Written by Jenny Catton
Dogs make great pets and can be a wonderful addition to a family. But pets come with a lot of responsibility so it’s important to be sure that you are making the right decision before bringing a dog into your home. So is getting a dog for your family a good idea?
Yes – Fiona
Getting a dog was one of the best decisions we every made as a family. It has brought us so much love and enjoyment. Since getting the dog, we are more active – we go for long walks together and spend a lot more time outside. Before we had a pet, the kids just wanted to watch TV or play computer games but now they are always asking if we can take the dog to the beach – it’ provided an easy way to ensure they get fresh air and exercise.
Having a dog brings emotional benefits too – it has allowed us to teach our children about responsibility. They know that the dog needs walking even if it is raining and they know that they have to get up in time to feed the dog before going to school each day. Getting a dog was a big decision but we gave it a lot of thought. We made sure we would have the time to look after a dog and the space for it to grow.
A dog is great for relaxing too – if I’m feeling stressed, I just have to stroke our dog and I feel much better. It’s wonderful to be able to give a loving home to an animal. I’m really pleased we got a dog – it’s brought so many benefits to our family.
No – Toni
A dog is a lot more work than most people think – they need walking every day and when families have busy lives it can be hard to find the time that a dog needs. Families often get a dog because the children have asked for one but children quickly lose interest in new things and it’s left to the parents to look after the dog and when they don’t, it’s the dog that suffers. It’s also important to remember that dogs can live for a long time – often up to 15 years or more. This means that if you buy a dog because your child wants one, the responsibility for looking after the dog will probably fall to you one day.
It’s important to remember that children can suffer from allergies that can be triggered by pet hair which can also cause asthma. Not all dogs get on with children and can become aggressive – it’s another thing to consider before getting a dog.
A dog can be a big expense too – food, vets bills, the cost of kennels, it all mounts up and often families forget about the costs when they are excited at the thought of getting a dog.
Few families have the space and time to look after a dog properly and so for most families I would say that getting a dog is not a good idea.
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