When a new dog is introduced to the family, kids are often eager to help out. The easiest way to involve your children in this big addition to the family is by including them in the everyday responsibilities of owning a dog. Dogs need to be fed, groomed, and exercised — these are all tasks that children, especially elementary-age kids, can be involved in! Even if your children are too young to handle the major responsibilities of dog training, you can still introduce them in a number of ways to the newest family member. Children of all ages can participate in dog training as long as the tasks are age-appropriate and there is adult supervision…we’ve put together a few fun ways your kids can get excited about puppy training!
- Teach them the basic commands!
The full responsibility of dog training should still remain with the adults, but that’s no reason to leave your child completely out of the process. Your child doesn’t have to be involved in the complicated aspects of training to bond with the dog. Basic skills such as getting a dog to sit, stay down, come to you, and walk on a leash are easily taught with adult supervision. Getting that one-on-one time will help your child feel that they are an important contributor! Make sure there are plenty of treats on hand, for persuasion purposes! - Get them involved in everyday care!
Once your pup responds well to basic sit and stay commands, let your kids lend a hand at feeding time. Have them cue the dog to sit and stay while you put down a bowl of food or water, and then cue the dog to go to it. If your child knows how to read the puppy’s body language, and knows when it needs to be let outside, they can either let the pup out on their own or notify an adult right away. This reinforces the growing bond between your child and their new pet. By teaching your child basic everyday-care tasks, you will also teach them important rules such as, “Always be kind to the dog, don’t take her food, don’t take a toy when she is playing with it, don’t ever tease her, and so on.” Mutual respect goes a long way in every relationship!
- Train while having fun!
Include your kid in fun, common bonding activities that double as training for your pet. A simple game of hide-and-seek, for instance, can help strengthen a pup’s recall. Start the activity by filling a child’s pocket with treats. Best not to use a bowl or bucket because the dog may wolf down everything at once and not want the treats taken away after a single mouthful. Have the child stand in a room that’s located in the middle of the house and call the puppy. When the dog finds the child, they should be cued to sit and then given a treat. To play this with multiple children, now another child would hide in a different room and call the dog, and so on. Once the dog learns the ropes, the children can hide in more challenging locations, behind doors or tucked in the drapes!
Teaching kids about fun and responsible pet ownership doesn’t have to be a drag – make it a fun, family experience that will create some lasting memories 🙂
