Raising a Family Dog

The family dog…or should I say the dog that Mom and Dad take care of?!?

In all seriousness, we are extremely grateful we have a pup that completes our family…regardless of who may be the one actually taking care of him. Having a family dog does offer a chance for your children to experience a sense of responsibility. We have a rotating schedule in our house where one week one child is in charge of the dog food and the other in charge of the water dish…the youngest gets off easy at this point. I was surprised at how much the kiddos love helping to take care of the pup…named Barley. There is the occasional “Oops, I forgot to feed the dog!” moment, but for the most part, our family is working as a team to raise a well-loved puppy.