Getting a cute, cuddly, and loving puppy is a desire of many children worldwide. When we were kids, most of us painted colorful pictures in our minds featuring the wonderful time we could spend with a little paw friend, running and playing around. The joy that we felt only imagining this, was immense! Then came the response of our parents, which killed our dream to have a pet: “No, you can not have a dog!”. Why did they say “No” to this incredible idea? What did I do wrong? These are some questions, that kept bothering our minds for a long time after the rejection.
We are confident that things have not changed a lot and many children and adolescents today go through the same process that we went through when we were kids. Why your parents actually do not want to get you a dog and how you may be able to convince them to do it, are some topics that we would like to discuss today.
Why Your Parents Refuse to Get You a Dog
You may wonder how it would be possible for someone to not want a fluffy loving doggy at all. What kind of people do not like dogs?!? However, if you associate the dog with pleasant moments only such as cuddling and playing, your parents are likely to associate the presence of a dog with more work for them.
A Dog Means More Work for Your Parents
The amount of work that your mom and dad will need to do is likely to increase after they get you a dog. Feeding, walking, cleaning after the dog, training them basic obedience, bringing them to a veterinarian for regular checks or when they are sick, protecting the furniture and other items in your home from being chewed...etc. The list with the tasks that your parents will have to do is likely to grow to incredible dimensions…
Your Parents Do Not Think That You Are Responsible Enough
Talking about tasks, your parents may not believe in your abilities to behave like an adult and take responsibility. You should remember that taking care of a dog or a pet, in general, requires much responsibility after all.
A Dog Requires a Lot of Time
All tasks that will occur after your new paw friend enters your home and becomes a part of your family, require time. Let’s think about the daily routine of your parents and how many activities they are engaged in throughout the day they need to prepare for work, they make you breakfast, wash the dishes, eventually drive you to school, go to work, then come back home and prepare dinner, do the laundry...and so on... Raising a dog needs time and some people are just too busy to take care of a pet.
Raising a Dog Is Not Cheap
Since you are still a kid/adolescent, you may not realize how expensive it is to take care of a dog. And there are not only one-time costs related to buying a dog but any additional costs as well, i.e.: costs for food, dog accessories like a leash and collar, toys, bed, blanket, veterinarian checks, vaccinations... As you can see raising a dog is not cheap, so your parents may do not want to spend extra money on that.
What You Need to Consider Before Trying to Convince Your Parents to Get You a Dog
Prior to giving some pieces of advice on how to change your parents’ attitude towards this matter, you should think about all aspects of having a dog and make sure that you really want a dog. There are many people who figure out after some time, that raising a dog is too much for them, or the dog just does not fit their lifestyle. They throw their pet away, give him/her to other people to take care of him/her, or put him/her up for adoption. Dogs are intelligent creatures that just like us have feelings and suffer from the separation from their human family. Dogs are not toys, and you can not just give up on them after you have enough and get bored.
Tips On What to Do to Check How the Life With a Dog Would Look?
We would recommend that you contact your friends with dogs, and ask them to spend some time with them while walking the dog or exercising them. Also, they can give you more detailed information about certain aspects of the process of raising a dog and what difficulties may occur. Moreover, you can read books in regard to this matter and educate yourself about dogs in general such as their behavior, body language, feeding, need for exercise, predisposition to certain diseases...etc.
Another important thing to consider is what breed you would like to raise. We have said many times, that dogs should be evaluated as individuals, however, there are some traits, considered common for a certain breed. You can make research and gather as much information as possible about different breeds and their characteristics, i.e.: weight, height, lifespan, intelligence, energy level, shedding, barking, drooling, trainability...etc. If you live in a small apartment, a representative of a larger breed may not be suitable for your family. Also, if you have family members, allergic to dog fur, you may need to find a hypoallergenic breed. If you and your parents do not have a very active lifestyle, you should think about a breed with lower energy levels, that does not require a lot of exercise. Also, some breeds are prone to barking. If your family and/or your neighbors love spending a quiet time at home, you should keep that in mind as well.
After you have cleared all the questions above, you can move to the next step and namely:
How to Convince Your Parents to Get You a Dog?
Discuss With Your Parents Both the Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Dog
Let your parents know, that you already considered the positive as well as the negative aspects of having a dog. Once they understand that your request is not based on emotions only, but you can support it with logical arguments as well, they are more likely to be open to a conversation.
Prove That You Are Ready to Do Your Part of the Work in Regard to Raising a Dog
As we already mentioned above, raising a dog means for your parents more work to do. Hence, you need to prove to them that you will be actively engaged in dog-related activities. We would recommend that you explain to them how exactly you will contribute to the process-are you going to feed and walk the dog, are you going to bring them to a vet, as needed...etc. Also, you may want to make a schedule including your responsibilities and the time of the day you will be engaged in each of them. That way you will show your parents that you have a plan that can practically be applied.
Prove That You Are Responsible Enough to Take Care of a Dog
If your mom and dad doubt that you can behave as a responsible adult, it is time to prove them wrong. You can think about how you usually act when they ask you to make your bed, wash the dishes or do your homework. Do you typically complain and refuse to do whatever you were asked to? Start acting like an adult and prove that you are a responsible person. Make your bed right after you wake up, help your mom wash the dishes, help her clean your home, do your homework in a timely manner, and stop being late. There are many things you can do to show that you are responsible.
Show That You Will Find Time To Take Care of the Dog
Are you engaged in many activities before or after school? Do you often spend your time after school hanging around with your friends, watching movies, shopping, drinking coffee? Having a dog means that you will need to give up some favorite activities to have time for your paw friend. You should explain to your parents that you are aware of that aspect of raising a dog, and you are ready to make time for dog-related activities.
Help With the Costs
Since you are still a kid/adolescent you will not be able to contribute to this aspect a lot. However, that does not mean that there is nothing you can do! You may want to know, that adopting a dog from a shelter or a rescue will cost less than buying a dog from a breeder. Moreover, rescue dogs tend to be even more loyal and loving. If you stick to this option, you will need to consider are the emotional state of your future paw friend, as some rescue dogs tend to have a negative experience in the past. Hence, they will need more time and limitless love to adapt to their new environment. Separation anxiety and other mild behavioral issues may occur, so you will need to be a patient and loving owner. Also, we would recommend that you get familiar with the dog’s pedigree and any genetic diseases that he/she may have inherited from his/her parents.
Another piece of advice in regard to the costs is to be engaged in an activity that you will get paid for. Of course, this does not mean finding a job, as depending on your age, this could be even illegal. However, you can help your neighbors wash their cars or mow their lawn. Also, you can sell your old toys or create hand-made items like gift cards, and save some money. Even if the money you may be able to save, are not likely to cover all dog-related costs, you still will show your parents how serious your intentions are.
In general, we can say, that raising a dog means the ability to be responsible and take care of the dog. We would recommend that you consider all aspects of the process of raising and eventually training a dog, prior to making any steps further.
