Owning a dog can be a wonderful experience for a child. A properly selected and socialized dog can provide unconditional love, companionship and fun, while teaching your child valuable lessons about compassion, responsibility and commitment. But if your child doesn't have the maturity level or incentive to care for the dog, the bulk of pet care will fall on you. Teaching your child the fundamentals of good dog care--and allowing him to assume more responsibility for the dog's welfare as he grows--increases the odds that dog ownership will be safe, satisfying and enjoyable for canine and humans alike.
Step 1
Teach your children the necessity of giving the dog its food and fresh water every day. DogCetera advises making a checklist on which the child can mark off duties as they are completed; you can use a large piece of poster board, prominently displayed, for this purpose. Always supervise to make sure the dog's needs for food and fresh water are being met. Remind your child that dogs depend on their owners for these things.
Step 2
Provide a box of dog biscuits or healthy treats your child can give to the dog as rewards for obeying commands, while stressing the importance of not giving too many. Explain to your child that being overweight can hurt the dog's back and cause other health problems. Supervise to ensure that overfeeding doesn't occur.
Step 3
Inform your child about the dangers of giving foods that are unhealthy and even dangerous. According to Talk to the Vet, chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Vet Info cautions that large quantities of grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage. Other foods to avoid are large quantities of onions and garlic, which can cause toxicity; fatty and spicy foods, which can wreak havoc on a dog's digestive system; and chicken with bones in it, which can splinter and become lodged in the dog's intestines.
Step 4
Demonstrate the proper way to pet a dog. DogCetera notes that very young children tend to be unintentionally rough on dogs. Tell your child never to pull the dog's tail or ears, and remind him to be careful of the dog's eyes as well as the sensitive genital area.
Step 5
Teach the dog basic obedience commands, such as "heel," "stay," "come," and observe the dog and child together to ensure that the dog respects the child's authority and obeys the commands. Consider enrolling the dog in obedience classes, which the child can attend as well. This can not only be a great bonding experience for child and dog, but can increase the child's confidence in handling the dog.
Step 6
Accompany children younger than10 years old when they walk the dog, even if the dog is small and well-trained. Pets and Kids notes that children younger than 10 lack the maturity to assess dangerous situations that may arise quickly.
Step 7
Accompany any child walking a dog with a body weight that exceeds the child's weight by one-fifth. The uneven weight ratio can make controlling an unruly dog--or an ordinarily well-trained dog that tries to bolt after a squirrel--a losing battle for a child.
Step 8
Teach your child how to use the "heel" command with the dog, and demonstrate the amount of pull you can use on the leash without hurting the dog. Pets and Kids recommends choosing an area free of traffic and other dogs, and letting the child hold the leash while you supervise.
Step 9
Stress the importance of picking up after the dog. Explain that dog waste is unsanitary and can even carry diseases and parasites. Pets and Kids suggests having the child visualize how unpleasant it is to step in dog waste.
Step 10
Praise your child when he consistently feeds the dog or performs other chores related to its care. DogCetera notes that the more times the child performs the duty, the more natural and habitual it becomes. Reinforce this by applauding your child for his responsible actions.
Tips and Warnings
- Discourage aggressive play, such as wrestling or playing tog-of-war with the dog, in favor of play that stresses cooperation, such as "fetch."
- To avoid injury, caution your child against playing with the dog by pulling on one end of a rope or toy while the dog pulls the other. In shifting its jaws to get a better grip on the rope, the dog may miscalculate and inadvertently give a serious bite.
Things You'll Need
- Poster board
- Dog biscuits or healthy treats
