Owning a pet is hard work, which is why parents are often reluctant to let their kids have one. In many cases, moms and dads are left with the responsibility of feeding, grooming and picking up poop, while the kids get all the playtime and cuddles.
To prevent this from happening, one dad came up with a brilliant “Family Dog Contract” for his kids to sign before getting them a furry friend.
In the contract, which was posted to Reddit, the dad outlines 13 terms and conditions that must be agreed upon by all parties, mainly the kids. Naturally, this includes the children’s responsibilities when it comes to the dog, such as cleaning up messes and bathing the animal.
“Dad never has to pick up dog poop. Ever,” the first term reads. “The dog’s poop is picked up at least 3x per week by children to Dad’s satisfaction.”
The dad also outlines what the dog can and cannot do, such as slobber all over the place (“All parties agree that those kind of dogs are gross”), and states how the animal will be treated (“The dog is never referred to as a child or sibling. All parties agree that the dog is a dog”).
And to top it all off, the dad even gives himself full authority over naming the family’s new pet: “Dad has unrestricted veto power over the dog’s name.”
On Reddit, the photo of the family’s dog contract received hundreds of comments from amused users. Many even shared their own stories of their fathers who were also reluctant to get them a dog.
“Dad has unrestricted veto power over the dog’s name.”
“My dad signed a similar ‘contract’ when I was young, and [he] wound up sitting with the dog on the couch for hours every evening,” one wrote. “He even dressed it in a sweater for the Christmas card.”
Another said: “My dad used to say dogs are just pets, like decorations you have to take care of. He now refers to my dog as his grandpuppy and comes over to love on her.”
Hours after the dad posted the photo to Reddit, he added an update explaining that his family got a dog two weeks after the kids signed the contract.
“We got a ~three year old white fluffy mutt from a shelter that weighs 15 lbs., was already housetrained and doesn't shed or drool. We named him Kershaw (veto power not exercised),” he wrote. “It's been two years, and the kids (now ages 12, 13 and 15) have been pretty good about doing everything. Everyone (including Dad) adores the dog, which has been a fantastic addition to (though not member of) our family.”
The Redditor also shared a cute photo of the family’s pup, Kershaw.
Clearly, the dog contract turned out to be a brilliant idea.