They say that it’s hard to teach your kids responsibility, however, dogs proved that it is not that hard at all. In fact, in this article, we will find that dogs can teach kids responsibility and other amazing lessons, too.
When a family gets a new dog, kids become so excited about everything that is related to him/him and they also become so interested in every single detail that is related to their new dog; starting from walking, training, playing with, grooming, and cleaning him/her up. Which, with time, teaches them responsibility.
Therefore, it is very recommended that you let your dog be a part of the dog’s raising process, by giving them age-appropriate tasks, that make them feel that they are responsible for that dog and that they have an irreplaceable role in his/her life.
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How can your dog teach your kids responsibility?
Well, before we talk about how dogs can teach kids responsibility, let’s know what does responsibility means: According to the most well-known dictionaries, responsibility is the act of having a duty to deal with something or someone and take full control of it.
So, when it comes to being responsible for raising a dog, we are talking about kids who are going to pause their favorite movie, because it is time to feed the dog, we are talking about kids who are going to have a break from playing video games, because it is ‘walking the dog’ time, and kids who are going to tell their friends that they need to postpone their football match because they need to take care of their dogs.
Therefore, by time, your kids will understand how important their part is, what does being responsible for something or someone mean, and how being responsible can change their lives to the best and help them be better versions of themselves.
Is teaching your kids responsibilit means that they need to stop living their fun, happy, and spontaneous childhood?
Some kids might, by time, feel that taking care of their dogs became a not so fun activity anymore. Which, to be completely honest, acceptable. Sometimes we, grown-ups, feel that way and which that our dogs can take care of themselves when we become busy or not in the mood.
However, there is always a way out when that happens, which will help you help your kids understand how important their part is, and how they can make it a fun thing to do.
- Talk to your kids about how grateful their dog is, and how he/she knows that they are taking care of him/her because they love him/her.
- Show your kids pictures of their dog when he/she was a little puppy, and how by taking good care of him/her, he grew up to be the four-legged friend they have now.
- Tell them how much their dog loves them more when they spend more time with him/her.
- Also, tell them how their dog gets to know them better and creates a stronger bond with them by interacting with them the way they do.
Moreover, you need to give your kids a break and don’t give them responsibilities that are not age-appropriate, because when that happens, things can go really bad, and they can start hating their dog. We don’t want that to happen!
Therefore, here is an age-appropriate dog duties guide for kids that can help you know what dog duties you can give to your kids, according to their age.
Age-appropriate dog duties guide for kids:
2-4 years old.
At that age, we see a lot of kids don’t know how to treat a dog, so they start pulling his/her tail, wrapping him/her from his/her ear, bite the dog and some kids start yelling at their dogs, too.
So, at that age, you need to make sure that your dog understands that the dog is not a toy, and he/she is a creature that feels, so he/she needs to treat him/her gently and stop being aggressive with that poor dog.
5-7 years old.
At that age, you will notice that your kid started to understand that he/she should treat the dog as a part of his/her family. Therefore, it is about time to get him/her involved in some simple responsibilities like brushing the dog’s hair, walking the dog with you (learn more about dog collars from here), and also you can teach your kid some simple games and tricks to teach the dog and build a strong relationship with him/her.
You might want to check our latest dogs games from here:
8-10 years old.
Kids at this age can be able to hold a very well behaved, or a small dog’s leash by themselves, walking with their dogs, giving them treats, feed them, and also be a part of the daily grooming and shedding process. However, all of these responsibilities, at that age, should be done under your supervision.
11-14 years old.
Well, starting from this age, your kid should be able to take full responsibility for their dog, preferred under your supervision for some time, but still, he/she should be able to take control of some things like putting out fresh water, feeding time, potty training, teaching the dog some tricks, and grooming, too.
However, you need to know that not all kids can learn and understand the same instructions and apply them together like other kids, so you need to respect that and be patient with your kid till he/she fully understands what he/she should and what he/she should not do with the dog before you give him/her full responsibility for the dog.
Other lessons your dog can teach your kid:
When it comes to dogs, there is always a valuable lesson to be learned whether it is a responsibility lesson, a trust lesson, a respect lesson, a loyalty lesson, a patience lesson, or even a self-esteem lesson.
Trust
Trust is a very valuable lesson a dog can teach to his/her owner, because the second you see your dog you know that whatever happens your dog will be here for you, will fight for you, and he/she will always have your back.
Accordingly, he also believes in you, and he/she knows that you will do whatever you can to be there for him/her when he/she needs you and that you will do your best to make the best decisions for him/her.
Respect
Having a dog teaches your kids respect, because dogs know who is the boss, who is the man of the house, and even if they try to not follow the rules, he/she will apologize for the bad attitude and get back into the track.
Also, by having a dog, your kids will learn how to respect him/here while sleeping, eating, and playing; they will learn that every creature needs his/her own space.
Loyalty
Dogs are the most loyal pets your kids can ever deal with. In turn, your kids will learn how to be loyal towards their four-legged friend too, and be there whenever they need them, even if that time was in the middle of their favorite movie.
Patience
Any strong relationship between a dog and his/her owner needs time to get stronger and harder to break. This strong relationship needs patience, time, and lots of love; that’s what your kids are going to learn from their dog.
Self-esteem
With the unconditional love that your dog brings to your home, your kids will learn that they deserve to be loved, and that love can change everything even themselves. Also, they will learn that anything made with love, will bring more love to their lives; like the love and care, they gave to their dog, that returned to love, care and a very unbreakable relationship with their dogs.
Now, you have all that you need to believe that dogs can teach kids responsibility and more amazing life lessons.
Related Questions:
Which dogs are the best kids dogs?
According to the AKC-American Kennel Club: Labrador Retriever comes at the top of the best family dogs list, then bulldog, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Bug, Irish Setter, Brussels Griffon, Newfoundland, French Bulldog, then Collie comes at the end of the list.
Now, why don’t tell us more about how your dog taught your kids responsibility?
