Our boys are grown now. They always had pets as kids. They went through the gamet of pets. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, birds, lizards, hermit crabs, fish, pigs, whatever, they had it at one time or another. Sometimes more than one at a time. I asked my youngest son when his boys were going to get a dog. He said when they get out of college. They have fish. Now what kind of companion is a fish. Shouldn't every boy have a dog? Even grown-up boys like dogs. Well, their yard doesn't have a fence and they live in a developement so they can only have certain kinds of fences. Boy, I wouldn't live where there are so many rules. But, they both work and no one wants to take care of a pet. Dan always had pets until recently. Tom has cats. Oh, well we like our pet. Chance was a chance and we did well by it. Dooley
I agree Dooley kids and pets were made for each other. There were always animals in our house when my kids we growing up. :-D I still take in sick and injured wildlife and nurse them back to health (if I can) so that they can go back to the wild. I just can't live without animals and birds around me that's why I have an organic wildllife garden.
I'm not disagreeing, but there are certain folks who shouldn't have pets. I'd rather see a pet be in a happy and loving situation than one that just has a pet to have a pet. Case in point: My Neighbors. They have had three dogs in 5 years. First one died of old age. They just had to get another one because the kids wanted a puppy. Well, in today's age of iPods, gameboys, and X-boxes, these kids could have cared less if there was a dog around or not. So it was neglected, ignored, unloved. Then it started to pee in the house because no one cared for it. So they ask me if I can loan them a kennel. Sure, says me. So they lock the poor guy in the kennel for 12 hours at a time or more. After a few months they decide that their hectic lifestyle of couch sitting and tv watching is too busy to allow them to have a dog, so they give it away. Hopefully the dog is better for it. Two weeks ago they bring home a black lab puppy. Adorable little thing, and sad, because I already know of her fate. Poor puppy pees on the floor because junior is too busy with his gameboy and Daddy-o is watching the game on the tube. Banished to the outside dog run she goes. She's only 8 weeks old. She cries all day. Wifey was walking by the other day and saw junior spraying puppy with the hose. She put an end to that and told Mommy-o about it. I could go on, but I'm getting all p***y about this. So, while pets love kids, not all kids love pets.
A kid does need the company of a dog, that is 99% correct. Kids like to get into adventures, so do dogs. Kids like to get dirty, so do dogs. Kids require constant love and attention, so do dogs. Some of my happiest memories as a kid involve getting into adventures with a canine. Plus who else is going to play football with you when there is no-one small around. In fact I had a dream that I found a stray dog last night. For some reason I christened him Hampton and then he proceeded to eat my shoe If that's not missing a pet I don't know what is! Having said that though I agree with Hank that some kids just don't have time for pets.
We have always had a pet. As a kid we always had a dog around. Growing up on a farm, there was always room for several. When my wife and I first got married, we got a dog the first year we were together. That dog practicly raised our son until he was in the 4th grade. When he got sick and had to be put away, we couldn't even take him to the vet. Our neighbor had to do it for us. Then a cat came along and adopted us. And we have had a cat ever since. Our son is more of a cat person than a dog person!
I dearly loved all the big dogs we had while I was growing up - we also always had a cat also, and our few dogless times were still feline. My DH is allergic to them, alas, so I can only enjoy other people's dogs... Thankfully, we are still able to have a cat for the kids to dote on and they also enjoy the parakeets. So sad, to hear of the little pup who is being neglected - it almost makes you want to go to them and offer to buy her from them just to get her out of it. :-( I know what you mean - there are some kids and families that should never own any kind of pet at all.
I think most children benefit from a pet of some kind. It teaches them to love something that isn't human. It gives them a friend and Hopefully they will learn a little responsibility even if the parents end up doing most of the work. 8)
I agree that kids benefit from pets, but I also strongly agree with Hank. We have the same situation next door to us. These people have had at least a dozen dogs in the last five years. One Rott hung herself, her 2 puppies starved on the chains, etc. We cannot get involved bc we do not want him retaliating on our cats. I caught one of the boys shooting a pellet pistol at a cat on my property. When I confronted him he said that the cats were eating the puppies food. Hell, I have fed every cat, also over a dozen, for the last five years, I have also had several altered. Go figure.
I have always had cats and dogs all my life .I loved each and everyone of them.I think back and stll smile at all my memories .My kids always had both and was taught to love and care for them.I also have seen the kind that lets them starve to death .It is really sad for an animal lover to see these things happen.Kids of today are so different than when I grew up and my kids grew up .Some are just down right mean to animals and do not need anything to be able to hurt it.
I have always had a pet of some kind, currently a beautiful sheltie and when my children were home we had a variety of animals, bunnies, turles, fish, cat, bird, gerbles, etc. Both my grown children feel the need to have a pet in their homes. But, with the schedules of most young couples today, and the scheduled lives of the children I feel that in many cases a pet could be ignored. If you have them, they need your presence and attention, not always possible to many families today.
