A young puppy is breakable. Very young children can inflict unintended tortures on a puppy. And his broken leg is much harder to fix than the broken wheel of a toy truck. A puppy is not a teaching aid guaranteed to instill a sense of responsibilty in children. If a child loves his dog, he will probably enjoy brushing him, taking him for walks, filling his water dish & other tasks. A sense of responsibilty may grow out of the relationship, but it is unfair to the animal to put his entire well-being into the hands of children. Even the most dog loving youngsters tire of daily chores and parents who try to force the regime will be asking for friction. Unfortunately, it is the puppy who is the loser in this battle. Responsibility lessons are better left to household tasks that don't involve a pet. The essentials of feeding, housebreaking, disciplining & training should fall to an adult member of the household. Youngsters can help with the less essential jobs of grooming & walking.
A puppy is not cheap. Whether you pay a nominal fee at the city humane shelter or what seems to be a king's ransom for a really special pup, the money paid to make the pet yours is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what it will cost to keep him. There will be bills to pay for both emergencies & regular vaccinations & checkups. There will be city & county licenses to buy. And there is the wear & tear on your furniture & carpet.
A puppy is not a spur-of-the-moment purchase, or at least he shouldn't be. The wrong dog can be an unending nuisance to a household - and it's much easier to aquire a pup than it is to get rid of a grown dog that didn't work out. Animal shelters are bulging with dogs who didn't work out - dogs who were acquired for the wrong reasons or without sufficient investigation.
If your family has decided to buy a dog, by all means take the time to learn about the breed you have in mind. Every breed has characteristics of temperament & some of these traits may not fit in with your lifestyle. Some breeds are prone to physical problems such as hip dysplasia & eye abnormalities. If you are aware of these problems, you can do a more intelligent job of selecting your puppy.
Many puppies are bought impetuously because they looked cute in the petshop window, because it was a nice day for a drive in the country & there was a kennel with a "Visitors Welcome" sign, or because another family pet had just died. Pups bought without being genuinely wanted - and planned for - too often end up at the animal shelter.
A puppy is not self-cleaning. There will be puddles on rugs, vomiting occasionally, dog hair on clothing & furniture. There may be worms to be dealt with. If these prospects are intolerable to the housekeepers of the family, then perhaps the pleasures of owning a puppy will be overshadowed by the tensions it will cause. A puppy will need to be groomed, not only while the pup is small & new, but also week-in & week-out for years.
A puppy is not an adult dog. He has neither the physical nor mental ability to perform as an adult dog would. He cannot go for long periods of time without relieving himself. He cannot tolerate harsh methods, nor can he differentiate what is chewable & what isn't. Nor will he make a distinction between food & objects that hurt if swallowed. He will try the patience of the most devout dog lover in the household, & at times he may drive everyone mad. If he is very young, he will cry during his first night or two in his new home. He will require patience & understanding from everyone in the family.
A puppy is not a puppy for long. Before you succumb to the charms of an adorable little pup, be VERY sure that you want not only the puppy he is now, but also the gangly, unattractive adolescent he is about to become, and the adult dog who may fall short of what you hoped he would be. If you've faced all of the negative aspects of puppy ownership & still want him, chances are good that your new dog will be one of the lucky ones who finds a permanent happy home. And you will enjoy the rewards of planned parenthood dog ownership....
rewards that FAR overshadow the drawbacks!