—
Owning a dog brings a lot of benefits to families: they keep us company, help us to stay active and fit, provide us emotional comfort and give unconditional love. But have you ever wondered if having a dog in their lives can help kids achieve greater things? Apparently, dogs can teach our children plenty of important things, among which one that is crucial for becoming a fully functional grown-up one day – responsibility.
Experts also agree with this statement, but only if having a dog and raising a child is done the right way. In this article, we’ll discover how you can work on your child’s personal development by introducing a dog to his life.
Set Your Expectations Right
First thing you should do is create age-appropriate tasks. A 5-year-old won’t be able to do as much as a teen, and their duties in raising your dog might differ by a lot.
Also, have in mind that in order to have your child develop a responsible approach to life, you have to set the example first. Not being a responsible role model for your children, makes it quite unfair to expect more from your children. Be what you would like your kids to be when they grow up.
However, there are different ways you can engage your child in your dog’s daily needs and activities that will be appropriate for your kid’s age.
If you have small kids, you can engage them in the following activities:
- Invite your child to dry the dog’s bowl after you wash it.
- Make your kid’s duty to alert you whenever the water bowl is empty.
- Buy a smaller brush and let your kid brush the dog gently. Always brush the dog together in order to ensure no one gets hurt.
- When you walk your dog, bring your child with you and tell them stories about how going out is important for dogs, their health and feelings.
All of these tasks will not only help your kid bond with the dog, but they will also teach him/her that caring for a living being is an important, everyday task. This will set an amazing ground for your kid to learn about responsibility and empathy as well.
If you have older kids, they can engage in these activities:
- Help in feeding your dog. Show your child how much the bowl should be filled with food and ask him to fill the bowl. If your dog is well-trained and doesn’t have food-aggression issues, you can even let your kid set the bowl down and feed the dog.
- Let your child play, run or roll around with your dog. This will not only provide them with lots of happiness and entertainment, but it will also create a stronger bond between them that will make doing other activities more easy and natural.
- Help in tidying the dog’s toys up at the end of the day.
- Engage your child in your training sessions with the dog. You can also look up for dog training classes for kids.
- Once your kid grows enough, let him/her walk the dog. However, you have to ensure your dog listens to the commands and that your child can safely hook the leash onto the collar. Provide enough poop bags and remind them to always use them.
The key to most activities we mentioned is to do things together. When you invite kids to do something with you, instead of asking or demanding from them to do the same thing, you do several things simultaneously. First of all, you’re setting a good example to your kid, and second of all, you are creating a better atmosphere so your kid doesn’t see caring for your dog as “boring chores”, but rather as a privilege to participate in maintaining your dog’s well-being.
Another way you can ensure your kid will form a long-lasting habit in your dog’s daily maintenance is to ask your child which activity he/she would prefer to do: grooming, walking, feeding, training and so on. This way, your kid will approach his duty in a different manner, as if it is his mission in keeping your dog happy, rather than feeling he is obligated to do so. Doing something just because their dad or mom told them, might work for a while, but in the long run, it is counterproductive and can lead to complete unwillingness to participate in your dog’s care.
Education is Key
As a parent, you probably know that kids love to know why something happens and why they are doing what they are doing. Their minds are constantly absorbing information as they get familiar with their surroundings. Therefore it is crucial to educate your children on why feeding, walking, and training your dog is important. Also, engaging your child in raising a dog is a great way to explain to your kids the difference between physical and emotional needs, as well as the difference between needs and wants.
—
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
Photo: Shutterstock
