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Roxygirl1488
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I disagree I think dogs are easier…anything but a litter box!!
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Roxygirl1488
Guest
boxer or a border collie they are fantastic!
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Aunt_Raven
Guest
From the point of a child, YES!!! from the point of an overworked adult, A DISASTER.
Boxers drool all over your clothes, furniture, and rugs. Border Collies are hyperactive and go crazy if they don’t get constant exercise and/or play. The border collie in particular is a working farm breed which can get neurotic on you if you don’t have enough space for them to “run off energy” every day.
And did I mention “dog smell?” :coolinoff:Dogs are also expensive to keep, and the bigger, the more expensive. If you go away on holiday, you have to either take the dog with you (which restricts where you can stay) or pay someone to care for it while you are gone.
If you must have a dog, a small, quiet breed would be better-- research this, and don’t just get a dog because you like its looks. The “101 Dalmations” movie saw thousands of pitiful young Dalmations in animal shelters the year after that film was released, because families like the looks of the high-strung, active breed but did not learn about it to know that in too many cases, it was not the ideal family dog.
“A dog is for Life, --not just for Christmas.”Children see fun, not long-term responsibility. (YOU will wind up as dog feeder, not matter what you hope) Sit down with them with the economics of money spent on a dog-- food, vet bills, boarding expenses-- for 15 years or so, --which cannot be spent on others things they will want in the future. Talk about school trips and clothing and games they will have to sacrifice. Talk about your rent / utilities / transportation expenses, compared to your ACTUAL INCOME. This is a good way to introduce them to adult thinking.
My mother and her 5 siblings grew up in the Great Depression and begged their father for a dog, which he told them they could not afford. They brought home a stray anyway, and hid it in a shed. Though they were hungry themselves, they smuggled food off their plates for the dog, which slowly starved to death anyway. When they cried, their father gently told them that he knew they had the dog, but wanted them to learn first hand about the reality of not being able to afford a pet, and that parents had good reasons to say “No.”
Years later my mother got married and then got a cat which she loved and cared for all the better for having the earlier, sad experience with the dog the family could not afford.
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Country_Gal
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I love those breeds, but both are high maintenance, high energy breeds. I have a border collie mix, he needs exercise and stimulation! I live in the country and that provides plenty of that. Also, some border collies want to herd children. Be careful with that breed!
Boxers are adorable, fun loving and mischievous. They can’t be left out in the cold, they need a warm climate or else access to a heated space. They also need a high fence, they have powerful hind legs.
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Magdalen2013
Guest
Not for an adult with limited time and no experience with dogs. Both the Boxer AND especially the Border Collie are HIGH ENERGY dogs.
Better would be a Golden Retriever or Lab.
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Country_Gal
Guest
I have an old Lab. Generally, Labs make great, reliable family pets. Mine is a chocolate. She’s 10 now.
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Phemie
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Lived 5 years in Moose Jaw and just starting our 18th in Labrador. Cold doesn’t scare me – not that I care for it much.Apart from the fact it really is cold?
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Luvz2travel
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Hum your statement about too much work is a little funny when you mention you have a 4 and 12 year old. Aren’t kids a lot or work. But that’s another subject. Do the animals a favor and don’t get a pet. A pet should be loved and wanted by their family not tolerated. There’s too many pets that are put down and cast aside because people who didn’t really care for animals got them for their kids, spouse or as a status thing only to realise this animal actually needed attention and work. I’m not putting you down just asking you to think beyond yourself to the benefit of another living creature. Too many folks think of animals as commodities and not as living breathing creatures that depend on us for their care. A pet is a life time commitment. Some can live 20 years and up depending on what type of animal you get. Try fostering to see if would work out before taking on the responsibility permantly. Not everyone is meant to be a pet owner. I love cats. They have many issues but I understand them and like their independence. I don’t do well with dogs other people’s dogs are fine I just don’t like them as pets for myself so I don’t get one. I stick with cats.Good evening -
I have five children (4-12 yrs) and they’ve recently decided they “must have” a pet.
We had an outdoor cat when the oldest was two but he got hit by a car. I don’t have much experience with animals beyond that
I am open to the idea. I’ve already ruled out cats and dogs (too much work and I’d prefer something that stays in a cage/tank).
I wouldn’t mind getting a small animal but I honestly have no knowledge of their needs.
Cleaning once a week or so wouldn’t be a problem and of course we would provide food/water/etc.
I do think the kids are responsible enough to care for a pet with help from mom and dad, but I just need ideas on the best pet.
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DevotedChild
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The best pet to have if you are worried about work would be a cat or hamster. The other pets most people have, most of the time are misinformed parents and thus are not properly taken care of. All other small pets require a lot of work and attention and are not to be handled by young children, a lot of them are fragile, especially guinea pigs and rabbits. I have had both. Maybe rats but ferrets have very active oil glands that if not taken properly cared for is what make ferrets stink.
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Allegra
Guest
I had a pet mouse. He was cute, petable, trainable (he knew three tricks), and he could go at least 48 hours without needing any new water or food. (Important as my parents were divorced and I spent time at my dads.)
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Phemie
Guest
I forgot, I also had mice at two different times. I could smell 3 drops of mouse urine from upstairs! Always thought they stank way more than either the guinea pigs or the rats.
But I don’t think a mouse would be a great pet for a 4 year old.
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3rday
Guest
We were looking for a pet about 1983 for our two daughters who were 13-15, and
we asked about a pet that was good company and helped with stress and overall
helped a person to live a longer life and not a shorter one.
We decided on a dog, and I know you said no to a dog, but there is a reason that
they are the most popular pet and most wanted pet. And now that our children
are out on their own, we now have two dogs! What would we do without them?
we asked about a pet that was good company and helped with stress and overall
helped a person to live a longer life and not a shorter one.
We decided on a dog, and I know you said no to a dog, but there is a reason that
they are the most popular pet and most wanted pet. And now that our children
are out on their own, we now have two dogs! What would we do without them?
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Allegra
Guest
My mouse didn’t stink and I kept his cage clean. THe cedar chips in his cage did have an odor that my mom didn’t care for. I think I was able to get some other kind of shavings that weren’t so strong. I think a 4-year-old would like a mouse, though I would not let him play with it unsupervised.
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Allegra
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This post is a little intense, don’t you think? The OP is talking about a tank pet, not a parrot. That’s hardly a “lifetime committment”. There is nothing wrong with seeking out a pet that is an appropriate amount of work for your lifestyle. Some pets have greater needs than others. The fact that a person prefers a pet with less needs does not mean that they are unworthy to own any animal.
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