When is Your Child Ready for a Dog

A dog is a great pet for a child. Our dogs have helped to teach our children responsibility, how to be gentle, and to think of others. But unless you want to be the one feeding the dog and picking up after it, don’t get a dog before your child is ready for the job.

Also, don’t get a dog unless you are willing to have it in the house. It is so sad to see a dog sitting alone in a backyard, or worse yet, chained to a tree and sitting alone in a yard.

Dogs are social creatures, and they want to be with their family.

My brother and I enjoy having a dog or two in our rooms at night, and my mom feels better knowing that if anyone tries to break in the dogs will make a lot of noise.

Once you get the dog, you might need to help your child remember to feed the dog. If it is a puppy, you will need to help your child remember to let the puppy outside after eating so no accidents occur in the house.

It might take awhile for your child to remember to pick up after the dog. My brother started that job when he was about 8 and fed them until I took over that job when I was 9. I trained them to sit while I set the food bowls on the ground for them.

I’ve always had at least one dog. Right now we have 4. It is a big responsibility, and it requires time every day to feed them, brush them, and make sure they have water, and it’s sad when one of our dogs dies, but I would never want to live without them.