We are contemplating buying a dog for Ben. Are we crazy? Perhaps. We are not animal people. Although both James and I were total animal lovers as kids, somewhere along the line the wet noses and dirty paws lost their magic for us. So, why would we consider a dog now?
Here's my "PRO" list:
Here's my "PRO" list:
- It would help get Ben, and probably all of us, out of the house more regularly.
- Pre-school will be ending soon with a loooong summer ahead. Ben has one friend that he plays with on a regular basis, and that is only once a week. A dog would provide a constant playmate for Ben, because, no matter how much I play with Ben, it is never enough.
- I think that a dog could help Ben with the transitions coming up in his life: transitioning to Kindergarten, and then to a cross-country move, complete with a new school etc.
- A chance for Ben to learn some responsibility (though I think this is wishful thinking on my part.)
- Ben worries about everything, including getting dirty. Maybe if he had a dog to play with, he would have so much fun, and enjoy playing outside so much that he might forget to be worried; maybe he'd even get dirty like little boys are supposed to.
- A chance for Ben to feel unconditional love from someone besides his parents and sister on a daily basis.
- We have a HUGE backyard, but rarely go play in it. It would be a great yard for a dog, and a dog would be great motivation to get outside--at least for Ben!
Here's my "CON" list:
- Did I mention the wet noses?
- Poop in the yard.
- James is highly allergic, so this animal would have to be an outside-at-all-times pet; and it does get hot and cold here.
- Cost. It isn't cheap to have a dog.
- An outside pet is dirty. (I wonder where Ben learned to worry about being dirty??)
- Our backyard backs up to FIVE neighbors yards; four of whom have at least one dog. That could equal a whole lot of barking.
- We are planning to put some money into making our lawn healthier this year, as we will be putting the house up for sale next spring. We would really not like it if our dog was digging up the yard.
Wow. The journey through my mind as I try to reason things out can be a long and somewhat confusing one. A complete Pro/Con list, and still, I (we) can't decide. I would totally appreciate any advice, insights, different points of view, etc. that you could offer to help us in weighing this decision.
5 comments:
As long as we can have all the pros without any of the cons, I'm all for having a dog, it might even be fun.
Hmmmm. We have avoided getting a dog for close to ten years now. Unlike you, I never went through an animal loving phase. But Christian used to beg for a dog from time to time, up until he was bit by a dog. Now he's just as afraid of them as I.
Sometimes I think we should get a dog to get him/me over our fears, but then I start watching TV again and...what were we talking about?
I think if you lean more towards getting one than not, just jump in and do it and you'll deal with the cons, just like you did when you had kids. (Wet noses, slobbery chins, poop, etc... There's very little difference when you think about it.)
Get the dog! But get the right dog.
I think you should talk to Betsy about their dog. She told me that having a dog for their kids has been priceless.
I highly suggest you get a dog. The cons are nothing compared to the pros. I think you should get a puppy though so that you can train it yourself. My friend just bought a dog from a rescue and it was nuts and they ended up taking it back after two days.
I think a chocolate lab or golden retreiver would be perfect for Ben. They are super nice, smart, and not too big. My roomates lab in college was potty trained in 2-3 weeks, it was amazing.
It's Cindy. I love dogs sometimes more than people. They love unconditionally...which I kinda like! The only thing that makes me cringe is that he/she would be an outside dog. Ouch! Refer back to my first sentence!
Here is another subject that I am "passionate" about! I have always been an animal lover. It started when someone gave me guppies for my 6th birthday. Then I went to turtles, a series of hamsters, and parakeets. We had a beautiful, but of course very stupid black cocker spaniel. We had rabbits, until my dad ate them, a story I will have to tell you about sometime. I never could have a cat because my mom was allergic to cats. When I was a grown-up the first thing I did was get a dog from a cousin/neighbor in Vernal. I have had dogs and cats ever since, except for a brief time when we lived in St. George. I believe animals give you a whole new outlook of life. I never had dogs because of the kids, I had dogs for me. If you and James are not going to enjoy having an animal around, don't get one. I think having a dog would be good for Ben, in many ways, but if you and James can not enjoy having a stinky, pooping machine around, don't do it. Do research on the different breeds and their characteristics. There are dogs out there that don't shed. There are dogs that are hyper and there are dogs that are calm, you can make an intelligent choice that suits your family. If you do get one, and still have it when you come to St George, and you don't like it, you can give it to me! Mom M.
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