Dog Ownership

We currently have two dogs.  We are dog-sitting for one on a long term basis.  One is a Labrador/? and the other is a Doberman.  They are both dogs.  One great thing about dog ownership in a Christian family is that it can teach kids to be responsible for something besides themselves.  It teaches privilege and responsibility.  Dog ownership is also very dangerous, as many children and even adults are attacked by dogs.  I was on a run with my wife biking beside me when two huge German Shepherds literally almost killed me if it hadn't have been for a church bus driving at them to save me.  But dog ownership can help kids understand that it is fun to have a pet, but it is also a job.  If those same kids become parents someday, they may be able to use some of the same skills learned as a dog owner in their parenting.  It is so fun, but it is also a job.  I have been reading Cesar Millan a bit lately and here are the top three things I have taken from him.  1.  You are the leader, the calm assertive leader.  Be who you are.  2.  Take your dogs for long walks every day.  3.  Re-read the first two over and over.  A child who learns to be the leader over a dog (an the dog desperately seeks that leadership) may also learn to be the leader for his or her children (who even more seek that leadership).  A child who learns to exercise the dog may also take their kids for walks, and it is the simple things in life, not the high tech stuff, that our children so desperately need.