“Bed, Scout,” I said crossly, pointing the dog to her space in the family room. When 8-year-old Sam climbed up on the counter to get to the cereal cabinet, I shooed him away too. “Wait, honey. The oatmeal’s almost ready.”

“Mom, I’m starving,” he wailed. “Can’t I just get myself some cereal?”

So I wasn’t exactly thrilled when, five minutes later, I plunked down three bowls of oatmeal and starving Sam wasn’t at the table. His two little brothers dutifully dug in, but Sam was headed out the door, skipping and giggling while Scout bounded alongside him.

“Sam!” I ordered. “You get in here right this minute and eat your oatmeal!”

He stopped, turned, and looked at me in astonishment. “But Mom, Scout’s hungry too. It would be cruel to eat in front of her when she hasn’t had breakfast herself.”

And it dawned on me that Scout is far more than just another beloved creature in my house who needs something from me. Scout is one of the chief reasons my sons are becoming good human beings: She’s teaching them empathy, compassion, and responsibility. She’s teaching them what it means to put another’s needs before their own. And in a world of report-card grades and ball-game scores and bad-behavior time-outs (and, it must be admitted, stressed-out mothers), her unconditional love is teaching my children that they’re real heroes, no matter what.

Benefits of the Bond

Almost 60 percent of American households have pets (with dogs just edging out cats), even though a pet can be a significant investment of both time and money. But the benefits to children — to the whole family, really — far outweigh the costs.

Pets keep kids healthy “The scientific proof is building on the living-room logic that pets not only make us feel good, they’re good for us,” says veterinarian Marty Becker, D.V.M., author of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul. Recent studies in Europe and the United States have found that infants who share a home with at least one pet are significantly less likely to develop allergies to animals, dust mites, grasses, and pollens later in childhood. Pet owners also tend to be less anxious and have lower blood pressure than folks who don’t have an animal in the house.

Pets often rate as a sort of furry form of Prozac too: “They can provide social support that helps people to be more impervious to anxiety-provoking situations,” says psychologist Kimberly Sirl, Ph.D., of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. This is especially true for children, who tend to see pets — even fish — as family members. They give kids a way to cope with the normal stresses of growing up — the birthday parties they’re excluded from, the lost soccer games — as well as more disruptive events like the death of a grandparent or divorce. “Children may find it easier to tell a pet their feelings,” says Sirl.

Pets improve kids’ self-esteem The way many dogs and cats (and, lots of kids would argue, guinea pigs) love children is unconditional, which can help kids to develop healthy self-esteem. “No matter what sort of day we’ve had, pets love us just the same,” says Dr. Becker.

Self-esteem also grows out of a sense of accomplishment. When a child feeds a pet, takes it for a walk, or simply scratches it behind the ears, the positive feedback is both instant and obvious. A wagging tail or a satisfied purr is all it takes for a child to know that she’s done a good job.

Pets give kids social confidence Children who tend to be shy, sensitive, or withdrawn may find it easier to open up to an animal than to another person, which can help them build the confidence they need to develop human relationships. A bashful child with a dog on a leash or a kitten on the front porch may also find that other kids are attracted to the animal, giving the child an easy way to engage with others.

Pets teach kids how to care Children tend to respond to a pet’s unconditional love with unconditional love of their own. In fact, relationships with pets are very simple compared to those with family and friends, says Sirl. A sibling can be a nuisance, a friend can be fickle, parents can be insufferably bossy — but an animal inspires only mutual love. A little boy who’s trying hard to become a big boy may feel awkward giving a friend a hug, but he can go home and nuzzle his dog or his cat without feeling self-conscious
What’s Best for You?

Of course, the payoffs of pet ownership will be undermined if the animal is a bad match for your family. So before considering any pet, you’ll need to do your homework. You have to consider how much space, energy, time, and money you have to invest. If cost is an issue, keep in mind that dogs and cats are the most expensive animals to maintain. If time is at a premium in your household, note that dogs must be walked, groomed, and trained. For busy families, a lower-maintenance animal, such as a cat, a guinea pig, a bird, or even a fish, might be a better choice. The same holds true for households where space is limited. Some other things to think about before expanding the family:

Allergies

Consider the health of everyone before settling on a specific pet. If Dad is allergic to cats, don’t get one no matter how much a child has her heart set on it. And note that kids could develop allergies as well. If a child tends to have pollen or food allergies or to suffer frequent bouts of dermatitis, there’s a chance she may be allergic to pet dander too. Check with your pediatrician and watch your child’s reaction to other people’s pets before bringing any animal home.

Avoid fad animals

For a family pet, of course, you want an animal that responds well to children. Certain dogs, such as Jack Russell terriers (like Wishbone) and Dalmatians, look really cute on TV and in movies but aren’t great with kids. (Other breeds to avoid: pit bulls, Scottish terriers, German shepherds, Akitas, chows, and Rottweilers. While there are always exceptions, many of these dogs are bred to be aggressive guard dogs.) The same is true of exotic animals — reptiles, imported birds, ferrets — and all wild creatures, even those orphaned and adopted while still very young.

Work only with reputable breeders and sellers

If pure-breed cats and dogs are bred irresponsibly, they’re prone to a host of health problems that can be very expensive to treat. Likewise, animals from pet stores, such as parakeets and mice, are more likely to carry infectious diseases if they’re kept in unsanitary and crowded conditions. So for the health of both your pet and your family, ask a veterinarian to recommend a good source for the kind of pet you’re considering, or head for the Humane Society and save the life of a mixed breed.

A veterinarian’s office may also be a good place to pet-hunt

Often you’ll find a listing of puppies or kittens born to the vet’s patients. And many vets will take in strays or abandoned litters, hoping to find them homes.

Raising children is about the most time- and energy-sapping endeavor there is in life, and sometimes I have to wonder if I temporarily lost my mind when I added Scout, Bessie (our cat), Smoky (our hamster), and three different aquariums full of fish to the list of living things I take care of every day. But when I see my little boys ruffling Scout’s ears or trailing a string for Bessie to pounce on or ever-so-gently stroking Smoky’s impossibly soft fur, I realize I haven’t lost my mind at all: I’ve enriched my heart as well as my home. Not to mention my children’s lives.

Contributing editor Margaret Renkl wrote “A Miracle for Isaac”.

You can learn to tell if your dog has a health problem by doing the following:

1.  Pay attention to your dog’s daily routine.  Did he finish his food?  Did he follow his usual bathroom habits?  Is he drinking his normal amount of water?  More?  Less?  All of these things can tell you important information about your dog’s health.  They are often first indicators that something may be wrong with your dog.

2.  How is your dog’s overall condition?  Has he lost weight?  Gained weight?  Is his coat shiny or is it looking bad?  Again, these are important indicators that your dog may be experiencing a change in his health.  Watch them closely.  It can be easy to miss your dog gaining or losing weight since it may happen gradually, but if your dog begins losing hair or having other skin problems, these are usually very noticeable and they can be an indication of thyroid problems, allergies or other conditions.

3.  How is your dog’s energy level?  Is he as active as he usually is or does he lie around more?  Is he lethargic?  Is he hyperactive?  A change in your dog’s energy level can indicate a change for the worse in his health.  Lethargy could be an indication of anything from hypothyroidism to heart failure.

4.  Is your dog sensitive about his ears?  Ear problems are very common with dogs, especially long-eared breeds and breeds with long hair.  Ear problems can take the form of yeast and bacterial infections.  If left untreated they can even lead to hearing lost or require surgery.

These are some of the things that are easily observable.  You can also check your dog’s gums to see if they are healthy and pink.  If they are too pale that could be an indication that your dog is not processing oxygen as well as he should — perhaps a sign of hemolytic anemia or a cardiovascular problem.

If your dog is limping for more than a few hours you may need to take him to the vet to see what the problem is.  Dogs can twist or sprain a limb the same way people can, but if your dog limps for more than just a short period of time he could have a bony growth or be feeling some form of arthritis.  Your vet would need to make the diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

With dogs, as with humans, there are so many possible health conditions that it’s hard to say what might be wrong with your dog just by looking at him.  However, you can usually tell by looking at a dog if something is wrong, even if you don’t know exactly what it is.

You know your dog better than anyone.  If you sense that something is “off” or just not right with your dog you should trust your instincts and take your dog to the vet.  Better safe than sorry where the health of your dog is concerned.

Be sure that your dog and any other that he comes into contact with are current on all vaccines, including Rabies, Bordetella (for kennel cough. note –(Keep in mind that, like the flu virus for humans, the vaccine is designed to prevent against the most common strain, of which there many.) and all DHLPP shots. This will minimize his and other dogs health risks if one or both becomes sick. Remember that, just like people, a dog’s personality comes in all varieties, some dogs may never be able to get along together because and they just aren’t compatible with others. If the first few tries are unsuccessful, take heart, it doesn’t mean the end of the road. Keep trying until a match is found that gets along well together.

Not giving a dog the opportunity to play and interact with other dogs is like having a child and not allowing them to play with other children. This can create behavior problems later in life as they have never been given the opportunity to develop social skills. There are some dogs that just can’t figure out how to socialize and play with others and in this case, they may do best by themselves. You can assist this type of dog and encourage him to play and interact by getting involved in the play yourself. Silly though it may sound, I’ve gotten it to work. One way to assist the shy or fearful dog is through daycare, again, this is not foolproof and some dogs just cannot seem to develop social skills, but at least you would have attempted and hopefully brought him out of his shell. Ideally to be able to take your dog to dog parks and watch them play, socialize and make new friends of their own kind would be great.

They can wear each other out so that you won’t have a hyper or destructive dog on your hands when you get home or if you ever have to leave them home alone. There are young dogs of certain breeds that can mingle comfortably with plenty of others with no problem, but not all dogs are capable of such sociability. When dogs hit maturity, some are no longer comfortable mingling with unfamiliar dogs. Dogs use body language for communicating. Being taken from their mothers early, dogs are left to learn these skills from us humans, unfortunately we don’t communicate in the same ways, which leaves them to figure it out on their own, making it more difficult for them to learn. This is why we need to use caution in allowing our dogs to greet a new potential playmate or friend. The younger the dog the more friendly and pliable he is.

Close supervision will always be needed when he is learning to form new relationships with other dogs. A good parent would initially keep close watch on their young children as they meet new friends for the first time and observe the situation, monitoring closely for problems so that they could intervene when they sense a problem. Imagine being a mom or dad who is looking out for your kids while gradually loosening the leash of freedom. If your dog is being picked on or seems uncomfortable, you may need to come to his rescue. If he’s behaving badly toward others, you may need to remove him from the situation or use a brief “time out” if corrective action doesn’t work. When a puppy is scared to be around others, it shouldn’t be forced, however repeated attempts may bring success as we’ve learned from experience.

A dog that gets too excited and overwhelms others may need to be pulled aside for a brief period, in order to calm down. When playing, some dogs may appear to be fighting and it can often be difficult to interpret. Conflicting misunderstanding may lead to fights if close watch is not kept to keep both dogs in check. Some breeds tend to use growling in their play and others will full on wrestle while some just like to play chasing games and barking can also be a part of play. Crashing and running into each other is a means of play for some while other dogs don’t quite know what to make of it and may feel uncomfortable or threatened by this. Some will use greetings that others may find overwhelming or uncomfortable or even intimidating and threatening, like rushing to greet others and jumping, climbing and licking others, barking at them, or they may exhibit complete fear.

Mounting and other displays of dominance like holding his head above another dog’s head or biting the back of the other dog’s neck are undesirable behaviors and acts of power play and should be corrected immediately. On the flip side, some may show submissiveness in greeting such as lying down or rolling onto their back to show the other dog that they aren’t a threat. So many different temperaments in each individual dog, is why allowing our dogs to simply charge out and greet others may in fact be dangerous to one or both dogs, and why a slow cautious approach is best.

The registered name often begins with the name of the kennel that the dog came from. This is also a part of his show name. All registered names must be original. Although these names have a rather fancy sound to them, when you understand more about how they are given they are actually fun.

Besides the kennel name the registered names can include the name of the dam and or the sire. Any combination of ancestors along with a theme is very common. However, AKC limits the name to thirty-six characters in length, including spaces, so if the names are long it can certainly present a problem. For an extra fee the length can be extended up to fifty characters.

Registered names often have no relationship whatsoever with the call name. Call names should be rather short; two to three syllables is the recommended length. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have more than one dog the names should be different enough that the dogs can easily distinguish them. For example, naming one dog Holly and another one Molly would not be a good idea.

Many people choose to name their dogs right away; in fact, they may even have the name picked out before they ever see the dog. Other people want to keep the dog a wait or two before naming him so that they can choose a name that matches the dog’s personality. And still others prefer a name that describes the dog’s physical appearance to some degree, such as naming a big dog Bruno or a Black dog Blackie.

Originality is nice but when it comes to dogs, just like people’s names, there are certain names that are all time favorites for particular breeds or dog stereotypes. And just as with human names, dog names sometimes become popular because of a TV show, a song, an actor, a movie, a rock band, etc. Since dogs can live to be up to twenty years or longer it is suggested that the name be one that is somewhat evergreen; simply meaning that the name will have significance in the years to come, even if the namesake doesn’t.

Once you have decided on a name you should begin using it as much as possible. The goal is to find ways to get your dog to associate the name with a meaning. By using his name regularly he will quickly pick up on the fact that the name refers to him.

How Important Is Your Dog’s Name? courtesy of Dog Articles

It doesn’t matter how many times you tell him, “NO!” or “OFF!”  Your puppy hasn’t yet learned what these words mean.  He doesn’t even know his name yet.  He really has no idea what it means when you tell him to lie down or leave something alone.

Your puppy will quickly become very good at reading your body language and understanding the tone of your voice but you will have to patiently teach him each word and phrase that you want him to know.  Puppies aren’t born knowing English or any other language.  It’s up to you to teach him the basic vocabulary.

If you are adopting an adult dog then he will also have to learn some things when he comes to living with you.  He may know some basic words and phrases, especially if he has been housebroken already.  But your family will probably have some words that are unknown to him.  There may be some new rules that he doesn’t know yet.  It will take a little time for your new dog to learn the new words for things.  He may know some things by other names — “bathroom” for “potty,” or “dinner” for “supper,” and so on.  Try different words for things and see if he gives a reaction.  You may find the words that he knows.

On the other hand, there are times when your puppy or dog does know certain words and may choose to ignore you.  If you have been training your puppy or dog and you know that he knows the word “Sit” but he won’t sit for you, then there may be something wrong with your training methods.  Most likely your training is inconsistent.  You may not train very often and your dog doesn’t see any reason why he should obey the command when it is only used once in a while.  In these situations you should train more often so your dog will take the training more seriously.

If you let your dog sleep on your bed six nights in a row and on the seventh night you tell him very sternly that he’s not allowed on the bed, the chances are that he’s not going to take you seriously.  Training is the same way.  If you want your dog to listen to you then you must be consistent in what you tell your dog and in what you expect him to obey.  Be consistent, use the same words for things, and always be fair.  You must also train regularly so that your dog knows you are committed to what you are teaching him.

If you are inconsistent or you don’t train very often, then your dog is apt to ignore you.

Remember that your puppy isn’t born knowing any language at all.  Like human children, puppies have to learn the meaning of words.  They cannot hope to learn any training until they begin to understand some words in the home.  Fortunately, puppies learn very quickly and they can start to learn all that we have to teach them — and some things we don’t mean to teach them.  Your puppy will begin listening to you as soon as he is able.  It’s up to you to teach him things that are worth learning.

My Dog Won’t Listen To Me courtesy of Dog Articles

Well, if you won’t exercise for your own sake, you should seriously think about getting your dog some exercise.  Canine obesity is at epidemic proportions in the United States.  An estimated 17 million dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese according to the group StopCanineObesity.com.  Most of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight because their owners feed them too much for the amount of exercise they get.  Reducing the amount of food they feed is one way to help the problem, but increasing exercise would also be helpful.

Dogs which receive adequate exercise are better off in many ways.  They are generally calmer, happier dogs.  They are less likely to experience problems like separation anxiety and other behavioral problems.  Exercise can also help a dog’s overall physical health.  It can improve bone and joint health as well as heart and lung function.

You can enjoy lots of different exercise activities with your dog, such as jogging, bicycling, swimming, even taking long walks together, or letting your dog have a good run off leash in a safe area.

As with all activities it’s important to remember to do things in moderation.  Don’t let puppies overdo things.  Any kind of forced activities for puppies are strictly out.  They can hurt their bones and joints and harm their overall growth later on.  But easy, moderate activities for all dogs are highly recommended.

If you’re going jogging or bicycling or planning to do any other activity, be sure to warm up — both you and your dog.  Dogs can pull tendons and ligaments just as people can.  Don’t let your dog over-exert himself or do anything without proper preparation.

If your dog has been a couch potato don’t try to do too much too fast.  Work into exercise gradually.  Do a little bit at a time until your dog is exercising at a level that he enjoys.

Proper exercise should be fun for your dog, not a chore.  If your dog is enjoying himself then good exercise should help him live a longer, healthier life.  Remember, too, that not all dogs were created equally when it comes to athletic activities.  Don’t expect your Boston Terrier to be able to do the same kind of running that your friend’s Golden Retriever does.  Make allowances.

If you visit your local kennel club, animal shelter or pet supply store you may find groups of people who are doing activities with their dogs.  Agility, rally and flyball are all very active sports that you and your dog could enjoy.  These activities are also a great way to meet other dog lovers and their dogs.

No matter what activity or sport you and your dog enjoy, exercise is good for all aspects of your dog’s life.  He’ll be glad you got him off the couch.

Why Your Dog Needs Exercise courtesy of Dog Articles