When are Children Ready for a Puppy?

Dear Tails,

Kids are bugging us to get a puppy… when is the best age of our children to get a dog?

Thanks,

Foster Family

Hi Foster Family,

In general, I think parents should hold off on getting a puppy until the youngest child is about 7 yrs old… I have several reasons.

· Kids younger than 7, tend to have shaky eye-hand coordination and poor reflexes. This can make it difficult for them to interact with the pup without stumbling, loosing balance and being constantly knocked down.

· Kids under 7 tend to have poor impulse control, when they get angry then tend to act it out and frequently their frustration is aimed at the weakest link in the family- the pet.

· Young kids often have nightmares involving animals which can make them timid or fearful around real animals.

· Kids under 7 rarely have the ability for abstract thought, and cannot overcome the natural tendency toward ego-centrism. Basically everything revolves around the child. This prevents them from understanding empathy in caring for a pet, as well as not knowing the difference between a stuffed toy and a real dog. Young kids tend to play too rough with puppies, wanting to pick them up, carry them around and twist their bodies.

A mis-treated pup quickly learns a fear of children and other similarly-moving, squeaky, smelly children (no offense)

Best to wait until the kids are a bit older or consider an adult rescue dog, one who has already been proven good with kids.