Getting your child a dog is a potential lifelong commitment. Before you jump into getting one, make sure that your child is ready for the responsibility that it takes. Adding a dog to the family gives your child the opportunity to learn how to care for and meet the needs of someone else. Doing this can have lasting positive effects on your child throughout their life. 

Commitment to Training 

Dogs are wonderful and fun but they also need some training to be good houseguests. The last thing a mama wants is to have to scrub poop stains off the carpet every single day. Not only that, but you’re going to want to be able to have guests over without your dog jumping and knocking them down. 

Careful consideration must happen to ensure your pet is properly trained. If you’ve never trained a dog before, visit an online vet chat room where they can teach you a bit more about your animal. Once you learn how to train them, you have to be diligent about it and stay consistent. Everyone in the household needs to be on the same page in order for it to work.

Keeping Structure 

It is very important to teach your child to maintain structure with your dog. Pups need to eat at certain times throughout the day and they also need to go outside at specific times as well. To prevent your child’s pet from pooping in the house, try to let the dog outside in-between and after meals. 

It is also important to set up a consistent time to walk and exercise the dog so that it can stay healthy. Your child may have responsibilities of their own that they need to learn to prioritize as well. Yes, it is very important for your pup to get care of, but it isn’t helpful if your child sacrifices their own responsibilities to do that. Thus, your kiddo needs to learn time management. For example, they need to be able to take their pet for a walk and finish their homework in time for bed. 

So before you get a dog, it is a good idea to sit down with your kid and talk about how they will manage their time.

Cleaning up Messes 

No one wants to clean up the mess that a dog makes. When children think about having a pet, they seem to only think about the fun parts. But it is important for kids to be the main ones cleaning up their dog’s mess. 

If the dog goes to the bathroom inside of the house, have the child clean up the mess and reinforce the pup’s training. If their pet knocks something over, have your child pick it up and help teach the dog to be more gentle. 

Every mess is an opportunity for both the child and the dog to learn something.

Having Lots of Fun 

It seems obvious that it’s important for your child to have lots of fun with your dog. Unfortunately, once the excitement of having a new puppy wears off it’s easy for a kid to play with them less. Young kids often get distracted by and more excited about new things. If you notice this, try to remind your child that dogs need lots of love, affection, and playtime daily.

Extend a Hand 

It is definitely important for your child to learn to care for their pet. But, it’s equally important for mom to extend a hand from time to time when it gets hard. Sometimes they just can’t do it all on their own. This will teach your child that it’s okay to need help. Also, it will allow them the chance to mess up without sacrificing the safety or wellbeing of their pet. 

All in all, the lessons and love your youngster will learn from gaining a new best friend will be worth it.