I Really Want a Dog..
 

I don't know why I typed that up. Perhaps I wanted to share with the world what I wish my parents could understand. I would do anything to get a dog. My dog is sooo old and was never a perfect dog (aggression issues I couldn't control when I was younger, now I am much more responsible). I have wanted a Cavalier, Yorkie, or Papillon for quite some time now. I am very responsible and I get out at 12:30 from school so I have plenty of time for the dog.

I almost got a dog once before, but nothing ever works out. The dog has to be perfect in any way (house trained, fixed, obedience trained, good with people/dogs/cats, hardly barks, etc), but even then there is a very small chance I would actually get it. There aren't many perfect dogs out there but I still continue looking, since I know there is a small chance I would get it. My parents won't support me at all in this decision. I don't know what to do with myself.

Vanessa

To Vanessa
 

Vanessa...WOW!! God Bless you!!! What a beautiful poem and tribute to your desire for a dog. You should submit it to to various dog magazines, I am certain it will get published! Did you share it with your parents? I am a parent and I have a 17 year old who wants a car as much as you want a dog!! But listen as a parent let me encourage you to be patient, YOU WILL GET YOUR DOG, at the right and most perfect time. You cannot desire something as strongly as you desire a dog and not get it in time. How old are you? I am 50 years old and although I grew up with my brother and husband owning dogs, I never wanted one until about a year ago...when I was realizing that my children were growing up and moving on with their lives. So I got my first dog at 49 years of age and guess what??? It was well worth the wait. During this time while you are waiting do your research on the various dogs so that you will be able to narrow down your choice. An excellent website is Dog Breed Info Center®, DBI. Stay patient... you will most definitely get your dog in time. :thumbup::aimeeyork:)

Have your parents said why they don't want to get you one right now?
Do you have a steady income or will your parents being paying all of its bills. (and there can be a lot of them)?

The list of "qualifications" for this dog is very long and most people who have trained a Yorkie to the extent probably aren't going to rehome them.
house trained,
fixed,
obedience trained,
good with people/dogs/cats,
hardly barks

With the exception of being fixed, these things can be difficult to achieve.
Yorkies can be very stubborn.

Are you sure you can't wait a few more years and buy your own Yorkie?:)

No, my parents don't even care. I've typed essays on why I deserve a dog and they hardly even read them. I am 16 years old. I have already visited that site and read on almost all the breeds there, haha.

I know that it is almost impossible to find a dog like that, but they won't even consider it if it isn't perfect. At least I have a small chance. I have tried to wait. I've waited two years already and I still want a dog. I don't see why I even put myself through this.

Vanessa

I hear ya, Vanessa! I'm 27 and still asking! :) Until I get one, I pretty much claim my mom's as mine...even though I live in another city :( Trust me though, I call about 7 times a day asking about them!

I do know how you feel, but you are probably going to have a lot less time to spend with a dog when you go to college - and I think the dog would really be confused if you had to give it to your parents when you went away, or sad if it was always home when you were at class or out with your friends... I'm in my 3rd year of medical school, and am just hoping maybe during my 4th year when things calm down...but then I have to worry about residency...

I know you don't want to hear this, and neither do I really, but give it time - you have plenty of time to get a dog...and you even have 11 years on me ;)

trust me I know the feeling on wanting one!!! (it's the only reason I'm on YT...scouting for one) but at least when we finally do get dogs of our own, we'll really appreciate them cause it took so long getting them!

hi Vanessa,

i am sorry that your parents won't allow you to have a dog. well, when i was younger and living with my parents, i was NEVER allowed to have a dog either. the only pets allowed by them were fish...not exactly the pet i wanted. but you mentioned that you already have a dog right? so that's kind of nice :D

you will have to wait till you are older, maybe A LOT older. I got my first 'real' pet when i was 22. because i was making my own money, paying for everything on my own, and my parents no longer had a say in it.

i really do know how you feel though. it really sucks. when i was little, i used to bring home stray animals(cats and dogs) i find, and try to hide them because i really wanted to keep them. but my parents always find them, of course, and i was always forced to return the animals back to where i found them. but even at that young age. i would go to school, and try to see if someone else could adopt them :)

so i have a suggestion for ya. you can try to volunteer at rescue organizations, or animal shelters. this way, you can help the animals in need, and get your fix of having all these wonderful animals to care for!

good luck to you and i hope you consider volunteering. :thumbup::D

I think that is a wonderful idea!!!

There are no vets or rescues around here that allow people under 18 to work there. I don't see why because I just want to clean the kennels, walk the dogs, or socialize them. The one thing I'm allowed to do is pet sit so I'm going to start pet sitting this dog for 10 +/- days per month for the next 6 months, so I can save up a lot of money. I will hopefully be able to start pet sitting more dogs so I can save up money for when I do get my dog. I'm pretty excited to start pet sitting more often :)!

that is wonderful! :D best of luck to you!
other things you can think about doing is just dog related stuff in general. like doing a school project on puppy mills or animal abuse, animal laws, animal testing, and animal welfare...etc..

it's really fun to research and educate the public about animals, because these babies need us to give them a voice, and to help them educate the public on how to better care for them. :D

i am really happy for you that you found the pet sitting job, you will have tons of fun! :D

:goodpost::goodpost::goodpost:

:thumbup::)Excellent Post, if you volunteer at a shelter it may help your parents to see how responsible you are, but also keep in mind like a previous poster said, you will soon be heading off to college, it's really a good idea to wait until after college to get your dog, a dog is a lot of responsibility totally dependant on you for it's care, and unlike a child a dog never become independant of you. College is going to take up ALL of your time, you can't begin to imagine... and even when classwork is not taking up your time, you will want to be able to have fun with your friends.... wait Vanessa, now is not the time, but trust me, you DEFINITELY WILL GET YOUR DOG at the right time. :thumbup::)

I really wanted a pup too. I didn't realize that a small yorkie has a small bladder and he needs to go out very frequently. It is a big problem when I work. Consider who will care for him while you are at school or busy with other activities. I wish someone would have warned me. A dog walker costs me $20 @ day or I have to drive out of the way for him to stay with my Mom when I work.

I agree that a teenager on her way to college in a year or two will not have the time for the demands of a yorkie, she'll enjoy her dog much more if she wait at least until she is out of college, because as you show even working it requires effort on your part. Have you thought of retraining your baby to puppy pads and leave them out while you work?

this is so true. sometimes every 1-2hours, even at night. vanessa, i think your poem was absolutely amazing and have no doubt you'll be a great yorkie mom when the time is right. at 16, you're at an exciting time in your life. you're getting more independence, figuring out a lot of things, spending time with friends before you disperse for college. in terms of your activities and schooling, you're trying the best you can to put yourself in a good position to apply for college or jobs after graduation. from a sleep standpoint alone, taking care of a puppy for the next two years could adversely affect your daily activities and academics.

as far as volunteering, I think it's SUCH A GREAT IDEA, you'll learn so much and have so much to offer the animals. and it's a pretty amazing thing to have on your resume.

I just got my Yorkie this year, after years of negotiating with my husband for one.

Which kind of baffled me, because I raised his TWO CHILDREN :rolleyes:, and did a damn good job if I do say so myself :D. Not to mention taking responsibility of EVERY pet they ever had [hamster, turtle, fish, snake etc].

LOL.....I grew up with dogs and we got a chow mix about 4 years ago, however, I must admit, that Garrett is def more like having another child.
I have to think around his care and wellbeing constantly. I have to think about him when thinking about vacations etc. My other dog would normally stay with friends, but I am much more picky with Garrett.
But.....good luck Vanessa, where there's a will, there's a way, and everything in it's time. Just remember to plan long term, and not just for the moment