While it might seem hard to believe, not everyone is desperately looking to add a dog to their lives. For some, getting a dog can be a really exciting time. However, not everyone in your household is going to feel that way. You could be ready to bring home a dog but stuck in a home with people who prefer things how they are. Your family or partner might not be so excited about the idea of getting a dog. While you could be picking out breeds and deciding on a name, you’ve still got to convince everyone that you live with. A dog is a big commitment, if everyone isn’t on board with getting a dog, you can’t really bring one home. So how do you persuade your partner or parents to get a dog?
Start with talking to your family or partner. Your desire for a new pet might not be a secret, but they need to know you’re serious. Also, you need to know about their objections to getting a new pet. If they don’t want to get a dog, then you need to know why not. Since your dog will be sharing space with them, their concerns might become actual problems down the line if things aren’t discussed.
Once you know what your family’s objections are, you need to show them why that might not apply here. You need to demonstrate that their concerns about having a dog around will be addressed in the way that you care for it, or in your choice of dog. You might have to compromise, but if you approach it from a mature and understanding place you can convince your family to allow you to get a dog.
Why Don’t They Want to Get a Dog?
Some people just don’t like dogs, and for others, it can be for specific reasons, these can vary depending on your situation, but there are often practical concerns about getting a new pet. If your family doesn’t want a dog, they’ll probably have quite a list of reasons. These reasons can vary greatly, like the amount of work involved or having to clean up after a messy pet. You need to find out what their actual objections are, the things that are really stopping them. If someone just isn’t a dog person, they might just throw out reasons as a diversion. You need to cut through this and find what exactly it is stopping them from getting a dog.
Once you find out what their reasons are, you need to think about them. You can’t just fire straight back with excuses and dismiss their concerns. Take some time to actually think through why it is that your family doesn’t want to get a dog, and why you disagree with these reasons. If their concerns are based around free time for care or something similar, you might find yourself having to actually think about how much time you can give a dog. The objections of your family can be appeased, but you do need to seriously consider them.
Essentially though, you need to think of a reason why their concerns about having a dog won’t be true or could be mitigated. Otherwise, they might be right.
It is important that you genuinely find a solution to these problems, not just ignore them. These concerns need addressing in a sincere way to prove to your family you’re ready to get a dog.
Convince Them It is Going to Work
Once you know what problems your family has with getting a dog, you can work to convince them that these won’t be an issue here. You do this by addressing the issue and showing how you won’t allow it to become a problem. These are some common examples.
Not Enough Time to Care for a Dog
This is a common one, if it actually applies to you then you should know pretty quickly if you can get a dog or not. Some breeds require a lot less physical exercise than others. However, these dogs still need plenty of attention and time spent with them. If your family’s concern is over their exercise needs, then a different choice of breed will help to set their mind at ease.
Show You Can Take Responsibility for a Dog
Many families worry about the care for a dog falling onto them if you’re not taking the time you thought you would to look after it. You need to show them that you’re responsible enough to handle a pet. To do this, try making a schedule for after you’ve got the dog. This can show that you’re taking the time commitments seriously and understanding how much you have to sacrifice and work for your pet.
Show Them You’ve Done Your Research
Make sure that your family knows that you’ve checked everything out about this breed of dog. If they trust that you fully understand how to care for this pet, they will be more positive about you getting one.
Worries about Mess
If your family is worried about the mess that a pet makes, there are a few ways around this. Hair can be cleaned, but there are also plenty of breeds of dogs who don’t shed their hair. These types cause a lot less mess than others. If you want a dog but your family is worried about the mess, then this is a good compromise.
Training
Make sure that your family understands that you will train the dog to properly behave. Do some research about training and demonstrate that this is what you’re going to do. This is really useful for showing that you’ll take reasonability for the dog too.
Setting Guidelines
Once you’ve figured out how you’ll address the concerns of your family when getting a dog, you can set this in stone. Setting guidelines both for the process of getting a dog, then looking after and raising it will help them to feel reassured. These guidelines will show that you will stick to the promises you made about caring for your pet.
If you decided that you would be responsible for the dog’s care, setting guidelines means establishing firmly just what it is you will be doing every day. Setting these helps you give you something quantifiable about how to act. This will help reassure your family.
If it means taking steps to reduce mess, then you need to set guidelines on the process of getting a dog. If you can’t raise a puppy, you need to limit yourself to a dog that is manageable. Equally, if you don’t have the time to care for a rescue then you won’t be able to get one of these. Guidelines are important as they back up the promises you’ve made to help with your families’ concerns.
Choosing the Right Dog
Choosing a dog for a larger household is going to involve compromise. This is the most important decision you’re going to make about your dog. You need to choose a dog based on a few factors, but the needs of your family is a big one.
If you’ve agreed to a dog of a certain size to make care easier, or a breed that needs less exercise, you need to stick to this. If you’ve agreed to only get an adult dog, then you need to stick to this as well. While you might see one specific dog and want to bend all of your rules to bring it home, it is important to back up what you promised to do when getting the dog.
Try to involve your family in the process of picking out your new dog. They need to meet the dog before you bring them home. Giving everyone time to introduce themselves will make the transition easier when it comes home. They need to be involved in this stage of the decision.
Getting Your Family Involved with Your Dog
Once you’ve chosen a dog and brought it home, time is going to pass quickly. There is a lot to do with training and raising a dog while getting them used to their new surroundings. However, just because your family was hesitant about getting a dog it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be involved. Even if they didn’t immediately fall in love with the pet at the sight of them, it doesn’t mean they can’t bond later.
While you have to fulfil all of their obligations for care, you should try and involve your family in settling your dog in. The dog is going to be a part of your new family for a while now. The sooner that your family can bond with the dog, the better. By approaching their issues with getting a pet delicately, you should have been able to convince them that this is the right decision. While they might be hostile to the idea, this should mean they’re responsive to actually having the pet around. Involving them more in your pet’s life is going to make the dog feel more at home, and help your family forget about their heel-dragging over brining your pet home!
