My children have been asking for a dog.  Now that they’ve seen the news reports of Obama getting a dog for his girls, their nagging has gotten even worse.  Everyone says a dog will teach them responsibility but I’m afraid it’ll just end up being another chore for me.  I work full time and just don’t think I have time for anything else.  What do you think?

A:  Just because Obama got a dog doesn’t mean your children need one.  I’ll go with the old adage ‘if your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?’  Probably not.  Also, it isn’t the dog that will be teaching your children responsibility.  It will be you using the dog as a tool to teach them responsibility.  You will be the one having to insist that the children get up early enough to walk the dog and to feed and water the dog before school.  You will be the one having to insist that they let the dog out after school and that they recheck his food and water supply.  You will be the one having to say ‘brush the dog, take the dog out before you go to bed’, etc.  And, of course, there is the added time involved in taking the dog to the vet and keeping dog food and supplies on hand.  Not to mention the job of housebreaking the dog if you get a puppy.  So the question is not whether or not the children should get a dog.  The question is whether or not you are ready to take on this added responsibility.  It doesn’t sound to me like you are.  So, while having a pet can be a wonderful learning tool for a child, I think you should wait until you’re ready to teach them that lesson.