9 Important Questions Before Buying Your Kids A Dog

If you are thinking about purchasing a dog for your kids, you can’t just jump into this. It’s something that you have to think through carefully, and come to a decision that is going to work for your whole family. It might be the case that your kids have been asking you for a dog for a while now, and you’re finally considering it as you feel it might be the right time. That’s fantastic, but we strongly encourage you to ask yourself these questions before you commit to a purchase. If you’re intrigued to know what questions you should be asking, keep reading to find out.

1. Are They Old Enough?

The first thing that you need to ask yourself is whether your kids are old enough to have a dog. There are certain types of dogs that are good with small children, and there are others that aren’t so great for families, but the more important factor is whether your kids are old enough to handle having a dog around. With your new furry friend getting so much of your attention, will your child be old enough to handle this?

2. Are They Good With Animals?

Next, you need to consider whether or not your kids are good with animals. Some kids don’t understand that you have to be careful with animals and that there are certain things that you can’t do with them. While dogs are a fantastic family pet, you should not be bringing them into a home where the kids aren’t showing signs that they would be good with one.

3. Who Is Responsible?

If your kids are old enough to have a dog, there has to be some level of responsibility here. For example, perhaps it can be one kid’s job to walk the dog, and someone else’s to make sure that they get their food and water. Of course, you are there to remind them, supervise, and take some of the other responsibility for it, but you all need to chip in. If your kids are willing to do this, great. If not, then it might not be the best time to get a dog.

4. Is Your House Big Enough?

Do you have enough space for a dog? You don’t want your furry little friend to be trapped in a confined space, so you need to ensure that there is enough room for them to wander around and explore. If you have a garden then this is even better, but it’s not 100% necessary as taking them out on walks will be important either way. But, if you live in a space that is already overcrowded, you don’t need something else until you move somewhere bigger.

5. Are You Prepared For The Mess?

Dogs are messy, especially in the beginning. While you are toilet training them, there is likely to be a lot of mess inside your home, and you need to decide whether or not you are ready for that. It’s a lot of cleaning up after your new family member, and while this does cease after a while, accidents are still possible. There is also the fact that their toys and items will need to be picked up and looked after.

6. Are You Prepared For The Cost? 

It’s not just the initial purchase of the dog that you are going to have to pay for, and a lot of people seem to forget that. You are going to have to pay for insurance, vet bills, flea and worming tablets, food, toys, a bed and so much more. It can end up costing quite a fair chunk of change, so you need to be sure that you are ready for this financial responsibility. If you don’t think that you are going to be able to afford the cost of a dog, then it might be best to wait until you are in a more stable financial position.

7. What Type Should You Get?

This is the fun part! Deciding which type of dog you should get can be exciting, but you have to think about the practicalities of this as well as which dogs you like the look of. For example, if you’re not going to have time to brush them regularly, you shouldn’t be getting a dog with a long coat. 

Ideally, seeing as there are children involved you want to go for a breed that is known to be good with children. Labradors are a particularly good choice for this, so take a look at the different options such as chocolate labradors, or even golden ones.

8. Breeder Or Rescue?

You need to determine where you are going to want to purchase your dog from. If you want a puppy, then your best choice is to get a dog directly from the breeder, and get them as soon as they are old enough.

If you like the idea of getting a rescue, then this is a wonderful thing to do. You do need to do your research into this though as there are some dogs in a rescue that won’t be suitable to be around kids. 

9. What About Trips? 

Families like to go away on trips, but who is going to be there to look after the dog while you are away? Do you perhaps have a family member or friend who will be able to look after your new best friend while you are out of town? Or, are your kids old enough that you leave them home and trust them to take care of the dog? You can’t leave your dog on their own while you go away, so you need to consider what you would do and how this would work before you make a purchase.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the important questions that you need to ask before you buy your kids a dog. It’s a fantastic way to teach them some responsibility, but you have got to make sure that you are ready for this as a family before you bring another life into your home. We encourage you to consider these questions carefully, and come to a decision that works for everyone.