My hubby and I have always been cat people, but when our son came along we knew that a docile little feline was not going to do it for him. He needed a pet that was going to meet his match, that would be just as boisterous in nature and not only be a playmate, but a lifelong friend; a brother. So when our kid turned three we decided he was ready for his very own pup. We researched our options and wanted a breed that was gentle and patient with kids, but sturdy and playful too. While we did scout the SPCA for the perfect pooch, a family member introduced us to a litter of goofy little Bassets. We fell completely in love with them and were ecstatic to find out that the breed met our criteria. 

We named him Charlie! Our Charlie Dog has been a member of the family for just over 7 months now. While we battled with toilet training at first and had to come to terms with a few beloved possessions being chewed to pieces, for the post part, Charlie is the sweetest little fur baby and is very much loved by us. What warms my heart though is the very special relationship him and my son have, it is just what I had hoped for. While my son takes responsibility in caring for his pup and playing with him, Charlie returns the love by being a loyal pet and looks after his "big brother".

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I truly believe that every home should have a pet of sorts. Whether its a gentle kitty, no-nonsense goldfish or a pooch like ours, kids need to be raised with animals around, for many good reasons.

5 REASONS WHY KIDS NEED PETS 

1. It teaches your child to care. In a household the kids usually look up to the adults for love an care, they depend on them. But when there are pets around, they can depend on the kids too, making the kids feel needed and "big". With this "big" responsibility, kids need to be taught to look after and care for their pets, instilling a nurturing nature in them.
2. They learn consistency.  Children need to learn that no matter what else is going on in their lives, the fish\bird\cat always needs to be looked after and routine still matters.
3. It teaches children how to manage time. While life is all sunshine and roses for many kids, having a pet around teaches them from a young age how to manage time, that is, pets need to be fed at a certain time, meaning that games must come to an end an responsibility takes over.
4. It encourages them to pull up their sleeves and do the dirty work.  Most kids grow up with a sense of entitlement that is disconnected from reality  but being responsible for the care and maintenance of a pet helps children to realise that sometimes you have to shovel dog poop, and worse.
5. Pets teach us how to mourn loss. The very sad reality of having a pet is that they will only be with us for a certain number of years. While we don't want to break our kids hearts, helping them to deal with sadness and loss in not necessarily a bad thing. Life is tough and unfortunately, we have to learn how to say good bye and also to empathise. 

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My child and his pup have a beautiful bond. They have their moments where they irritate each other to no avail, but for the most part, they are the best of friends. While being cat people with a dog in our home has been quite the getting used to, we are very glad we made the decision to add a smelly pooch to our family!

Much love - @sweetpea

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