The pressure is on - the kids really want a dog. 7 year old and a four year old

Funny, as a kid I had one and loved it, but I also was the pooper scooper in the family. Now that my kids are out of diapers I am not ready to jump back into the fray.

I would rather throw catch with my kids than walk the dog,

We live downtown, have a fairly small yard and are not big animals inside the house people.

I guess I am asking myself if I am a hypocrite for having a dog as a kid and now denying my own kids the pleasure and learning opportunities.

Also, is there an optimal age to get a dog? I worry that once they are a little older it will really be my dog.

We have 3 cats. Our dog died when TheBoy was less than a year old. We have not even discussed getting another dog anytime soon.

And that's actually 2 cats too many. I've always had at least one cat, and I love them. But I've now decided they are vile disgusting creatures, and once these are gone (no hurry mind you)... there will only be ONE in the house. EVER. I'm so extremely tired of cat puke and cat litter.

But you asked about getting a dog... for the kids...

We certainly do plan on getting another dog. (a Scotty more than likely, but perhaps a Westie) But not until TheBoy is at least 5 and can grasp the concept of care. I'm not a big 'dog walker' actually. I'll do it, but I'd rather have an area for their 'business' and clean that area regularly, and just play in the yard. I'm not a fan of big dogs at all. Labs are lovable no doubt, but too frkn big for me.

At 2, Indy's attention span just isn't where it needs to be for a dog. 30 minutes with playdough or markers is a good long play session for him. I just don't think I can teach a 2 year old that this "thing" is not a "toy." Though he seems to do ok with the one cat (only one will hang out near him).

Every kid is different, and yep, it very well may be YOUR dog after a few years(so get one that YOU like for sure). But, maybe not. Some kids might be all about the companionship and want to take the dog everywhere. It will depend on the dog too. Labs tend to be pretty loyal and tolerant of anything. While the Terriers are high energy and playful, but aren't quite as tolerant to tail pulling and such (as younger dogs). (Our old Scotty was fairly indifferent to the baby, he was 14 when Indy arrived.)

I think pet ownership is def. a good experience to share with your kids. My brother has no dogs, but has cats, 4 or 5 various rodent things and even turtles. Always has had some creatures in his house. The kids love the variety and have been very involved with all of their care. (The girls are now 10 and 14.) It's a good learning experience and responsibility/trust builder.

We have two older dogs. Both mutts from rescue groups. They're about 10+ years old now and I've told my wife that we are never getting another dog after they go to doggy heaven. They are good dogs but it's a lot of work and money with two. I'm sure as soon as Owen asks for one though I'll reconsider and we will end up with more. Maybe when he is able to do the poop scooping I'll be more easily swayed.

I think a lot depends on the breed of dog, too. I'd love to get a Bernese Mountain Dog because of the temperment, size and exercise requirements. But we need to be down to a single cat and have a spare $4000 floating around.

My daughter has been waging an unrelenting campaign to get a dog for the last year. It comes up several times a week without fail. I actually wouldn't mind it, but my wife is completely opposed. I am swayed by studies showing decreased allergies and asthma in kids with large pets, and I think I've seen some happiness studies that indicate having a pet is a good thing for kids.

But there is no convincing the spouse. The biggest issue for her is our summer vacation on the Cape. She and the kids leave Texas for six weeks. We stay with her folks. No dogs invited. So there's no way I'm going to board a dog for that period of time. So no dog. For now.

We started with 3 cats, and are now down to 1. I am 120% on-board with Concretin's take on these creatures. I have simply had it with destroyed furniture, stained carpets, puke and mysteriously smelly pillows. (The litter is the absolute least of the evils).

I can't imagine that a dog would be any better.

So were are waiting for our last cat to die, and then we are absolutely positively done with pets in the house. Maybe we'll get a rabbit for the backyard.

I can rationalize this decision by remembering that I would prefer to spend my (very limited) free time spending quality time with my kid, and not cleaning up after an animal. There are only so many hours in the day that I can spend with my kid, and I don't need to cut those hours down further by creating new housework chores.

I have to speak up in favor of large dogs.

I grew up in a family which always had one or two large dogs (golden retrievers or labrador retrievers) and I loved it. I was 9 when we first got a puppy that I was responsible for, and I think that age was appropriate. Now I have a 6-year-old golden retriever keeping my feet warm while I type.

I much prefer large dogs because they tend to be more laid-back than small dogs. (It always seems as though small dogs have an inferiority complex and bark a lot to make up for it.)

Any dog will need exercise, but older dogs require less. (You can find older dogs at SPCAs, animal shelters, or rescue societies.) If you're a runner, there's no reason you can't combine your exercise and your dog's exercise.

If you decide to get a dog, I strongly recommend obedience lessons. They're as much for you as for the dog. If you're expecting a child to take responsibility for the dog, make sure he attends the obedience lessons.

I'm a big fan of having a dog in the house. I grew up with large breeds like Cab (German Shepards, Golden Retrievers, etc). We currently own a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, a short hair version of the Bernese that Ben mentioned. The things folks brought up about chores, responsibilities are all valid.

However,there's just no beating that unadulterated love that a dog provides. I definitely advocate doing a serious objective as reasonably possible, family personality test and doing your research on what type of dog will fit your situation best. The wrong fit can be miserable and potentially dangerous for everyone.

The one rule that we stick by in our house is one dog and one cat at a time.

Our dog is a 6 year old Boxer. She is amazing with the kids, 27 and 11 months.

However, she has lots of medical issues and we're probably at $500 in bills for the year. So there's a certain amount of financial risk involved and when any dog gets old the price goes up on medical stuff.

But I can not imagine not having her. Our son loves her in his own way. He throws a ball for her to chase, tells her when to go down the stairs, tells her how to go through a little obstacle course tunnel (which the kids also go through of course).

The dog is super sweet with them too and never nips or anything. You really have to research what kind of dog is good for kids. I grew up around small and large dogs and always preferred my dad's weimeraners to my mom's malteses (they were divorced).

My only advice on breeds would be to not get a herding dog (corgie etc) as they do chase after kids quite a bit from what I've observed. They literally want to herd them.