Dog's Best Friend: An Activity Book for Kids and Their Dogs
Once You Have Made the Decision to Get a Dog Once you take account of how you and your family members spend your time you can search for a breed whose temperament matches your lifestyle Here are some additional hints to help you in this decision making process If you're thinking of adopting an older dog con sider the age of the animal as compared to his average life span This will indicate how well the animal will adjust to a new home environment A dog in the early part of his life can be easier to train than one who has had time to develop bad habits and as with people longtime habits are hard to break However keep in mind that pup pies are the most challenging to train because they require the most effort patience and exper tise Don't read breed specific books when you're hunting for a breed of dog who suits your life style Such books are for people who have already decided on a breed so they are written with this in mind to help you enjoy your choice Also don't rely on breeders to give you unbiased infor mation because they love the breed they raise otherwise they wouldn't be in the business Here are some books to help your
Benjamin L Hart The Perfect Puppy How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior New York W H Freeman and Company 1988 Michele Lowell Your Purebred Puppy A Buyer's Guide New York Henry Holt and Company Inc 1990 Chris Walkowicz The Perfect Match A Dog Buyer s Guide New York Howell Books 1996 Shelters are great places to find companion ani mals There is a tremendous overpopulation of dogs and cats in the United States You can help reduce this problem by giving a slightly used dog or cat a new home Not only can you find many loving animals at shelters but they're a good val ue too Most shelters give an adopted animal all the appropriate vaccinations provide spay or neutering operations and even give you start up supplies often valued at hundreds of dollars all for a small fee Also you may be surprised to learn that shelters are great inexpensive places to find many purebred dogs without the purebred price Involve Kids from the Beginning Involve your kids as much as possible when you are deciding on what type of dog to get You want your kids to feel that they're a part of this decision too Also involving your kids now will help you keep them involved later when the dog that they helped
pick needs to be bathed or fed Once you pick out a dog let your kid participate in decisions concerning the dog This will help her take responsibility and give her the opportunity to teach you some things about your dog or reveal something about her that you didn't already know Here are some suggestions 1 Take your child shopping and let her pick out dog food with your help This is a great time to teach your child a lesson in proper nutrition Read the ingredients label together Note There are no federal regulations requiring dog food labels that include such words as ultra premium gourmet and natural to contain any different or higher quality ingredients than regular dog food Compare ingredients labels to see what foods truly provide better nutrition Also you can ask your veterinarian or pet care professional for her recommendations 2 Let your child pick out toys for the dog You'll find helpful tips on good safe toys throughout this book 3 If your child is older he can attend obedience training classes with the dog or at least help prac tice the obedience lessons Children as young as eight can successfully help train a dog depending on the child's physical strength maturity and confidence and the size of the dog To obedience
train without an adult's help a child should be about 12 Note A puppy who is 12 weeks old is ready for obedience training If you adopt a dog from a shelter wait a couple of weeks for the dog to develop a sense of security and comfort in his new home before starting obedience training However if the dog tries to nip anyone start training immediately 4 Buying a child a pet as a gift is not a good idea unless you involve the child in this decision By including the child the gift won't be a surprise but you won't get any unwanted surprises once the dog has been added to your family What Breeds Mix well with Kids It's difficult to say that specific breeds of dogs are better with kids than others Just as people all in one family do not behave the same there are personality variations within breeds of dogs You may find a docile German shepherd or a combative cocker spaniel In general a dog's personality is apparent after about six weeks and is the result of interacting with his mother and the other puppies in the litter A dog's temperament is shaped over a few years and depends on how the dog interacts with others Wherever you choose to get your dog take the time to make sure that you're a good match After all this is a friend
