How to Know if Your Kids Are Ready for a Dog
Ask your kids if they want a dog., Make the long-term commitment clear to your children., Take your children to meet dogs., See if your kids interact well with dogs.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ask your kids if they want a dog.
If you’re thinking about adopting a dog as a family pet, it’s important to check with your children early on.
Many dog breeds have long lifespans, and may be with your family for nearly two decades.
Ask your children if they would like to have a dog around the house.
If your children do want a dog, make sure that they know the major responsibilities associated with raising a dog, including: providing food and water, and walking the dog and cleaning up after it.If they are interested but worry about dog attacks or poorly behaved dogs, you can explain that the dog your family would adopt would be well-trained and well treated.
If your kids are worried that they’ll be responsible for taking care of the dog, explain that the entire family will share dog-care responsibilities, with individual chores split fairly between individuals. -
Step 2: Make the long-term commitment clear to your children.
Children are naturally impulsive; may be excited about adopting a dog one week, and forget about the idea the next week (or have moved on to wanting a cat, a fish, a snake, etc.).
Sit down with your children and make it clear to them that adopting a dog is a long-term commitment.
Children need to understand that, once adopted, a dog will be part of the family for 10–20 years, and will need frequent care during this time.Also let kids know that, if they fail to follow through on necessary chores, the family may need to get rid of the dog.
Don’t threaten your kids with this option; avoid saying “If you’re too forgetful we’ll get rid of the dog!” Instead, explain to kids that they play a necessary role in caring for the dog: “We need you to help take care of the dog, and if you don’t do the chores we ask you to, we might have to find another family to care for the dog.” , A great primary step to see if your children are ready to care for their own dog—or to help care for a family pet—is to watch the children spending time with a dog.Ask your friends and see if any of them has a well-behaved dog that enjoys children.
Alternately, call or visit your local pet store or animal shelter and ask if there are any child-friendly dogs that your kids could socialize with.
If your friends, pet-store owners, or animal-shelter owners advise you that a specific dog is snappy, ill-tempered, or dislikes children, keep your kids away from the dog. , Once you’ve found a friend or pet-store owner who will allow your kids play with their dog, let your children pet the dog and interact with it.
Give the kids treats to feed the dog and a toy to throw for it; see if they enjoy spending time with the dog.It’s a good sign if the kids enjoy the experience, treat the dog well, and are enthusiastic about having a dog of their own.
Encourage your kids to be gentle with the dog, and make sure that they don’t quickly become bored with the animal.
If your kids are hard to control or overly excited around the dog and show behaviors like pulling the dog’s ears or tail, chasing the dog, or otherwise abusing the animal, your children are likely not ready for sharing the responsibilities of owning a dog. -
Step 3: Take your children to meet dogs.
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Step 4: See if your kids interact well with dogs.
Detailed Guide
If you’re thinking about adopting a dog as a family pet, it’s important to check with your children early on.
Many dog breeds have long lifespans, and may be with your family for nearly two decades.
Ask your children if they would like to have a dog around the house.
If your children do want a dog, make sure that they know the major responsibilities associated with raising a dog, including: providing food and water, and walking the dog and cleaning up after it.If they are interested but worry about dog attacks or poorly behaved dogs, you can explain that the dog your family would adopt would be well-trained and well treated.
If your kids are worried that they’ll be responsible for taking care of the dog, explain that the entire family will share dog-care responsibilities, with individual chores split fairly between individuals.
Children are naturally impulsive; may be excited about adopting a dog one week, and forget about the idea the next week (or have moved on to wanting a cat, a fish, a snake, etc.).
Sit down with your children and make it clear to them that adopting a dog is a long-term commitment.
Children need to understand that, once adopted, a dog will be part of the family for 10–20 years, and will need frequent care during this time.Also let kids know that, if they fail to follow through on necessary chores, the family may need to get rid of the dog.
Don’t threaten your kids with this option; avoid saying “If you’re too forgetful we’ll get rid of the dog!” Instead, explain to kids that they play a necessary role in caring for the dog: “We need you to help take care of the dog, and if you don’t do the chores we ask you to, we might have to find another family to care for the dog.” , A great primary step to see if your children are ready to care for their own dog—or to help care for a family pet—is to watch the children spending time with a dog.Ask your friends and see if any of them has a well-behaved dog that enjoys children.
Alternately, call or visit your local pet store or animal shelter and ask if there are any child-friendly dogs that your kids could socialize with.
If your friends, pet-store owners, or animal-shelter owners advise you that a specific dog is snappy, ill-tempered, or dislikes children, keep your kids away from the dog. , Once you’ve found a friend or pet-store owner who will allow your kids play with their dog, let your children pet the dog and interact with it.
Give the kids treats to feed the dog and a toy to throw for it; see if they enjoy spending time with the dog.It’s a good sign if the kids enjoy the experience, treat the dog well, and are enthusiastic about having a dog of their own.
Encourage your kids to be gentle with the dog, and make sure that they don’t quickly become bored with the animal.
If your kids are hard to control or overly excited around the dog and show behaviors like pulling the dog’s ears or tail, chasing the dog, or otherwise abusing the animal, your children are likely not ready for sharing the responsibilities of owning a dog.
About the Author
Adam Brown
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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