# I need help convincing my parents



## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

Hi so I found a dog i really want, hes a dachshund that is paralyzed and needs a wheel chair. I love him so much and i fell in love with him. But my parents keep saying no. I have already offered to pay for him( i pay for all the pets i get). I have also offered to get rid of some of my many pets. Right now i have 4 cats, 4 chickens, 1 dog, 1 hedgehog, 3 turtles, 1 tree frog, 1 an albino frog, and a bunch of tropical fish( including an eel) in a fish tank. I now there my animals and i shouldn't be getting rid of them to get more but the ones i would give away would be the tree frog( he was my brothers and my brother got board so we take care of him), my chickens( i love them to death but i feel like i don't give them enough care because i am afraid of them dark so my parents lock them up at night and i am not a morning person so my parents take care of them in the morning and its really cold outside. I would love to give them more attention and i feel terrible for them.), my turtles ( they weren't mine i they where given to me 2 weeks ago because there owner couldn't take care of them.), the fish ( i love my tank but them poor dog needs a home), and i am finding a home for my albino frog this weekend he is cannibal and has be eating his fish friends)I also made a power point about the dog and his care. I know everything but i just need some help encouraging my parents. I even got my mom roses and signed them with the dogs name. And the dog is located near my grandmas house so that's a plus and i would pay for the gas i have been saving up a lot of money for him. So please help me i love him so much i would really like some advise.














this is him hes soooo cute!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

To be perfectly honest, this is my advice: Animals are not exchangeable or replaceable. The animals you have now are yours. They are your responsibility and they deserve better than to be "gotten rid of" because you want a different animal now. I can completely understand your parents' hesitation - dogs are a lot more work than chickens, especially a dog with health problems and special needs. If they're already taking care of the chickens, who's going to get up and help the dog outside when he needs to potty early in the morning or late at night? 

It's very sad that the dog is in this situation and that he needs a home that can accommodate his special needs. But honestly, it doesn't sound like something you can do right now, and personally I don't feel at all comfortable with giving any advice to try and talk your parents into what looks to be a challenging situation.


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

OK well i understand that pets are not replaceable like that and i would feel terrible getting rid of my pets because i develop a very strong bond with mt pets and i love them to death. When my hamster dies i cryed and when my lizard died i cryed same with all my animals even my fish i cry when they die because i love them so much and i understand that its wrong to get rid of animals to get another but as soon as i rid this dogs story and saw the pictures i instantly felt a connection if you know what i mean. Normally with the animals i get i don't feel that connection just from seeing them on a computer screen. And about the care thing the hamster i talked about came from a neglectful home and had tumors and was supposed to die in 2 moths and i managed to keep him alive for 9 months and he died happily. I also cared for 3 abandoned baby mice i found outside after the mom was killed by my cat and i had to wake up every 2 hours to feed them and i managed to find them all good homes. also we have a chihuahua right know and i take her to agility and am teaching he search and reascue and how to become a therapy dog. she also not my first dog my other dog we got from a not so good breeder and she became very aggressive towards us but she was trained the same way as the chihuahua. and are dog use puppy potty pads. I also love walking the dog and i even walk my chickens and with thw=e whole chicken thing the chicken coop is right by the woods and iv had bears less than 50 feet away from me and iv had a fox chase me before. so i realy dont like going out there when its pitch black.


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

Hey sorry i re-read the my first paragraph and i does kind of seem like i just think of pets as an object you can get ride of for a new one and when your board get ride of that one and get a new one. That isnot at all how i see animals and i guess it makes me sound like a monster and the worst person on earth towards animals and the whole chicken thing makes me seem like a lazy butt. I have areason for the option of giving up the animals. Like i said the frog was my brother and he doesn't take care of it so it would be nice for it to go to a home that loves it more than us and that will give it all the attention. And the fish i love to death in fact i remodel they tank 4 times a year that way there surrounding are never boaring. The chicken, well the tempatures have been down to -29 recently and i get sick very easy in fact i have been sick the last week. But i do walk my chickens, like actually put them on a leash and harness and walk them. And i would love to have a dog i can walk in the winter because chihuahuas and cold don't realy mix. I also do agility, search and rescue and my dog is training to be a therapy dog. I dont mean to sound like a terrible person to animals its that i want the best for my animals and the dog i want has never been given any type of love it was found as a stray and was paralyzed i feel the closed bond with this animal and would do anything for it. I don't want to get rid of my beloved animals but i feel like this dog and i where went to be. Also one of my cats is extremely elderly and should have dies a while ago and i just lost my favorite chicken to cancer and kidney problems. so please dot hate me i would even love advise so i could get this dog and keep my other pets oh and by the way the dog i have now has some special needs.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Like I said, I really don't have any advice for you on convincing your parents into this. Seems like they probably have good reasons not to want to take in this new dog, and it seems like you have quite a few pets as it is, particularly if a pet you already have also has special needs (though I'm not sure how that goes with training her to do agility, search and rescue, and therapy?).

I'm not certain how you expect to walk the dog shown in the winter - a short-haired dachsund isn't going to fare any better in the cold than a chihuahua, and if he requires a doggy wheelchair to get around, that's not going to work well with snow.

If you want to rehome animals you already have because you feel you're not the best home for them (like the frog), that's one thing. Rehoming animals in order to get a different pet is another matter. I understand that you want to take this dog in, but have you looked into how expensive a canine wheelchair is? Do you know the extent of the dog's health problems and what the care would cost? I know you've said that you pay for all of your animals' care costs, but it seems like this may be quite a bit more than what you already have. Are you also around your house 24/7? A paralyzed dog would have trouble getting around (even with a wheelchair), and it could be your parents don't want to have to worry about the dog needing to go out while you're not home, etc. 

(Also, unrelated to the entire dog situation, but cats should never be outdoors unsupervised or allowed to hunt wildlife - outdoor/feral cats are a massive problem for native wildlife, and being outdoor cuts a cat's expected lifespan in half due to how many dangers there are to them. I can't say I'm impressed by raising baby mice when the mother never should've been killed by your cat in the first place.)

I'm sorry that I don't seem very sympathetic. I do understand wanting to help an animal in need, especially one with a sad story. My friend recently rescued a cat that was left outdoors in sub-zero temperatures, then found out she has hyperthyroidism. I'd love to take the cat (since my friend can't keep her), but I know I can't afford her health problems. Unfortunately, sometimes a soft spot or being attached to an animal you'd really like to help can't always happen if circumstances are in the way, like parents, money, other pets, etc. Perhaps you can help the dog by telling others about him and seeing if you can get anyone interested in taking him in.


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## bobandelisabeth (Dec 23, 2013)

I have to just say I think it's important that you come under the authority of your parents. When you're grown and on your own you will be able to adopt animals that you choose. 

I think it's great that you love animals and have compassion for them!


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

Thank You and yes i have looked up all the care and costs for a wheelchair dog and the wheelchair. I am really sure i could do it i actually think it would help with me being responsible. Also i went out to the chicken coop today because it was finally warm enough for them to come out and there where 4 big eggs and they haven't had an egg in over a month due to the cold temperatures. Also i made this cool thing for my hedgehog to sleep in and its so cute i put her in it while i cleaned the cage and i put it in the cage with her and normally she would go crawl into her litter box and fall asleep but know shes sleeping in it and she always sleeps in the litter box. Oh and they make dog wheel chair that can go though the snow and water its really cool.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I'm sorry but I completely agree with everything Lilysmommy has said. I think you need to spend the time with the animals you have.


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## DesertHedgehogs (Apr 2, 2013)

A few years back I worked in a vet clinic which had a chihuahua in a wheelchair. She was an extremely happy dog. She loved the people she knew and enjoyed being everywhere we were. She also had no bladder or bowel control and left a trail of urine wherever she went. When she had a bowel movement it would sit on her chair until you cleaned it. Her chair never really lost the rank urine smell and unless she'd had a bath that day neither did she. She couldn't really be left alone or she could be forced to sit in her own feces for hours. She was extremely prone to urinary tract infections and injuries on the paralyzed legs and had she not been a clinic dog would have cost quite a bit, I'm talking over a thousand dollars of vet bills and medication in only the year I worked there. As a child I wouldn't have seen the smell, the mess, or the money as problems. I would now.


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

I understand that and i know about the bathroom problems and i would be prepared for that. I am willing to purchase dippers and give him a bath every day i enjoy giving my dog a bath but shes not such a fan. And i am aware of the urinary track infections and such but i am very determined to get this dog and show it extreme love and devotion. He was on the street and found as a paralyzed stray so i am not really even sure how he made it this far. And i do have a job and do small jobs and i am not discussed by the smell, my and my family's sense of smell is terrible. we have a cat who is elderly who have bladder problems so that smells bad, my chihuahua has some issue with her stomach and she was not house trained when we got her so now my bed room smells terrible, i also have turtles in my room and they smell bad, I have to stir up the sand in my fish tank once a week and that smells bad being covered in fish tank water, my brothers tree frog smells bad and i clean his tank once a week, and my chickens have to have there coop scooped out once a month and that smells terrible especial if u put the vacuum on blow instead of suck which is a terrible mistake. Also baby mice food smells terrible and u have to massage the poop and pee out of them because they cant go on there own. they smell the worst. So i am 100% ready for the terrible smell and poop. i have been thrown up on 5 time by my chihuahua she has a problem with keeping her food down. oh and i play with the pets i can play with everyday and i have a cleaning day every Sunday where i do a extra check up on them and make sure there OK and clean there cage. And i give most of my time into my animals that i have and the majority of my animals come from bad places.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You would not be able to leave the dog in diapers all day long. Who is going to change the diaper and clean the dog up when you're at school? It would end up with urine and feces burns. You may be ready for the terrible smell, but your parents may not be. Its not fair to make them have to deal with this on a daily basis if they aren't 100% behind it.


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

The dippers would be changed multible times of day And i would be 99.9 persecnt behind it and my parents would be ok with changing the dog once while im at school because they have to stop home to feed our chihuahua at lunch anyway


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

So the dog would be alone all day while you are in school and your parents at work, with only someone home at noon to change his diapers. What kind of life is this for the dog? 

What about when you want to do things in the evening. Do you expect your parents to take care of him then as well? I assume you are a teenager? I bet you will say your friends would love being around the dog and for the first little while I'm sure they would, but the thrill will very quickly wear off. I anticipate it wouldn't be long before you are finding the dog to be a burden that keeps you from doing and going places you want. I'm also betting the care would soon fall onto your parents. 

Taking on this dog is a HUGE commitment especially in time and finances and depending on how long the dog lives, it will be for years. 

The fact that you are re-homing other pets to be able to get this dog, says to me that once you tire of him, you will be re-homing him to move on to something else. It doesn't matter where they came from or what circumstances these other animals became yours, you did take them on and they are now your responsibility. From what you have said, it sounds to me like you consider pets as disposable to be gotten rid of when something better comes along.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

I agree with what everyone else is saying because it sounds like you are all over the place with your other animals and your parents have their reasons for saying no.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

So you're saying if the dog messes in its diaper at say 9 am it will have to sit in a dirty/wet diaper till noon? That's going to cause urine/feces burns on the dog. That's not fair to the dog. Unless someone can be there with it all the time then its not fair to the dog to be left alone and dirty for hours at a time.

You can come up with as many excuses as you want for getting rid of the animals you have but everyone is saying the same thing. Don't get the dog, if you really care about it and its well being then let someone better prepared and able to care for it 24/7 adopt it. It sounds like you want to adopt it to make you happy, not because its in the best interest of the dog.


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## Aether (Nov 18, 2013)

I also agree that the dog would be better off with someone who can stay home with it 24/7. I just want you to know that no one here is being mean to you, we are just giving our honest opinions. It is tough not getting what we really want sometimes, I know. I really wanted a hedgehog when I was 16, but could not have one because my parents' house was leased. The lease stated absolutely no pets. I waited until I was 20 and living in my own place (that allowed animals) before I got a hedgie.

Also, something you should consider is that if you truly love this dog (which you say you do and I don't doubt it), you will allow it to have better care than what you can give it. Love, despite popular belief, is about sacrifice. It will be really hard letting someone else take the dog, but if you love him you will know that it is in his best interest.


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## eicg (Sep 27, 2013)

I under stand you are not trying to hurt my feelings and so on. my day does work at home the majority of the day and is home at lest 5 times while i am at school. I lever for school at 7:45ish and am home by 3 i stay home for half an hour then go till work till 5ish. We have the other dog to keep it company as well as our cats. And if your worried about after school activities and evening activities i dot do them i am no very social. I tend to get along with animals better than people which is sad but i don't mind. And everything your telling me i am a hundred present aware of i have don't all my research and even created a power point and part of the house is tile floor and are chihuahua is kept there during the day do to her accidents she has bladder control problem and problems keeping her food down. so the little dude could stay there during the day that way no dippers and he still have room to play. So i am also aware you are giving me advice saying that i shouldn't get it but could someone a lest say like its so nice you would want to do that or something like that even if you don't think its the best idea. oh and i dot do anything but homework on the weekends or play with my pooch.


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## Altearithe (Jan 13, 2014)

Here's my three bits of advice, broken up for ease of reading:

1. *Talk to your parents!* Sit down with your parents and talk with them in depth about this dog and responsibilities you would need for it. Will you be able to afford medical costs if he gets seriously ill, like with cancer? Will your parents be willing to help? Have you discussed how this dog would impact your family in the long run? You won't know why they say no unless you talk with them! If they say no again, _respect their decision_. Their house, their rules. A simple powerpoint will not sway them if they say no already.

2. *This dog does not need you.* Let the dog go to an owner who would care and love him 100%. He needs someone who does not have other pets to divide their attention and will provide a quiet and relaxing environment. Someone who will be by his side constantly to make sure he's comfortable for the rest of his life. 
Your current pets need you and you're not meeting their needs.

3. *Concentrate on school.* That is your full-time job. You should be doing homework every day and not just on the weekend to get good grades. No homework during the weekday? Review the textbook, make flashcards, take notes, create quizzes, and make study guides! There is no excuse for not doing schoolwork every day unless you're tied to a hospital bed in a full body cast.

Overall message (this will be blunt, so admins, I hope this doesn't come across as too mean, but I think it has to be said like this and I volunteer to be the sacrifice):

*If you love the dog, let him go to a better home. *

Your reasons only say that you're unsure and are trying to convince yourself that you can take care of him. Instead, it says you are not. It does not take a psych nerd like myself to see this.
You can live without this dog. He can live without you. He does not need you. He does not need your pets as friends. He does not need to be around other pets who have health problems that would divide attention and possibly make him sick. 
You think you need him. You think he cannot live without you, but he already is and you can live without him.
Think of his needs, not yours!

Also, to be absolutely blunt, not mean:

Life does not say "it's so nice you would want to do that [for the dog]". Life will kick you down and bury you in the ground if it has the chance before even thinking of praising. 
Flattery and praise are counterproductive and will not allow this dog to live the rest of his life in quiet and comfort. One does not learn from praise, but from struggle. You have to learn this lesson if you want to survive in life.

This is my advice from my standpoint as well as experience with life.


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## hlsiefken (Jan 23, 2014)

I'm afraid you're not going to find anyone here into encouraging your parents to reconsider. I am a parent myself, and sometime you have to think about what's best for the whole family, no matter how disappointed your child might be. Taking on a dog in general can be a lot of work but one with health issues, and not knowing the exact costs (because who know what kind of other issues, including parasites and such since it was found as a stray) and how much work involved there is in taking care of a disabled dog just doesn't sound like a commitment your parents are willing to make, even if you are.

There are several kinds of animals I would like to have myself, but I know with what we already have, and getting a hedgie this coming weekend, it just wouldn't be a good idea! My day is already pretty full of caring for my household- kids and critters. 

Also. I'm going to assume you are in your teens.. What do you plan to do once you finish high school? Who will care for that dog if you go to college? Even an animal lover like myself will have to admit that I had more interest in being young and doing things with my friends and working, etc than I did for staying home and caring for animals. 

Once you think about the long term commitment like that it can be hard to predict whether or not you provide exactly what that dog needs.. I know how hard that is as a young person and having such a passion for animals and helping them..

However, you will be an adult before you know it and out on your own you get to decide what kinds of pets you have.


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