Children are the passionate individuals in the world, as they’re always trying to do what excites them most. If your kid wants a dog, he or she will have to make it work without your help. The idea is that your child will learn responsibilities and your dog will learn how to behave at home. This is easier said than done.
While it’s not hard to train a dog, not every training drill is meant to be performed by children, but some of them are! If you or your kid are struggling to make your dog calm down, relax it, and make it an obedient pet, here’s a list of some techniques which can be used by kids to train a household dog:
Sit
Teach your dog to sit down whenever you like. Make a list of things it likes, as treats, petting, going outside, and even some attention.
Say the “Sit” cue and when it does sit, give it any reward of that list. It’s important that your dog understands the cue to make the technique work properly. Soon, your dog will sit every time you want to do something with it.
You’re the Commander
Grab some treats, the best in our opinion are bully sticks and close your hand. While your dog is sniffing around, keep your hand closed, but if the dog sits and waits, open your hand.
If it goes crazy and reactive, close your hand again, but if it stays quiet, drop one treat on the floor. Soon, your dog will always be respectful and won’t be on top of you every time someone brings food.
Relaxed Pet
This drill will teach your dog to stay relaxed even in stressful or exciting situations. Put a towel or a mat on the floor in front of your dog and make it lay down on it.
Now, just create distractions for it, and reward it only when it stays on the mat with a relaxed attitude. Gradually go for more and more distractions until the dog understands, it isn’t easy, but it is a rewarding experience. This is great for outings and social gatherings.
Although kids aren’t responsible for our home pets, we can ask them to try these three drills for some hours every week. Sooner than later, your dog will be one of the best-behaved dogs in your neighborhood and your kid will be a really proud owner. Killing two birds with one stone isn’t as hard as they made us believe!
