Why a cat or
really can be
the best gift.
This Holiday Season,
Enter the World of Erhard
and Share the Good Life.
4
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•41111z-
•Nler
by Elizabeth Applebaum
Gift Guide Editor
our son and daughter are
both celebrating a birth-
day next week and they
know exactly what they
want.
"And Dad we prom-
ise, and We really mean it. We will take
care of the dog all by ourselves. You
don't have to do a thinar
We'll walk
b.
him and well brush him and well feed
him and we'll scoop his poop every day
— you won't even have to ask us!"
Two months later, you're out there
in the back yard with a shovel, doing
your duty. You already fed the dog his
dinner. After your own dinner, you'll
bring the pooch and give him a good
brushing, just before you take him for
a walk.
Did you just make one of the
biggest mistakes of your life? Should
you have waited until your children
were a little more mature, a little more
responsible?
No, says Dr. Andrew Dworkis of
the Dworkis Dog and Cat Hospital in
Southfield. "When is it a good time for
a child to get a pet?" he says.
"Anytime."
"A child growing up with a pet has
a friend like no other," he says. "He has
a companion he can talk to and con-
fide in and laugh with. He has a com-
panion who will always be there for
him, be there when no one else is."
This, he says, doesn't just mean a
happier child. It means a child who is
healthier emotionally.
Dworkis says, because owners can
devote all their time acclimating the
animal to the home. There will be time
for helping a new pup learn why the
word "carpet" is not a synonym for
"toilet," or teaching a cat that a couch
is actually a piece of furniture, not a
scratching post.
Then there is the family with a
small child. This also is a great time to
get a pet, Dr. Dworkis says, because
"the child and a puppy can grow up
together, which means tremendous
bonding."
Finally, a pet brought into a home
with older children comes into a stable,
settled environment, a house where
boys and girls can learn responsibility
by helping care for their little Fido or
Fluffy.
Whenever you decide to get your
pet, parents should keep in mind that
while children will reap most of the
benefits, moms and dads may be doing
a larger share of the work.
"Get a pet, and it will be the child's
responsibility to raise that pet — that's a
bit of a myth," he says. "The kids
already have so many responsibilities" —
school, homework, sports, music,
extracurricular activities, household
chores — "when do we expect them to
have time to take care of the pet, too?"
Instead, caring for a dog or cat
should be a "family responsibility," he
says. "Having a pet is a healthy endeav-
or for the entire family."
ai
"
4 4
W k
Ar- A4
e•-•
The good life is something many people '
take for granted. But not at Erhard..When -
you enter our world, you also enter a woOtk
of community involvement.
This season, test drive any vehicle
from the World of Erhard and we'll
donate 6 meals to Driving Away Hunger,
our program to help feed the hungry. All proceeds will be donated to
Forgotten Harvest.
The World of Erhard is comprised of Erhard BMW Bloomfield Hills,
Erhard BMW Farmington Hills, Land Rover Farmington Hills. Erhard
B
Motorcycles and AutoMark Collision Center. Together, we host and $`
dozens of fundraising events for local and national charities each ye .
Improving our community and enriching the lives of everyone in it brings
us together as people. Erhard is proud to be a part of making this world a
better world for everyone.
r:<.j
AutoMark
collision center
ENTER THE WORLD OF ERHARD
'Katz On Dogs'
When To Get Started
There are three times when a family
might opt for a pet.
First is before the children are born.
This is a good time to get a pet, Dr.
_Ton Katz worked as a reporter and edi-
tor, a producer for CBS News, a novel-
ist and a contributor to slashdot.org
and Hotwired, the online magazine.
Then his life went to the dogs.
Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills
Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills
4065 W. Maple Rd.
38700 Grand River Ave.
Bloomfield Hills. MI 48301
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
(888) 307-7313
(888) 240-0344
Land Rover Farmington Hills
Erhard BMW Motorcycles
AutoMark Collision Center
38200 Grand River Ave.
39933 Ford Rd.
24750 North Industrial
Farmington Hills. MI 48335
Canton, MI 48187
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
(888) 240-0397
(734) 981-1479
(248) 473-8100
Going To The Dogs on page 16
Visit us online at www.worldoferhard.com
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IN GIFT GUIDE II • DECEMBER 2005 • 15