I had a chance to interview Elissa Weimer, owner of Paw & Order, about determining when your child is ready to add a dog to the family? Dogs are the most popular family pet in the United States but not every parent knows what to expect when a new dog is brought into the house.
“The biggest thing that future dog owners with children need to realize is that the parents are ultimately responsible for the dog,” said Elissa, award-winning dog trainer. “I see this issue all the time when parents get their kids a dog for Christmas and tell them that they are fully responsible for the dog. But young kids are not going to be able to understand the ‘whys’ of dog training and how to do every aspect of the training.”
What are some factors that families need to consider when getting a dog in terms of age and maturity of children in the house?
One of the factors families should consider when getting a family pet is making sure the children are mature enough to help take care of and be part of raising the puppy. Not necessarily for training, but to the point where they can respect the dog's boundaries and needs. A lot of people will get puppies or adult dogs and think that the kid will take care of it, but the parents need to know that they're still pretty much going to be doing almost 100% with this dog. It's nice that the kids can start to learn some responsibility, but they need to have realistic expectations when it comes to kids and dogs. The parents need to be able to keep the kids safe as well as the dog. Most kids are not keen on dog body language and may overwhelm a dog. It's really hard to tell a toddler to leave the dog alone.
Also, children and teenagers often have play dates and have other kids around. You want to make sure that safety is your number one priority especially when it comes to other people’s children. Do not put your dog in a situation where he/she could knock someone down, scratch someone, or bite. Supervision is key, and that can be tricky with kids coming in and out of the house.
How can families be sure to choose a dog breed that matches their family's temperament and activity level?
Do your research about the dog's genetics– are they bred to do a certain job? Many times, families get a Border Collie or a Heeler (an Australian Cattle dog) and are surprised that the dogs nip at the kids. Those are herding dogs. They might have more of an instinct when kids are running and the dog wants to go and nip at their heels. This is literally what they were bred to do. Now trainers can help mitigate that and help eliminate that, but that is their genetics. They're not being aggressive, it's just what they were born to do. Malinois, as another example, are bred to bite, and do well in a home that understands this and gives the dog a job to do such as bitework etc to fulfill the dog’s life. Malinois were not meant to be couch potatoes.
If you’re looking for a dog that's more chilled out or that's kind of less energetic, look for a breed that is naturally calmer or super friendly with kids, typically like a golden retriever or labrador. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked with aggressive golden retrievers and labradors. Just because you get that breed doesn't mean that you're going to get the pro-temperament that you want. You still have to implement good training and have good genetics. Sometimes you don't know where a dog has come from, especially if they’re from a shelter, so it’s much harder to know the history of the dog.
There's no right or wrong answer. All of my dogs but one are rescues, and they're great. They all are good around kids, but some of them took some extra training to ensure that. Even to this day, I still practice safety around children with my own dogs because dogs are dogs! They do not think like humans and can occasionally be unpredictable. Kids are hard on dogs and every dog has their breaking point, no matter how tolerant you think your dog is around children.
Another important thing I need to mention is be careful with how movies and tv shows portray certain breeds. Kids will watch a movie and want that type of dog because it looks cool or seems so well behaved; there's a movie named Max and John Wick and they have a Malinois. They're working dogs, and don’t normally make the best pets, but ever since that movie came out there was a huge uptick in people wanting a pet Belgian Malinois, and they are not meant to be pet dogs– They need a job and they can be crazy. Plus, like I have mentioned before, they are bred to bite! I have one and she sleeps in my bed, cuddles, and has a great “off” switch, but it's either zero or 100. She is also a certified Narcotics dog that competes in Police Competitions every year. There’s never a median speed with a Malinois. If families are looking for a more chill dog, they're not going to want to get a working line dog. You're going to want a simple, “bred to be a pet” dog. Just to be safe, know the parents. How are their temperaments? Are they good with people? Have they ever had any issues with other dogs? It's nice to know as much information as possible before committing to years and years with a dog for your family.
Also consider these factors before bringing a dog into your family. Do you want a big dog or a little dog? That's going to change things. Little dogs might not knock over the kid as much and the big dog will be right at the face level of a child. Little dogs also get away with more, I have found, compared to a bigger dog. What do they need? What kind of house does your family have? Do you have a fenced-in yard? Do you have room for the dog to get exercise? If living in an apartment, there are extra considerations such as possible noise complaints. Do you really want a large Mastiff and a Great Dane in your apartment, probably not. Most likely that is not going to be enough space for the dog. You may want to consider getting a Yorkie or a Pomeranian, something small compared to a German Shepherd. Are there trails nearby when they take the dog for walks? A lot of these factors will play into a family’s dynamics and the pet’s quality of life to decide what breed is best for them.
Dogs are very expensive. Keep in mind that the cost of the dog does not stop as soon as you pay an adoption or breeder fee for a dog. Keep their long-term health in mind. Families that have children may also be saving up for private school or college for their children. Your new pet will need to be kept up with vaccinations and vet visits, food, treats, training, as well as occasional boarding or emergency care. Emergency visits can end up costing THOUSANDS of dollars. Hopefully this isn’t something that happens often, but we all know that dogs can do naughty things and get themselves hurt. Make sure you have an emergency fund for your dog and/or pet insurance.
How can parents and caregivers choose age-appropriate responsibilities for kids when it comes to taking care of and training the dog?
It depends on the maturity of the child. I've seen some young kids that have way more maturity than older kids. They can feed the dog in the morning. Give them some responsibility for walking the dog after they get home from school. However, I wouldn't let any young child take a dog alone on a walk. It's not necessarily because the child can't handle their dog, but let's say somebody else's dog gets loose and comes after your dog and now you have nobody there to help your child or advocate for your dog. So even if you're going to give your child responsibilities, you still want to supervise them because they are children...and children can make mistakes! Until they are maybe 11 or 12 years old and can do a lot of this on their own, make sure to play it extra safe. A seven or eight year old shouldn't necessarily be walking the dog around the neighborhood by himself or herself.
Also, if your dog is having issues with food or maybe is acting out a little, resource guarding the food or growling, you don't want the child to handle feeding times. Or if your child is constantly messing with the dog's food bowl, he or she might not be ready for that task yet. You do not want to risk your child getting hurt or possibly making the dog become more aggressive. Seek a trainer and get the whole family involved!
Now, you want to make sure that the family and children understand the dog's needs as well. Some dogs need more grooming attention than others. Start grooming and handling your dog at a young age and slowly get your dog used to being groomed. It's just like working with your child to take a bath every day or brush his/her teeth. Make it just a normal thing that happens and is fun. Maybe after your child is done doing his/her homework, we brush the dogs, or we trim one nail today. They could watch mom trim the nail while they give the dog treats.
Make different games that the kids can be involved in. Children love playing games with their dogs such as hide and seek or cute nosework games where they hide treats under cups and your dog has to sniff out which one has the treat. This will not only occupy the littles ones for a while, but it will help your child and dog build a bond with each other. The younger the child, the more simple the tasks should be. The older they get, the more responsibility you can give.
Why is it important that kids are involved in training and caring for dogs?
So let's say you get a dog or a puppy, and your child is young. Your child and your dog are going to grow up together. That dog will live 10 to 15 years, maybe even more. That's a long time. They're going to grow up and hopefully be friends, so you want your child to know how the training works, and what rules you have for the dog. Children should also be consistent with the dog’s needs so their dog can look up to that little human being as a leader, as well. Especially when your dog starts to mature, you want him/her to respect your children. Eventually when their friends start to come visit, you need to make sure you can trust your dog and child together. If the dog is out of control and has no respect for the child or his/her friends, you may end up having to put him away or crated all day to keep everyone safe. This isn’t teaching the dog how to politely greet guests...It is only managing the situation short term. I am not suggesting leaving your child and his/her friends alone with your dog, but if your children are involved with the dog’s training, you can be consistent every step of the way and you will have a much more balanced and happy dog! Reinforcing your dog’s training with your child is so important because your dog is going to be around this child for a long time. Your child is not just some random stranger. This will also give your child a lot of pride seeing what he/she can accomplish with their dog. Kids love to show off their dog’s training!
Raising a family dog is actually a good opportunity to help train your children in general! Having a family pet gives parents an opportunity to help teach children how to respect other animals and living beings. This can be a very good life lesson to be a kind and good person in general!
No comments:
Post a Comment