Good pets for teaching young children responsibility?

Discussion in Pets started by Esperahol • Jun 3, 2012.

  1. Esperahol

    EsperaholActive Member

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    My kid brother is a loving child, but a bit of a brat. I would like to give him something to focus on so that he can maybe growup a bit while at the same time have something he can just love on. Thoughts?
     
  2. dissn_it

    dissn_itActive Member

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    Not being sure how old your brother is, I would have to say a dog. Boys love dogs at any age. Just do your research before getting one. You want to find a good fit between the dog and your family. Research the breed you are thinking of getting and make sure it will not cause problems for your family later on. It would be devastating for a kid to get a dog and then have to give it up later because of a bad fit with the family.
     
  3. Jennifer

    JenniferActive Member

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    I agree, a dog is a good choice. Once you find a suitable family dog it is a good idea then to teach your brother, if he doesn't yet know, on how to take care of the puppy. It will give him a sense of responsibility as well as create a bond between him and the puppy.
     
  4. addicted_buyer

    addicted_buyerExpert

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    Dogs and children always get along. But if he's really not responsible, then I wouldn't go for that kind of pet. They could bond, and, if the dog is left unattended, he could die. A smaller pet may be better for that... a hamster, a rabbit, etc. They're easier to take care of.
     
  5. andrew320

    andrew320Active Member

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    Lol (about the brat)! Your best bet to teach responsibility is either a fish, such as a beta fish, or a hamster. Anything more than that would take a lot of hard work, money, time and responsibility. Gradually, this will teach any child how to look after a live animal. Hopefully, the child can also look after the pet financially as well as the everyday tasks.

    Remember, betas are a lot simpler to look after than gold fish. They even have delightful personalities.
     
  6. abbywillow

    abbywillowNew Member

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    Never get a child a pet unless they show the indication of loving animals or want to have one to care for. You cannot make your bratty brother love a pet or be more responsible by getting him a LIVING creature. If you do, then you will likely have to care for the pet he ignores because he has no interest. And what kind of lesson is that, then? Our children each have pets, based upon their past of caring for and loving our family dogs. However, our oldest child does not have a pet- why? Because she doesn't help to care for the ones we have. Pets are a responsibility and a serious addition to the home, not a lesson for a bratty child.
     
  7. tosaytheleast

    tosaytheleastActive Member

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    A dog would be a good pet for boys! They could always treat them as a friend and if you ask me what breed. I would say Golden Retriever. They are one of the most intelligent breed of dogs so you brother will really enjoy taking care of it and also try to teach him and become more responsible.
     
  8. Waynefire

    WaynefireActive Member

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    I would have to say a good pet is a fish tank. Then they do not have to monitor them all the time and you may want to consider the fact the fish are harder to harm compared to a dog or a cat.
     
  9. Esperahol

    EsperaholActive Member

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    As mentioned in the OP he is a loving child and he does in fact love animals. Also he is a bit of a brat, not a bratty child. I am giving him a pet to nuture the seeds of nuturing and responsibility he shows when helping care for his infant niece. The pet is also to help not feel so overlooked now there is a new baby in the house. I know what I'm doing here, but think you for your input.
     
  10. siriusboi

    siriusboiMember

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    I think every pet is good for children. Getting a pet for your child should be given great discussion. You shouldn't just buy a pet for your child because you want to discipline him. Ask your child first if he wants a pet. If he does then tell him that raising a pet would require responsibility. Tell him the things that he should expect when he already has a pet. Give him an overview on what his duties as a pet owner. Brief him very well. Don't buy him a pet for the sake of making him grow up. Buy him one because he wants to and you trust him that he would do his best to raise a great pet.
     
  11. Imoverthere

    ImoverthereMember

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    Surprisingly enough, perhaps one of the easiest pets to have for your first time would be a rat in my opinion. My sister used to have pet rats before she moved out, and when she was gone on the weekends she would have me take care of them, and they're surprisingly simple! All you need is to keep their food and water in good supply, keep their cages clean, spend a little time giving them attention and such. You can even tell when they're happy when they grind their teeth (a rats equivalent of a cats purr)!
     
  12. Esperahol

    EsperaholActive Member

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    There is no way his mother is having a rat in the house no matter how often I tell her it'd be clean and no where near another fertile rodent. I'm thinking of a turtle or maybe a fish, probably a turtle so that he can handle it and it'll be more of a "real" pet without too much trouble in upkeep.
     
  13. siriusboi

    siriusboiMember

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    I don't know about a turtle. Since you just said yourself that it wouldn't be too much to handle. Turtles in my own opinion won't be a fun pet at all. I prefer letting them do their thing in the deep blue sea. Turtles won't be too much of a responsibility for her child. She wants to give he child something fun. Would a turtle be fun to play with? Hey, Mr. Turtle, fetch! :)
     
  14. novasparker

    novasparkerActive Member

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    I don't know how old your brother is, but owning a pet, any pet, is a very large responsibility. Using a pet to teach your brother responsibility is a sure fire way to cause animosity between you and he as well as potential harm to the animal. With that being said, if your brother has expressed an interest in getting a pet and either you or his parents are willing to take up the slack when he isn't following through on his responsibilities, a pet like a fish or a mouse/hamster maight make a suitable first pet.
     
  15. janemariesayed

    janemariesayedActive Member

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    We had what you could call a mini zoo as I was growing up. Every Saturday was the day when we cleaned them out and changed their bedding. We had two dogs, three cats, Two budgies and a canary. Tropical and goldfish. A hamster, rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises and a buck rat.

    Looking after them taught my siblings and me, responsibility towards animals. We learned a lot and I think it made us grow up to be better people.

    I don't know how young your brother is, depending on his age there are various animals that you could get him. A puppy, of course, would be brilliant but dependent on his age as to whether he could take care of it fully. If he is a toddler then I would suggest a hamster or gerbil. He could keep the cage in his room so he would feel that it was really his pet. He could be encouraged to name it and play with it gently as well as teach him how to clean the cage. A young child still needs help with looking after animals, they are after all just learning.
     
  16. moneymania

    moneymaniaActive Member

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    I think that for starters, a turtle would be a good pet since it's very low maintenance and you only have to give it food, you're not even required to interact or play with it. So I think that would be the best pet to give him to see if he's responsible enough to feed the turtle on time.