A Dog for the Family

Deciding to get a dog for your family is a big decision. It’s ALMOST as big as the decision to START your family.

As the commercial says – “Yeah – it’s THAT important.”

Getting a dog is a lot more complicated than buying the latest hottest toy for your child.

When you bring a dog or a puppy into your family – you’re not just bringing another living creature into your family – which is a BIG decision. However, you’re also going to be teaching your child or children a lot of life lessons.

• Lessons about caring.
• Lessons about commitment.
• Lessons about responsibility.

Your child will [hopefully] form a tight bond with your dog. Your child may actually view your dog as a four legged sibling.

That’s why the decision to add a dog to your family is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. You need to do your research to make sure the dog you add to your family is the RIGHT dog for your family.

That’s what this site is all about. Helping you to make the right decision on a dog for YOUR family.

Sometimes – the answer to “what dog should we get for our family?” is simply – “Not now.”

Getting a Family Dog Timing:

If you’re like most parents, you want your family dog to literally be a part of your family. You want your children to bond with the dog . Some parents think that buying a puppy when the baby is born is the best way to accomplish this tight bond.

There are SEVERAL reasons why this is a bad idea.

First, as a new parent – you’ll have TWO babies to care for instead of one. Puppies are baby dogs – pure and simple. They need a lot of time and attention. Admittedly, they don’t need as much time and attention as a newborn human – but newborn humans are extremely demanding.

Rest assured, the right dog will bond TIGHTLY with your family no matter how old your children. If you’re expecting and reading this – WAIT at least 6-7 years before getting a dog for your family. Trust me – this is straight from the “been there, done that and never want to do it again files.”

Second and probably more compelling reason to wait until your child is at least 6-7 before getting a family dog – do the math. Your family dog will probably live approximately nine years. Getting a dog when your child is two means the potential for a beloved family member (your dog) funeral when your child is 11.

Again, if you haven’t lived through a pre-pubescent child’s journey to puberty, it’s almost impossible to communicate how awful any major life change is during this time of growing up.

Losing your best friend at any age is hard – but during the pre-pubscent and pubescent years – is even more devastating.

Finally, part of deciding upon the RIGHT dog for your family means evaluating the personalities of your children. This is extremely difficult to do before age 6 or 7. If you’ve got more than one child – you know what I mean by “personalities”.

Some children are quiet – some are not. Some children are gentle – others are not.

Part of picking the right dog for your family means taking into consideration what personalities you’re dealing with within your family.

Your laid back, quiet, gentle children may be overwhelmed by an active and boisterous Boxer.

On the other hand, a Boxer may be an IDEAL addition to a family with active, boisterous children.

So if you’re thinking about getting a dog – and your children are less than 5 – WAIT. There’s plenty of time to get the perfect dog for your family.

Remember, you’re teaching your child a LOT of lessons by adding a dog to your family. One of those valuable life lessons can be “sometimes we have to wait for the right time”.