Is Your Family Ready for a New Puppy? 4 Things to Consider

Owning a dog can be a great experience for your family. If some of your most fond childhood memories include a family dog, you may be wondering if your children are ready to own a pet. Although most kids are excited about the prospect of having a puppy, few understand the responsibility of pet ownership. Go through the follow list of considerations before you take the plunge into the role of dog owner.

1. The age of your children.
Age is a big factor in determining whether or not your children are ready to own a dog. Small kids and puppes often don't mix. You should wait until your child is at least old enough to understand how to treat the animal with care. Even the most docile of breeds might snap if their ears and tail are consistently pulled.

2. Pet responsibilities.
You'll also want to make sure that your child gets involved with the pet care in an age appropriate way. Three- to four-year-olds can make sure that the puppy is fed and has clean water, with gentle reminders from mom and dad. Starting at age five, your children can start walking the dog and learning basic animal safety rules, such as not leaving things out for the dog to chew on. If your children are between the ages of seven to ten, they can be in charge of feeding all by themselves. Older children can attend dog obedience classes with the family pet and can take care of scooping up pet waste.

3. Your time commitments.
No matter what age your children are, the sole weight of responsibility for a puppy will remain with the parents. Be aware that you - and not the children - are going to be spending a lot of time caring for the animal, particularly at the very beginning. Read up on puppy care even if you've already raised a puppy. There are a lot of things involved in puppy care that you can forget over time. It's different than owning a grown dog.

4. Cost considerations.
There are a lot of supplies that you'll need to take care of your puppy so make sure you have the financial resources to get them. In addition to food, your puppy will likely need a crate or kennel, a stainless steel food bowl (puppies can chew up plastic ones), ear cleaning solution, a brush, nail clippers and chew toys. On top of these costs, puppies need more veterinarian care in their first year than they do later on. You'll need to pay for shots and neutering or spaying. And you may need pet medications. If you purchase your puppy from a breeder, there will also be costs to getting the dog in the first place. Click here for pet coupons and as pet food coupons.

If you've decided a puppy is right for you, congratulations! Raising a puppy can sometimes be a challenge, but it won't be long before the dog will be a cherished part of the family.

Baby Food Secrets!

There are definitely some foods that you should not feed your baby; particularly the ones which we know will bring on an allergic reaction. Even though your beautiful baby may want to try all the food in sight, and you would like them to try; it will pay to be disciplined about what you allow.

Particularly at family get-togethers, all the relatives (some of which had kids many decades ago) all have an opinion on what is best to give your baby. If any of the potentially harmful foods are being offered, it is okay to set a boundary with family and friends, and to politely explain that you are keeping a close eye on what your baby eats because of allergies.

The main offenders that often cause reactions in babies are eggs, cow’s milk, dairy products, soy, nuts (especially peanuts), shellfish, citrus fruit, and wheat (there are several types of wheat-some are okay).you really must avoid these foods as much as possible. When your child is age three, any potential reactions that they may have would not be as serious, and it is generally okay to start giving these foods one at a time in small amounts.

If baby experiences an allergy to a particular food, get rid of it.  The allergy may not be severe and baby may outgrow it, but don’t take any chances.  Severe allergies can cause an anaphylactic reaction.

If you notice a food causes a reaction - avoid feeding it to your baby.  It is possible that the reaction may be slight, but you don't want to take any chances, as a serious case could give rise to an anaphylactic reaction. By the age of three many babies have outgrown food allergies.

Bacteria makes diary products potentially dangerous.  Pasteurization has eliminated the majority of these organisms from cheeses, milk, butter, and eggs.  But, these higher in protein foods could still cause a reaction in baby so introduce only a little at a time when the time is right, usually after at least one year.

The bacteria in dairy products are particularly dangerous, although pasteurization has taken care of most of these organisms in cheeses, eggs, milk, and butter.  These foods are higher in protein and could cause some minor reaction in baby, so it is vital that only a small amount is given (mainly after the child reaches one year old).

There are many food stuffs that have not been pasteurized and are quite unsafe for almost all babies.  In particular products bought at food stands, and orchards have most likely not been pasteurized (apple juice and cider are notorious example) and so caution should be exercised in allowing these types of foods to be consumed.

Although these types of foods may not seem a risk for adults or for adult metabolisms, things are different for baby.  For them, small pieces of food could be somewhat of a problem. For babies, the smaller a piece of food is, the better. Even though some may want to give the baby part of a cracker or hot dog, this should be avoided. It is easy for pieces of food that are too large for a small child to become a dangerous choking hazard. Chips, crackers, and some biscuits have jagged edges that may easily cut the child's gums and can even get lodged in the throat when if they are not chewed thoroughly.

One food item to note in particular is honey. Even though it is very sweet, it is not for baby. 

It is the natural honey which puts your baby most at risk, because raw honey (directly from the honeycomb) contains Clostridium botulinum.  This is the dangerous bacterium which causes botulism. It is possible that raw honey could cause a baby to develop the serious condition of botulism.  It is important that parents take note of all foods which contain honey, and steer clear of these for your child's benefit.

Botulism is a form of food poisoning.  If baby ends up with this nasty illness, he or she will develop a case of constipation, lethargy, lack of appetite, and muscle weakness.  The bacteria can cause muscle paralysis, which can in turn lead to death.

Most people do not realize it, but botulism is a type of food poisoning, and if your baby develops it, they could develop the concerning symptoms like constipation, lethargy, lack of appetite, and muscle weakness. In the worst cases, the bacteria may cause muscle paralysis, and in some cases, can lead to death.

There are relatively few types of foods that could harm your baby. By excluding these your baby will be much safer, and their chance of developing allergies or other harmful conditions is greatly reduced. All good parents want what the very best for their baby and an excellent place to start is by keeping a close eye on the food we allow them to have.

Discover more facts about baby food.