1 "Mom, can I have a dog?" Marie asked one day. "I promise I will take really good care of it."
2 "I don't know," Mom said. "A dog is a lot of work. I'm not sure you will be able to do all of it."
3 "I know I can," Marie said. "All I have to do is feed it and give it water. It won't need me to do anything else."
4 Mom looked serious. "A dog needs a lot more work than just food and water," she said. "A dog will keep you very busy."
5 "Well, what else will I need to do? I am twelve years old. I know I am old enough to get a dog. Sam down the street has one. He has to do all the work, and he is younger than I am."
6 Mom thought about it for a minute. "Okay. Let's sit down and talk about everything you will need to do. If it still sounds like something you want, we will go to the animal shelter tomorrow. There are a lot of dogs there that need good homes."
7 Marie jumped up and down. "What else will I need to do?"
8 "You were right when you said a dog needed food and water. You will need to make sure the dish is full of water everyday. A dog can't tell you when it is thirsty. And all that fur makes them hot. They always need to have clean water to drink. You will need to feed your dog in the morning, too. If we get a big dog, you might have to feed it in the afternoon."
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