How to Get a Dog While You're a Teen

Be proactive with your chores., Take on more responsibilities., Keep your grades up., Get a part-time job.

4 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Be proactive with your chores.

    Instead of waiting for your parents to remind you to do your chores, do them ahead of time without them having to ask or remind you to do them.

    This way, when you are convincing your parents to let you have a dog, you can reference these instances to show them that you are committed to responsibility.

    For example, if one of your responsibilities is to clean your room, then clean it regularly to ensure that it is tidy.

    The next time your parents (or one of them) see your room they will be impressed that they did not have to tell you.

    Instead of having your parents wake you up for school every morning, wake yourself up every morning.
  2. Step 2: Take on more responsibilities.

    Ask your parents if they have any jobs for you.

    Tell them that you want weekly or monthly jobs, not just daily jobs.

    This way, you will be able to show them that you can commit to and sustain a job over a long period of time—an important skill you will need in order to take care of a dog.Extra jobs that you can take on are cleaning the dishes after dinner every night, yard work, offering to help take care of younger siblings, and/or taking the garbage out. , Keeping your grades in good standing is another important way to show that you are responsible.

    If your grades are low, now is the time to improve them.

    By improving your grades on your own, you are demonstrating a certain level of responsibility and initiative—skills that are needed to take care of a dog.

    If your grades are low, speak with your teacher and other students about ways to improve your grades.

    If you have good grades, use this as a way to demonstrate to your parents that you have a sense of what responsibility entails. , If you are able to keep a part-time job for at least a couple of months, this will demonstrate that you are ready to take on more responsibilities, like caring for a dog.

    A part-time job will also enable you to help pay for any expenses that come with owning a dog.

    Offering to help pay for some of the expenses might also persuade your parents into letting you have a dog.For example, mow your neighbors’ lawns, babysit or pet sit for your neighbors or family members, get a job nearby at your local grocery store, or take on a newspaper route.
  3. Step 3: Keep your grades up.

  4. Step 4: Get a part-time job.

Detailed Guide

Instead of waiting for your parents to remind you to do your chores, do them ahead of time without them having to ask or remind you to do them.

This way, when you are convincing your parents to let you have a dog, you can reference these instances to show them that you are committed to responsibility.

For example, if one of your responsibilities is to clean your room, then clean it regularly to ensure that it is tidy.

The next time your parents (or one of them) see your room they will be impressed that they did not have to tell you.

Instead of having your parents wake you up for school every morning, wake yourself up every morning.

Ask your parents if they have any jobs for you.

Tell them that you want weekly or monthly jobs, not just daily jobs.

This way, you will be able to show them that you can commit to and sustain a job over a long period of time—an important skill you will need in order to take care of a dog.Extra jobs that you can take on are cleaning the dishes after dinner every night, yard work, offering to help take care of younger siblings, and/or taking the garbage out. , Keeping your grades in good standing is another important way to show that you are responsible.

If your grades are low, now is the time to improve them.

By improving your grades on your own, you are demonstrating a certain level of responsibility and initiative—skills that are needed to take care of a dog.

If your grades are low, speak with your teacher and other students about ways to improve your grades.

If you have good grades, use this as a way to demonstrate to your parents that you have a sense of what responsibility entails. , If you are able to keep a part-time job for at least a couple of months, this will demonstrate that you are ready to take on more responsibilities, like caring for a dog.

A part-time job will also enable you to help pay for any expenses that come with owning a dog.

Offering to help pay for some of the expenses might also persuade your parents into letting you have a dog.For example, mow your neighbors’ lawns, babysit or pet sit for your neighbors or family members, get a job nearby at your local grocery store, or take on a newspaper route.

About the Author

M

Mark Griffin

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