Are Pets a Must Have for Kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I couldn't imagine not having my two dogs but good lord it's so much extra work. They do things like leave diarrhea all over the carpet, or eat a pile of grapes at 11pm so you have to go get their stomachs pumped in the middle of the night, make sure they get lots of attention, walks, grooming. Kenneling them is expensive on trips. So much extra cleaning, mopping, vacuuming. Just don't.

Um, I don't mean this in a cruel way but my dog has zero access to food except hers. Why does your dog have access to grapes? If you want your dog's stomach to be kind to your carpet, have a clean house and be careful about what they put in their mouth. We got a dog that has hair rather than fur so almost no shedding, we brush her almost each night while watching a show or talking with each other - it takes five minutes, and we trained her and trained our kids on how to uphold that training. She knows not to put anything in her mouth that she finds on walks, she knows the terms "drop it" and "leave it", and we find her very easy. We have a house/dog sitter when we travel. Much more comfortable for the dog, and we like knowing someone's watching our house, watering the plants, taking in the mail, turning on and off lights, etc.

If you have never, ever left food out on a counter for 15 minutes and absent mindedly put the kids to bed only to come back later and realized one of the dogs went counter surfing then, well you're just a far better person than I am. But it only took that one time.

[Anonymous]

So many people don't have pets, OP.

But it's true that in America, it's a sign of wealth: a sign you can afford pet care, you own your home instead of having to deal with pet restrictions in a rental, you have the space, etc...

Also, please integrate your children's wishes. Sometimes kids are truly drawn to animals and are much happier and balanced with a pet.
My nephew became a vet, and when asked by his father why he didn't pick human medicine instead like his sister, he replied: "I always wanted pets and you always said no."

[Anonymous]

We had cats and they are very easy to take care of. They were indoor cats as well. Now all of our adult kids have cats. One has a dog and it drives her crazy.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a household without large pets (we had a bird and a Guinea pig for a while). It’s fine. Unless the parents want pets, they shouldn’t have them as it’s the adults who do all of the caretaking. Absolutely don’t get a dog “for the kids” unless you want a dog yourself.

[Anonymous]

Dogs need a lot of time and attention. Kids can’t help enough.

Get a cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Everyone needs a dog. They are magic.

This attitude is one reason there are so many terrible dog owners in the world.

Signed,
A dog lover who does not have a dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A dog is an extra child. Just consider that . You have to train your dog, groom your dog, take your dog to the park, and not isolate it at home all day. It is work .

If your kids like cats, I would start with that. They are way easier but not as much fun as a dog

Cats are sort of ideal for kids because they can be a ton of fun when they are kittens, but then they get older and lazier and less interested in playing. Which is also what kids do with pets -- they are thrilled at first and then they lose interest over time as the animal matures and is less of a novelty (yes, even dogs). So if you have a desire to have a large, uncaged, furry pet, but are unsure about the time and cost of a dog, a cat might actually be perfect.

One tip on cats -- I love my cat and he's been great for our family (we got him before we had kids) but he is a huge shedder. Since kids also produce a lot of mess, I resent the shedding more now than I did when he was younger. If we get another cat after he passes, I will only look at breeds that known to shed less and are considered more hypoallergenic. Right now I vacuum or sweep pretty much daily because between the kids' crumbs, the cat hair, and then the tendency of both kids and cat to track things throughout the house without thinking, I feel like our floors are always a bit messy. Just something to consider (and yes, dogs are generally worse on this front because they are bigger, but there are low-shed and hypoallergenic options there too, and at least with dogs you have the option to get them groomed which can help a lot with shedding).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A dog is an extra child. Just consider that . You have to train your dog, groom your dog, take your dog to the park, and not isolate it at home all day. It is work .

If your kids like cats, I would start with that. They are way easier but not as much fun as a dog

Cats are sort of ideal for kids because they can be a ton of fun when they are kittens, but then they get older and lazier and less interested in playing. Which is also what kids do with pets -- they are thrilled at first and then they lose interest over time as the animal matures and is less of a novelty (yes, even dogs). So if you have a desire to have a large, uncaged, furry pet, but are unsure about the time and cost of a dog, a cat might actually be perfect.

One tip on cats -- I love my cat and he's been great for our family (we got him before we had kids) but he is a huge shedder. Since kids also produce a lot of mess, I resent the shedding more now than I did when he was younger. If we get another cat after he passes, I will only look at breeds that known to shed less and are considered more hypoallergenic. Right now I vacuum or sweep pretty much daily because between the kids' crumbs, the cat hair, and then the tendency of both kids and cat to track things throughout the house without thinking, I feel like our floors are always a bit messy. Just something to consider (and yes, dogs are generally worse on this front because they are bigger, but there are low-shed and hypoallergenic options there too, and at least with dogs you have the option to get them groomed which can help a lot with shedding).

Do you have examples of such breeds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Everyone needs a dog. They are magic.

This. I wouldn't say this to your face, OP, but I do feel like people who do not have a dog are realllllly missing out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do I have to let my elementary aged kids have either a dog or cat? Are they missing out if they don't grow up with a pet at all? Am I depriving my kids by not getting a pet? I feel like it's a ton of work (if you want to be a good pet owner), cost $$ & time, inconvenient when we travel, etc. Also, with 2 working parents (not WFH) & kids' busy sports schedule, we are not at the house a lot except late nights, in other words, I feel like we can't give the pet enough attention if we had one. Your thoughts?

You are too focused on checking off boxes and comparing your parenting choices to everyone else. Your kids will turn out fine if they don't have a pet.

[Anonymous]

No way. Look at every pet/dog once a family has a child. They're often neglected and/or re-homed. The novelty wears off so quickly. Plus you and your house smells like dog. You wouldn't be able to tell because you're noseblind to it but trust me, you do.

Find a friend with a pet and hang out with theirs. They'll be happy for the attention.

[Anonymous]

Not a great idea with your schedule tbh. Dogs are very social and need a lot of attention and mental stimulation. They do better in pairs then by themselves, or they can be prone to destructive behaviors out of boredom.

[Anonymous]

Dont need them, but if you want them, get 2 bonded cats/kittens. They will still want to be with you/the kids, but they will also have each other.

[Anonymous]

This is a personal preference.

My perspective is no, it’s definitely not a must have. However, I’m a person who wants three kids and some people would not consider another sibling a must have but would consider a pet to be a must have.

I don’t want to deal with boarding dogs on the weekends- we like to go visit family or go skiing, etc. it wouldn’t fit our lifestyle. I love dogs and I’m totally content just seeing my siblings dog when they’re around.

Also I had one as a teenager who was not good with kids. We would have had to rehome her if there were young kids in my house. I do not want dogs living with my young kids the same way I don’t want a pool in my backyard with young kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes they’re missing out in some ways. But kids can’t have everything everyone else has. That’s just not reasonable. Pets are work and if you’re not committed to it for 5-18 years then don’t do it.
Kids in apartments miss out in having back yards, kids in large families miss out on individual attention. Only children miss out on sibling connections.
I could go on, you do what works for your family.

+1 this is the answer. I grew up without a dog and was definitely scared and awkward around dogs my whole life until we impulsively decided to get a pandemic puppy. I’m obsessed with this pup now and have learned a ton and shockingly become a dog lover. I think having a dog has taught both me and my kids a lot and I think it would’ve been nice to have had a canine companion during my childhood. BUT, your family schedule doesn’t actually sound fair or conducive to a dog right now. We are home a lot more. My dog would crave more time with his pack than it sounds like you could give. Unless you want to make adjustments to your schedule, which I totally get if you’d rather not, I’d hold off at this time.