Just as kids need to be taught boundaries, rules and manners, dogs need to learn the same structured way of life before he can “unleash” his full potential.
While training a dog or puppy may seem like a “one (adult) person job,” most trainers will tell you that it’s smarter to include all your children throughout the entire training process. When little ones get involved, it ensures they have a strong bond with your pup that sets a solid foundation for many happy years together.
But that isn’t the only benefit! involving your kids also ensures that your children are placed properly in the hierarchy when your dog assesses the status of his “pack,” as your dog should always view any human living in your household as above him.
Including your kids in the dog training process is also a terrific way to keep the whole family on the same page, regarding basic rules and guidelines (so that no one is inadvertently sabotaging the training efforts and process). And although there’s no scientific evidence to confirm this: WE believe dog training with the entire family actively involved is an awesome, loving bonding experience.
Private Lessons or Group Classes for Dog Training?
If you aren’t sure about training your dog, you may want to consider a group or private class. Limit your family group to one adult, one child, and one dog. This will ensure you are able to help your child without taking too much attention away from the dog, as he should always be your primary focus during training.
Children under the age of six should not attend formal group classes with multiple dogs present, merely for safety purposes. Children above the age of six can help with different tasks, depending on their age levels. Younger kids may be great at holding onto the treats while older children can start to perform simple commands with your pup.
Older children, especially those middle-school aged and up, should be able to fully participate in a class. Talk to the instructor and use your best judgment.
Clicker Training for Dogs
Clickers are great tools for teaching dogs simple commands and they’re easy for children to learn to use. Let’s say you want to teach your dog to sit. You may start by saying the word “sit” and then gently pushing your dog’s lower back into position. Later, as he learns the word, you can say “sit” while using the clicker.
To make clicker training work, your dog should earn a treat for a job well done. Make sure your child knows to tell him he’s a good dog, too!
Small tip: If your dog startles easy, he may startle at the sound of the clicker. This isn’t helpful; it’s just distracting. Try to start with the clicker in a pocket to muffle the sound instead.
Practice Away From Home
While all training should start at home, it is important for you to practice all of your training commands outside of the home as well. This is a great opportunity not only for socialization for your dog, but for exercise and bonding for the entire family.
Walks around the neighborhood, trips to the dog park, and outings to pet-friendly events are all great places to work on commands in atmospheres where there are extra people and distractions. Just make sure your dog isn’t getting too stressed out by the experience.
Turn Training Time Into Playtime
Turn some of your training time into play for both your child and your dog. Start by throwing a treat in a direction and telling your dog to go find it. After a couple of throws in the same direction, start tossing them in a different direction.
After your dog has run off some energy, put him on a leash and let your child put a treat on the ground about 10 feet away. Make your dog wait until your child returns and have your child then tell the dog to “find it.” Make sure the dog is watching, and gradually have your child put the treat in less visible places so that he has to remember where your child was.
You can do this with toys instead of treats as long as your dog will give it up to be hidden again. If he balks, it may be too much of a distraction.
When you’re done with treats, starting having your child hide and then teach the dog to go “find Tommy (switch out for your child’s name).” Your child can make small noises if the dog has trouble at first. The goal is to make sure your dog is eventually able to find any member of your household by name.
Fetch is also a great game, especially if you teach your dog to sit still until the ball is thrown. You can have your child throw the ball. If your dog won’t give the ball back, have your child throw a different one. If you keep a supply nearby, they can keep throwing until they run out (making sure the dog comes back with it each time). Then, your child should collect them from the yard and start the process again.
Puppy Socialization Is Critical
Make sure you are socializing your new dog as much as possible, especially in the first couple of months. Try to find situations in which your dog will be exposed to people of different genders, races, and sizes, whether at dog parks, the vet’s office, other people’s homes (with permission, of course), and even pet-friendly stores.
It is important to remember to keep socializing your dog regularly, even after the first few months, so that they don’t become overprotective of you and your children. They need to recognize and accept normal, friendly interactions from other people.
Set General Household Rules
Make sure everyone is on the same page as to what behaviors are acceptable and not. For example, if your dog likes to jump in his crate or from behind a gate when you approach, everyone should know to turn their backs on the dog until he calms down again. The goal will be to have a dog sit and wait for you, which should be rewarded with a treat.
Speaking of treats, make sure you’re not over feeding your dog during his training exercises. If there is more than one human involved, have one person give the command and another one give the treat. Take turns instead of letting each person have his own supply. Dog obesity is a growing issue, so it is important to be mindful of how many treats your dog gets each day.
Let your children participate in as many age-appropriate dog training and care related activities as possible throughout their formative years. Helping with feeding time, cleaning up the yard, regular exercise walks, and training time will help to strengthen their bond. Even very young children can be encouraged by simply teaching them to nicely and gently pet the dog (while supervised) so that your dog learns to trust little hands.