What age for kids to get pets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are eager to have a dog, but they're too young to grasp the responsibilities involved. Should I allow them to get one now and take care of it myself, hoping they'll take over as they grow older? Or should I wait for them to better understand what it would entail?

We adopted our dogs in our late 20s prior to having kids because we are bleeding heart dog people. The dogs are our dogs and we take care of them. If I had wanted my kids to actually take care of our dogs (feed, walk, schedule and take to vet visits, provide training, etc.) I would have waited until my children were 13+ and probably older.

We did the same. That dog passed away when kid was about 9, and we adopted another (adult) dog that, if it lives a full life, will pass when kid is in high school. That timing is pretty perfect and even so, kid cannot be the primary caretaker.

If you get a puppy or young adult dog when your kid is 13+, that's going to be your dog when the teens move out, which is the majority of the dog's life. And you will still need to be the primary caretaker in the puppy stage, unless your teen is unusually reliable and patient and unscheduled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband convinced me to get a dog for our boys. They were 8 and 9. Dumbest idea ever. Having a dog is like having a toddler for 16 years.

Toddlers are easier. At least they grow up.

[Anonymous]

30 years old or sooner if they've bought their first home.

[Anonymous]

We got our dog when ours were in third and fifth grade.

It’s a ton of work and another expense. Don’t ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

Personally I would not get a dog until my kids were older (9+) - I’ve seen a lot of dogs who turn out to not be family friendly (dog gets overstimulated, growls, snaps, bites, etc.) and then the family is a really tough position. When your kids are old enough, they can understand how to not trigger an attack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I would not get a dog until my kids were older (9+) - I’ve seen a lot of dogs who turn out to not be family friendly (dog gets overstimulated, growls, snaps, bites, etc.) and then the family is a really tough position. When your kids are old enough, they can understand how to not trigger an attack.

Also… I love dogs, but my brother has one and my sister in law has one. Both really cramp their lifestyle. One has a small “family friendly” breed that growls at children and the other has a golden retriever who is gentle but enormous, and he stinks and sheds. Each of our parents hate having the dogs around, and so our siblings have difficulty going anywhere with family for a weekend etc. I had a cockapoo growing up, and she also bit. Dogs with young kids is a hard pass for me for both safety and logistics reasons.

[Anonymous]

When your kids are old enough to understand not hurting the pet ie pulling tails, riding trying to hold the fish etc
When you are ready to assume responsibility for the pet. This is not just day to day care like training,feeding, exercise etc. Grooming, vet bills what you're going to do with the pet when traveling.

[Anonymous]

We have had dogs throughout our kids lives - they are now 17 and 19.

First dog was about 4 years old when our oldest was born and was with us for another 6 years before cancer. We adopted another dog before our first dog died and she's still with us. She's going on 12. Adopted another dog during COVID who turned 5 in March.

IDK. For those that say dogs are a ton of work, sure. There's walking and feeding and picking up after them. But, it's not the end of the world from a time commitment standpoint. It's a nice way to get me out of the house as well to walk them.

We are lucky for boarding since my M-in-Law lives close by and will watch them for us when we are out of town or if that doesn't work, our oldest works PT at a boarding kennel where they will stay.

I really think each situation is unique and there isn't a magical "age" for getting a pet.

[Anonymous]

As for other pets besides dogs / cats. Our kids never had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc. Never really asked either since we had dogs.

Son did have a fish tank for a while but once DH stopped being the primary caretaker, fish tank went downhill pretty quickly. No more fish tank.

DH has talked about setting it back up more for his own enjoyment rather than anyone elses.

[Anonymous]

We've had dogs since a couple weeks after we got married, and kids came years after that. So I've never experienced kids without dogs and barring a tragedy I never will--youngest kid is now 11 and youngest dog is 2.

The hardest age of dog + kid was toddlerhood. Kid can't follow directions appropriately and behaves erratically, causes dog to be afraid. 4-8 were constantly "stop running, the dog is chasing you because you are running. If you want to run or throw a ball, that is an outside activity away from the dog". After 9 it was easy. (The surprisingly hard part was playdates with friends. A LOT of their friends were afraid of dogs, even little ones)

It's a lot of work, sure, but it's joyful work. Daily walks soothe my soul, training is a fun learning experience, feeding and brushing are a few minutes a day.

Get the dog because you want one, not because anyone else does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As for other pets besides dogs / cats. Our kids never had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc. Never really asked either since we had dogs.

Son did have a fish tank for a while but once DH stopped being the primary caretaker, fish tank went downhill pretty quickly. No more fish tank.

DH has talked about setting it back up more for his own enjoyment rather than anyone elses.

This is why I usually tell people if their kid really wants a cat/dog and they're open to the idea it's their preference on timing but they should go ahead and just skip to the cat/dog. The fish, hamsters, lizards, etc starter pets never really scratch that itch and most are also not an insignificant amount of work for little reward and that kids get bored with quickly. A dog can be a fun companion for years but a hermit crab gets boring after a week. That said, only go for it with the expectation you will be doing the vast majority of the work and it will be a pleasant surprise if kids pitch in.