doglinks
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So, your son or daughter is determined
that they are ready for a dog of their own, but how can you be sure?
You’ve already learned that the majority of dogs in a shelter
come from homes where "it just didn’t work out," and feel
that the "trial and error" approach to animals is cruel to the pet and
teaches the wrong values to your kids. Dogs are not right for everyone,
of course, but there are so many different breeds, there is one for
almost any lifestyle that can offer time and love.
Accepting
the responsibility of a dog is a big step in the life of children. A
dog of their own can improve confidence, teach responsibility and
tolerance, and provide years of love and companionship in a very
special way. On the down side, too much responsibility can easily
become overwhelming for a child, and eventually it’s the
parents who have a dog or it goes to the local shelter. The key to
success is a combination of finding the right dog at the right time. As
a parent, your child may be part of the decision making process, but
the final choices of when and what kind should be your own. You will
need to evaluate your child, to determine if they are actually ready to
make a commitment, and find a dog that will fit into your
family’s current lifestyle.
The first
step is to talk to your child and get an understanding of how they
picture having a dog will change their life. How will they carry out
their normal activities with the added responsibility? What will they
do with the dog when they wish to go out and play? When they go off to
school? Are they (and you) sure that there is time for a dog? How will
they feel when their dog is sick or injured? What about fleas? Even
though the adults will need provide a certain amount of care, it is
important that children have an idea of how much work is involved for
everyone, and decide how much they can do on their own. Their
responsibilities should be gradually increased with their age,
readiness, and abilities. The idea is to support your child in the care
of their new pet, while they learn to care for it on their own.
Time:
Take a look at your families current time schedules, including weekend
habits. If your child spends a great deal of free time away from home,
then a new dog may be quickly forgotten in the back yard. A dog needs
companionship. Simply feeding and walking the dog isn’t
enough. Your child needs to be prepared to care for a new dog like a
new little brother or sister, which can mean hours
each and every day to share with his new pet. If you are considering a
puppy, the time needed is greatly increased. Many dogs are happy
travelers, and enjoy riding in a vehicle, so long as they
aren’t left there alone for large amounts of time. All dogs
will need time spent outdoors, regardless of the weather, and walked at
least once or twice a day. Dogs also do best when fed and walked
according to a regular routine. Bringing home a dog or puppy needs to
be done when there is an abundance of time available to allow for the
changes in lifestyle and for building a relationship with the new pet.
Activities:
What are the regular activities of your household? There may be many
occasions for your child to take the new dog with him, rather than
leaving the dog home. Children, especially teens, need to realize that
most public places, such as malls, aren’t going to allow
their new pet. If your child is older and enjoys hanging out with
friends, they need to consider these habits, also. Many children
don’t realize the amount of time spent away from home,
especially during summer months. Including a dog can mean adding new
activities to their life, such as playing at a park or joining
obedience or show clubs.
Tolerance/Emotions:
All kids have varying emotional levels. The responsibilities of feeding
and walking can often be demanding enough, but a dog is going to
present a lot of unpredicted circumstances into a child’s
life. Besides the fact that a puppy is likely to chew up toys,
clothing, baseball mitts, frisbees, etc., etc., nature has devised
several other ways for dogs to bring out the worst in people. Dogs get
sick. Are you and your child prepared to deal with that sudden bout of
diarrhea in the middle of the night? Or vomiting? Or the incredible
disaster of strewn trash after leaving the dog alone for a few moments?
An overly emotional child may have a great deal of difficulty dealing
with many of these situations, and will need to rely on you for
emotional support as well as janitorial assistance. Some children feel
overly responsible for events that are beyond their control, such as a
dog getting sick, and may blame themselves for such problems, even if
this seems irrational to adults. These same emotional traumas will
enhance your child’s emotional development only if handled
well by the parents.
The most important criteria is not your
child’s sense of responsibility, but the desire to learn,
ability to love, tolerance, and ability to face the unknown and
unexpected. As a parent, you will have to "coach" your child in any, or
all, of these areas where the child is lacking. Getting a dog is a
wonderful way to teach these skills to children. The bond between a dog
and a child is a special friendship that can’t be experience
in any other way, and it is the parent who must teach the child to
develop such a bond. It is the parent who actually teaches the child
nurturing and responsibility, and a loving companion is the final
reward.
Links:
Kids
and Pets, A Rite of Childhood
By Lisa Beamer. The benefits of owning a pet go far beyond just having
a fuzzy companion. A pet provides social, emotional, and cognitive
rewards which all work to develop the child’s self-esteem.
Kids
and Pets, From Parent World Online
Having a pet is good for parents as well as children. Pets teach
empathy and caring, and can help to make a child aware of the needs of
others.
Teaching
children to be Responsible for Their Pet
Dr. Larry advises parents how to make choices regarding getting a pet
for children, and presents a realistic view of how much involvement
will be required by the adults in the home.
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