So, it's seven o'clock in the morning under gray skies and pounding rain, and you're out there pounding the pavement with the family dog so he can do his business. Leash in one hand, plastic bag in the other; you move along slowly as the cold rain seeps down the back of your neck. Meanwhile, your dog doesn't seem to care about the weather, he's just enjoying the smells.



I'm sure you have experienced this!

Dogs don't always pay a lot of attention to what people say; they focus on how they say it and more importantly what they do. It doesn't matter who says they're the dog's owner, that doesn't make it so.

Often, the dog will bond with whoever takes the most care of him. He will see who cleans up his messes and who gets up in the early morning hours to let him outside. He will also notice who feeds him.

Dogs see who grooms them and who takes time for them.

So if you plan on getting a dog for your children you need to take this into account because if you are the one taking care of this dog then the dog is going to be your pet - not your child's.

If you think about all those stories of a boy and his dog, you should remember one thing, they're inseparable. You don't see one without the other. If your kids aren't going to put the time the dog isn't going to bond with them. Dogs aren't stupid; they won't bond with someone who ignores them.

If your child simply tolerates the dog it is all the dog will do for him! So make sure everybody is willing to put their time in to caring for him.