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This week, Wilmington Pet Training Examiner Casey Troyer and I bring you the first in a collaborative series on kids and pets. This week’s installment is kids and dogs.
Casey gives a nice breakdown on how to choose the right dog for your family. This article addresses adjusting your kids to the responsibility of having a dog, as well as taking safety measure to protect both your kids and the dog.
Taking responsibility
You’ve heard the cries. “Mom, can we get a dog?” “Mom, I promise I’ll take care of it”. Eventually the pleas become too much to bear and you relent, choosing a dog or puppy to add to your home. But after the novelty wears off, it is often the parents who take the bulk of the responsibility for taking care of the dog. However, it is extremely important that you sit down with your children prior to bringing the dog or puppy home and discuss these chores. If the child clearly understands what his responsibilities are with regard to caring for the dog, the transition will be much easier for everyone (including the dog).
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All age groups (with the exception of newborn and infants, for obvious reasons) are capable of helping with dogs and puppies. Children as young as two can help with feeding the dog (my two year old gets a huge kick out of bringing the filled dog bowls to their crates). As your children get older, they can help with such aspects of pet care as walking, bathing, grooming, administering preventative medications such as Heartguard, and participating in dog training. Make sure that your child participates in establishing the schedule for all of these tasks, and the schedule is posted somewhere in the house that everyone can see (such as the kitchen). That way, there’s no excuse of “I forgot”.The Humane Society of the United States offers a lot of advice on how to prepare for bringing your new dog or puppy home. And by including your children in the preparation and care of a new dog or puppy, it helps the child learn to take responsibility for the animal and it helps to foster a bond between the two.
Safety
When bringing a new dog into a home, it is extremely important that you follow the following steps, provided by http://www.canismajor.com/dog/kidsdog1.html:.jpg)
- The dog should never be left alone with a child less than five years of age
- The dog should have a place he can call his own, a retreat, a private room, a den
- If the dog has access to a fenced yard, owners should make sure that neighborhood children cannot accidentally or intentionally tease him.
- If the dog does not like the children, the children must change their behavior
- Teach children to leave Ranger alone when he's in the crate, to pat him gently--no squeezing around the neck, please--and to leave him alone while he's eating
- Provide a crate where the dog can escape the attention of boisterous or overzealous children
- Teach children not to run past the dog and scream
- Never tie a dog in the yard
There are also some great tips on introducing your dog to your new baby.
There are lots of benefits for a child growing up in a house with a dog. It teaches the child responsibility, compassion, and can even help with allergies! As a bonus, pet ownership can also make for better parenting.
If you’re considering bringing a puppy or dog into your house, please consider adoption first. There are lots of animal shelters in the area, including the Delaware Humane Association, the Delaware SPCA and Faithful Friends. If you’re looking for a specific breed, also check out www.petfinder.com
For a kids' guide to pets, visit: www.loveyourdog.com
If you have any suggestions for future articles you'd like to see on kids and pets, please email me at janalynch@gmail.com Thanks for reading!
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