Teaching Your Kids About Caring for a New Puppy
Having pets is a great way to teach children various values, from responsibilities to boundaries to sympathy. However, all animals need proper care, and households should only add a new puppy once they’ve researched and prepared their kids for the experience. Fortunately, you can teach your child about caring for a dog in many ways. Let’s find out more!
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Teach Your Children That a Puppy is Not a Toy
The first thing you’ll have to teach your kids about having pets is that they aren’t toys they can play with and hurt. These are living, breathing creatures that deserve their full respect. Additionally, all dogs have different personalities. Some might not mind if a child jumps on them or pulls their fur. They could consider it playtime, but not every dog will like it.
Therefore, you must teach children about boundaries and respect for other living creatures. Their actions could hurt the animal or make them respond aggressively. Children might not understand when pets are in pain because they can’t talk. It’s up to the parents to teach them and prevent incidents.
Show Them How to Keep the Dog Clean
A dog is a big responsibility because, aside from food, they’ll need you to pick up after them. While it’s best to handle their poop yourself until your children are older and can do it without creating a mess, you can teach them other aspects of a pet’s hygiene. For example, dogs need medication to protect against bugs like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.
Keeping these away will also protect your family. According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are the main spreaders of diseases among all insects, and millions of people die every year after being exposed. Therefore, you should teach your child to apply sprays and other medication. However, you should always supervise the process until they’re older.
Teach Your Children How to Keep Their Dog Healthy
Dogs require several things to maintain their health. First, they need food and water, and you can teach your children to refill their bowls. It’ll help them be responsible from the very beginning. Most kids understand that eating is a basic need of any creature. However, pets need more attention, like grooming.
About 67% of dog owners know that grooming is a vital aspect of keeping a dog healthy. Therefore, you can show your kids how to brush the dog, clean their faces daily, add puppy-safe fragrances, etc. You can also teach them about bathing a dog, but that’s a task you’ll have to handle yourself until your children grow up and become more independent.
Show Your Kids How to Keep a Dog Safe
Another essential aspect of animal ownership is protecting them. Pets might run off and find trouble or eat harmful things. That’s why many homeowners add fences to their yards. According to Pro Remodeler, fencing around homes increased 166% in 2019 and 2020 because people wanted more privacy, but it’s also for safety.
You must teach your children never to leave the fence gates open so their dogs won’t get lost. If you’re keeping the dog in a crate, your kid should learn how to close the door and how to let them out. You could also teach them not to leave food around because pets will try to snatch anything in their path. Some human foods can be extremely harmful to pets.
Dogs also need leashes and training to be safe. You can involve your child in that aspect as much as you want. Show them how to say commands and how to praise the puppy. Teach your kid that dogs must be tied to their leash for protection during walks.
With these tips, your kids will be ready for their dream puppy in no time. All children benefit from pets, but you must be a responsible owner and parent to prevent problems. Start teaching them today!
