Are you wondering whether your child is actually ready for a pet, or are they just deep in the “please please please” phase? Most parents hear “Can we get a dog?” on loop, but pet parenting isn’t as simple as saying yes. When kids aren’t truly ready, it can create pet behavior issues, safety concerns, and a whole lot of pet care stress for the adults.
In today’s episode, parenting expert and children’s book creator Dori Durbin joins me to break down six signs of true pet readiness so families can make confident decisions before bringing a new pet home. This conversation gives you practical pet help you can actually use, especially if you want to avoid common pet behavior problems in those early weeks.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:
• Emotional Control: Why kids need to regulate big feelings and excitement before adding a new pet to the family
• Respect for Boundaries: How understanding personal space and basic animal body language keeps kids and pets safe
• Realistic Responsibility: What age-appropriate responsibility looks like and how to tell whether your child can consistently follow through with daily pet care
• Empathy: How helping kids connect a pet’s needs to real-life experiences builds long-term commitment and better pet behavior outcomes
• Handling Frustration With Support: Why kids must be able to manage frustration when pets don’t cooperate, especially during training or behavior hiccups
• Family Readiness: How family routine, stability, and financial capacity shape success more than your child’s excitement alone
If you’re trying to decide whether your child is ready for a dog or cat, this episode gives you clear pet advice, next steps, and practical ways to prepare your home for a calmer, safer experience with family pets.
CONNECT WITH DORI DURBIN
Website | www.doridurbin.com
Podcast | That’s Good Parenting:
Holiday guests coming who don’t love your pets? Don’t miss the December 3rd Quick Fix bonus episode. Amy shares simple ways to set expectations, create boundaries, and shut down holiday drama before it even starts. Listen in and keep everyone in your house off the naughty list.
Love the show? Share it with someone navigating the chaos of pet parenting, and please leave a 5-star review so others can find the pet advice they need.
Follow:🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
Pet parenting can feel overwhelming when you’re juggling behavior issues, unexpected costs, or conflicting information. Every week, you’ll get clear, expert pet advice with simple steps you can actually use NOW, plus pet cost hacks that help you save money without sacrificing your pet’s wellbeing.
We cover training and behavior guidance, nutrition insights, stress-free vet visit tips, cleaning and home routines, and smart ways to manage life in multi-pet households. Everything is practical, supportive, and built for real life.
No fluff, no guilt, just real pet parenting advice with expert guidance and practical tools you can use today, plus easy ways to plan and budget so pet expenses don’t derail you.
Follow so you can stop chasing your tail and start enjoying your pets again.
Contact: Amy@petparenthotline.com
©Ⓟ 2025 Amy Castro
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.