Children and Pets

[celiaKitten]

I admit, I'm a sucker for animals, so maybe I'm biased.

But - here's the basic story..

My brother and his wife have always known they wanted to adopt a child. When they married they got two active breed dogs.

Now that they have adopted their child (who is a year and a half), the dogs are nearly always kept in the basement. They rarely are brought up or given any attention.

This whole situation makes me sad, and a little pissed off. They've always known they wanted to adopt a child, yet they still got these dogs that they now ignore. I don't have children, and I don't own dogs .. so I'm perfectly willing to admit that I'm getting sad over nothing.

 

[Guest]

 

[modest mouse]

Actually, celia, you have the right to be upset. Dogs have certain needs that the owner assumes responsibility for when s/he gets them. Especially with active dogs they need both space and the tiem to enjoy it.

Not sure if you are asking for advice here but perhaps carefully saying somethign to your brother mgiht remind him that the dogs need TLC too.

 

[celiaKitten]

Thank you.

With my older brothers (hell, they're all in their middle 30's and then there's me at 21) I sometimes worry, I suppose.

But, that is what I thought. It just seems so thoughtless to have had these dogs for 6 years, then practically forget they exist but to feed them once you have a child.

 

[Guest]

It's a dangerous situation. Dogs can be very jealous. They better start intigrating them with the new child........
Keeping them indoors....let alone in a basement ....is cruel.

 

[celiaKitten]

The thing is, the dogs are pretty good with my neice. If they bother her, she smacks them on the nose and says "no". But, still, it's more an issue that they don't want to be bothered with them.

 

[modest mouse]

Categorizing it as 'dangerous' is not fair. If these are normal well adjusted dogs there will be little or no problems with kids. Ive dealt with many dogs and kids dont create problems in dogs, but a bad dog can be a problem around kids.

I think the dogs can help the child learn compassion and a way with animals and by extension people. Kids benefit by having pooches around and often times the dogs thrive on the attention the child gives them.

If you have ever seena dog lay there while a baby pulls on its ears you know what I mean.

 

[Guest]

 

[freakygirl]

I can't imagine locking my dogs in the basement..

If I had to I'd get rid of them instead of locking them up.

 

[calypso_21]

I hate that. I know of a number of people who have done this with their pets. I feel bad. My little one is begging for a pet but I want to make sure we have plenty of time and energy to put into having one first!

 

[celiaKitten]

I hate that. I know of a number of people who have done this with their pets. I feel bad. My little one is begging for a pet but I want to make sure we have plenty of time and energy to put into having one first!

That kind of foresight is admirable, caly-girl.

 

[calypso_21]

That kind of foresight is admirable, caly-girl.

big on foresight hun...bigtime...love thinking things through!