It started with stick insects, goldfish and silkworms, then developed into minding other families' small mammals. Bit by bit, with each new request from my children for a cute fluffy thing, my resolve not to take on any more responsibility began to cave like a sandcastle being slowly eroded by each new wave.

Our school newsletter advertised bunnies for sale, but when we went to buy one, we were told that they were sisters and that they were inseparable. So we bought the sisters and a few months later the 'sisters' had created three little fur balls of their own that we called Dumper, Thumper and Yawning Jumper.

The problem is, you are either a pet house or you are not. TV advertisements that show puppies running around with toilet paper either convince you to buy more toilet paper or they convince you to buy a puppy. As well as this I had read about the therapeutic benefits of having a dog. The argument is that a dog is so good for your health that you actually live longer if you have one.

We wanted to be one of those families that are always out walking with their dog, playing Frisbee with their dog, going to the café with their dog and socialising with other families with dogs, so we decided to get a dog. Not a designer 'magnadoodlepoodle-labraspaniel-type' designer puppy that is well-behaved, doesn't shed hair, bark incessantly, eat the family dinner being prepared on the kitchen bench, or take white objects from bedrooms and rip them to shreds. Instead of doing that, we went to the dog pound and chose Coco and Blackie.  I fell for the same story, that they were sisters and could not be separated. The fact that they are completely different breeds with nothing in common makes me think that I was conned—again.

Their first act of defiance was when they worked as a pair to eat through each other's dog collars. One stood very still while the other worked away at the leather.  Coco's phobia of anything with wheels limits our walking paths and Blackie hates other dogs which limits our walking all together.

Our dogs ripped the backyard garden to shreds and have killed every animal that has strayed into our yard. Not to say that I minded them killing the red-belly blacksnake, but indiscriminate killing is a bit much to take.

No, having a dog was nothing like I thought it would be, but our dogs have become part of the family. They cuddle up with us on the lounge and watch their favourite shows, like Inspector Rex, where we try to teach them to solve crimes and push shopping trolleys, just like Rex.  Sometimes we watch their favourite movie, Marley and Me, together especially if someone is home sick from school.

Having dogs has taught my children to care about other living things. Each morning, one of my children will be up feeding and brushing the dogs before I am even out of bed. My other child has a dog training routine she undertakes with them in any number of languages, to the extent that unless you say 'sit' in Latvian, they will not sit.

For me, no matter how rotten my day has been, or who else might be slamming doors in the house, there are always two happy faces waiting at the door to jump up on me and give me as much attention as I want.

But the best thing about having these dogs is that my children have something more to work with than silkworms and stick insects when the time comes around for news items, writing speeches or stories.