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Can anyone help me?! I really want to get a dog and my parents said NO! I have never had a dog before so I would like someone who can tell me how i can convince my parents to get me a dog! They have had a dog before so they got the experience I NEED a dog! Anykind will do... i just want a dogg.... when I was over at my friends house a 8 year old person got a new puppy.... too bad my parents didnt see it! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!! :( :confused:
Signed....
a helpless person who wants a dog
You cant force them to get you a dog. Show them you are responsible, keep your room tidy, maybe walk some dogs?
Maybe they had a bad experience? Ask them why.... but dont nag them. But like I said, if they dont want them you cant make them get you a dog.
Like Whisk said, show them you are responsible. Have you talked to them about why they said no? Dogs are HUGE responsibility.
If you are serious about getting a dog I suggest looking into what breed of dog would be right for your family. Look up training advice. Look up the costs for caring for a dog. Don't try and find just the lowest prices. When you get through all of this write up a paper similar to a book report.
Along with that instead of asking for a dog again ask if your parents will let you volunteer at the local pound. After a few months of this your parents should see that you are dedicated enough to have your own dog.
If they say no, leave it at that. Don't give up hope though and continue to research. It will prepare you for when they are either ready to say yes, or when you move out on your own. Again, do not beg your parents. No not whimper, whine, complain, or throw tantrums. It will get you no where. Logic and reason may.
I cringe every time I hear kids complaining their parents won't budge. It took me over 10 years of asking for a dog and proving i was responsible before my parents said yes. Even after all the research i did i wasn't nearly as prepared as i should have been. ...I didn't have the internet back then... By the time i got a dog the internet was still mainly used by businesses. I didn't know about back yard breeders or puppy mills. I couldn't prove to my parents that the food they bought for our dog was junk (yet i had a gut feeling that it was.) I couldn't get training tips. I couldn't prove to my father that my ways of training were MUCH better than his (though the proof was in how well the dog listened to ME.) I was still a child. Use the internet to your advantage and learn all that you can. Your future dog will have a better home if you start educating yourself now. It's good to learn from your own mistakes, but when dealing with another life it's best to make as few as possible.
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Originally Posted by dogiswantedbymee
Your best bet is to research a specific type of dog, and learn all you can about it. Show that you are responsible, and willing to take care of all the specific needs of the breed you choose. It took me about 4 years of begging for my own dog. (Tikeya). And my parents finally came around once I picked what breed I wanted and bought a bunch of book about the Siberian husky.
Good luck :)
Yes, I noticed you said you don't care what type of dog you have. This in itself is quite a naive and irresponsilbe thing to say. All dogs are different and some dogs will not be suitable for your lifestyle and living arrangements so you must research different breeds and all that to decide which one is most likely to fit with your household and lifestyle. I would suggest a smaller or medium sized dog with a coat thats easy to maintain and that isn't too exercise demanding etc.... Something like a Springer Spaniel, Siberian husky or Border Collie would be an absolute no no for somebody in your situation. It takes somebody who knows about dogs and has experience with them to successfully own breeds like that and I'd never recommend breeds such as those as first dogs for anyone.
Also, your parents probably worry that you'll lose interest after so long and leave it to them to look after it. Like the others say, you can only prove to them that you are responsible and are willing to take proper care of the dog for up to 16 years or even longer.....remember that dogs do live a long time and you have to see yourself still taking care of them everyday 10 years down the line. Also, they slow down and become less exciting when they're old and will cost more in vets fees when things start going wrong more. You also have to take into account possible vets fees when the dog is young.
Maybe if you offer to walk a friends, family members or neighbours dog each day, your parents will be able to see that you are dedicated and are not going to allow the novelty to wear off. Also, look into dog behaviour and training and all the ins and outs of dog care other than basic feeding and walking....You really need to educate yourself before even thinking about taking on a dog...just nagging the parents for one isn't the best option.
Obviously, we don't know your parents so I can't guarantee they'll say yes even if you do everything thats been advised but you might just up your chances and you'll learn a hell of a lot whilst you're at it which will do you no harm at all. Even if you have to wait until you're older and have your own place, at least you'll have built up the knowledge about dogs that you need to own one without problems.
First of all, try to approach this situation in a mature manner. It isn't going to happen overnight so forget simple begging and pleading. Have a conversation with your parents to discover what their concerns are and then determine how you can address those concerns. For example they may be concerned about the cost of feeding and caring for a dog. People here can be a wealth of information on just how much that can actually be. Call a local vet to see what they would predict for general health care per year, etc. Once you figure out a ball park figure, you can indicate how much you can contribute from your birthday money or money you can earn babysitting or whatever. They may have different concerns, for example the shedding factor - you could help by volunteering to do the vaccuuming, etc. ...but the object is to learn what the issues are and then slowly convince them that these concerns really won't be a problem. It's going to take time, but if you go slow and over time show them how much this means to you, and how willing you are to make it work out, you may make some headway.
I wrote a page for kids who want a dog and need to convince their parents. I've copied the text and pasted it below. If you go to the site afterward there are lots of other good pieces of information that will help you in your quest. Good Luck!
from http://loveyourdog.com/responsibility.html:
Do you want a dog? Find out why being responsible might just get you what you want! What is Responsibility? When you are responsible, it means that you are dependable, reliable, trustworthy, and honest. It means that if you say you will do something, you will try your best to do it.
Being responsible also means that you think for yourself. It means that you think about things that need to be done, and then do them or help someone else do them.
Anyone can become responsible even if they haven't been before. It just means that they will have to start being honest, keeping promises, and doing what they say they are going to do. If you have not been responsible, now is a good time to start. It's not too hard.
If you have been responsible, think about those times. Write down three times that you have demonstrated responsibility in the past week and explain them.
Sometimes parents don't think their kids are ready for a dog yet. They want them to be more responsible around the house and at school. You may want to show your parents that you are growing up and able to handle more responsibility. Below are some things you can do to show them that you are responsible and ready for a pet.
How do I convince my parents I am responsible enough for a new dog?
Showing your parents that you are responsible is a very good way to help convince them that you will help with a new dog when it arrives. Just keep in mind that there may be other reasons that your parents do not want a dog.
1. A good place to start is to read this page: 'A New Dog'. Do all the assignments on this page.
2. Also, read this page and do what it says: 'I'll Love You Forever'
3. Here are 2 more assignments: Read 'What Dogs Cost' and do the project on 'How Much Does a Dog Cost in a Lifetime'?
4. Keep a nice notebook that you can show to your parents when you are all finished. Do a good job; think about your answers. Do some good research into the kind of dog you want and add what you have learned to your notebook.
5. Ask your parents if they have some jobs for you. Tell them you want to show them that you are responsible. Tell them you want daily or weekly jobs, not just something on one day. You may need to show them over 6 months or year that you will keep your promises.
6. Make sure you do all of your homework and work very hard in school. Be a good citizen everyday.
7. Make good decisions about everything you do.
8. Follow directions and do favors for people around you. Look for opportunities to help people out and offer your assistance.
Those are some things you can do to prove you are responsible. But remember, your parents may have some very good reasons why they don't want a dog. You'll have to respect their decision in the end.
This page, written for kids, has links to the pages mentioned above:
http://www.loveyourdog.com/responsibility.html
Good luck!
Show your parents YOU are responsible. do chores without being asked and do what you're told. :) how old are you if I may ask?