Parents With Children 4 - 11 Years Old
Who Currently Own a Pet
Elementary school age children—especially
ones in the upper end of the age group, 9, 10, and 11-year olds—may
have mastered a lot of things, but often responsible pet ownership is
not one of them. Children learn what they are told, but also what they
see. So the best way to teach your children how to be a responsible pet
owner is to be one yourself.
Pets are a big responsibility, but the benefits
of raising your children with pets far outweigh the negatives. Pets can
ease the transition of suddenly having to share mom or 
dad's
attention with a new sibling. Pets can also help kids learn to deal with
medical issues and illnesses as they are exposed to their pet's routine
veterinarian check-ups and the treatments for various ailments. Children
raised with pets are apt to be more emotionally and physically healthy.
Walking or playing with the family pet can serve as fun study breaks for
kids and a replacement for TV programs or video games.
Child-pet interaction
Your child's involvement with a pet varies by age, even in the elementary
school age years. By 4–6 years old, a child has mastered quite a
lot of language and can understand more about how to interact with another
living being, but a firm eye on the situation is still needed. By 6–10
years old, your child can help look after a pet, feed, clean up, walk
and play with a dog.
Involve your children in dog care and training activities. It makes your
pet a more well-mannered family member and teaches your child humane treatment
and effective communication. Often, just the presence of your child in
the same room while your dog is receiving his favorite things or activities
can help build a positive association with your children. Here are some
easy ways to involve your child in your dog's care:
• Have your child help you feed the dog—they
can give the dog the "sit" command before you put the bowl down.
Small children can be taught to scoop food into the dog's food dish.
• Let your child help brush the dog—as you hold the collar
and feed him a few treats.
• If the dog is small enough, teach your child how to properly pick
him up.
• Even younger elementary age children can help walk the dog—attach
two leashes to your dog so your child holds one and you keep control with
the main one.
The best way for a child of elementary school age to interact with pets
in a positive way is through play. Allow your child to play supervised
games that foster cooperation and control—games such as fetch with
a football or Frisbee, blowing bubbles, hide and seek (with your dog finding
the kids for a toy or treat), kicking a soccer ball around or learning
fun tricks.
Some dogs may become overly excited and dominant during
games such as tug-of-war or wrestling, accidentally injuring your child
in the process. Teach your child not to play these kinds of games with
the dog. If your dog is high-energy, exercise him yourself through jogging,
biking or a hard game of fetch before he interacts with the children.
If your dog becomes too excited during play, end the game immediately
and try again later when your dog is calmer. Some dogs get excited and
may even become more dangerous when children scream and run. Teach your
child appropriate safety behaviors around dogs.
Ensuring the safety of your children and
pets
Even older children need to be taught basic dog safety rules. They might
never have to use them with their own pet, but neighborhood and other
strange dogs are never guaranteed to be child-friendly.
Teach your children the possum stance. Children are
small, move erratically, yell, and generally act unpredictably. Most dogs
either would like to chase them or become fearful of them. Teach your
children that if a dog is chasing them, and possibly even barking, growling
or nipping, to immediately stand still. Arms should be folded across their
chest or over their face. Their voice should become soft or completely
quiet. By doing this, your child instantly becomes a lot less interesting
to the dog. Odds are the dog will calm down and go off to do something
else in a matter of moments.
Teach your children to report to you whenever they hear
the dog growling and it is clearly not during play. A growl is a warning
that your pet is not okay with the immediate situation at hand. Unless
your child understands to back away immediately, they could be bitten.
If you hear your dog growling at any time other than playtime, consult
a professional immediately. Aggression problems, unless addressed quickly,
tend to get worse.
Teach your child to respect their pet's sense of security
for their own safety. Your child should be taught never to chase or corner
a dog. Dogs can become fearful and harm your child out of self-defense.
Teach your child how to safely reward your pet with
a treat. Children tend to become fearful or anxious when a dog tries to
take a treat from their hand. The child often jerks their hand away at
the last second. The dog may jump up or lunge to get the treat, which
can result in the child being injured. Have your child place the treat
in an open palm rather than holding it in their fingers. You may want
to place a hand underneath your child's hand to help guide him.
To ensure the safety of your children and your pet,
hire babysitters that have experience with pets and carefully instruct
them on how the child and the pet are allowed to interact.
The importance of parental supervision
Never leave any child 12 and under unattended with a dog. Every dog bites
under the right circumstances. So keep supervision a strict rule in your
household. Your children's friends should also be monitored when
your pet is nearby.
Teaching your children to treat a pet respectfully
Beyond teaching your child the basics of pet care, you should teach them
how to treat pets with respect. It is a great way to introduce some very
adult concepts to children in a way they will easily understand:
Teach your children that:
• Pets need space and may not always welcome human attention, especially
when eating, playing with their toys or resting. Teach your children not
to bother pets when they are sleeping or eating. You should give your
dog a place to retreat to when he has had enough human interaction or
you cannot provide supervision. Your dog will need some daily time off
from your children. Use an indoor crate that is off limits to the children
or baby gate your dog into a safe room such as a kitchen or bedroom.
• Pets may become upset by too much petting or stimulation. Teach
your child to heed warning signs, like retreating and growling, by backing
away slowly and leaving the pet alone.
• Pets have feelings and sense pain just like humans do. Help your
child see the world through your pet's eyes. Ask your child how he would
feel if someone poked at his eyes or pulled his ears. Explain that even
the most docile pet has limits and that all animals must be treated with
caution and respect.
• Other people's pets may feel and display discomfort if your child
touches or even approaches them. Teach them to get permission before touching
another pet. Explain that some pets may feel threatened when stared at,
cornered or hugged.
Child-pet respect is a two-way street. As much as your child is being
taught to give respect, the pet must be taught to give it as well. The
best way to ensure that your pet respects the family hierarchy (with the
pet at the bottom) is to give your dog his own bed, on the floor and out
of your child's bedroom. Letting your dog sleep with your children
is not only unsanitary—it increases the risk of zoonosis—it
also relays a message to the dog that your child is a littermate. Littermates
sleep together. Littermates get bossed around by being jumped on, pushed
over, growled at, snapped at and finally bitten. You can protect your
child by preventing your pet from viewing them as an equal. If your child
insists on having the dog in their room, crate train your pet and put
the crate in your child's room for sleeping only.
How your children can
become responsible pet owners
Children can learn the importance of responsibility at an early age by
acting as a caretaker for a pet. A dog can present an ideal opportunity
for parent and child to bond while caring for the pet together. Teaching
kids what it means to be responsible for another creature's survival
can result in understanding life lessons such as discipline, patience,
kindness and attentiveness. Also, allowing children to help care for a
pet instills a feeling of competency and accomplishment.
It is unrealistic to expect a child of any age to have
sole responsibility of caring for a dog. Teaching a dog the rules of the
house and helping him become a good companion is too overwhelming of a
task for an elementary school age child. And even though preteens and
adolescents may be up to the task, they may not be willing to spend adequate
time with the dog. Choose tasks appropriate for the age of your child.
Even very young children can be involved in some aspect of caring for
an animal—selecting a new collar or toy, assisting with grooming
or carrying a food can. In the end, each parent is the best judge of the
amount of responsibility that their individual child can handle when it
comes to caring for a pet. And of course, the best way to teach your children
to be responsible pet caregivers is to be one yourself.
