On Daughters reneging on Taking Care of her new puppy?! Any succesful ways to turn this around?

Question

She is 18yrs.old. We went over the Care and Commitment this would involve. She is not taking Responsibility and I cannot let the dog suffer because of her. I will Train and Care for it properly and if she doesn t start changing-I will take it to the SPCA for him to have a Chance to Have a Loving Owner that it deserves. I of course will keep it if they cannot not find a home and be that Person. I have fallen in Love with him-he is so Cuddly and Loving and has done well with the Training it has (Unlike my daughter).

I just would not of chosen to take a dog because I know that I already had too many responsibilites with my own Cat and Budgies and 4 kids to take care of. She was being more responsible on things and I got fooled into believing her. I believe that she will learn more responsibility with everything in life if she takes on this commitment. Is there a way?

Answer 1

If you want to keep the puppy, I'd start withholding privileges from your daughter. For example, she doesn't get to eat at mealtime unless the dog has been fed.

Talk to her about the dog. Get her to agree to the list of things that must be done, in order to adequately care for it. Then get HER to suggest suitable penalties for neglecting to take care of the puppy in various ways. You'll have much better luck with training her if she comes up with the penalties, since she'll have bought into the system and she really won't be able to argue that you're being unreasonable.

If she really isn't up to keeping the dog herself, then you should give it away. That's not only best for the dog, it's what's best for your daughter: she has to learn that her decisions have consequences.

Good luck!

Answer 2

That really is sad! I have an 8 yr old boy that has a cat and a bunny. He knows that if I have to take care of the animals that he so very much wanted and had to have. That they will be mine to do whatever I feel is necessary to find a loving home for them. I also am a volunteer for the Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. So being a responsible pet owner I would tell her that good people are out there that would love a sweet little puppy to love and care for if she isn't willing to. Animals have feeling just as we do! That puppy deserves to have a great life.
Good Luck in everything you say and do!

Answer 3

hi mom. i'm not a mom, other than to my menagerie of critters!! if your daughter isn't interested in taking care of the pup, fine. you have four kids! are any or all of them interested in taking part in this puppy? and please, don't take this next comment as rude, because it's not aimed to be that way. would you take one of your kids to an orphanage because you have too many responsibilites? your number one responsibility is to you children. we all know that, as it should be. but even though you were duped into this adoption, why would you take the poor animal to the spca to live in a cage until you can find him/her a home? if you're adamant about finding this pup a new home, do the dog a favor that you won't regret. contact the spca, tell them the story, have them come over, take pics, yada blah etc. and let them take care of the adoption process. they tend to be very particular, and this way, the dog has a home until it can find a new one, it will just be "fostered" in yours. i hope you keep it. surely one of your kids will enjoy this responsibility. what about 4-H? or some other kind of association like that? a dog would be a great project, and you wouldn't have to worry about the poor thing going to a new home. i wish you the best of luck, truly, i'm just asking you to weigh your options, and make the best decision for everyone involved.

Answer 4

Well I can think of two possible ways to try and resolve this, without the need for you to take on extra work or for the puppy to be found a new (possibly abusive) home.

Shock value.
Find the worst pictures of animal abuse on the website that you can. Show her these pictures and tell her straight up if she does not take care of this gorgeous pup, it is going to end up like the picture.

Appeal to her better judgement.
Sit her down at a time when its fairly quiet, maybe after the younger children are in bed? Ask her what the problem is, get her to talk to you about why she isn't taking care of him. Maybe she just needs help with time management or perhaps she is just being a little lazy since she thinks you will pick up the slack. Make it clear in a nice but firm way that you won't be. After hearing what she has to say, perhaps the two of you will get to the heart of the problem and a resolution will be forthcoming :)

Different approaches work with different people so hopefully one of these will help. Good luck!

Answer 5

Don't take it to the SPCA, try to find a loving home for the dog on your own. Many animals are put down at the Animal shelters. Your daughter is 18? Let's hope she doesn't decide to have children any time soon. At 18 if she hasn't learned committment by now she won't anytime soon, and I wouldn't start with a puppy. Make her get a job and start taking care of herself first.

Answer 6

I can't believe at 18 years old your daughter isn't mature enough to handle the responsibilities of a puppy, that's pure sadness. Is it that she's too busy running around with her friends or she's just too darn lazy to do anything with the poor dog? As for you I hope you'll do what's in the best interest of the dog and I'm glad that you haven't also neglected the poor little guy - by the way your daughter needs kicked

Answer 7

Why do you have 2 week old puppies? Puppies should not be weaned from their mother's until 6 weeks at the earliest..8 weeks being the best time. Did you get your puppies from a breeder? If so, this breeder should be SHOT IN THE HEAD for selling you puppies this young! If you are serious about keeping them, they need to be fed milk or milk substitute for newborn dogs. You can find this stuff at walmart in the pet section for decent prices. Start introducing them to solid foods at 4 weeks with milk mixed in. By 6 weeks they should be able to eat solid food totally, but still mixed with milk or water. Teaching them commands can begin at 8 weeks, but remember that puppies attention spans are extremely short! If you notice the puppies aren't doing well on the milk substitute, take them to the vet! No animal that young should be on their own. Good luck.

Answer 8

It was wonderful of you to get your daughter a dog. My parents flat out refused. it wasn't until i moved into a dog friendly apt a semester before my graduation, that I got my dog, and I paid for it and all of the things that come with it. There was 2 months where i was living at home with my dog. Knowing my parents were flat against dogs. I had to keep the dog happy, even when i was at work. Consequently, I was INVESTED in the puppies care. I had wanted one all of my life. I alone was responsible for its care and training. But, I KNEW that my parents would not have helped me in anyway. It turns out that my parents love my dog, but still won't help me financially with any of the vet bills or food.

You want your daughter to care for the dog? she's 18 years old. Give her several dog training and care books and stop letting her fall back on you. Because you're willing to pick up the slack, she's not going to bother. You already have the responsibility needed to raise a dog. She needs to learn some. make it clear that it's HER dog, not yours. make it clear that you will get rid of it, because you aren't going to take care of it. Leave the dog in her room at night and leave the house so that she has to walk it. if she doesn't...well, the dog will train her. MAKE SURE SHE HAS A REFERENCE ON DOG CARE, so that she knows what to do with behavioral problems...like housebreakin setbacks, or chewing.

Answer 9

Call your vet they may know someone who can take good care of the pup......run an add in the paper for pup to loving home charge a very small amount 30-40 $...........My daughter is 6 and takes care of her cat and pup. Stick by your word mom. Take the pup away, she isn't going to care for it because your there, if you have told her you will give it away do so, and mean it. Teach her she has to keep her word. It hurts but as a parent there are a lot of things we have to do that hurts to teach a lesson.

Answer 10

I would nag on her from the minute she walks into the door until she finally takes care of it. The minute she comes in I would say right now take him out, feed him, clean water, clean up any mess he made, don't take no or later for an answer. You are the parent and if she doesn't want to respect rules then see how well she can do on her own. She is 18 after all.