Dogs know what you teach them, as do your children. So, if while your pets and kids grow up together and you teach them the values of having each other around...then (in theory) everything will go smoothly. Of course nothing can go without hiccups! So be prepared to correct those bumps to create that smooth ride.
That picture is from when Zach was only 3 months old (in 2010) and just learning to do the smallest of movements in his little play mat! It was exciting for not only us to watch but for his loyal pup as well. She was there for nearly every first that happened with Zach, and he knows it.
Even now Zach treats Kita (Nikkitta) like a person. If she is tired he pats her and says "aww sleep" and I wouldn't have this relationship any other way at all!
I guess this is just my note to parents to let your kids be kids, with boundaries of course, but they need to develop these ever so important relationships!
I agree with this a lot! I think pets are perfect for children. Animals are more intuitive than we believe. They know when they are dealing with a small child. My neighbor's 80 lb golden retriever would turn into a gentle giant around the grandkids. The kids learned a lot of important lessons including responsibility and how to interact with others. How old is your dog?
ReplyDeleteOddly enough we got our female German Shep a bit before we found out we were pregnant with Zach. So she 3 years old, his age plus gestation time which is cool to think about. So they literally grew up together, even though he was growing in a belly that is.
DeleteI had a 98 lb pit-bull, yes that's right I said pit-bull when we got pregnant. We had the debate if Banditt (looked as if he had on a mask) had to go. Luckily, we kept him! We have too many funny stories of my daughter Savannah and Banditt. Okay, here is one.
ReplyDeleteBanditt was outside and my mother-in-law was babysitting. Savannah, was scooting around in a walker touching everything in reach, my mother-in-law reached out and tapped her on the hand to discourage this. Banditt open the patio door growled at grandma, then sat between them. The best guardian any kid could have.
Thats crazy, we had a dog named Bandit! He was a husky/wolf mix who just recently passed away at 16 years old. We have just gotten so lucky to have all these dogs that are so amazing with kids. I love the story, it just proves that animals know whats going on with the people they need to know about.
DeletePets and children are a great combo for most people. I grew up with cats and dogs. It's funny my husband's grandma would freak out when my oldest daughter was born because I would let the cat lay with the baby. (Actually if you've ever had a cat there really is no "letting" the cat do anything.) We had 3 cats at the time and one insisted on sleeping at the foot of the cradle with the baby. The other 2 would lay with her on the floor or the couch.
ReplyDeleteYup cats are just as bossy as people sometimes! I enjoyed my pets growing up to, as I had cats/dogs and horses.
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