DS (7) has ADHD suffers from low self esteem. He is fab in a one-on-one situation but struggles a little in social situations. Having done some research, it looks as though having a dog has a positive affect on children who are in a similar position to DS so I'm opening up to the idea.
DS has always wanted a dog but I've never been keen as we work & have a cat.
I would rather adopt a dog than buy a puppy as I think there are so many dogs out there that need a home. Whilst there are never any guarantees on an animals temperment, if a dog has been in a shelter the staff are usually pretty good at spotting which dog would not suit a family with DC.
I'm open on which breed etc - I want the right dog for DS (although completely aware that although it will be DS's dog, I will be doing the walking, feeding etc the majority of the time).
My only concern is that we might not be approved for a dog as we both work. There are 2 days a week where the dog would be on it's own for 8-10 hours so on those days we would pay a dog walker to take the dog out. The other days of the week we are out of the house for about 6 hours. In addition to this, we also have a cat (aged about 16, been with us for 11 years & from a rescue centre). We also have 2 DS aged 9 + 7 (although the 7yo will be 8 in the next few months). We would be able to take a dog out for 20 minutes in the morning & 1 hour + if needed in the evening.
Does anyone know the likelyhood of us being approved to adopt a dog? If we are not likely to be suitable to adopt (I do understand they are looking out for the dogs best interest), does anyone have any suggestion on what breed we should look at if we were to get a puppy?
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The doghouse
Adopting a dog - advice needed
19 replies
Fr0ggy · 18/01/2016 15:34
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