When Is The Perfect Age To Get Your Child A Dog?

The subject of getting a dog has been brought up in my home more and more recently.  My son, especially, wants one.  Although I'd love for him to have a pet that he can love and take care of, I do have some reservation.  And is he even old enough for a dog?

Growing up, I never had any pets.  I remember at one point we got a dog, but we didn't have him very long before he was gone.  My hubby, on the other hand, always had pets-mostly dogs.  Since we've been together, he has always wanted us to get a family dog.  In fact, the only reason we don't have one is because I don't want one.

Recently my son has been asking if we can buy him a dog.  He even knows exactly what kind he wants.  As much as I'd love for him to have one, I'm not sure we are ready for one.  Several different things factor into my decision.

Number one: my son is a hand full.  If we were to get a dog, that would be just one more family member that I have to care for.  I know my son, as much as he says he will, won't take care of him.  And my husband is busy being a fully time student and carrying full time job so he doesn't have time.

Number two: is my son even old enough for a pet?  He is turning 5 next month, but I worry that he is still too young to be around a dog.  My son pure boy and boys get rough.  I would have for him to be too rough with the dog and hurt him or worse, the dog hurt my son.

And number three: my son's allergies.  I'm not sure if he is allergic to dogs, but he is very sensitive to a bunch of things.  I need to make sure that if he does get a dog, it will not make him miserable.

I don't want to deprive my son of a pet but there is a lot of thought that needs to go into it.  Is my son the right age?  What kind of dog would be best for a hyper young boy?  What types of dogs don't shed?

On top of all this, I've never had a pet before so I don't know how to train, what to feed or how often to groom.  This is going to be a major task.

At what age did you get your first pet?