Early Education--for the Two-Leggeds

My husband and I were watching a television show recently called “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” (It should really be called “Can you Still Remember A Dang Thing from Fifth Grade?” but that’s another story.) We got into a discussion of subjects that are taught in schools but never used in real life, in all but a few cases. I mean, really, when’s the last time you employed calculus to solve a problem? Or found yourself shouting the elemental name for salt as you grabbed it off the shelf at the market? That got me to thinking about the subjects that should be taught, things that would actually prepare kids for life and, heck, maybe even create better adults in the process. There ought to be classes on how to balance a checkbook, how to change a flat tire, and, without a doubt, how to care for a pet.

Nicole w/ Nashaka, an Education AmbassadorIt’s been shown that many criminals who perpetuate crimes against people abused animals as kids. Last time I checked, at least one in three American homes had a pet. One in three! With all of those parents getting pets for their kids, why are we not preparing the kids for how to treat them? Education doesn’t have to be complicated, and it certainly doesn’t have to be drudgery. When I was Executive Director for a local wolf/wolfdog rescue center, we used to bring a wolf (or wolfy-looking wolfdog) with us to classrooms, scout groups, and other kids’ organizations. The kids learned about wolves, that they were not pets like dogs, and about why we should respect and protect wildlife. Naturally, seeing a wolf was the main attraction, but the information got out there just the same.

Some dog trainers offer programs where they bring a dog to the classroom and teach exactly what I’m suggesting—that dogs are social pack animals, that they have basic needs like attention and exercise, how to interact with them safely, and to treat them with respect. We’d have fewer kids kicking dogs and riding them like ponies, fewer frustrated trainers, and fewer aggressive dogs if this type of program were a required part of every school curriculum. Although that might not happen anytime soon, we as trainers can still make a difference. We can offer to bring a dog to the classroom, to the boy scout troop, to whatever local kids’ groups are around. They love this stuff! And don’t underestimate the impact this type of presentation makes. By teaching kids how to interact compassionately with dogs, we offer a model for how to treat not only pets, but other people.