Kids Dogs Part One Walking The Dog

This will likely be an ongoing topic since there are so many nuances on how kids & dogs should interact, be actively supervised by adults & safe games for kids and dogs to play together.  I already wrote an article on How Kids Should Greet Dogs, so please check that out.  Plus another article Please Dont Stare which are two other good topics when teaching kids to be safe around dogs.

I will say once again, that two of my personal favoritethings in life are dogs & kids.  Over my last 16 years working professionally with families & dogs I have truly enjoyed working with these two fun & living souls.  But that does not mean they arent challenging!

Primary Focus On Her Dog

Todays post was sparked by my recent (10 minutes ago) walk with my own dog Dexter.  While Dexter and I were casually strolling our neighborhood, we saw 3 young children (guessing first grade) walking a 25lb or so dog.  I proceeded to start to give them more distance as I always do for dogs I dont know & as they approached, I could see the one girl grip the leash tighter.  As we passed she said how her dog doesnt like other dogs & growls & barks at them.  Thankfully Dexter tends to be so neutral that a lot of dogs do not respond to him & their dog just walked past like we werent even there.

Wow!  My mind was just in overdrive as Dexter & I continued to walk home.  There are so many things with this scenario that makes my hair stand on end.  So lets breakdown the idea of kids walking dogs WITHOUT an adult with them.

At what age should a child be allowed to take the family dog for a walk without an adult?  As you can imagine there is not a gold standard in age.  But I wouldnt even consider a child under 12 to take a dog for a walk without an adult.  There needs to be some social maturity holding that leash.  Then I would look at a few key factors before making a decision.  You should be able to answer YES to all the questions below without any hesitation.

v     Does the child respect & always treat the dog kindly?

v     Will the child be able to handle the dog if he does get excited?

v     Will the child prioritize the dogs needs above their own?

v     Does your child know to pick up the dogs poo?

What about the dogs behavior & personality?  Once you have come to the conclusion that your

Photos Courtesy of Kelly Chalfant

child is mature enough to walk a dog without an adult, we need to look at the dogs personality & behavior to see if he is a suitable candidate.  You should be able to answer YES to all the questions below without any hesitation.

v     Is the dog well behaved in public & on a leash?

v     Does the dog pretty much ignore small critters such as bunnies, cats, & squirrels? 

v     Does the dog care less about passing traffic, noises & booms?

v     Does the dog listen well to the child?

v     Is the dog friendly with all strangers, but not too overly excited?

v     Does he ignore other dogs?

Where will your child be walking the family dog?  Even if your child is mature & your dog is low key & responsive to your child, the environment can play a huge factor in your decision making.  I am sad to report that I know a handful of children who where appropriate & their dog was appropriate whos dogs were attacked by other off leash dogs.  This is so terribly upsetting to me on so many levels.  Yes, I did write an article on What To Do If You Run Into An Off Leash Dog, one of my most popular articles to date, which unfortunately says a lot.

This is something  you really should think long & hard about.  As a parent you are making a decision for your child that could affect the rest of their life both emotionally & possibly physically if anything should go wrong.  I would like to say it doesnt happen that often, or only happens in "bad neighborhoods" but in my personal experience that has not been the case.

So now what?  I know I am not a parent to a human child, but I have been working with parents, their children & dogs for quite some time now to have a good grasp on what is safe behavior & what is risky behavior.  Im not a risk taker when it comes to people or dogs in my care.  So what this means to me is that I would urge you to walk WITH  your children & dogs as a family outing.  This is a wonderful time to bond with your children & to continue to teach them life lessons on dogs & dog responsibility.  Leave the ultimate responsibility of your dog & children in your hands not theirs.  

Enjoy your family & get out walking!

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