Responsibility Of Owning A Puppy Can Leave You Dog-Tired!

Dear Tazi-Kat,


I am 7 years old, and I want a puppy. All of my friends have dogs, and I like playing with them. My Mom says that puppies are a lot of work, and that she doesn't have the time or energy to take care of both me and a puppy. I told her that I would take care of the puppy, but she still said no. We are learning how to write letters in school right now and for homework we have to write a letter to someone. I am writing to you to ask how I can get my Mom to let me have a puppy.


Sincerely,
Michael

Dear Michael:

Thank you so much for choosing to write to me as your homework assignment! I love opening my mailbox and see letters from people instead of the latest bill from the pet store for my food, toys, cat litter, and other stuff kitty-cats need. Did your Mom also tell you that pets are expensive? That's a really big word that means "costs a lot of money". Puppies are a lot of work, like your Mom said, and they are also very expensive.

Puppies are like little baby dogs. Like babies, they are fun to play with and soft to cuddle, but they don't know how to behave unless you tell them how to behave. As the puppy's owner, you would have to train it - teach it right from wrong, how to go to the bathroom outside, and clean up after it when it goes to the bathroom on the floor by accident. You would also have to take the puppy for walks at least two times a day every single day - even when it raining or snowing! And, you would have to remember to feed it, brush it, and take it to a special pet doctor called a veterinarian to get its shots! Special doctors are also very expensive!

I think that your Mommy is afraid that all this work might be too much for a 7 year old boy, and that she would end up taking your puppy for walks, cleaning up after it, feeding it, and taking care of it while all you do is cuddle it and play with it. That would be lots of fun for you, but no fun at all for your Mom.

Right now, I am going to have to side with your Mom; but for now, you can see what it is like to own a puppy by helping your friends take care of their dogs by taking them for walks, cleaning up their poop, and brushing them. If you show your Mom that you know what it takes to take good care of a puppy, maybe she will let you get one when you are a little older. Don't give up hope!

--Tazi-Kat

P.S. Are you sure you wouldn't you prefer a kitty-cat? We don't shed (much), don't have to be walked, don't jump on people, and go to the bathroom in an easy-to-clean sand-filled box! You still want a puppy, huh? I thought so, but I had to try to sell you on Team Kitty Cat.