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Kids and Pets ‒ A Few Tips for First-Time Pet Owners

1
Getting a pet is a huge step for the family and it comes with a great deal of responsibility. Owning a pet means being accountable for another living creature’s life and taking care of its well-being. Children love animals, and all of them wish for a pet at some point in their life, which is why you should get familiar with everything that having a little furry friend involves.
Safety

Animals can be a child’s best companion through childhood, teaching them about responsibility, companionship, and nurturing. According to statistics,

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approximately 80 percent of canine bites come from animals that children know, so it’s important to learn how to be safe around them. Children love to play, so sometimes they’ll wish to tease a dog thinking it’s a fun way to be entertained. However, it can disturb the dog which can lead to biting and attacking. This is why you should consider enrolling a dog into an obedience class where they’ll learn to follow commands and not jump on people. Teach a child not to play tug-of-war with dogs because that can make the animal angry.

Cats are not

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that much of chasers as dogs are, so the major concern should be whether it will scratch or bite a child. That’s why a kid should know to recognize a cat’s back and forth tail flipping as an indication that the animal is about to scratch. If a cat tends to scratch often, you can take it to the vet and declaw it.
Benefits
Animals offer comfort, so having a pet will help a child overcome feelings of sadness, anger or fear. Furthermore, having someone else to look after helps us become more nurturing. Not only will owning a pet give children a sense
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of responsibility, but an opportunity to understand what it would be like to take care of another human being in the future as well. Furthermore, according to research, children who were exposed to more than one dog in the first seven years of their lives were half as likely to become allergic to animals as those who didn’t own any pets.
Feeding and grooming

It’s important to feed your dog with appropriate food. While they may enjoy your dinner leftovers, offering them quality nutritious dog food is a much better choice. Therefore, it’s best

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if you stick to the classics at first and give your pup some good old Royal Canin dog food. Then see how it goes and make any adjustments if need be. Don’t give them milk because it can cause diarrhea. It’s essential that your pet is always clean and healthy, so be sure to groom it regularly, at least twice a week. Pet combs with rounded teeth are best for long-haired pups, while a regular grooming comb is perfect for short-haired dogs. Always check their eyes and ears for infection, and if you notice any odour or discharge, take the pet to the
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veterinarian. Trim their nails regularly and make sure there are no ingrown nails in paws.
Boundaries
Just because you consider your pet a family member, it doesn’t mean they can roam all around the house and make a mess out of it. Make sure to determine the area in which an animal can eat, play and sleep.  Also, be sure to watch over young pets so they wouldn’t chew on furniture or footwear and scratch everything in the house. It’s essential for children to know that they shouldn’t disturb a sleeping dog so they wouldn’t frighten it.
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Final thoughts
While owning a pet can be exciting, it’s also very demanding. Therefore, learn everything about taking care of an animal before you welcome it to your family in order to have a happy and worry-free life with it.  

 

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- 10 Aug 17

Getting a pet is a huge step for the family and it comes with a great deal of responsibility. Owning a pet means being accountable for another living creature’s life and taking care of its well-being. Children love animals, and all of them wish for a pet at some point in their life, which is why you should get familiar with everything that having a little furry friend involves.

Safety

Animals can be a child’s best companion through childhood, teaching them about responsibility, companionship, and nurturing. According to statistics, approximately 80 percent of canine bites come from animals that children know, so it’s important to learn how to be safe around them. Children love to play, so sometimes they’ll wish to tease a dog thinking it’s a fun way to be entertained. However, it can disturb the dog which can lead to biting and attacking. This is why you should consider enrolling a dog into an obedience class where they’ll learn to follow commands and not jump on people. Teach a child not to play tug-of-war with dogs because that can make the animal angry.

Cats are not that much of chasers as dogs are, so the major concern should be whether it will scratch or bite a child. That’s why a kid should know to recognize a cat’s back and forth tail flipping as an indication that the animal is about to scratch. If a cat tends to scratch often, you can take it to the vet and declaw it.

Benefits

Animals offer comfort, so having a pet will help a child overcome feelings of sadness, anger or fear. Furthermore, having someone else to look after helps us become more nurturing. Not only will owning a pet give children a sense of responsibility, but an opportunity to understand what it would be like to take care of another human being in the future as well. Furthermore, according to research, children who were exposed to more than one dog in the first seven years of their lives were half as likely to become allergic to animals as those who didn’t own any pets.

Feeding and grooming

It’s important to feed your dog with appropriate food. While they may enjoy your dinner leftovers, offering them quality nutritious dog food is a much better choice. Therefore, it’s best if you stick to the classics at first and give your pup some good old Royal Canin dog food. Then see how it goes and make any adjustments if need be. Don’t give them milk because it can cause diarrhea. It’s essential that your pet is always clean and healthy, so be sure to groom it regularly, at least twice a week. Pet combs with rounded teeth are best for long-haired pups, while a regular grooming comb is perfect for short-haired dogs. Always check their eyes and ears for infection, and if you notice any odour or discharge, take the pet to the veterinarian. Trim their nails regularly and make sure there are no ingrown nails in paws.

Boundaries

Just because you consider your pet a family member, it doesn’t mean they can roam all around the house and make a mess out of it. Make sure to determine the area in which an animal can eat, play and sleep.  Also, be sure to watch over young pets so they wouldn’t chew on furniture or footwear and scratch everything in the house. It’s essential for children to know that they shouldn’t disturb a sleeping dog so they wouldn’t frighten it.

Final thoughts

While owning a pet can be exciting, it’s also very demanding. Therefore, learn everything about taking care of an animal before you welcome it to your family in order to have a happy and worry-free life with it.  

 

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