at least the ones who sleep with their dogs and kiss them on the mouth! but, who's to say you aren't that type of family. i say if you really want to, go for it!