How to convince parents for a pet?

Hi Disha, I want to get home a puppy so badly but my mom says it’s going to be very tough. My dad too didn’t support my request. Abeerjas, 13, Sonipat.

Bringing home a baby

Heyyyy you. So first of all I would like to tell you that I went through the same thing. I am obsessed with dogs and I had to beg for sooo long to get one of my own. I mean just look at them! Those cute little furballs, ugh. Sorry I got a bit carried away there. 

So anyway my point was that I relate. I know how badly you want a dog right now and I know how frustrating it is that your parents won’t let you. But no fear your girl Disha is here to help.

So first of all, calm down and think about it. Because you can’t just get a dog because you love how cute they are and you want to play with them all day long. You have to be sure. It’s a pretty huge responsibility. And I’m not just saying that.

You’re basically bringing a baby to your home who, mind you, can not talk or tell you how they feel. You have to do everything on your own. You have to feed them, bathe them, take them for walks, play with them, take care of them, in general and even more when they’re sick. 

Fully responsible

You can’t just play and forget about them. They’re the most loyal and best friends you’ll ever get but you have your share of work cut out for you. 

You have to be responsible for them while also taking care of yourself and your academics. Because bro, letting it affect your studies is a big No-no. Of course, you can ask your siblings and parents to help you out from time to time but you are the lead actor here so you have to think about it.

So yeah, your mom was not exaggerating when she said it’s going to be tough because trust me, I know.

The most important thing here is that you have to be totally aware and serious enough to take care of them. Once you’re 100% sure that you want this and that you can, you have to show your parents that you’re ready. 

Because bro let’s be honest, you’re still a baby for your parents, so they will need some convincing to trust you to take care of one yourself.

Foster a puppy?

Maybe you can foster a puppy before you decide to get one yourself. Fostering a puppy means you’ll be providing temporary care and home for a puppy who is yet to find a permanent home. This way you can figure out everything you need to know and do when parenting a puppy and you can prove to your parents that you are actually serious about it in the long term too. 

Show them that you can handle their and your own responsibilities and that you won’t laze around when it comes to work. 

Also fostering a puppy will help your parents figure out how they feel about dogs too. I mean my mom, who was strictly against dogs at some point of time, now can’t stop talking about ours.

Adopt, don’t buy

So if your parents are comfortable and if you do convince your parents to get a puppy, one tiny piece of my advice would be to adopt one instead of buying it. 

There are so many puppies who need a loving and permanent home and they’ll love and be loyal to all the same. Trust me, I say this from experience ;).

Got a question or a doubt? Then come Ask Disha! The coolest Trusted Adult in India, Disha, will answer all your queries on Growing Up! Post them in the comments box below or send them to our Insta inbox! Disha will respond to them in upcoming columns. Please remember not to put out any personal information. 

#AskDisha is an advice column run by the editorial team at TeenBook India. The advice given in the columns is science-based but general in nature. Parents and adolescents should seek help from a professional or expert for specific concerns or issues.