The parental instincts that come with welcoming a baby also come in handy when adopting a dog. Preparing beforehand is crucial to prevent life as a pet owner from becoming hectic. When the husband and kids of Reddit user u/SeaworthinessOwn9590 told her they wanted to adopt a dog, she outlined a foolproof plan to examine whether they were ready for the long-term commitment.
“Our two oldest kids and my husband want a dog. I do not. I have heard too many horror stories about a family getting a pet and then the person who did not want it being stuck caring for it,” she explained in a Reddit post.
The woman said she would agree to the adoption only if three conditions were fulfilled. The dog would have to be smaller than sixty pounds. Next, it would need to be a non-shedding dog. Third, for sixty days in a row, the kids and her husband would have to collect garbage from all the trash cans in the house and put it in the big garbage bin. “That was to make sure they would remember to feed a dog every day,” she wrote. She also put up the condition that all three would have to go for a one-mile walk every day with their GPS route tracker active and if they missed a day they would have to start over.
The woman’s parents didn’t seem to support this idea. They told her over a phone call that she was being ridiculous and petty. “They said I was being a jerk and that they had the right to their opinion. I agreed that they had that. But unless they were willing to pay to include their opinion in the decision, it did not matter,” the mom said. The longest her husband and kids were able to put up with tasks was two weeks. This made the husband realize that the kids weren’t responsible enough, at that time, to take care of a pet. So, the decision to adopt a dog was dismissed.
Over 2,000 Redditors loved her plan. u/mooninvestors said, “Great tactic to show them the responsibility that comes with a pet. Also, beautifully handled with the grandparents. Watch out, I could see grandparents buying someone a dog for a birthday.” u/ghostlasagnaslime added, “I don’t even think what you did was petty. It seems like a reasonable way to determine if your kids are ready for the responsibility of having a dog, and your husband proved that he is not willing to make up for where they’re lacking. You absolutely would have had to look after the dog.”
Adopting a dog is no snap decision. According to PETA, one should consider several factors before choosing to have a pooch. They need to be aware that they would be required to invest in the pet’s care including medical emergencies, bedding, food, treats, toys, dog tags, microchipping, and more. So, one should carefully consider whether their family’s wallet can handle it. FOUR PAWS International also advises that a person should ponder on whether they can stay committed to taking care of a pet in the long-term, and whether their family is prepared enough for the pet.
One needs to get down to brass tacks, as failing to do so can result in unfavorable consequences. For example, a user on Reddit, u/typical_xjw, described that her 19-year-old son once adopted a dog. But just after two months, he got fed up and stopped caring for the dog or taking it for walks. “Now I have to walk the dog every morning and my son’s dad walks him every night. I’m so angry but my son no longer wants anything to do with the dog,” she said in the comment.
In u/seaworthinessown9590’s case, her kids managed to learn their responsibilities over a year. In an update post that she shared after a year or so, she said that the kids followed all the rules for two months. “We have found an acceptable dog at a rescue and we are bringing him home tomorrow,” she revealed in the post.
