Is there an appropriate age for children to have a dog ?

bettyB_2

sorry i just have to say please dont get her a goldfish - they are the most abused animal they can live up to 40-50 years but rarely survive the poor living conditions people give them (bowl not tank, no filtration, poor water quality) and die quickly. they are living creatures, they are not disposible.

Also given that she wants a puppy, a rat, rabbit or guinea pig might be preferable since they are cute and furry

john9to5

Yeh I can see everyones point about vet bills etc, ( i was stupid and hadnt even thought of that) I think talking to her parents would definetly be a good idea ! to see if they understand and ask if they could maybes afford vets bills especially grooming costs etc.


I like the idea of maybe getting her another pet to see how she is with that before getting something as tying as a dog, maybe a guinea pig would be nice for her , shes never had a pet before bless her and a dog would definetly be jumping in at the deep end.

UKTigerlily

Also would the parents be willing to walk the dog for however many hours a day & take it to training classes? Mine costs over £100 a month & needs at least 1hr a day & no way would I let an 8yr old go out alone with her, she's been attacked twice & a child wouldn't know what to do if it happened

Tropez

I don't believe that dogs should be bought for children as they need an adult to take responsibility for them. Although we live in a society that idolises the cuteness of puppies, few new owners are aware of the huge commitment that a puppy actually is. House training, command training, stopping them from biting and mouthing take time and consistency. Is an 8 year old child really ready for such a commitment and able to spend hours upon hours of their time ensuring that the dog is happy, well looked after, mentally stimulated, exercised etc? There's also a need to get up 2-3 times per night to let the dog out to relieve itself up until the dog is about 9-11 months old.

Would a child be prepared to deal with potential separation anxiety?

Even if a child were capable of attending to all these needs, and even if we are not talking about a puppy but perhaps an adult rescue dog, would the child be able to make a decision about the type of dog they took on board irrespective of superficial things such as the way the dog looks? Certain dogs are less suited to environments with young children, whereas certain dogs make fantastic family pets... there's issues that affect certain breeds, such as undescended testicles, hip displacements, susceptibility to cancers, rare but serious conditions causing unprovoked, unexplained aggression.

I've grown up with dogs. There isn't a single time in my life where I haven't owned dogs or been part of a family that had dogs. I was taught to respect the dog from a young age and respect its boundaries. Scientific studies have shown that children below 12 years old are largely incapable of understanding a dog's facial expression which can present significant danger if a child fails to understand a dog that does not wish to be petted at a particular time.

It should never fall on the child to be the dog's owner but the parents and the parents should take responsibility for educating both the dog and the child about acceptable behaviour in the house hold.

I have three whippets (soon to be four...). I worked out that on average, excluding treats and toys, it costs me about £450 per year each to look after them which includes food and insurance. Make sure the family can support the cost of looking after the dog because I doubt the child would be able to and that cost should factor in buying good quality food and not additive laden crap like Baker's Complete which does more harm than good.

john9to5

Just spoken to mother and father there !

Well another problem has arisen which I didnt think would be much of a problem but it is to them....I dont know if anyone has any experience of this.



They live in a flat, theres no outside space at the back just parking, its a new build set of aprtments in the countryside so plenty of parks and large fields for walks etc but the mum and dad didnt seem keen on having to take the dog out every time it needed a pee etc , its so much easier just having a garden to let it out when it needs a quick weee of course I understand you have to take it a daily walk. Although they have just asked me if they could litter train a small dog, I said god knows, I imagine it would juct cause so many more problems than solve so god knows !


I'm going off the whole dog idea as time goes on as its sounding less and less likely ! lol

vroombroom

this scenario screams NO to me! x

Tropez

john9to5 wrote: »

Just spoken to mother and father there !

Well another problem has arisen which I didnt think would be much of a problem but it is to them....I dont know if anyone has any experience of this.



They live in a flat, theres no outside space at the back just parking, its a new build set of aprtments in the countryside so plenty of parks and large fields for walks etc but the mum and dad didnt seem keen on having to take the dog out every time it needed a pee etc , its so much easier just having a garden to let it out when it needs a quick weee of course I understand you have to take it a daily walk. Although they have just asked me if they could litter train a small dog, I said god knows, I imagine it would juct cause so many more problems than solve so god knows !


I'm going off the whole dog idea as time goes on as its sounding less and less likely ! lol

It is possible to "litter box" train dogs but it requires hard work, lots of attention, lots of positive reinforcement and virtual 24 hour supervision for several weeks. I box trained my dogs but it wasn't easy and I only did so in order to ensure that they could have a wee at night when my leg is likely to prevent me from letting them out quick enough. You can't do this for a puppy though, not easily at least, the dog should be an adolescent who already knows that peeing on the carpet is a no-no.

However, litter boxes for dogs stink, and the unfortunate thing is part of the training usually involves leaving the dogs urine around for a while as dogs are encouraged to go when they smell their own urine - it is one of the reasons why carpet accidents need to be cleared up immediately as otherwise the dog may come back later, get the whiff and take a wee, even if its bladder is far from full. Depending on the size of the flat, this stink may be far from desirable, both for the family and the neighbours.

If they're not willing to take the dog to do its business outside then really they shouldn't be taking a dog on at all.

Nimeth

john9to5 wrote: »

Just spoken to mother and father there !

Well another problem has arisen which I didnt think would be much of a problem but it is to them....I dont know if anyone has any experience of this.



They live in a flat, theres no outside space at the back just parking, its a new build set of aprtments in the countryside so plenty of parks and large fields for walks etc but the mum and dad didnt seem keen on having to take the dog out every time it needed a pee etc , its so much easier just having a garden to let it out when it needs a quick weee of course I understand you have to take it a daily walk. Although they have just asked me if they could litter train a small dog, I said god knows, I imagine it would juct cause so many more problems than solve so god knows !


I'm going off the whole dog idea as time goes on as its sounding less and less likely ! lol

Perhaps a smaller pet would be more ideal, a guinea pig or a rat. I think a rat would be ideal, they're very affectionate creatures and as long as it's cleaned out regularly, fed, watered and played with, it should be a good way for your niece to learn responsiblity.

HTH.:)

bestpud

john9to5 wrote: »

Just spoken to mother and father there !

Well another problem has arisen which I didnt think would be much of a problem but it is to them....I dont know if anyone has any experience of this.



They live in a flat, theres no outside space at the back just parking, its a new build set of aprtments in the countryside so plenty of parks and large fields for walks etc but the mum and dad didnt seem keen on having to take the dog out every time it needed a pee etc , its so much easier just having a garden to let it out when it needs a quick weee of course I understand you have to take it a daily walk. Although they have just asked me if they could litter train a small dog, I said god knows, I imagine it would juct cause so many more problems than solve so god knows !


I'm going off the whole dog idea as time goes on as its sounding less and less likely ! lol

I don't think a dog is right for this family tbh.

Dogs and flats can mix ok if the family is willing to make the effort, but they clearly don't get it.

Do they have anywhere to keep a rabbit or the like?

Maybe a hamster or gerbil would be a better bet? Although, I can't stand hamsters since being bitten more than once as a child - they scare me! :eek:

pigpen

Nowhere for a dog to go outside to bask in the sun
A child that will grow up and find more intersting things to do.. boys, beer and leaving home.

Then there are holidays to consider and would it be home alone all day while everyone is at work/school?

As well as the expensive stuff.. vets, food etc.

My DD2 has nagged for a dog since she stopped being terrified of them at about 4 and is now nearly 14 and there is no way she is having one while she lives with me. Though I did promise her a Pomeranian IF she gets 10 x A* in her GCSE's.. ..

Maybe the parents have been saying no because of all these things and they don't want a dog or the responsibility of a dog and are coming up with other reasons so as not to upset their daughter.