Teaching Your Child to Brush Your Dog
April 6, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under Children & Dogs, Grooming, Tips
Children love puppies as a playmate but dogs are also a wonderful way to teach responsibility to young members of the family.
Part of the responsibility of living with a dog is dog grooming and that’s a task that can be shared by children who are old enough to brush their own hair. You can teach your child that the grooming of your dog isn’t a chore but an important activity.
First, start off by showing your child how to brush a dog the proper way. If your dog is not accustomed the being brushed, you’ll need to teach both the joys of brushing and being brushed.
First, explain to the child that the dog has never seen the brush before and that since dogs recognize things through their sense of smell, it’s important to let your dog smell the brush and any other equipment you use before the brushing begins.
Demonstrate brushing against the dog’s fur and then back with it. Break down the brush strokes into different lengths — one to use for long hair, another on the dog’s chest, and another near his head. This will help give your child more control over the brushing and also will lessen the chances of his unintentionally hurting or scaring the dog. During this time, point out the importance of moving slowly and brushing gently and never brushing too near your dog’s eyes.
You’ll also want to point out to your child the purpose of brushing. Explain that you brush with and against his fur to loosen dead skin and stimulate the new skin. You are really dressing your dog in a new coat: one that keeps him warm, keeps the rain from reaching his skin, and helps him to be cooler in the summer.
Your child will also understand the importance of brushing if you relate it to his own experience by pointing out how brushing makes your dog feel comfortable, much like how your child feels comfortable when his own hair is brushed and he puts on clean clothes.
As you brush your dog, explain your dog’s body language to your child. “See how he lies on his back. He’s showing you he enjoys it.”
Then, it’s time to turn over the brush for a supervised brushing session. If everything doesn’t go as planned at first, step in with more explanation of your dog’s body language. “He’s wiggling to get away because he’s not sure what you are going to do. Be gentle. Give him a chance to see how nice the brushing is. Maybe then he’ll be still.”
With patience and practice, dog grooming can be an important lesson for both your child and your dog, one that further enhances the link between us all.
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