Choosing a Family Pet-Things You Should Know

When choosing a family pet, there are things you should know.

Choosing a family pet always puts one question ahead of all the others. That question is “how old should the children be when their first pet comes into the home?” Some experts say 6 to 8 years old. A more common-sense approach is simply that the children should be old enough, mature enough, to understand the word no. Notice your children around dogs belonging to friends and relatives. How do they relate to those dogs? If this is all positive, then it will be a parental decision. Parents should remember that the child needs to be mature enough to take on the responsibility for care and feeding because if they do not, you know who will be doing it, sometimes for years.

As a general statement, parents should seriously think twice before giving puppies to their children as gifts. Children typically don’t have the attention span, self-discipline, and physical strength to care for a dog. Older children wind up redirecting their attention to friends, school, social activities, and eventually dating and planning for college. Unlike with other holiday presents, owners cannot just pop in a fresh battery or put the pet away in the closet after the novelty wears off.

In almost all cases, one of the parents, usually Mom, becomes the primary caretaker. She takes care of the feeding, walking, and scooping, and all of the other chores the children once promised to do themselves. A little help from a great book can be helpful.

Teach by example

That said if you should choose to get a pet to begin immediately teaching by example. Children must understand: the new pet is a family member. It is to be loved and cared for, not merely played with, then tossed aside when something new comes along that may be more fun.

Puppies require lots of physical attention and training. Consider how much time you can be at home then how much time you can devote to the care, feeding, and training of your pet puppy. If you bring a puppy into the house, training will be required. It will pay dividends year after year. You need to be at home often to do that. You will also need to do dog crate training. One expert suggests that if your family is out of the house for 8 hours or more each day, you probably should not be trying to find a pet for your family.

Affectionate or Cuddly or both

Will you choose a family pet will you find a dog that will be affectionate and cuddly, or will you want a dog that will be an outdoors type? It is essential to choose a breed with nature to become the type of dog you are looking for. This requires some time and reading to make a list of outdoors active dogs or indoor cuddly smaller dogs. Do your homework. The decision to bring a pet puppy into your home is a huge decision.

Color and Appearance

What color or appearance do you want in your family pet? Many do not care, but if you do, again, do your homework. The American Kennel Club does a good job defining each breed. Don’t follow the leader and choose a breed that seems to be the breed of the month or whatever is popular. Do your homework.

Size

How large do you want your puppy to be when he or she becomes a fully grown adult dog? Do you have your own home and property, or do you rent? If you are a renter, I suggest a small dog. It will be easier to find a willing landlord if you have a smaller dog.

Take the Leadership position

As an adult, you are the key to teaching your children how to take good care of their puppy, the family pet. As soon as puppy joins, you set rules for the family and especially the children regarding puppy care and individual responsibilities as well as how to treat a dog, what to do, and what not to do. Take the leadership position.

Please know that a great pet is a trained pet. This means crate training and hopefully obedience training. How far you go with training, your dog will depend on the expectations of your pet.

Making Good Choices when Choosing A Family Pet

Making good choices when choosing a pet can change your quality of life and provide a fun experience for your pet as well. Bad decisions lead to pets being let loose on the street or becoming another statistic down at the Humane Society. Make your choice an excellent choice for you, your pet, and your family. So if you are choosing a pet, remember these are things you should know to make an informed decision.