We finally did it. We nagged, wheedled, argued, and basically tortured my poor husband into giving his consent to get a puppy. Apparently, we did too good of a job, because not only did he say yes to a puppy, but he decided that we should get two puppies. He says that at least they will not be alone all day while we are at work and school. I think he decided on two so I would have double the work — sort of a payback for torturing him into a "yes."

We adopted a brother and sister from the same litter at Richmond Animal League and our lives haven’t been the same since. The first month was all about potty training, picking up poop in the yard, teething, and training my kids to be responsible pet owners. I have been adamant about the fact that these puppies are their responsibility and they will be the ones to take care of them.

My children spent months trying to convince my husband and I that they were ready for such a huge undertaking. They saved $300 of their own money in a jar labeled, "The Puppy Fund." They made lists and charts showing us how they would take turns walking the dogs and cleaning up the yard. Once they got the puppies, the key has been for us as parents to hold them to their commitment. After the first week, stopping what they were doing every hour, on the hour, to walk the puppies, was no longer fun, but despite the grumbles and groans, they still have to do it, because they said they would.

They came to the first veterinary appointment with me and learned that puppies will eat anything, and little toys lying on the ground can kill or seriously hurt them. This may not have been the best thing for my 7 year old to hear because she bursts into tears every time the puppies get caught chewing on something that they’re not supposed to chew. They also saw how expensive vet bills were after they shelled out $80 of their puppy fund to pay for the first visit.

When the puppies figured out how to climb out of their gated play yard in the kitchen, they all shelled out more money to buy two crates — because they said that they would contribute to the expense of raising puppies.

Yes, puppies are a lot of work and an added expense, but I believe that they are well worth it.

I have also learned a lot since we’ve gotten the puppies:

Most importantly, I’ve learned that my children are more capable and grown up than I thought, and when given the opportunity to learn responsibility, they have become more responsible. My kids have done a great job as new pet owners and I am so proud of them. RPM