• Dog Training Tips

Motivation stories of kids training dogs

When it comes to dog training with kids and involving your children in the training of your canine companion, it can be a difficult but rewarding experience.
When children are involved in training their dogs, it can extend and teach them vital lessons that can help them throughout their life.
One of the essential lessons that children learn from this experience, is of course empathy and the understanding that their dog is learning.
This concept of learning can extend to your child and help them increase their confidence as well as connects with them.

This was a huge part of raising my own children and their experiences with their pets that helped them on many levels. As a professional dog trainer, I wanted my own children to experience the fulfilling and rewarding experience of training their dogs.  Like many children however, there are certain hurdles when training any dog that must be overcome.

 

My son Isaac began training his Border Collie Sheppi at the age of 5 late in 2011, and his main hurdle was dealing with his dog’s size and strength. Being able to control his dog and train her properly was a challenge that he ultimately dealt with, learning patience and resilience in training his dog with a firm yet loving hand.
This can be a huge problem for any child under the age of 7 and can be curbed by helping the dog realize that he or she is much stronger than their owner. Through careful and deliberate lessons, Isaac was able to capture his first win in a dog obedience competition within just six months’ time.

In fact he was invited in June 2012 to participate in the Cesar Milan live show at the Marina Bay Sand theatre. He’s continuing to work with his dogs to this day, and remains one of the youngest dog obedience competitors in the world.

My daughter Valerie began even younger than Isaac did, being just 4 years old she had a natural fear of dogs or handling dogs.  This can be very common in many children, and through repeated sessions she overcame her fear.

Her first dog Peppa was a smaller poodle that she took to naturally and began training and participating in dog obedience shows shortly thereafter.
She has come a long way since then, gaining confidence and self-esteem while learning the benefits of compassionate training.

She recently participated in the Pet Expo in 2014, where she handled my son Isaac’s Border Collie & in 2015 with Peppa as part of her training regimen.

When you want your child to experience and train their dogs, remember that it’s not just to correct canine behavior. By using a firm yet compassionate and loving hand, your child can connect to this training process on a much deeper level than many parents realize.

By relating education and making it fun for the dog as well as the child, they understand that learning should be fun, and that patience is key.

It’s important to realize and recognize safety as the leading factor to your child and their interaction with any dog, so if you have any doubts make sure to seek a professional setting in which to begin.