🎓 Training Kids to Train Dogs

Let’s be honest: training dogs is hard enough without a 7-year-old helper yelling, “Sit! No, wait—do a backflip!” and rewarding your dog with a Cheeto. But here’s the thing: kids can absolutely learn to be great dog trainers. You just have to train them first. (And hide the snacks.)

In my house, we have two fluffy troublemakers (Cricket doesn’t count - at 11 yrs old, she’s mellowed out). Biscuit, and Kevin each have more personality than a sitcom cast. Add a few kids into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for chaos, comedy, and the occasional stroke of genius.

🎯 Start Simple: Kids and Dogs Need Clear Rules

The first thing I tell any young “trainer” is this: if you wouldn’t understand your own instructions, neither will the dog. Instead of saying, “Be a good boy and don’t do that thing you did yesterday,” we stick to short, clear commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Leave it.”

I made the mistake once of letting my 5-year-old niece teach Biscuit “Spin.” Except she changed the word to “Tornado” because it sounded cooler. For weeks, Biscuit would only spin if you shouted “TORNADO!!!” like a storm chaser from Twister.

Honestly, I kind of respected it.

🍖 Let Them Be the Treat Machine

If there’s one thing dogs and kids both understand, it’s food-based motivation. Let your junior trainers be in charge of rewards—but give them guidelines. No, a whole hotdog is not a “training treat.” Yes, Kevin will absolutely try to eat it himself if you look away.

Pro tip: Pre-portion treats into a small pouch or cup. That way, the dog gets consistency, and the kid doesn’t go rogue with the cheese drawer (though the pups would definitely approve if that should happen).

⏱️ Keep Sessions Short (Like Their Attention Spans)

Five minutes of focused fun beats fifteen minutes of chaos. I like to set a timer—short bursts of “Sit,” “Down,” “Paw,” and then we celebrate like the dog just defused a bomb. Kids love praise too, so make sure you throw them a “Great job, Trainer!” every now and then. Or stickers. Kids love stickers. Biscuit loves stickers too… the sniffy kind (as we found out one day 🤢).

😂 When It All Goes Off the Rails

Of course, not every session ends in success. One time, my nephew proudly told me he taught Cricket to “Stay.” He then took me down the street to see Cricket lying flat as a pancake on the sidewalk… while my nephew walked home without her! When I asked why, he shrugged and said, “She was staying! I didn’t want to mess it up.”

Another time, a neighbour child was thrilled to see Biscuit show off her high-five trick. Problem was, the child then tried to teach it to Kevin (the dog, not any young kids named Kevin!). Kevin thought it meant “smack people in the face and steal their snack.” That lesson got... revised.

🏅 The Real Win

In the end, training dogs with kids isn’t about perfection—it’s about bonding, confidence, and teaching empathy. There’s something magical about watching a child light up when their dog sits for the first time on command. Or when they realize that being calm and patient works better than yelling “SIT!!!” at full volume while flapping like a bird.

So if you've got a young dog lover in your life, hand them a treat pouch, a clicker, and a little guidance. You'll be amazed what they can do—with the dog and with themselves.

Just… maybe don’t let them name the commands.

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Words of Wisdom from Biscuit

The Chronicle Photo Vault

A Final Note

Until next time,

The Dad, the Mom and all the Pups!