Dogs and Children

I’ve always thought dogs and children were very similar. Back when I wanted to become an Elementary School Teacher, I thought young kids would be easy to care for because they are about the same as dogs. All you have to do to entertain a dog or a child is to play with them, feed them, give them attention, talk to them, and give them a safe comfy place to learn and grow. I’d always loved animals and dogs but at the time I couldn’t think of a job with animals without becoming a veterinarian or biologist, neither of which I wanted to do. So, I thought being a teacher would be a better alternative. Comparing dogs to children was my way justifying my unsteady decision. However, I told a small handful of people about my comparison, and some of them were kind of taken aback about comparing a child to a dog! I thought my comparison made perfect sense & I never meant to offend. After clearing up the taboo comparison & explaining that I’m not trying to say that a child is a “pet” or “dog” (in the derogatory sense), I kept my opinion about children and dogs to myself.
After I finally put away the idea of becoming an elementary school teacher, I decided that I could still work with dogs by becoming a groomer. So, at work at the veterinary hospital, I moved out of the kennels (where we board dogs whose families are on vacation) and began working alongside the new groomer as her assistant. I also started grooming classes at my local technical college. Today in my grooming class, my instructor said something that brought my comparison back into the light. She said that on the news recently, it was said that research has found that dogs have a similar mental capacity as a 2-year old child! My previous comparison instantly clicked in my head and I was right (in a way)!
To further extend my comparison, dogs do also learn in about the same way that children do: repetition, conditioning, shaping, reverse psychology, and positive reinforcement. Children (such as 2-year-olds) as well as dogs, also do not comprehend some things like we do. The example my instructor used was when a dog’s mouth hurts because of a toothache, we may not know if or where it hurts, but the dog may become aggressive or irritable because all it knows is it hurts but is unaware of how to fix it. Same with a young child, if it has a toothache it becomes irritable and is not very nice for the same reasons that all it knows is that it hurts but is unaware of how to fix it. Many other comparisons could be made but a parent would be able to give more accurate examples. I am not a parent, I only make the comparisons based on the experience I’ve had as a babysitter in the past, & from observing how children (& dogs) behave in public areas.

Note


Please do not become offended by me stating that dogs have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old. I do not wish to call anyone’s dog stupid or anything like that. I love dogs with all my might. This comparison applies to dogs in general. The mental capacity can vary by breed. If you think your dog is brilliant, Awesome! Tell your dog he/she is brilliant! If you think your dog has the mental capacity of a newborn…just love him/her all the same.
Also, please do not become offended by me comparing children to dogs. I do not mean that your child is a “dog” or a “pet” & I never use those terms in a derogatory meaning to begin with.

Feedback

Thank you for reading!!!! I am always open to feedback! If you have any thoughts or examples on this comparison between dogs and young children, please share! Speaking of children and dogs, feel free to post a cute picture of your child and dog playing together or loving on each other! ^_^