Teaching Your Child About Dogs

My two-year-old boy loves dogs. He is always interested in watching and petting them. His interest in dogs gave me the inspiration to teach him about what dogs eat, where they live, how dogs are cared for and the different types of dogs that exist. I have come up with some fun ways of teaching children about dogs. My child has enjoyed some of these activities and I think your child will too.

Read your child books about dogs. This will give you the chance to show pictures and talk about the various types of dogs that exist. Some things you can discuss are the body parts of dogs. For example, you can let your child know that cats have fur, four legs, a tail and paws. Something else you can talk about is what dogs need. For example, dogs need exercise, water and dog food. Some books that I would recommend is The Very Little Dog by Grace Skaar, How Puppies Grow by Millicent Salsam and The Noisy Book by Maragret Brown. You can find these books at your local library.

You can use art to teach your child about dogs. For example, buy a dog magazine to help your child create a dog collage. Have your child cut out different pictures and paste it onto paper. Talk with your child about the differences and similarities between the dogs. Another fun art activity is paw prints. Have a flat pan full of paint. Your child can use their fist to dip into the paint and then onto the paper. When they are done it appears as if they have paw prints all over the paper.

Play dog games. For example, a good one is doggie, doggie where's your bone. Hide a dog bone made out of construction paper somewhere in your home. Your child has to act like the dog in search of the bone. You can help your child find the bone by barking like a dog. When you child gets closer to the bone you bark louder if they are getting father then you bark quieter.

Visit a pet store or a veterinarian office. These are great places for your child to observe the different types of dogs and how they are cared for. You can also show your child dog related items at the pet store. For example, dog food, collars and leashes.