When your kid wants a puppy...

I guess this happens to everybody who has kids therefore no need for pets...

My son, sam has decided that life as we know it cannot go on without a dog in the family.
We spent the weekend with my sister last month (3 dogs not kids, house in the country), and ever since we returned home, his every other word has been 'dog'. It is driving me crazy, as there is absolutely no way I can have such a high maintenance pet at home.

The other obvious options seem to be:
goldfish... too boring
Gerbil/hamster... workable but I have no intention of cleaning out the poor thing's cage, once Sam is bored of it.

Any advice?

Can you borrow one (just for a weekend)?

My daughter was the same way. One weekend we had the opportunity to dog-sit my sisters dog. I think that was the deciding factor. How old is your son?

My husband did a bit of research what kind of dogs are best with kids, etc. We ended up with a Mastiff. Lots of cleaning up drool, but he's really good with Maeve. He's very gentle. All of us (husband, daughter and myself) went to training with the dog...that really helped. All in all, (huge dog, slobber, and dog hair), I'm really glad we got Thor. Maeve calls him her dog brother :->

Our neighbor has a tiny dog, Shorkie (Yorkie/Shitsu), she' adorable. Weigh's less than 10 pounds. My only concern about getting a dog that tiny is for the dog itself, they are so delicate.

If you have any questions, feel free to write. I also have pictures of Thor up. And if you have any questions on either of the breeds, I can get you the info.

Best of luck

When your kid wants a puppy

the obvious answer is a kitten which is the option we went for. They are self-sufficient, cuddly, low maintenance and great pets. We have had our cat Sooty for 12 years and when they decided to build flats on the green opposite, loads of field mice materialised!! Sooty had a feast!! The neighbours were inundated with mice, so an added bonus!!
I cannot recommend them enough and they keep the kids happy too!
I hope this is helpful
Lynrack

I go with the cat thing!

Definately, much less hassle all round!
' '
> ; <

Ha ha bad luck!!!

No seriously, it isn't the easiest one to tackle.
I would go for the hamster option, they are very cool litle pets, he can keep it in his bedroom, learn about the importance of looking after it properly and hopefully it will keep him happy for a while.
They only live a few years, so that is an extra bonus.
Be sure to give him an indifferent looking one, then if he gets too attached to it and it pops its clogs, at least you can replace it!!