I have a slight dog problem. My mom would tell you I have a huge problem. In my defense, most people really love tiny fluffy puppies. Anyway, I have a special ability, some may even say gift, to bring home just about any puppy if I put my mind to it. These are my favorite tips and tricks.

1. Go look at puppies right before a meal.

I have been in a pet store exactly one time. I am no longer allowed in pet stores. My first and last time visiting a store called "Puppies and Kittens" I came home with an adorable puppy named Oreo. How did I achieve such a thing? I made sure we went right before dinner. My dad was grumpy and wanted to go eat. After looking at a puppy for two hours and begging to get him he finally said, "Just buy the dog! I want to go eat!"

2. Say you want to "volunteer" at an animal shelter.

I am also no longer allowed to go to animal shelters... I tricked my parents into going by saying I wanted to volunteer. From there, I quickly found a cute dog I wanted, but he wasn't available. So instead, I somehow managed to convince my parents to get the dirty dog with a cone on his head and a serious skin disease. Buddy was rough looking, but he had potential.

3. Let the more reluctant parent choose the name.

If they name the dog, it becomes their dog. Your parents named you; they wouldn't refuse to take you home. Turn that puppy into one of their children.

4. Say you'll take care of it.

Let's be honest, your mom or dad (probably your mom) is going to end up taking care of this thing. They don't need to know that right now, though. Take care of it for the first few weeks, and then you're golden. Just get that ball of fluff home!

5. Make sure your parents hold it the most while you're looking at them.

My mom did not want to get our last dog at all. As far as she knew, we were just there to play with puppies. I worked hard to come home with our dog, Duke. I made sure she held him and had plenty of pictures with him. The key is to trick your parents into falling in love with the dog. You can hog him and hold him when you get home.

6. Teach it a cute easy trick while you're there.

You don't actually need to teach it anything just pretend you did. Buddy brought his toy back after we threw it, so we "taught" him how to fetch. Duke likes to stand on his back legs, so we "taught" him that too. Everyone likes a smart dog.

7. Utilize your parent who's basically still a child.

My father is just as bad as me when it comes to puppies. Unfortunately, he wasn't there with us when we went to look at my dog Duke. I had to work outside of the box when my mom got in the car and refused to get a dog. I sent my dad a picture of the puppy and 10 minutes later he was calling my mother literally begging to get Duke. He wanted to know what his name was, why he wasn't already in the car, and when we were going to pick him up! Long story short, we got the dog.