Why I Regret Getting My Kids Their Own Dog

How my two of my four kids ended up with their own dogs is a story in of itself, and maybe I will share this story with you another time, but today I would like to focus in on why I regret doing it.

It creates a relationship war. What I mean by this is that the dogs are confused of who to bond with. My kids were and are too young to take on the full responsibility of dog ownership. Yes, they can feed, water, love, play, and teach the dogs a few tricks, but the truth is that they are not the dogs primary care giver, I am. It honestly feels like a warped custody battle over the dogs and I am trying to make sure that everyone is taken care of, but I have to be careful that they remain my kids' dogs and not become my dogs, and that is a hard balance to strike.

Don't get me wrong, I love that my kids are having to learn responsibility, I love that they are learning empathy, I love all of the life lessons that come with them having their own dogs, I love that they are able take ownership of something, but, it's more work than just having my own dog or a family dog. It would be clear how to handle training, it wouldn't matter how much or strong of a bond each family member formed with what dog. I could still have the kids learn the same life lessons, they could still help take care of them and bond with them, but there wouldn't be a relationship war going on. It's even harder because I do not have my own dog to bond with, so I have dogs in my home that I cannot let become my dog while I long to have my own dog. Honestly, for a dog lover without her own dog, this situation is heartbreaking.

One day, my kids will be able to help with the dogs more, one day we will figure out the relationships with the dogs, someday I may have my own dog again. But in this moment, I am dealing the war that I am in that I created by getting my kids their own dogs, and I am hoping and praying that my regret will be short lived.