I am a 14-year-old girl, and I want a puppy for my 15th birthday, which is September 16.  We already have a dog, Jerry, but he belongs to the whole family.  I want a puppy that is all mine, and I asked my parents but they said a puppy is a lot of work and they don’t have time to mess around with it.   And besides, they’re expensive.

But I want the work of training and caring for a puppy.  I have been saving my allowance and babysitting money, so I will have money to take an obedience course with my new pet.  I don’t want an expensive dog, I want to go to the Humane Society and rescue one.  I will figure out a way to pay for shots, spaying or neutering.  

How can I convince my parents I’m mature enough to look after a puppy of my own?  I am a good student and make my own bed and keep my room clean and help with some of the housework and yard work, but they still don’t seem to think I can handle the responsibility of my own puppy.  I know I can!  I want one so badly.  Please help me convince them.

Puppy Love

Dear Puppy Love,

I don’t know how your parents will feel about my idea, so you’ll have to ask them.  Ask if they will agree to talk about it.  Then point out to them what you have told me – that you do a good job of meeting your responsibilities at home and school.  Let them know you will be just as responsible about caring for a puppy, and you would like to prove it.  

Offer to take care of Jerry, the dog your family already has, all by yourself.  Promise to feed him, take him for daily walks, brush him and clean up after him if necessary.  Write up a contract promising to faithfully fulfill your duties as Jerry’s caretaker, and sign and date it.  Become your family dog’s best friend.  Also, when you get out of school for the summer, consider volunteering at the Humane Society.  You will learn a lot, and the animals will benefit from someone to help love and care for them until they are adopted.  Ask your parents if, by the time your birthday comes around, they feel you have earned the right for them to consider letting you get a dog of your own.  Mention to your parents that caring for your puppy will help you build empathy for another creature, and the bond between you and your puppy will teach you tons about selfless love.     

If you can stick with the program until September 16, and still want your own puppy after caring for Jerry for so long and working with the homeless animals, I think it will be hard for them to say no, especially if you are rescuing a puppy from the Humane Society.  

Many young people are not ready to take on the responsibility of a pet, especially for the lifetime of the animal, but I have a feeling you are.  Prove me right. Prove it to your parents.  Prove it to yourself.