Your kids may say they’re ready for a dog, but chances are if you’re reading this, you have your doubts. Do they know what goes into caring for a dog? How much of a daily commitment it is? A crossword puzzle offers a fun and challenging way to make sure your kids are ready for a family dog, or any other pet for that matter.

 

Testing Their Knowledge

So, are your kids ready for a family dog? Before you can answer that, you’ll need to decide what they need to know. Common concerns parents have are as follows:

• How often will your kids walk the dog?
• Will they know when, what, and how much to feed the dog?
• How will they train the dog?
• Who takes care of the dog? (This is a trick question of course – everyone does!)

For a helpful set of guidelines, we used the ASPCA general dog care guide to make clues for the sample puzzle below. You can use any other guide that will help your kids. We also recommend this guide from The Humane Society.

Feel free to customize your puzzle according to your family’s situation as well. Choose specific times or locations to walk the dog. If it will help your family, assign certain roles to certain members. List where your dog’s toys and food will be stored, or what furniture the dog will not be allowed on.

 

Choosing a Breed

You may feel your kids are ready for a family dog in general, but they might be fixated on a breed that won’t fit your family. Test their knowledge of the different breeds through clues about each breed. For example, if your child’s heart is set on a Saint Bernard, you might remind them through a crossword clue, “This breed of dog drools a lot.” Did your child know this inconvenient fact, and are they prepared to deal with it? Similarly, list more positive clues for dogs that might be a good fit. A Border Collie might be the answer to, “Easy to train.”

To learn more about different dog breeds, visit DogTime or the American Kennel Club. Each site can teach you about any breed you might have in mind. DogTime also categorizes dogs according to different positive or negative traits.

 

You may not know the specifics for dog care yet since every dog is unique, but a crossword puzzle will get your whole family on the same page. Also know that knowledge and action are different! Your children may fill in all the right answers and not follow through. We hope that’s not the case, but knowing is half the battle. To see what your kids already know about dog care, visit Crossword Hobbyist today!