Why shouldn't a child walk the dog alone?

Often you meet children walking dogs on the street, and sometimes dogs are not very small. Sometimes parents do not have time to walk a pet, sometimes they are guided by the principle “We bought a dog for children – let them walk, learn responsibility.” I have been walking my dog since I was five, my sister has been walking her German Shepherd since she was seven. However, is it right to let your child walk the dog? And why can’t a child walk alone with a dog?

In the photo: children walking with dogs. Photo: flickr.com

The Russian law “On Responsible Treatment of Animals” does not specify anything from what age dogs can be walked. The law “On the Treatment of Animals” of Belarus mentions that it is forbidden to walk dogs of potentially dangerous breeds to minors, and it is also forbidden to sell or give animals to citizens under the age of 16 years. The laws do not provide for other age restrictions. So theoretically a child of any age can walk a dog, regardless of its size?

However, parents have a reason to think about whether it is worth doing.

Yes, animals teach children to be responsible. However, can a child, going for a walk with a dog, be responsible both for himself and for a four-legged friend?

Moreover, it should be borne in mind that dogs are strong creatures, and even a small dog, by pulling, is able to snatch the leash from the hands of a child or drag a small owner along. That is, the child may not be physically able to cope, as a result, the dog runs away, gets lost, gets hit by a car, starts a fight with another dog, risks getting poisoned …

There are many options for the development of events, but each of them will have a very negative impact on both the dog and the child, including the possibility of causing psychological trauma for life.

In the photo: a girl walks with a dog. Photo: maxpixel.net

A tiny dog, of course, is easier to control on a leash, but children can accidentally injure such a baby while walking, because they often do not understand how fragile small pets are.

And even if you are absolutely confident in both your dog and the heir, can you be so confident in others (both in people and in other dogs)? If there is a threat to your pet, will the child be able to protect him and not get hurt himself? Probably not.

If something happens while walking the dog or the child himself, the last thing he will learn is responsibility. But it is quite possible to get a lot of problems as a result.

Of course, the decision rests with the parents. And yet, before deciding to let the child walk alone with the dog, it is worth calculating all the risks and deciding whether it is worth saving time, and what you still want to teach the child.

Maybe you should walk the dog together and thus have an additional opportunity to communicate with both the children and the pet?