Our Pets
Should Your Family Get a Dog?
By Gena Hymowech

Jan 26, 2007

At one time or another, almost every child asks his or her parent(s) for a puppy. And maybe you want a dog too. But is your family ready for one? There are a few questions you must ask yourself before you get a puppy. Sheila Webster Boneham, Ph.D, outlines these in her book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting and Owning a Dog. (You can see an excerpt on this site.)

One of the major things Boneham says you must ask yourself is: will you have time for the dog? “If you get a puppy and you want him to develop into a well-adjusted, well-mannered dog that’s a pleasure to live with, you need to invest a lot of time in the first year or two,” says Boneham. “… Your pup will need to be taught how to live properly in human society. Besides, he’s a social animal and that means he will thrive on companionship, friendship and love.” You will spend that time not only being with your dog and loving him, but also taking him to puppy kindergarten class. These are from 6 to twelve weeks, says Boneham, and there is usually homework you have to help your puppy with as well. As if it weren’t bad enough you had to help your kid.

Exercise is also a must, or you will have a fat dog. The amount of time a dog requires is based on the kind of dog you have, Boneham says. “Many sporting, herding and working breeds need at least an hour of serious exercise a day—some need more than that!” If you don’t foresee having a lot of time to spend taking your dog exercising, then you’ll need to get an older dog or a type that doesn’t need as much exercise, says Boneham.

Does your family do a lot of activities? Dance lessons, football practice and such? Well, then you may want to reconsider getting a dog. “I have a lively Labrador Retriever who was returned to her breeder by her first purchasers. They bought her because they thought a Lab would be great for their “active family” but they forgot that their activities (baseball and soccer practice, gymnastics, music lessons….) wouldn’t accommodate an active puppy,” says Boneham. 

Another thing you have to consider is if you have enough room for the type of dog you want to get: Medium and large dogs will feel better being in a large house with a yard, but smaller animals are usually fine in apartments, says Boneham.

One of the most important questions you must ask is if your family really, really wants this dog. Boneham points to a recent study by the American Animal Hospital Association that says Mom is usually the one stuck with taking care of the animal—“even the ones the kids just had to have and swore to take care of no matter what.” This can create fractured family relationships, says Boneham. Everyone in the family should be involved in choosing whether to get a dog, she says.

Also, do you have enough money to get a dog? Many people do not realize that getting a dog is expensive, says Boneham. “The purchase price is usually minimal compared to the cost of taking proper care of a dog for a decade or more.” Finally, you must determine what it is that you want in a dog. There are certain things you shouldn’t get a dog for, like because you think it will help you meet a partner, says Boneham. And certain dogs are best suited for certain activities. Some are ideal for jogging; others will be great protectors, says Boneham. All are good for companionship, though.

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