When I was growing up I always wanted a dog. Let’s face which child doesn’t. Unfortunately my parents never were keen on the idea so they never got me or my brother one.

The main reason was that they believed that we were not going to be responsible enough to look after the dog and do all the things required on a day to day basis.

Looking back, they were probably right. Knowing what I know now, caring for another life is a big responsibility and in the end my brother and I would not have been prepared for the amount of work that was required.

I am sure there are many parents reading this right now who are in this same position. The kids wanted a dog. They promised to feed, walk and pick up after them but a few months later, after the novelty ran out, it is mum and dad doing most of the work.

Don’t worry, although you may be feeling frustrated at the current situation, your decision to own a dog will have long term benefits for you, your kids and your family. There are many proven positive outcomes from owning a dog, especially for your kids.

I ended up getting my first dog when I was 24 years old. His name was Simba. He was a handsome German Shepherd. I had always wanted a German Shepherd. Even though I understood their decision, I still wish my parents would have allowed us to have a dog when I was younger.

Simba and me

After learning about all the benefits of owning a dog has on our kids, I should have used the line:
“Well, it’s your fault. You never got me a dog when I was a kid!!” when my parents told me to grow up and be more responsible.

Simba and some strange guy with a flat top (Ok, I confess me again)

The Benefits of Owning A Dog When Your Kids Are Growing Up

There are lots of benefits of owning a dog for our kids. Some are obvious, others not so.

• Looking after a dog (even if it is only token and mum and dad does most of the work) teaches your kids responsibility. Dog gets fed at this time, dog needs to be walked, dog needs to be groomed.
• Healthier kids. Yes, there has been scientific research that shows that young children who grow up with dogs in the home have a stronger immune system and don’t get as sick as often as other children who were brought up without dogs. You can read more about that here.
• Kids with pets go outside to play more. Now tell me which parent wouldn’t want to see more of this!
• Owning a dog can teach our children values like empathy, compassion, better care giving, sense of family and love.
• Children with dogs have been shown to have higher self-esteem which probably develops as their values develop.
• Cuddling and playing with dogs reduces stress and keeps our kids happy.

I am sure together we could list a lot more benefits.

But We Can’t Have A Dog!

But what if you can’t own a dog. There are some valid reasons why dog ownership is just not feasible for some people. It could be financial or your current accommodation situation does not allow it. You may have no time to look after a dog. You could be allergic to dogs or dogs may make you nervous. This was another reason my Dad gave us to rationalise why we couldn’t have a dog at home. He told us that he was scared of dogs because as a child he was chased down the street and bitten by a stray dog.

Ways For Your Kids To Experience Dog Ownership

Whatever the reason, there are still ways your children can reap the benefits of being around dogs even if you can’t own one. Listed below are some options you have. They are relatively easy and your children will love the idea of looking after a dog for a short time.

• Ask your neighbours or relatives if you can look after their dogs when they go away on weekends or for longer holidays. This option is a win win for everyone involved. You and the kids can get a taste of what owning a dog is like and your neighbour/relative can save on dog minding or kennel costs.
• Ask your neighbour or relatives if you and the kids can walk their dog periodically. Again another win win. The kids get to exercise and the dog’s owner is happy because sometimes they have a busy lifestyle and can’t walk their dogs daily.This option is also terrific if you know of a neighbour who is elderly and can’t readily walk their dog. You will be providing them with some much needed assistance and instilling in your children community spirit.
• If your kids are in their teens find out if they might be able to volunteer at a local dog shelter, kennel or dog grooming business.
• Register to be a dog minder or dog sitter. There are plenty of services that offer dog owners an alternative to putting their dog in a kennel when the go on holidays. Some of these businesses will even pay you for minding their client’s dogs.
• Borrow a dog for a day or a weekend. I just found out about this type of service. You can find out more information on their site, Dogshare. By the look of it, it looks to have great potential and well worth a try.If you have had any experience using their services I would love to know about how it went. Just leave some feedback in the comments below.
• Finally here is an idea outside the box. Why not approach your child’s pre-school or primary school and encourage them to start up a dog safety program. It may not be as hands on as the ideas above but it will still give your young child an introduction to dogs plus teach them valuable safety lessons about playing with and approaching dogs.

If you know of any other ways or resources for parents who have kids but can’t own a dog, I would love it if you could help other readers out by leaving your ideas in the comments section below.

I wish I could have given some of these options a try when I was a young boy growing up. Even just walking a dog in the park would have been a blast.

I guess I made it up later in life when I became a qualified dog trainer and canine behaviourist, training thousands of dogs in a group environment.

Speaking of which I have just released a short free video series on basic dog training to help my clients who own dogs. If you are interested in it, you can fill in your details in the form below. Or if you know of anyone who has a dog that desperately needs training then forward them this link to sign up:

volarephoto.me/2fUxFHo

Until next time.

Take care

Warren