Question of the week: "Can I have a dog?"

"Can we have a dog?"..."When can I have a dog?"..."Mom, Dad said I can have a dog!"..."I want a dog!"... is my daughters almost daily request. We live in a tiny 2 bedroom house and would not even have room for a hamster let along a dog! But a week ago we had a guest, a little black pug named "Lola". Out of all dogs a pug - as a friend of mine said when I ran into her walking the dog:"This is such a beautiful dog in an ugly way". Lola was dropped off on Monday, we thought she was going to be picked up on Wednesday, but when we still had her on Thursday morning with no news from the owner we started to get all excited that we might have her for longer.
Her owner came to pick her up that night! She was the perfect dog for us small, funny, smart and .... NOT OURS!!

My friend Kirsten, a mom of three just got a puppy for her family. I asked her some question about the new family addition.

What kind of dog do you have?

We have an Australian Shepard. Possibly a bit of Border collie. His name is Jake and he is 4 months old.

How does he fit in with 3 kids (8,6 and 3) a bunny, a gecko and 2 cats? Does that not get a bit crazy in your house?

It can be a bit crazy but it has always been crazy. He is a herding dog and likes to chase the cats or gets chased by the cats. We are really lucky he has a lovely temperament.
We did not know what were getting ourselves into. Sometimes we have to put gates up to section off the kids from the dog.

Do your kids help you care for him? How do you encourage them to help?

Yes, they play with him a lot and they feed him. We do puppy training. They love him. They lie down and spoon with him... Lot's of cute dog time. But they do get annoyed with him when he interrupts their game or runs off with their action figures!

Who is the person in your house that cares mostly for the dog?

My husband and me. Because I am at home the most – my husband also takes him to doggy class and trains him at home.

What is the relationship between the dog and the kids?

The older one can get him under control. But the younger ones are like siblings.

Is there anything you did not think about before you got him?

They do need companions. We cannot leave him all day. He gets naughty and steels food a lot.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to get a dog?

Be ready for a bit of chaos. But it's fun....it adds a nice routine. We go out for a walk with the dog and it feels like fuzzy family live. We cannot take long trips, but somehow he slows us down in a nice way. We stay at home more and save money on expensive family trips. Simple things like taking the dog to the park replace expensive weekends away. But we are having a puppy so this is a bit different.

Anything else?

Look for a dog that fits your Family. People who need time on their own might not be suited to have a dog. You have a companion so the dog will want to be near you. He stole my husband's sandwich today from the lunch table. He also stole some Bananas that made him vomit.

BUT WE ARE VERY HAPPY WE GOT A DOG - AND SO IS OUR DOG! WE THINK...

Thanks Kirsten!

So now my dear fellow parents and friends, what do you think?

To Dog Or Not To Dog?