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[quote=Anonymous]So, first, the puppy thing.

Puppies are, by definition, high maintenance.  They are generally not reliably potty trained until they're about 6-8 months of age.  Smaller breed dogs tend to take longer, and more diligence.  They are not reliably house trained (by that, I mean safe unsupervised in the house, not just potty trained), until they're 2-3 years old.  Give this, are you sure you want a puppy?  An 8-12 week old puppy can only hold its bladder for 2-3 hours at a time (in general), and that's when it's sleeping!  When the dog is up and about, you could be taking your puppy out as frequently as every 15-20 minutes.  Also, all puppies, and especially young adult dogs, have lots of energy.  Most breeds start to mellow out around the ages of 2-3.

As others have said, it is completely unrealistic to expect that your 5-10 year old kids will take care of your dog.  For one thing, your 10 year old, who is the one that could help out a lot, is in school 8 hours a day, and likely has after school activities, and is just not around enough.  So, you have to assume that you will be the primary caregiver for this dog.  And yes if you get a puppy, it means you could be getting up 2-3 times a night to take the puppy out (you don't let them out; you have to go out with them).

Now, what are you looking for in a dog?  Size?  Shedding?  Grooming?  What traits do you want in a dog?  How much barking?  Are you expecting your dog to get along swimmingly with everyone, including little kids?  Other dogs?  Cats?  Any other pets at home?

Be honest with yourself, and your abilities.  This will help a great deal in determining if you want a dog, and whether you really want a puppy.[/quote]

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