SolveYourProblem.com Article Series: Dog Care
Dog Care Tips
How
Do I Teach My Children to Care For A Dog?
If you have a child, you’ve probably heard
those familiar words, “Can we keep him?” Dog’s aren’t just
a man’s best friend anymore; they’ve become the whole family’s
friend. If you’re like any typical family, the children will
probably spend the most time with your new dog. This is why
it’s very important you teach your child how to take care of
him. Here are a few dog rules to teach them:
Make
sure you remember to feed the dog and give him fresh water
each day. Explain that dogs, especially puppies, need
nutrition each day for energy and proper growth. If you have
an outside dog, it’s especially important that his water dish
is changed everyday. Standing water is a breeding place for
mosquitoes. Also dirt can get flung into their dish. It is
equally important for small children to be supervised when
dealing with this type of responsibility. Sometimes smaller
children can be too eager to help. Explain to your children
why we don’t feed dog’s certain foods such as sweets. Dog food
is made to meet their dog’s nutritional needs and sweets can
make their dog sick.
Being
N-I-C-E to your dog is another lesson to teach children. Younger children, particularly under the age of four, have
a tendency to be rough with animals. Pulling tails and ears
just comes naturally with their curiosity. With a new dog,
you may not know his temperament very well or how he may react
to your child’s curiosity. Lead by example. Show your child
how to be kind to animals. Show them how to gently pet them
on the head or back and that hitting or pulling can hurt the
dog.
Teach your child about the importance
of exercise with the
family dog. In order for the dog to stay healthy he must move
around and play. If the dog is not overpowering, let your child
walk the dog with a leash. Another fun activity for exercise
is fetch. Let your child throw a ball or stick for the pet
to chase. This is lots of fun for both participants.
If you have a rambunctious
puppy, make sure your child doesn’t
leave things lying around. Puppies love to chew on whatever
they can sink their teeth into. If they see your daughter’s
favorite dolly on the floor, or your son’s tennis shoe, the
puppy will show no reserve. They will usually dive right in.
Tell your child that your puppy is too young to understand,
and that until he gets older, be extra careful about leaving
things lying around.
Keep
bathroom doors shut. Dogs are notorious for drinking
from the toilet bowl. If you can help it, reduce the temptation
for him, by teaching your child to keep bathroom doors shut.
If you have an indoor dog then he’s got to have potty breaks
outside. Keep a schedule of bathroom breaks for your dog. This
is one of the not so fun parts of taking care of a new pet.
Remind your child that if the new dog doesn’t keep to the scheduled
potty breaks that he may find a place in the house. In training
a new dog to use the bathroom outside, the scheduled times
must be strictly kept.
Make
a chart. If you child is having problems remembering
to feed the pet or take it out for breaks, it would be a great
idea to make a chart of things to do each day. Let your child
mark a check when the chore has been completed. The more he
completes the chore, the easier it will be to remember.
Children don’t always see the bigger picture of taking care
of a new dog, but with our guidance, they will no doubt become
good little pet owners. It’s a good idea to applaud your child
when he takes on responsibility and follows through with it.
This will give them confidence to mature and take on more responsibility
as they get older. Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility.
Teach your kids that just as they have to be taken care of
by parents, their pet has to be taken care of as well. Our
pets depend on us everyday.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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