The request comes daily: "Can we get a dog?"
While the response has stayed the same for years: "No". Make that an emphatic "No!"
It's easy to understand why: you wonder if you can handle a dog. What if he barks constantly? How fast could a dog destroy the furniture? How do I handle a puppy jumping up on guests? And the perennial question: how long does it take to house train a dog? That last question has kept your home dog free for years, because you simply don't have the time or energy to train a dog or clean up messes.
I understand those fears, because my friend Ruth had the same ones. She was always telling her kids they couldn't get a dog. For years she told them various reasons, and they really couldn't. They didn't have the money, or her husband was in school, and there were so many demands on their time. And a personal worry: how would she keep up with cleaning all that dog hair?! But she also recognized that a dog would be good for her kids. A dog would help them get outside and exercise. They would have to be responsible and feed the dog. Her son could teach tricks and learn about daily habits. But it still wasn't enough until she saw an ad for the animal shelter.
The animal shelter has a lot of dogs that need a good home, and many of these dogs are already trained. You can get a more mature dog that knows to "sit and stay". A dog that is house trained and will save your new carpet from multiple stains. These dogs may have been abandoned by their former owners, or lost and never reclaimed. They simply want to be loved and are very anxious to please their new owners. These dogs are much more affordable than buying a purebred dog. The adoption fee from an animal shelter is only $25. And besides that, future dog owners can opt to "foster" a dog to make sure it's the right fit. The right fit for the dog. The right for for the human.
My friend Ruth told her kids they could possibly get a dog, and told them that very thing: they needed to find the right dog for their family. After doing a little bit of browsing on the animal shelter website, they found a few dogs that would be a good fit for their family: past the puppy stage, house-trained, and good around kids.
They went to the shelter on a couple different days, falling in love with several dogs. They researched more about the dog breeds, and then picked the right dog for their family, their home and yard. They are now fostering the dog with the option to adopt, and are so happy. They had found the dog that met all they needed: house-trained, calm around children, and minimal dog hair. Ruth is relieved that she doesn't have to do it all alone. Her children are big helpers with the dog: taking him on walks, teaching him some new tricks, and helping him feel comfortable with lots of time and attention. More than anything, Ruth is realizing how much joy the dog brings her. She always thought the dog would be for her children...she didn't realize that she needed the dog! Ruth loves how the dog will sit next to her while she is working and helps her feel safe when alone at home. And an extra perk is that the dog gets her up for a morning run (instead of hitting the snooze button 5 times!).
I know it's scary to get a pet, and that's why the Animal Shelter is there to help anyone looking to adopt a dog. They help you foster without having to pay, and then keep the price low to allow more families to put that money towards dog food and dog treats rather than breeding fees! If you've been saying no for years to a dog, it might be time to check out the animal shelter.
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