To Bark or Not To Bark

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:

• 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.