Please help. . .

[neuronerd]

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Hi, I just started reading these threads and I saw that people are getting great advice. I need some . . .

Background:
So right now I'm temporarily living with relatives for a year while applying to med school and doing internship. Due to really REALLY REALLY (should I go on) poor parenting and the fact that one of my cousins had leukemia when he was 4 (and terminal), my two boy cousins (13 and 8) are spoiled beyond imagination. They get whatever they want as in they WILL NOT accept no for an answer. I've observed the half second that my cats used to stick around for them and it was not pretty . .wouldn't see the kitties for hours.

DILEMMA:
My little cousin (8 yrs old) wants a puppy for Christmas. Okay, that's great. He's going to get one because he's got his parents on a leash. BUT . . . .HE IS WAAAYY TO IMMATURE TO HANDLE IT (in my opinion) and his parents can't even handle the job of raising their OWN kids. Speaking with his mom (who will NOT listen to my pleas of not getting a dog . .and actually pushing the dog's cleaning responsibility onto me which is so wrong), she even ADMITS that her son does not handle animals well (as in rough playing, temper, thinks its a toy, etc.).

When I started talking to him about the responsiblities of owning a pet, he told me that he wants the puppy . . .wants it to have babies and then sell it and keep a puppy. What!!?!? Is that so wrong or is it me?

Oh yeah, and I'm in Potomac, MD and they want to build a dog house and keep the puppy/dog outdoors even in the winter. Coming from California, that seems like dog abuse to me.

Please help. . .am I overreacting? Should I keep my eyes peeled after they get the dog and report anything? What are the grounds for abuse . . I'm worried about this poor puppy living in the madhouse!! Thanks . . .

 

[HeartSong]

Wow what a rough situation! I absolutely hate when you know someone shouldn't have a pet but you can't do anything about it. I would react the same way if not going even more crazy.

First, I would say continue doing what you can to talk them out of it. Try a different approach, tell them how dangerous dogs are and that no matter what kind they get, there is a high chance of the boys getting bitten. (This isn't completely untrue.) And tell them that it is even more likely with unspayed or unneutered dogs. If you can, find reports of children being bitten or mauled by dogs of different breeds. Find every bad aspect of having a puppy you can think of to feed them (chew things up, medical costs, potty training, barking, walking through the house or yard and stepping in a brown pile of poo etc.).

Then if they are still set on getting a puppy, try to direct what kind they get. Tell them that a boy dog will be better since he will play better with the boys (really it will be to cut out the possibilities of having puppies, but don't mention that.) There are dogs that do okay staying outside all year as long as they have a good kennel built. (I've included some picture below. Notice how the opening is to one side and there's plenty of room on the other side for the dog to be in. This will get him out of the wind and such.) You can also get coats for dogs.

It would be best to get a dog that was hardy and child friendly. A couple of medium sized dogs would be Basset hounds or Beagles. Though Basset are rather lazy and Beagles are very noisy. A smaller breed would be a Border Terrier though they require lots of brushing. A Saint Bernard or Labador Retriever would be larger dogs but they would need more exercise since they are larger and go through more food. (Notice how I can find a negative aspect to any dog 😉 ).

It's hard to get any results when reporting animal neglect or abuse, the animal usually has to be in pretty bad shape before they will actually seize the animal. Just keep an eye on him if they do get one and try your best to teach your cousins some responsibility in taking care of the puppy. Good luck, I hope you can change their mind. Keep us up to date with it.

 

[neuronerd]

You are a genius. Thanks for the advice, I will definitely DEFINITELY mention the biting because God knows if I was a dog I would bite the crap out of them. Your suggestions are awesome . . .I think that my cousin wants a golden retriever (friendly enough) but I will mention that they are bad bad bad for allergies and it might affect my older cousin who had leukemia. I can't believe I'm actually getting excited about planning out my mental assault . . .I hope it works. Thanks again . . .It'll be a while before I find out what the are going to do but I'll keep you posted. I KNEW I would get great advice here!!