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25 REASONS I SHOULD GET A PUPPY
(MOM AND DAD PLEASE READ)

Hi! My name is Jonathan and I am 10 years old and I am in 5th grade. I have wanted a dog since I was 6. That is 4 years, which is 1,460 days (my cousin Tiffany helped me do the math). That is almost HALF MY LIFE.

Tiffany is 15 and she knows HTML and she is helping me make this page because she agrees with me. Mom and Dad, this page is mostly for you. Everybody else can read it too. If you agree with me please e-mail me and I will show them.

25 Reasons | My Answers | Dog Fund | Names | The Breed | The Contract | UPDATE!!

Dog THE 25 REASONS

  1. I have wanted one for 4 years and I have never stopped wanting one. That shows I am responsible about wanting things.
  2. I have saved $37.50 of my own money. (See the Dog Fund.)
  3. I will walk it every day. Even in winter. Even in February.
  4. Dad, you said you need more exercise. A dog would walk you too.
  5. I will stop asking. (This is a big one.)
  6. Our backyard already has a fence. Right now it is a waste of a fence.
  7. Dogs protect your house. Our house has never been robbed, but that could just be luck.
  8. I read a whole book about dogs at the library, so I know what I am doing.
  9. A kid on my street has a dog and he is not even that responsible. He leaves his bike in the driveway.
  10. I would have somebody to play with when Vivian is at her friend's house.
  11. Dogs eat the food that falls on the floor, so the floor would actually be cleaner.
  12. It would teach me responsibility. Every teacher I ever had says this.
  13. I got all A's and B's last year except one C+ in handwriting, which is not my fault, it is my hand's fault.
  14. A dog would keep me company while I do my homework, so I would do more of it.
  15. Grandpa had a dog when he was a boy and he turned out fine.
  16. Dogs live a long time, so I would still have it when I go to college. (Then you could have it.)
  17. I will pick up the poop. I am typing it on the Internet so it is official.
  18. Every kid in every movie about a kid has a dog.
  19. You can't hug a goldfish. (Rest in peace, Bubbles.)
  20. Christmas is coming. A dog means you don't have to think of a present. For about 8 years.
  21. It would make Mom laugh. Mom says she needs to laugh more.
  22. If there is a fire the dog will bark. (We also have smoke detectors. Now we would have both.)
  23. It would be good for Vivian. She is 6 and she needs to learn about animals.
  24. I already picked good names. (See my list.)
  25. Because I love dogs more than anything in the whole world. That is the real reason. The other 24 are extra.

Dog EVERY "NO" YOU HAVE SAID, AND MY ANSWER

What you saidMy answer
"Who is going to walk it?"ME. Every morning before school and every day after school. I will set my alarm for 6:45, which is only 15 minutes earlier than now. On Saturdays I will walk it twice as long.
"It will ruin the carpet."The library book says puppies need to go outside after they eat and after they sleep and after they play, so I will take it out every one of those times. I also know how to work the vacuum. I will vacuum the living room every Saturday. You can watch me.
"Do you know how much a dog costs?"Yes. The book has a whole chapter about it. Food and shots and the vet and a leash and a collar cost a LOT more than $37.50. I know. I am not done saving. I will put my whole allowance in the Dog Fund until I am 12, and you can have my birthday money too.
"What about when we go on vacation?"Grandma and Grandpa's! They have a big yard. Or we bring it to the lake. Or Tiffany said she would watch it. (She really said this. Ask her.)
"Who is going to feed it?"Me. Two times a day. I will make a chart for the refrigerator and check it off every time, so you can see I did it.
"Vivian is scared of big dogs."That is why I want a PUPPY. It will be little when she meets it, and they will grow up together, and then it will be a big dog she is not scared of.
"Remember the goldfish?"I was 7. Also Bubbles was already old when we got him from the fair. I fed him every day. I am still sad about it, which shows I care.
"It sheds."I will brush it outside on the porch. The hair goes to the birds for their nests. That is recycling.
"We'll see."See the UPDATE at the bottom.

Dog THE DOG FUND

I started saving on June 5, the first Saturday of summer vacation. My allowance is $2.00 a week. I keep it in a coffee can on my dresser that says DOG FUND on it in marker. Here is everything that went in and out:

WhatIn / OutTotal
June allowance (4 weeks)+$8.00$8.00
Lemonade stand+$4.25$12.25
July allowance (5 weeks!)+$10.00$22.25
1 slushie (I regret it)-$1.25$21.00
August allowance (4 weeks)+$8.00$29.00
Found in the couch (Dad said I could keep it)+$1.00$30.00
1 pack of Pokemon cards, no holos (I REALLY regret it)-$3.50$26.50
September allowance (4 weeks)+$8.00$34.50
Helped the neighbor lady carry boxes to her garage+$3.00$37.50
TOTAL IN THE DOG FUND$37.50

My Dog Fund Graph (Tiffany showed me how to make the bars)

June
 $12.25
July
 $21.00
August
 $26.50
Sept.
 $37.50 !!!

As you can see it is going UP. If I keep going I will have about $110 by next summer, not counting birthday money. Tiffany says I should put that in so you can see it is a plan.

Dog NAMES I PICKED

In order of how much I like them:

  1. Rocket (my favorite)
  2. Scout
  3. Biscuit (good for a yellow one)
  4. Captain
  5. Pepper (good for a black one)

Other people's ideas:
Vivian wants to name it Princess Sparkle. Even if it is a boy.
Dad said we could name it Not Getting One. That is not funny, Dad.
Mom did not suggest a name. I think this means she is still thinking about it, which is good.

Dog THE BREED I READ ABOUT

I checked out a big dog book from the library three times this summer (the librarian knows me now). The breed I like best is the Labrador Retriever. Here are the facts:

  • The book says Labs are the most popular dog in America. Lots of people can't be wrong.
  • They come in three colors: black, yellow and chocolate. (Chocolate is a brown dog. Dogs should NOT eat real chocolate, it is bad for them. I know this already.)
  • They came from Newfoundland, which is an island in Canada. Not from Labrador. I don't know why.
  • They LOVE water and they love to fetch things and bring them back. That is what "retriever" means.
  • They are really friendly and good with kids. The book says they are too friendly to be good guard dogs. Never mind reason #7.
  • A grown-up one weighs about 55 to 80 pounds. That is more than Vivian.
  • They need a LOT of exercise. See "Who is going to walk it?"
  • They shed. See "It sheds."

Dad says a Lab is too big. That is OK. I would also take a smaller dog, or a mutt from the animal shelter. The book says shelter dogs make great pets and they really need homes. I would take ANY dog.

Dog THE OFFICIAL PUPPY CONTRACT

THE OFFICIAL PUPPY CONTRACT

I, Jonathan, promise that if I get a dog, I will:

  1. Walk the dog every day, two times.
  2. Feed the dog and give it fresh water every day.
  3. Pick up the poop in the yard every Saturday and on every walk.
  4. Clean up any accidents on the carpet RIGHT AWAY.
  5. Brush the dog (on the porch).
  6. Pay for the dog's food with my allowance until I am 12.
  7. Not let the dog sleep on my bed (unless you say it's OK).
  8. Keep my grades up, even handwriting.
  9. Never once say "It's not my turn" about the dog.
  10. Stop asking for a dog forever. (Because I will have one.)

Signed: Jonathan   Date: September 25, 1999
Witness: Tiffany (cousin, age 15)

Mom: ______________________
Dad: ______________________

MOM AND DAD: To sign the contract, just click here and send me an e-mail that says "We sign":
SIGN THE PUPPY CONTRACT

NEW UPDATE!! Saturday, September 25, 1999

Mom read this page last night. She read the WHOLE thing, all the way to the bottom. She laughed at #21 (so that one worked) and at Princess Sparkle. Then she went and got Dad and he read it too.

Then Mom said: "We'll see."

Tiffany says "we'll see" usually means no. But Mom did NOT say no. She said it with a smile, and she did not say it the way she says it about staying up late. So I am choosing to take it as a MAYBE. A maybe is closer to yes than no is.

I will keep you posted. Please keep your paws crossed.

Dog
People who have read my 25 reasons:
000412
(Tiffany says most of them are me checking if Mom read it.)

If you think I should get a puppy, e-mail me!
[email protected]

Last updated September 25, 1999
Made by Jonathan, with help from Tiffany