A few years ago I went to a meeting about developing a website for kids and pets. One person was late and since it was a “pet” project, we decided to go around the table and all tell the others about our pets while we waited. I cringed as I heard one man say that he was thinking about getting his kids a dog but wasn’t sure that they would take care of it and he certainly didn’t want to. But he was going to go ahead get a dog because he wanted the kids to learn to be responsible.

I was fuming internally. Pets don’t “teach” kids to be responsible, parents teach kids how to care for a pet responsibly. We have to model how we want our kids to learn to love pets and care for pets. It’s not their duty, it’s their privilege to have a pet.  We have to show them that pets need food, water and attention, just like we do. Luckily, before I could open my mouth, the lady next to him started talking about her dog, a lab. She doted on him. She couldn’t wait to get up and feed him in the morning. She took him to Doggie Day Care twice a week so he could play with his friends. Her nieces and nephews weren’t allowed to feed him until they could master exactly where to put his dish and what the signal was for him to start eating! She taught him to ring the bells on the door when he wanted to go out. She had dog walking dates and scheduled trips to the dog park. The kids were welcome guests if “they” followed the rules, because her dog always did! I hope the other guy was listening because she was my dream example of showing everyone how to be responsible for a pet! 

It got me thinking about why kids need pets and what the benefits are for them. If parents understand all the good things pets do for our kids and our families, and for ourselves, we’d be much more willing to have a pet and care for it ourselves. Let the kids watch until they ask to help.  I started making a list that day of all the reasons that kids need pets.

As of today, my list is up to 232 reasons kids need pets!  So check out the list, it’s arranged alphabetically by categories from “Activities” to “Trust.”  If you take time to scan the list you’ll be surprised how much having a pet adds to our lives. Each “benefit” is one that’s been the result of a study or a quote an educated pet professional (dog trainer, vet, author, etc.) has made in a book or article. There are a few that don’t have a citation after them but that’s because I lost it.  It’s on the Home page – http://www.Kidoodlepets.com  If you’re a pet lover and see I missed something, let me know!