Teach Your Child To Train The Dog

Kids can learn a lot from helping you train the dog. pete grinsted from pete’s positive pooch training gives you some tips.

- Pete Grinsted

When I start working with a family dog, one common question I get is whether a child can be effective in training the dog. This is definitely possible, and kids will have great fun making the dog training interesting, challenging and rewarding at the same time – which is the best way to train your dog!

First things first. Most people think of dog training in terms of ‘sessions’ or ‘classes’, where they set aside a period of time each day for a few weeks. Once the sessions are complete, they consider the training is over and the dog trained. I don’t think this is a very effective way to work with your dog. Instead, dog training is something that should happen all day, every day. Each interaction you and your children have with your dog can be considered as training. Young dogs and kids are sponges that soak up information at an amazing rate. Few other animals watch us as much as dogs, so they are constantly learning. Dogs, like kids, need boundaries; they need to understand what behaviour is and is not acceptable.

Getting started – set the routine

At which age should kids begin helping with dog training?

This is a grey area, and it depends on the individual dog and the child to some extent. My preference is to get children as young as five years old, to be actively involved in the dog’s daily routine and slowly increase their responsibilities. Always supervise kids with dogs, particularly dogs that are new to the home, and kids who are new to dogs.

What do I do to start?