Growing up, I always had a dog (and a cat) and, for a while, farm animals ranging from sheep to chickens, goats to turkeys. Animals taught me aspects of responsibility that have served me well as a parent. Things like sleeping in are a privilege, and your heart always has room for one more, but your wallet may not.
As a single mom of an only child, it’s been difficult teaching my son to share. He has all of me, and I have only him. We adopted a cat when he was two, but like most felines, she is very independent. I wanted him to learn some of those early lessons from my childhood.
I wanted to teach him to share his time, attention, and things with others. The answer was clear to me: get a dog!
So, when I finally felt financially settled, and in an apartment where I could get my son a dog, I jumped on the opportunity.
My excitement was met with roadblock after roadblock. This leads me to my first suggestion for getting your family a dog: keep that decision close to the vest until you know it’s definite.
I started the adoption process by researching dogs, falling in love with a few dozen, and filling out applications for each. Then, I attended adoption events, had phone interviews, and checked out shelters. (Who knew that to adopt a dog, you were required to jump through so many hoops?).
In the end, because of my special circumstances (having a difficult-to-please landlord), I was rejected by more than a few adoption groups and shelters. I was devastated but knew I wanted a dog, so we went to a breeder.
This, painfully, reminds me of suggestion number two to consider when getting a new dog: set yourself a budget and stick to it.
Both adopting and buying from a breeder or pet shop can be expensive. (I will let you infer which is more expensive.) However, owning a pet is also expensive. You have another mouth to feed, back to clothe, and heart to shower gifts upon. Our dog, Pterodactyl, is definitely spoiled.
Yes, you read that right. My family named our new cockapoo after a prehistoric flying reptile. When my son was two and we adopted our cat, I let him name her. He was really into dinosaurs then and didn’t know much about gender, so he decided beforehand that if she was a girl, we’d name her Triceratops, and if he were a boy, T-Rex (of course). We adopted a girl, Triceratops, or Topsy for short. The name fit and was a great conversation starter.
So, tip number three: Let your child help pick out the pet’s name. It gives them a sense of ownership and, in my case, earns you a special place in your vet’s heart. Speaking of vets, my final tip is to research veterinarians extensively.
We went with the vet suggested by our breeder because our first appointment was free. Three appointments later (all for shots, nothing was wrong with our girl), I was about $750 poorer and had to travel twice with bagged dog poop in my front seat. Perhaps this vet was being thorough, but more likely; they were milking me for all they could. So, I am still looking for a less expensive vet – if anyone has suggestions – and savings in case I don’t find one soon enough.
Pterodactyl (or Tera for short) is now eight months old and much of what I hoped would happen for our family has. My son has learned to pick up his toys without being told (or else they will be chewed), and he is learning patience while we train her and try to teach her tricks. We are more active, but mostly, she brings us joy.
So, if you can afford the cost and devote the time, get your family a dog—or two. Who knows, maybe a Megalodon or Stegasaurus will be in my family’s future.
