I recently read about my nephews new puppy that they found and I asked my sister, Through Bev’s Eyes,to write a short piece about the boy’s experience and the things we, as parents need to discuss with our children before getting a pet dog.
A family who loves pets
I feel that the balance of a happy home consists of the love between children and pets and because of this there have always been a wide assortment of pets in our home.
We also always have a stray or sick animal, that the boys may have found along their travels, housed in our home.
My youngest two sons, who are fourteen and twelve, have developed such a special bond and love for any animal.
Their dreams and goals as they grow older is to rescue, help and work with animals together .I must say this is very heart warming for me as a mother to see and hear as I share their love of nature.
A dog is found
A few weeks ago my sons were on an adventure walk and found a lost puppy on the train tracks. The poor little dog was so scared and starving. Naturally, their first instinct was to bring the dog home .
Thinking it a stray and knowing this mom also has a soft heart for animals,they knew I would allow it to stay.
In the week that followed they took the full responsibility to look after and walk the dog daily.
On one of the walks the neighbour of the lost dog noticed the dog and took the dog to it’s owner. The kids came home with broken hearts .
They had lost a fur friend .
But no good deed goes unpunished
Seeing them be as responsible as they were, I have agreed to get them a puppy.
The only condition is that they are fully responsible for the dog.
So many adults and children want pets, get them and a few weeks later are bored or irritated with their new pets.
These pets then lands up as the parents responsibility or are given to new homes or animal shelters.
I am sure most parents will agree that at 12 and 14 these boys are now big enough to take full responsibility for any wors they want.
But pets are a huge responsibility
As a family we have discussed that puppies are a huge responsibity and they cost money, also not forgetting all the responsibility and routines that go with having a new puppy.
Here is a list of topics we discussed and I had them think about :
- Where the pet is going to sleep and stay once it arrives .
- Is the garden area is safe
- When the pet is let out where will it sleep
- and what items are needed for the pet to sleep ….remembering it must have it’s own bed not theirs .
- Meals : pets require curtain foods and how many meals they need to have per day and the sizes of each portion rembering the wet to the dry .
- Excersise: all pets need to be active, so they need to play with the pet and have scheduled times to walk the pet in a safe environment .
- Training : this includes toys for the pet so they don’t chew up everything in the house
- Hygiene : extra sanitizing especially now with covid
- Cleaning:how to remove the pet mess and where to dump it once picked up. Also how to keep the animal clean.
The cost of a pet
As I really want to emphasize the cost of a pet and I was impressed when both boys declared that their aim is continue to do odd jobs for our friendly neighbours to earn pocket money to look after their new fur friend.
We have since found a new puppy to join our family and the boys have just three more weeks until they meet their special new friend.
They are so excited and the hours just aren’t going fast enough .
Beverly Wood is the mom of 4 sons, animal lover and coffee addict currently living in Durban and enjoying the ups and downs of being a #boymom
