I'll never forget the time when I was just a six-year-old child, some 30 years ago, and my pet dog, Buddy, was laying limp all day under the living room chair - her eyes moving only occasionally. But I could care less, as I played with my toys all day.

To the eyes of a child, Buddy's behavior was nothing to worry myself about, nothing that I needed to be concerned with, that is - until my mother came into the room and disturbed the quiet.

She said, "Your dog has been dozing all day. Look at her. She rarely gets up. And when she does, everything droops - her nose, her ears, her tail. Would you like to change the way she looks?"

Mother Turned The Family Dog Into My Teacher

With that question, my mother began her experiment. Her plan was to take my pet dog and turn her into my teacher.

My mother continued, "Do you know that your dog needs your help? She needs you to make her happy." My mother asked me what things make me happy. Was it being part of the family and doing things with mom and dad? Yes. "We'll try that on Buddy. Let's let her help us and see how we make her feel."

Mom suggested that Buddy help us take out the garbage. She put a little garbage in a small bag. I gave it to Buddy and said, "Carry." My dog sniffed it, and then picked it up and started down the long apartment hallway.

That small bag changed my dog. He was no longer a shambling wad of fur, but a sleek wolf. Lazy muscles tensed, his nose stuck up in the air. He tried to walk with us but his walk slipped into a prance, then a gallop, till all we had was a bouncing back view with a tail wagging above. Buddy became a part of something and learned to enjoy it, while teaching me something in the process.

One day, by the time we made it down the hall, Buddy had delivered the garbage into the incinerator - and brought it back to us four times!

What I Learned: Responsibility

The dog's response and enthusiasm had introduced me to my first lesson - responsibility. I became aware of the needs of others. My mother guided me in finding those needs and filling them. My dog encouraged repetition. I was not performing a chore, rather, I was giving something to my pet.

Lessons like this went on for 17 years - till I was a junior in high school. That year Buddy died. The next year I graduated and left home. But some of the attitudes I have today can be traced back to my childhood relationship with a dog and my mother's awareness of that potential.

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However, I'm not sure Chloe would have welcomed home baby Sophie with eager licks and wags had I not taken the time during those (long) nine months of pregnancy to prepare her for our expanding family.

Here are some of the same times I used, and ones you can use as well, for helping your puppy adjust to sharing the spotlight:

Create A New Routine

Babies have a tendency to run on their own schedule, especially during the early months when they still have their days and nights mixed up. Veterinarian Karen D. Willinger, V.M.D., PhD., suggests "getting your dog on a schedule near what you expect it to be when the baby arrives."

Dr. Willinger goes on to say, "for example, because babies fall asleep easily in a stroller, you can plan walks with the dog around the baby's naptimes, walking the dog while the baby sleeps in the stroller."

Positive Reinforcement Goes A Long Way

Another suggestion from the experts is to help your dog associate the baby with good things. Before the baby arrives, have another family member bring home a blanket from the hospital for your pup to sniff, which will help acclimate it to the smells of the baby (some pleasant and others not so much) that will soon fill the house. Try giving your pup its favorite toy or treat while you bathe, feed or rock the baby.

Meet & Greet

First and foremost, never leave your dog alone with the baby! Supervision is necessary for everyone's safety - not to mention peace of mind - because a newborn baby's jerky muscle reactions can trigger a dog's prey drive (the instinct to chase and kill animals).

When the introduction day finally arrives, take it slow. Dr. Willinger suggests keeping your dog on a leash at first, allowing it to sniff the baby while you watch for signs of fear or aggression. Signs of aggression include pinned-back ears, growling, snarling, or loud, forceful barking. In contrast, a fearful dog will whimper, tremble or quiver, and tuck its tail between its legs.

With proper preparation and positive reinforcement, both of your babies can learn to happily share the stage. "Remember," Dr. Willinger says, "puppy and baby interaction is all about what you - as the dog owner and new parent - are comfortable with."

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I'm wondering because I've met people who seemed surprised that, even though I'm 13, I would rather argue with my parents about the type of dog food they're buying then the type of clothes I want and can't have. xD

I've also been told that children are to irresponsible to own dogs. Granted, some are, but not all.

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First, children need to ask for permission from their parents and the dog's owner before approaching any dog. If the owner isn't nearby, avoid any contact with the dog.

Second, children should approach the dog slowly, offering their hand palm up for the dog to sniff. Depending in the dog's size and age, children may need to squat down to the dog's level so as to avoid appearing dominant by towering over the dog. Because dogs view a pat on top of the head as a threat, children should scratch under the chin instead.

Finally, children should never try to pick up the dog or stare directly into its eyes because the dog can perceive these actions as threatening. Speaking in a soft, gentle voice can help the dog see the child more favorably as well.

Well Behave Dogs May Still Be A Threat

One of the biggest mistakes parents make is trusting a dog that seems to be well-behaved (showing signs of having been training by sitting or staying put), but although a dog may be well-trained, if it has not been socialized (accustomed to being around children), then the bite risk is still high. This is why you should teach your kids never to hug a strange dog.

Hugs can be dangerous. Some dogs feel hugs intrude on their personal space. During a hug, a child might also accidentally squeeze the dog too tightly around its neck or body, causing the dog harm. For a dog that isn't comfortable around kids, even direct eye contact could be seen as threatening.

What To Do If Your Child Is Bitten

What if - despite your best efforts - a dog does bite your child? The very first thing you should do is wash the bite immediately with soap and water. Make no haste in contacting your child's pediatrician (unless it's only a scratch) and the dog's owner to let them know what happened.

If you don't know who owns the dog, try to find out. Follow the dog home if necessary. This is especially important if the dog is acting like it's unhealthy. Rabies is more prevalent in some areas than others, but it's a reality and needs to be considered.

Once a doctor or other health professional gets involved, they are required by law to notify the local animal-control agency. The dog will probably be quarantined for 10 days. Usually this is done under house arrest. However, some states may require the dog to be kenneled at the animal-control or veterinary facility for observation (in case it starts showing signs of rabies).

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Puppies are like children in many ways. They need constant care, supervision, and a lot of affection. Having both together, your kids and your dog, especially during playtime, require extra supervision and patience. The key is to teach your child how to play with the puppy and for the puppy to understand that he needs to listen to the child the same way he listens to you and the other adults in the family.

Always Use The Same Commands

It is important for your child to use the same commands that you and the rest of the family use. Doing so teaches your child to use the commands with respect toward the dog. At the same time, your puppy will realize that he needs to obey the child's commands, thus teaches both to respect one another.

It sounds like it can be quite a handful, but it is also a lot of fun. Combining training and playtime helps to create a closer bond between your child and puppy. Let them run together and then see how fast your child can command the puppy to stop and sit. The puppy needs to learn to sit and wait while your child to throw a toy for your puppy to retrieve. Your child can also train the dog how to roll over by rolling in the grass while having the puppy mimic him.

There are many other ways you can incorporate training and fun between your child and puppy. Below are some helpful rules to keep in mind:

1. Your dog should understand who the leader is. If he has an instinct to herd, don't let him herd your child. Doing so will make the dog think that he is in charge and will not obey your child's commands.

2. No roughhousing whatsoever. Discourage aggressive play at all times. Do not let your child drag, pull, wrestle, hit, or poke the puppy, even in a playful way. Your puppy may react differently and may jump and bite. At the same time, do not let your puppy jump on your child. A four year old German Shepherd can easily knock down a 6 year old child.

3. Teach your child to respect the puppy, and vice versa. Your child should learn how to properly treat the dog, which will then earn him the respect and leadership from your puppy.

4. Establish consistency. Puppies learn through repetition. Your child needs to understand that commands that we teach him are firm and absolute. If the puppy doesn't obey the command, the child should repeat the command until the puppy does what he is told to do.

5. No squeezing. Hugging the puppy too tight can result in injury.

6. Always be there to supervise playtime, especially if you have a young child and/or you have a new puppy. This way, you can easily intervene if things get out of hand.

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Maybe I'll change some day, I don't know. But what would you choose?

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To help your children become involved in training the family puppy, make it fun rather than a chore. One way to do this is to turn it into a game.

"Gentle, interactive games build the bond, trust and respect that is desirable between child and puppy," says Thomas Morningstar, professional dog trainer and owner of Sunshine Dog Training School in Toronto, Canada. Thomas provides some Dos and Don'ts for how kids should play with a puppy:

Do:

- Come
- Fetch
- Give

Don't:

- Jump
- Chase
- Tug-of-War

Most professional dog trainers, like Thomas, will concur that you, as the adult, should teach your puppy the rules of the game first, before involving your kids. "One of the first games every family puppy should learn is give," he says. "Your puppy should learn to give objects [a ball, chew toy or your daughter's Barbie] willingly with a simple verbal release cue, such as 'give' or 'drop it.'"

The give command, in Mr. Morningstar's opinion, "is best taught through trade-me games, where you offer a toy or treat more desirable to the puppy than the one it is holding. The point is to get the puppy to relinquish its prize happily," he explains.

After your puppy masters this skill, tug-of-war can be considered "for older children [12 and older], but the game should still be overseen by an adult or responsible teen who can intervene if either the kids or the pup gets too rough," Thomas advises.

As you well know, puppies are motivated by food, so use this to your advantage! Don't think of it as bribing, but rather as positive reinforcement (along with lots of verbal praise and cuddles).

Encourage your children to practice the puppy's sit, come, stay and leave it lessons with treats. Treats should be soft, small and easy to eat, such as bits of cheese or hot dogs. Crunchy biscuits are usually too large - and filled with too many calories - for the repetitiveness of training.

When teaching sit, hold the food morsel just above the puppy's nose, then slowly move it backward until the puppy gets into the desired position as you say the cue word ("sit"). Likewise, to teach the down, draw the treat slowly toward the ground from the sit position; for heel, hold it at your thigh as you walk.

Give your puppy the reward as you praise it ("Good boy, Sparky!"). Once your puppy starts getting the hang of it, decrease the frequency of treats to, say, every third time it performs the desired action. Food isn't the only motivator, however. You can also use a favorite toy along with lots and lots of praise. Eventually, with patience and practice on your part, your pup will learn to sit on command.

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