There will come a time that you as a parent will face the issue of what pets for kids you will choose. It is your responsibility as well. It is likely to happen that questions like what sort of pet is appropriate at his age, and how much responsibility should he undertake will surely arise.

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of potential pets that can help answer your questions.

No matter what pet you choose, recognize that you as a parent is ultimately responsible not only for your child but for the health and well being of the animal as well. A child’s interests can swirl like a dust in the wind and the pet will still be your responsibility that will require daily care and love.

Consider your child’s age and emotional development. Although they don’t intend harm, a preschooler can injure a pet by playing rough. You may want a pet that is interesting, but cannot be handled by your child unless you’re present.

If your child is under 6, consider these animals to begin with:

# Guinea pig
# Hamster
# Small birds
# Fish
# Turtle

However, there are pets that are not for your kids like rabbits because they can grow to be quite temperamental. In addition, they are usually active at night or in the morning, when children are usually asleep or in school.

Reptiles are also not good choices for pets because children under 6 are more susceptible to contracting salmonella.

You can give your child some age-appropriate responsibilities in caring for the pet. They might clean food or water bowls, or help clean cages once you have safely removed the occupant.

When they have shown responsibility for caring for a smaller pet, you may want to graduate to a dog or cat. But always remember, though it may be his or her “pet,” the parent is always responsible for making sure the animal is well cared for.

Older children have a wide range of options to choose from because their ability to take care of the pet goes with their age. However, they will still need your guidance as they enjoy taking responsibility of their pets.

If your children are asking for a pet, a pet rock might be the answer.  You can tell them they can have a pet rock to see how well they handle the responsibility before you allow them to get a goldfish, hamster, or larger pet.

There are a number of things about pet rocks that make them Mom’s best friend.  Consider these benefits when offering to “get” your child a pet rock:

* You don’t have to buy them.  Yes, people were silly enough to fall for a marketing ploy, as ingenious as it was, but you really don’t need to buy a pet rock.  You or your child can find one right outside your front door.  Of course, you may want to find one that’s unusual so it won’t get lost if it falls on the ground.  In all actuality, you can find a new pet rock anywhere.

* You don’t have to feed them.  Pet rocks are just that – rocks.  They’re inanimate objects that just sit there.   They don’t eat, so you don’t have to feed them.  You also don’t have to worry about buying food for them, which could help with budgeting concerns.

* Since they don’t eat, you don’t have to worry about taking them outside to use the restroom.  There’s no mess to clean up after, which will make your life as a Mom just a little bit easier.

* You won’t have to wonder if your child’s pet rock will bite anyone.  That’s often a concern with having a pet dog or small pets like hamsters.  With kittens or cats you may be concerned about their scratching and biting.

When looking for a pet rock, try to find one that’s smooth.  You also want one that’s not so small that you lose it or so big that your child can’t carry it.  Something that’s pretty like polished rose quartz may be a good bet for little girls.  Boys will probably like something that’s a little rougher.

Unlike a living pet, your child can decorate their pet rock to their liking.  Decide which side of the rock is its face and then allow your child to draw a face on it.  Your child can determine the type of face it has, whether serious, silly, or smiley.  They can also glue on wiggly eyes that you can find in any craft store.

Face it, Moms, at one point your child will ask for a pet.  Giving them a pet rock may at least buy you some time until you can decide as a family whether owning a live pet is in your family’s future.  Consider a pet rock - Mom’s best friend because they are easy to care for, cost nothing, and are easily replaced.

Looking at a litter of cute little puppies makes it easy to look over the hard task of raising a good well-mannered dog. Choosing the puppy you take home is much simpler than actually managing and teaching the puppy. How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With is a well revised and expanded book that will help you do this with ease.

In this book you will learn:

• Choosing a Puppy
• Behavior: Environmental Factors
• The First Three Months
• The Breeder’s Responsibility
• Puppy Goes to a New Home
• Socialization Continues
• Domesticating Your Puppy
• Development from Three to Six Months
• The Importance of Personality
• Dog Signals Using Body Language
• Behavioral Problems
• The Rewards of Puppy Training
• The Second Six Months

How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With is a book that is highly recommended for the new puppy owner, but it will also help the person who already has a dog. It teaches the importance for puppy owners to learn the basic rules and tricks to raising a dog. Not only does this book cover the physical aspects of the puppy, but it also covers the psychological.

If you are in the market for a cute puppy but don’t know the basics of raising one, this book needs to be on your shelf. How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With is the book that you wish would come with the puppy package when you pick him up from the pet store.

Click here to order How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With now.

If your child loves animals you may have more than one pet in your home.  If your child REALLY loves animals, you’ve probably had your share of stray animals making their way into your home.  It could be that you’ve had one too many strays become pets, so how do you say “No” to the stray animals your child brings home?

Chances are you already have at least one pet, if not a few more.  If you’ve always said “yes” when your child brings home strays, it may be difficult to say “no” now.  Here are some ideas to help you say no and mean it.

Start by setting some rules for when a stray animal comes to your home:

1.  Always handle an unfamiliar animal carefully.  They may bite if they’re scared or hurt.  Call the local animal control people to come and get it.

2.  All stray animals must be kept outside until a decision is made about them.  You have no idea if the animal is feral or if it has wandered from home.

3.  Every effort will be made to find a stray animal’s original home.  Check for a license or ID tag with a telephone number on it.  If a tag isn’t evident, you will have to check its body.  They may have a tattoo inside the ear, on its gums, or the inner skin of the back legs.

4.  It would be best to turn the animal in at the local shelter.  The owner may be looking for it.

5.  Make flyers with a picture of the animal and a description of it to place around town if you decide to keep the animal at home.  Put contact information on the flyer so the owner can retrieve their pet.

If no one claims the animal you can either take it to a shelter or keep it.  Your child will most likely ask to keep it, even more so if they can’t find an owner.  Now what?

Don’t make a decision immediately.  Tell your child that you need to discuss it with your spouse before a decision is made.  Take time to discuss the prospects of adding a new “member” to the family.  Who will take care of it?  Where will it sleep?  Who will clean up after it?  Can you actually afford another animal?

Suggest to your child that if they want to keep this animal, they have to let one of the other pets go.  While this may seem harsh, it will make your child seriously look at the pet and whether they want it.  If they agree to give away another pet, you may have to take it a step further.

Next ask them if they’d be willing to pay for the veterinarian bills and food for the animal.  If having the animal will cost them something personally they may decide they don’t want to keep it.  However, you may be surprised.

Parents don’t like telling their child “no” but sometimes it is necessary.  In this case you’re not really saying “no” to your child, but to the animal.  After you’ve told them they can’t keep the animal, stick to your guns and don’t back down on your decision.

Children and pets seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes they grow up together, but normally there’s a special bond between them that’s similar to what a child feels for their parent or grandparents. When a pet dies, it’s important to realize that your child is in pain. Here are some things you can do when your child loses their best friend.

* Children need to understand that most animals have a shorter lifespan than humans. It’s important when your child gets a pet to teach them as much as you can about that type of animal, including what their average lifespan is. When the inevitable day comes, you can remind your child that their pet lived a long and happy life because they were a part of your child’s life.

* Let your child know that their pet’s death is not their fault. Reassure your child that they were not responsible for the death, that the animal was older and its heart stopped beating. There wasn’t anything they could have done to change matters.

* When a loved person dies we honor them with a funeral. It might be a good idea to have something similar for much-loved pet. Have your family gather together and remember the good things about the pet. Let the child plan the service to commemorate their pet how they think is best.

* Put together a photo album with various pictures of your child’s pet. This will give them something to look at to help them remember their pet when they start missing it. Your child may even want to write a short story or poem to include in their photo album to express how they felt about their animal.

* Make a special gift to help other animals, such as a gift to the ASPCA in the name of your pet. By doing this, your child can feel good about doing something that will help other animals find loving homes to live in.

* Allow your child time to grieve. Don’t tell them that it’s silly to cry, in fact be honest about how you feel about the loss. It will help your child learn to grieve if they see you do it, too.

* Encourage them to talk about how they feel. Tell them it’s OK if they don’t want to talk about it right after the pet dies, but that you’re available to listen if they do want to talk.

* Wait until your child has had a chance to grieve before buying them a new pet. A new pet can’t replace their old one, but it may help ease the pain somewhat. Again, teach your child about the pet and how long it is expected to live. They may have to go through the process of losing a pet again, but there is a lot of love they can enjoy in the meantime.

Losing a pet is never easy because they give us so much unconditional love. How children react to the death of a pet will help them deal with the death of a human loved one in the future. These tips for helping your child when they lose their best friend may give you the information you need to make the process easier for them.

Perhaps your family has been thinking about getting a puppy.  If you wait a little while, you can adopt a shelter dog in October.  Not only will you gain a family pet, you will save a life.

Each year the American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) sponsors Adopt a Shelter Dog Month as a way to focus people’s attention on the plight of the millions of dogs in shelters across the United States.  Each year they ask people to open their hearts to the dogs that are in the shelters and adopt one of them rather than purchase a pure bred or getting a free one locally.

One reason people surrender dogs to an animal shelter is due to behavior problems.  The dogs may bark too much, chew on things they shouldn’t, or some other reason.  What people don’t realize is that training a dog is not as difficult as they may think.  It can be a great time for the dog and owner to bond, and should be fun for both rather than a chore.

Before going to the shelter to find a new pet, take some time to answer some questions.  These will give you an idea about how ready you are to Adopt a Shelter Dog in October or any other month.

* Am I ready to make the type of long-term commitment owning a dog involves?  Dogs generally live for 15 years or more; are you ready to take care of its every need for that length of time?

* Is my house suitable for a dog?  Some dogs need plenty of room to roam.  If you live in an apartment, this type of dog may not be best for you.

* Is the dog right for my family?  Small dogs may be too delicate if you have little children that are rough on their toys.  Big dogs may run over smaller children.

* Have you decided who will be primarily responsible for taking care of the dog?  An adult would be a better choice than a child since they are less likely to forget to feed and water it.

* Can I afford a new dog?  Caring for pets is more than merely feeding it.  You’ll have to pay the adoption fee, buy food, get the dog toys, and pay for it to visit the veterinarian regularly.

Getting a new dog is an exciting time for those considering it.  You know you want the love and companionship that a dog can bring to a family.  When you think about it and decide you’re ready, consider the Adopt a Shelter Dog in October campaign.  Once you find the right shelter dog, you’ll be glad you went to the shelter to look.