Not an ideal question but...

[guineapigsrock1]

WOW! I haven't been here for a while! Anyway, I'm in a strange predicament at the moment. If you have read any of my posts from when I first joined, I had no idea about guinea pigs. There also was a post that said I wasn't getting guinea pigs. Well, it's true. I asked my parents for guinea pigs, and they got a dog, and a stupid one at that. I'm planning on attempting to ask for guinea pigs again, but I don't know how! Even when I joke about getting a new animal the automatically say "NO!" I've been dying to remind them of how they basically crushed my dreams of adopting the adorable cavvies, but I don't want to make them feel guilty! If you have any idea on how I could convince my parents to get guinea pigs, I'd deeply appreciate it!


P.S.
I'd prefer a plan that is more of a gradual process (i.e. start talking about them little by little in conversations).

[guineapigsrock1]

Let me just add that we came extremely close to building a C&C cage, when my mom averted the situation by finding a dog rescue shelter, thus convincing my dad to get the world's dumbest boxer.

[Sl and S]

start by showing them pics of the cutest pics of guinea pigs, then point out that you want one and make sure you do a whole bunch of chores and stuff before being asked and then finally ask. its best to save up the money you need also.

[Buggie_00]

First I must say that I'm a Mom to 3 and I would be fairly miffed if I found out a bunch of adults helped my kid beg me into getting them something. That being said I am a piggie lover too and understand how parents think so I think I can help.

First, you behavior is KEY. Read that again Your. Behavior. Is. Key.

If one of my kids asks for something and I say no and they spend the next two days sulking like a 2 year old, I know I made the right decision. Especially when it comes to something that requires a lot of responsibility like a pet. This is why my 11 year old has 0 pets but my 5 year old has a mouse and my 6 year old has a gerbil. When they asked for a pet and we told them no, they didn't whine or complain they accepted it and moved on with their lives. Did they ask us again, yes, but they didn't hound us or try to guilt us or harass us about it. Then based on the way they behaved in their day to day lives we decided they were responsible enough to be part of taking care of an animal. Since they are so young, I am the one who is mostly responsible for taking care of the pets, they help and have their jobs.

Second, understand or try to understand WHY your parents are saying no. Is it because they think you aren't responsible enough? Is it because they are worried you'll lose interest? Is it because they think THEY'LL be the one's taking care of cleaning the cage? Once you know WHY you can work on your behavior to show that you are capable of taking care of the animal. If it's because they think you aren't responsible then look at your grades...are they good? Do you do your homework without being pestered? Do you keep your room clean? Do you help out around the house or do chores without complaining? If it's because they think you'll lose interest....do you regularly beg for something you think you'll love only to toss it aside a week later? If it's because they think they will end up having to clean cages...do you keep your room tidy? Do you help with cleaning anything in the home without it being your specific job or being asked to, or without complaint?

If you are a responsible person, you keep your room clean, your grades are good, you help around the house without complaint, you don't tend to toss things away after a short time then the only other thing to do would be to start saving money. You'd need to build a cage, adoption fees, food/veg, have money set aside in case the piggie needs an emergency vet visit.

So sit down tomorrow and make a plan, if you get an allowance decide how much you're willing to put into a guinea pig fund and start saving while you start making any changes you need to in your behavior or daily activities to SHOW them that you can handle caring for a pet on your own and then once you've got that all together, ask again nicely. If they say no, don't whine or pout or guilt them just say that you don't understand why they say no and listen. Then work on changing their minds by improving whatever the answer is.

Good luck.

[Texaschic81]

I see alot of post asking how to convince parents to get a pet. Buggie I think that is a great response that you should save and repost when this comes up again...and again... and well you get it
a younger child really does need to realize that a parent does have to comment to caring for the pet and teaching you how to care for it. They will be the ones buying all the food, bedding (if you chose bedding), fresh veggies, hay, vet care and so on. GP live a long time, depending on your age a guinea pig may outlast you years at home. So if you are going to ask them for the guinea pig one thought is writing out a pet care list. List everything they will need everyday and how are you going to meet those needs. Tell them what you are going to do if they get sick and stuff like that. That could help. also maybe ask them why they don't want gps. You can try and figure out a way that respects their answer or move on and wait until you are older (which I can understand would be very hard)

[Buggie_00]

Exactly Texaschic81

Our oldest child was not and is not allowed to get a pet that is solely his because he has yet to show us he is responsible enough to care for an animal and not just want to play with it. He isn't responsible enough to be part of the chore work of having a pet and only wants to do the fun playing stuff.

Our middle son showed us over this last summer that he was more than capable of taking care of a pet when we had my eldest son's class guinea pig over the summer. Jacob is 6 and he volunteered every single day to refill the hay and pellets in her cage, to make sure she had water and every time he saw that I was going to clean her cage he asked if he could help. He also cleans up after himself with being asked once and no complaints and is in general a very responsible kid. He got two gerbils for Christmas, one died a few days later and he was crushed. Lilly is the lone survivor and we can't get her a buddy because she is club footed. He is responsible for making sure she has food and water in her cage at all times, and never once have I had to remind him. *I make sure I check each morning that there is food and water to be sure that if he DID forget she doesn't go without food* He also helps me clean out her cage. He can't do it on his own yet since it's heavy but he does help clean out the old bedding and put in the new. He also reads to her and plays with her each day.

My daughter asked for a pet and was also like Jacob very involved with the care of the guinea pig we had over the summer. She was 4. She was in charge of veggies. She washed all the veggies and picked out which lettuce that Oatmeal would get that day and would put it in a bowl and take it to her, she gave her the carrots at floor time so that she could play tug of war with her. It was always voluntary and she always offered to help with cage cleaning. She turned 5 in November and we wanted to wait a bit longer before letting her get a pet. She has wanted a mouse forever, so just last week she got a little brown mouse that she's named Fluffy. She's fed and changed the water, made sure that the lid was on the cage well enough. And read fluffy her book from class. Every day we've had her. She's also held her a few times, we're working on that since she's new and a mouse and not generally still for more than half a second. She's also helped with cage cleaning. Mice tend to be a bit stinky so you have to clean the cage more often and so we clean it every other day, which is great for Allyson we've found. I clean out the old dirty bedding and disinfect the cage and she gets to put in the new bedding and replace the toys and denbox as well as the foodbowl and water. Not once has she complained or whined when it was time to clean, not once has she forgotten to feed her mouse.

These are examples of how to show that you are capable of being a good pet owner, and then following through. I have confidence that if my 5 and 6 year olds can do it that you can do it too GuineaPigsRock1 if you sincerely want a guinea pig.

[Gigabyte]

Let me just add that we came extremely close to building a C&C cage, when my mom averted the situation by finding a dog rescue shelter, thus convincing my dad to get the world's dumbest boxer.

Oh, be nice to the poor dog!

Anyway, show them you are smart, respectful, and responsible! Clean a lot, before they can nag. Offer to walk or bathe the dog. You can drop little hints here and there, like looking at guinea pig pages where they can tell what you're looking at.
Sigh sometimes when you come back from the dog walk and say you wish you had a guinea pig, because you don't like dogs much.

Just keep whittling away at them gradually. Show you are very responsible.

[sidhashair]

Aw, I have no advice for you, but I must say I do feel sorry for your dog. I'm sure he/she is a lovely person, regardless of the his/her intelligence level. Remember all living things deserve to be respected and allowed to live happy lives, regardless of how you perceive their thought processes.

[Scintie]

No dog is 'dumb' they just must be trained to show their intelligence.

[Rhyue]

One thing I'd recommend is to show that even though the dog isn't exactly what you wanted that you can both respect it and your parents enough for having actually gone out and getting a pet. They could have quite easily just said a flat no and got nothing. Take advantage of the fact you've got a dog. Show them that you can be responsible by caring for the dog. Maybe you'll even come to like him. Dogs have benefits that GPs don't (Have you ever tried walking a GP? ) and are likely overall easier to care for. This might actually be a reason your parents got the dog. To test the waters so to speak. If you cannot/will not show the willingness to look after a dog, why should they get you GPs?

I might not be a parent (though I'm old enough), but if we'd gotten an animal, even be it not the exact species that my kid wanted, if they don't show interest in it (or worse yet shun and sulk) simply because its not the right species then I'd be skeptical of getting them something else. You're not just getting a pet because you want a specific animal to play with, you're getting an animal that you'll need to care for and cherish, even the not so glamorous parts, regardless of what it is. Its not just about your desires, especially when we're dealing with the lives of others who are dependent.

To put it another way, imagine there was a kid who asked for a specific toy. For whatever reason someone bought him something else (perhaps the toy in question was too expensive, the wrong age range, parents simply didn't like the idea, couldn't find it etc). Now this kid refuses to play with the toy simply because it wasn't what they wanted. Would you go out and buy the toy the kid wanted now?

Hopefully not because then you're just spoiling the child and teaching him to not respect what he does have. What if the kid did play with and thank you for what you did get him, even if it wasn't what he wanted? You'd notice that he was respectful and made use of what you got him and might be more willing to reconsidering getting him what he initially wanted.

[Gigabyte]

Dogs have benefits that GPs don't (Have you ever tried walking a GP? )

Spoiler alert, they don't walk well on leashes...

The upside is, I've trained a couple to jump up the stairs, but only when food is involved... :/

@guineapigsrock1 - Try walking the dog and playing with it. Study up on boxers and their breed-specific needs, hang out with him. Dogs are pretty cool. I miss when I had dogs.
Believe me, take him on some walks and teach him to sit (be patient) with positive reinforcement and a clicker (google it) and you'll find out how smart he really is.

[Honour]

xD haha! Awww poor dog, I do think Buggie gave you a good answer. Why did your parents change to a dog so suddenly? Maybe if you do more research and show how much you know about them, and how much you care about them. Then sit your parents down like an adult and explain how you really adore them and would love them, don't get angry and start screaming etc... because then they know they've made the right choice not letting you have them. This will show them that you're mature enough for a pet of your own and they'll re consider it. &Also, look after your dog as much as possible and show that you can take responsibility for animals.. this will also encourage them to get you one. Good luck, I really hope you get them!

[pinky]

Your parents might have a preconceived notion of what guinea pigs are like. I'm not sure how old you are, but they might be thinking that they will end up having to care for them if you get too busy with other activities. The fact that they rescued a dog tells me that they have their hearts in the right place. The dog might be more for them than for you and that's what they wanted. I'd gather as much information about the pros AND cons of owning guinea pigs and present it to them so they know that you've completely thought the whole thing out. Pet ownership is a life time commitment so they need to be on board to step in in case you can't care for them at some point.

[piggypuppylove]

I asked my parents for guinea pigs, and they got a dog, and a stupid one at that.

This proves to me that you are not mature enough to be responsible for any pet. Your dog is not "dumb" he needs to be trained, cared for, and given love and exercise. Boxers are very high energy and need to be walked at least daily.

[boofp]

First I must say that I'm a Mom to 3 and I would be fairly miffed if I found out a bunch of adults helped my kid beg me into getting them something. That being said I am a piggie lover too and understand how parents think so I think I can help.

First, you behavior is KEY. Read that again Your. Behavior. Is. Key.

If one of my kids asks for something and I say no and they spend the next two days sulking like a 2 year old, I know I made the right decision. Especially when it comes to something that requires a lot of responsibility like a pet. This is why my 11 year old has 0 pets but my 5 year old has a mouse and my 6 year old has a gerbil. When they asked for a pet and we told them no, they didn't whine or complain they accepted it and moved on with their lives. Did they ask us again, yes, but they didn't hound us or try to guilt us or harass us about it. Then based on the way they behaved in their day to day lives we decided they were responsible enough to be part of taking care of an animal. Since they are so young, I am the one who is mostly responsible for taking care of the pets, they help and have their jobs.

Second, understand or try to understand WHY your parents are saying no. Is it because they think you aren't responsible enough? Is it because they are worried you'll lose interest? Is it because they think THEY'LL be the one's taking care of cleaning the cage? Once you know WHY you can work on your behavior to show that you are capable of taking care of the animal. If it's because they think you aren't responsible then look at your grades...are they good? Do you do your homework without being pestered? Do you keep your room clean? Do you help out around the house or do chores without complaining? If it's because they think you'll lose interest....do you regularly beg for something you think you'll love only to toss it aside a week later? If it's because they think they will end up having to clean cages...do you keep your room tidy? Do you help with cleaning anything in the home without it being your specific job or being asked to, or without complaint?

If you are a responsible person, you keep your room clean, your grades are good, you help around the house without complaint, you don't tend to toss things away after a short time then the only other thing to do would be to start saving money. You'd need to build a cage, adoption fees, food/veg, have money set aside in case the piggie needs an emergency vet visit.

So sit down tomorrow and make a plan, if you get an allowance decide how much you're willing to put into a guinea pig fund and start saving while you start making any changes you need to in your behavior or daily activities to SHOW them that you can handle caring for a pet on your own and then once you've got that all together, ask again nicely. If they say no, don't whine or pout or guilt them just say that you don't understand why they say no and listen. Then work on changing their minds by improving whatever the answer is.

Good luck.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

[boofp]

I have a boxer and she is seven years old, They are a handful and can be quite suborn. Do a little reserch on the breed. I think you should right up some stuff on taking care of guinea pigs to show your mom that you but thought into this and are prepared to take proper care of them. Tell them you will take care of the dog for allowance to save up for half of what it would cost to start out and continue paying for the care as much as you can for your age. Summers coming up ask neighbors if you could help them with yard work or mowing the lawn. parents might just let ya get them.

[Sl and S]

wow i have a boxer also and shes as smart as can be and so is her brother. she knoew how to sit, lay down, shes potty trained, the only bad thing is that theyre very active, which i cant get my parents to understand that.

[Sl and S]

ive gotten a lot of animals. the whole reason i can convince them is my grades, doing chores and things around the house, pointing out little facts about animals, like how fish lower blood pressure, show how you can take care of your curtain animal, take the boxer on walks, volounteer to feed him, and bath him. the key is to make them happy and show that you're responsible and informed. by doing this i have convinced my parents to let me have 5 fish tanks, 2 guinea pigs, 2 cats, and a bearded dragon.
good luck

[Clovers]

you could try being on here all the time and being out i the open so they ask what website that is. or changing it to the home page or putting your background as a guniea pig. I'm sure they would notice that

[z123carleigh]

I feel like I should add that, no matter what you do, your parents still might not let you get a guinea pig. And if that's the case, you are just going to have to wait until you are grown up and on your own. That's what I had to do.