As dog lovers, it should come as no surprise that so many families with children have at least one dog as a pet. It’s easy to see the appeal – they are entertaining, loyal, affectionate, and funny. But not all dogs are cut out to be your toddler’s best friend…at least not quite yet. It can take awhile for dogs to feel safe around wiggly, noisy, unpredictable toddlers. One easy way for your child to engage with the family dog without direct contact is to play games that relate to the pooch, without actually requiring them to interact directly. These easy counting activities will get your toddler excited about the family dog without getting too close.
Instead of constantly building excitement about touching the dog, build enthusiasm around other aspects of living with your dog. The child can learn about what’s involved with caring for the family pet, while learning to give her some distance or space to relax.
Counting Food
- How many meals per day does Pooch get?
- How many scoops of kibble does Pooch get in her bowl for breakfast?
- How many kibble does it take to fill one scoop?
- How many kibble can you fit in your hand? What about an older / younger sibling’s hand? How about mama or papa’s hand? Whose hand can hold the most kibble?
- How many spoonfuls of kibble does it take to fill up the scoop?
Counting on Walks
- How many tags are on your dog’s collar?
- How many leashes are you using? For dogs who are calm, a parent can hold one leash while young children can hold a second!
- How many steps does it take to walk from your front door to the curb?
- How many times does your dog go potty?
- How many trees do you pass?
- How many other dogs do you see? Birds? Cats? Squirrels? Cars?
Counting Toys
- How many toys does your dog have?
- How many are green? blue? red? yellow?
- How many are balls? ropes? stuffed animals?
- How many toys are bigger than your hand? Bigger than your head?
Counting Body Parts
- How many legs does your dog have?
- How many legs do you have?
- Who has more?
- How many eyes does your dog have? ears? paws? tails?
While these questions may be simple, they help to build curiosity about the dog(s) in your family. Instead of rushing to pet the family dog, these questions can encourage your kiddos to pause a moment and consider the dog as an individual. How is she similar or different to the other family members? By taking the time to encourage calmness around the dog, she can slowly build trust with your kids, building their overall relationship over time.
39 Comments
That’s great when you can find ways to make kid-pet interaction educational for both! I always believed that dogs have a lot to teach humans!
Brilliant!! You’re so right it’s usually about petting the dog and teaching them to be gentle etc… but making a game out of what’s involving in caring for a dog is such a great idea. I have no doubt kids will be a lot more interested in learning when it’s so much fun.
What a great idea! I will share this with my friends!
What a brilliant post and fantastic ideas, something so many parents could learn from when having a baby and a dog, I am for definite going to mention this to friends
Thank you. I think that so many parents build so much excitement around dogs that kids often then want to rush up to pet them, even when it’s not appropriate. Bonds can be built in so many ways – some more quietly than others 🙂
Thank you!
Thanks Ruth!
I love this, and am sending it to all of my friends with both pets and toddlers/babies! What a great way to teach toddlers all about dogs, caring for a pet and how to pay attention to what your pet is telling you. I like that the focus isn’t just on interacting WITH the dog but on focusing on the needs of the dog. And it never hurts to get some counting, figuring and learning in there!
Yay – I am so glad that my intention resonated with you. It’s not about busy work or distraction – but about all of the different ways to interact with dogs that aren’t all physical 🙂 I’ll be doing more posts on body language too – have no fear! xo
How clever. One should get kids to count at least as good as dogs can LOL Reminds me of Dr. Coren’s quote, “If you think dogs don’t know how to count, try putting three biscuits in your pocket and giving them just two.”
OMG – that’s so funny! Thank you for sharing it!
It is so important to include the pets in the children education. It has been proven that when kids have a pet they become better human beings. Love list of ideas you provide very helpful.
Thank you. I know that personally, I feel better when I have a pet!
This is the first time I have seen a post like this, well done, great tips for helping toddlers learn and understand about pets more.
Thank you 🙂
I love this idea! It’s so educational for kids and can be fun for the dogs too. My favorite is counting the dogs toys and naming their colors. I would add throwing the toys to the dog – but definitely not AT the dog! Kids would get a kick out of that, they love to throw stuff.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
That’s excellent. Great way to involve kids focusing on caring for the needs of the pet and making education part of life.
Thank you Holly!
Thanks Cathy!
What a great and natural way to incorporate learning and fostering the relationship between kids and dogs!
Getting children counting is important. Otherwise they will struggle thing things like telling the time later. Confidence through fun is the best way to go.
Thanks Beth – I agree 🙂 It doesn’t all have to be about approaching without being invited!
Thank you – yes, it is a really useful life skill. Might as well take advantage of what’s in front of you, right?
Great mental exercise for a young kid. I especially like how many times does the dog pee on a walk! And how many pieces of kibble in his dish – that may be a bit too much for a young kid!
Great idea! I can just hear the children telling other children how many pieces of kibble their dog eats…like it’s a fantastic accomplishment…lol
As a former mathematics teacher and professor, I love these ideas. there is so much more you can do to increase knowledge in mathematics and understanding of dogs.
I don’t have kids but I love this idea – lessons in everyday activities. And, it does teach children about caring for the family pet(s).
I like to include young kids of all ages 🙂
Lol. My dog eats more kibbles than your dog 😉 Thank you!
That’s wonderful to hear from a math teacher. I used to teach high school biology and also ran a cooking school for kids. There is learning everywhere!
Thanks Sadie! Kids can connect to pets in so many different ways!
As a person that does not own a dog, I think these tips are very clever. You make an excellent point regarding training kids to focus on other things like colors or counting vs. grabbing and touching the family dog. A great way to teach respecting one’s space. Very helpful tool.
Thank you! Yes – respecting space is so important
Good way to make interactions with kids and dogs fun and educational! Usually I get drawn into a discussion about dog behavior and why does he do X?
Me too! It’s fun to teach though!
What a great idea! This is a great way to make sure that the interactions between children and dogs are fun and safe for both sides!
Thank you!
This is a great idea! I am studying to be a vet and am hoping to have kids down the road. I am planning on having a lot of different pets and animals in my life. Teaching my possible future kids about respecting and being safe around animals will be important, but I also want them to bond and learn from the animals.
Congratulations on your studies, Katie! So glad animals and kids will have someone like you in their lives who is informed and respectful! xo
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