Signs Your Child is Ready for a Dog or Puppy
Kids and puppies go hand in hand. We love to see kids attending our Connecticut dog training classes with their parents. If you have been floating the idea of getting a dog or puppy, you should base that decision on whether you think your child is ready or not. Our blog this week will focus on signs that your child is ready for a dog or puppy. When you do decide that it is time to get a dog or puppy, check out our classes!
Signs Your Child is Ready for a Dog or Puppy
Your child is comfortable around dogs.
You should only take the step into dog ownership if your child is completely comfortable around dogs. Many people make the unfortunate mistake of purchasing a pet to try to cure a child’s fear of animals. Before you bring a dog or puppy into the family, you have to increase your child’s comfort level around them. There are a couple of ways to do this. The easiest one is to bring your child to an animal shelter to get up close to the dogs there. Alternatively, you can also spend some quality time with a friend or family member’s dog.
Your child shows respect for animals.
When you bring a dog into the house, your child must learn how to properly respect the dog. A dog that is living in a respectful environment will feel safe and be respectful to its owners in return. There are different ways that children can show respect for animals. Some of the simpler ones are to touch the dog gently and to leave the dog alone when it is eating. A child may want to interact with the dog at any point, but they need to have the self-control to leave the dog alone if it is an inappropriate time.
Your child is already handling household tasks.
If your child can help with the daily chores, they are more than likely ready to handle some of the simpler dog and puppy care chores. Before the dog comes home, you should write down a list of each chore that needs to be done daily to take care of the dog. These chores may include feeding, watering, brushing, exercising in the house, and basic training. The child can accompany the dog on walks but there should always be an adult there to supervise. As the child gets older, they can practice walking the dog on their own.