Many of our pets see kids as a completely different animal than adults. They are smaller, sometimes more awkward, make funny or more high pitched noises, and tend to be more curious and/or tense than adults around animals.
In order to establish an owner-pet relationship between kids and pets, it’s important to get the kids involved in training your pet so they are not seen as a threat or as a fun toy to play with. Including kids in the training process can also build a bond between kids and pets that make both acceptable to each other.
Safety First!
Before involving kids in interactions with pets, parents and kids must understand safety around pets. The following precautions should be taken:
Simple Steps
There are simple things that your child(ren) can do to build a bonding, owner-pet relationship that doesn’t require any training on your pet’s part at all.
Mealtime – Have the child prepare the pet’s meals. If the pet eats only dry food, show the child how much food the pet should receive and have them scoop it, place it in the food bowl and set the bowl down for the pet. If the pet eats wet or cooked food, adult assistance may be required, but allow the child to put the food into the bowl and on the ground. By allowing the child to participate in meal time preparation, the pet can begin to see the child as a provider.
(Please note that kids should be instructed that once the food is placed for the animal to eat, they should not attempt to pick up the food.)
Brushing – Many furry pets enjoy getting their fur brushed. If your pet enjoys being brushed and is used to it, allow your child to brush the pet. The child should be shown the proper pressure to apply and direction to brush the pet. Care should be taken that the child does not attempt to brush the pet in areas close to its eyes to prevent the child from accidentally poking the pet in the eye.
Bathing – If the pet does not find getting a bath as something aversive, have the child assist you the next time you need to give the pet a bath.
Walking – Allow the child to accompany you when taking the pet for a walk. While going for a walk is great for both pet and child, it is not a good idea for a small child to hold the leash of the pet during a walk as injury could result if the pet decides to pull or chase after an object.
Take it Easy
Kids can easily get frustrated when trying to teach a pet a command or trick, especially if the trick is rather difficult for the pet to accomplish. When involving kids in training, the following tips can make lessons less frustrating for the child and the pet.
What’s Next?
Once your child has built a bond with the pet and the pet is pretty reliable in following the commands given by the child, explore other activities that they may enjoy. Many of the people you see involved with dog and cat shows, training, and canine sporting competitions developed an interest when they were kids themselves. Below is a list of some resources to check out for activities to get your child and pet involved in:
United States Dog Agility Association Junior Handler Program
(https://www.usdaa.com/rulesReg_CertProgs.cfm#JHP)
Classes are geared to encouraging youth involvement in the sport of dog agility as a fun, recreational family sport and teaching responsible pet ownership.
American Kennel Club Junior Showmanship
(http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/jr_getting_started.cfm)
Children must be a minimum of 9 years of age. This program allows a child to learn more about dogs and dog shows, develop handling skills and learn about good sportsmanship.
American Kennel Club Junior Handling in Companion Events
(http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/companion.cfm)
Junior handlers can compete in Obedience, Agility, Rally and Tracking events.
Dock Dogs
(http://www.dockdogs.com/)
This sport involves dogs jumping off a dock into water in several types of competitions: Speed Retrieve, Big Air, and Extreme Vertical.
North American Flyball Association
(http://www.flyball.org/)
Two teams of four dogs compete against each other to see which team is the fastest in retrieving balls while jumping over hurdles along the way.
Cat Fancier’s Association
(http://www.cfainc.org/)
Learn more about cats, cat shows and cat agility training.
One Final Note
Training sessions should not be too long, as both child and pet may get bored, thus hindering the session. However, repetition and consistency are important. Try to incorporate short training sessions throughout the day (5 minutes two-three times a day).
In closing, training is something that should be fun and bond building for both kids and pets. If either becomes frustrated or seems overwhelmed, allow a break from the training so they can relax, play, or do something not as taxing.
Happy Training!
Grace Follis, CPDT-KA
In order to establish an owner-pet relationship between kids and pets, it’s important to get the kids involved in training your pet so they are not seen as a threat or as a fun toy to play with. Including kids in the training process can also build a bond between kids and pets that make both acceptable to each other.
Safety First!
Before involving kids in interactions with pets, parents and kids must understand safety around pets. The following precautions should be taken:
- Kids and pets should never be left unattended no matter how well-behaved the animal is. An adult should be present during all interactions.
- If your pet exhibits aggressiveness or shyness towards kids, assistance from a behavior specialist should be sought prior to involving kids in the pet’s training.
- Kids should not attempt to retrieve food, treats or possessions (toys, chew sticks, etc.) from a pet’s mouth or vicinity.
- Training should not take place with any pets that are injured, sick, or tired.
- Kids should not engage in any physical behavior with the pet that the pet may find as aversive (e.g. pulling on tails and ears, patting on the head, hugging the animal around its neck, throwing items at the pet.)
- If using treats as part of the training, kids should be taught how to properly give a treat to a pet when an appropriate behavior is emitted from the pet. The treat should be placed in an open hand with palm facing up. This will prevent the animal from biting a child’s fingers when trying to take the treat.
Simple Steps
There are simple things that your child(ren) can do to build a bonding, owner-pet relationship that doesn’t require any training on your pet’s part at all.
Mealtime – Have the child prepare the pet’s meals. If the pet eats only dry food, show the child how much food the pet should receive and have them scoop it, place it in the food bowl and set the bowl down for the pet. If the pet eats wet or cooked food, adult assistance may be required, but allow the child to put the food into the bowl and on the ground. By allowing the child to participate in meal time preparation, the pet can begin to see the child as a provider.
(Please note that kids should be instructed that once the food is placed for the animal to eat, they should not attempt to pick up the food.)
Brushing – Many furry pets enjoy getting their fur brushed. If your pet enjoys being brushed and is used to it, allow your child to brush the pet. The child should be shown the proper pressure to apply and direction to brush the pet. Care should be taken that the child does not attempt to brush the pet in areas close to its eyes to prevent the child from accidentally poking the pet in the eye.
Bathing – If the pet does not find getting a bath as something aversive, have the child assist you the next time you need to give the pet a bath.
Walking – Allow the child to accompany you when taking the pet for a walk. While going for a walk is great for both pet and child, it is not a good idea for a small child to hold the leash of the pet during a walk as injury could result if the pet decides to pull or chase after an object.
Take it Easy
Kids can easily get frustrated when trying to teach a pet a command or trick, especially if the trick is rather difficult for the pet to accomplish. When involving kids in training, the following tips can make lessons less frustrating for the child and the pet.
- Have the child begin by giving commands the pet has already been taught. This will help the pet get used to the child giving commands and receiving positive rewards for complying.
- Let the child teach a command for something the pet already does. For example, most dogs and cats sit and lie down on a regular basis. If the child can give rewards for when the pet exhibits that behavior, it’ll make the pet more prone to repeat that behavior for the child.
- Do not allow the child to reinforce a pet’s bad behaviors, such as jumping on them to greet them.
- Children should not physically maneuver the pet into any type of position, including pushing a dog into a sit position or forcing a cat to lie down. Many pets don’t understand why they are being touched and some find it very aversive and act out by mouthing, biting or scratching.
- Some commands kids can help teach pets that are relatively easy for a pet to pick up are “sit”, “down”, “look” and recall. These commands are relatively easy for a pet to learn as it requires little work on their part and are things they naturally do.
What’s Next?
Once your child has built a bond with the pet and the pet is pretty reliable in following the commands given by the child, explore other activities that they may enjoy. Many of the people you see involved with dog and cat shows, training, and canine sporting competitions developed an interest when they were kids themselves. Below is a list of some resources to check out for activities to get your child and pet involved in:
United States Dog Agility Association Junior Handler Program
(https://www.usdaa.com/rulesReg_CertProgs.cfm#JHP)
Classes are geared to encouraging youth involvement in the sport of dog agility as a fun, recreational family sport and teaching responsible pet ownership.
American Kennel Club Junior Showmanship
(http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/jr_getting_started.cfm)
Children must be a minimum of 9 years of age. This program allows a child to learn more about dogs and dog shows, develop handling skills and learn about good sportsmanship.
American Kennel Club Junior Handling in Companion Events
(http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/companion.cfm)
Junior handlers can compete in Obedience, Agility, Rally and Tracking events.
Dock Dogs
(http://www.dockdogs.com/)
This sport involves dogs jumping off a dock into water in several types of competitions: Speed Retrieve, Big Air, and Extreme Vertical.
North American Flyball Association
(http://www.flyball.org/)
Two teams of four dogs compete against each other to see which team is the fastest in retrieving balls while jumping over hurdles along the way.
Cat Fancier’s Association
(http://www.cfainc.org/)
Learn more about cats, cat shows and cat agility training.
One Final Note
Training sessions should not be too long, as both child and pet may get bored, thus hindering the session. However, repetition and consistency are important. Try to incorporate short training sessions throughout the day (5 minutes two-three times a day).
In closing, training is something that should be fun and bond building for both kids and pets. If either becomes frustrated or seems overwhelmed, allow a break from the training so they can relax, play, or do something not as taxing.
Happy Training!
Grace Follis, CPDT-KA
