D is for Dogs: Themed Activities

Dogs is a hot topic in our house. I have four sons and they all want their own dog and they all want big dogs but they are too busy to get a dog at this stage of life. However, my mother who thought she was past the stage of owning a dog has now applied to adopt a small-medium one. At the same time, one of my sons applied to foster a dog (or kittens) as a short term commitment which is more suitable to his stage of life. Both are full of anticipation as to what dog we may get.

As my son prepares to foster, I am also being inundated with his comments on training videos, healthcare videos and reports about the various breeds. He wants to be a vet so knowing all this and encouraging it is a positive experience. It is good to have an interest, especially one that involves caring for animals or people in one way or another, and to invest yourself in these special interests. I am 'following my child's lead' in learning about dogs and sharing with you about them in this blog.

But my mind wanders. Puppy pictures are cute and pet adoption stories are inspiring and interesting facts are indeed interesting. But as I sit to write to you, my mind went off to dog jokes like this one. Why should you be careful when it rains cats and dogs? Because you might step in a poodle.

Then, on this theme, we have yoyo tricks like 'Walk the Dog', math skills like comparing the sizes of dogs, games like 'Doggie, doggie, who's got your bone? and songs like 'How much is that doggie in the window?' There are imaginative games like being a vet and helping your 'injured' stuffed animals or pretending to be the family pet and doing tricks like sit, come, stay and roll over. Those tricks could also be a part of a pet version of Simon Says or actions on a gross motor cube! For the chef in the house you could look up recipes to make your own dog treats and they can be gifted to the family pets of friends and relatives during fun visits. You can join a dog on a walk. Make your stuffed dog a dog house out of a tissue box or decorate metal dog tags to identify the dog or its leash. You could even make a matching one for your own bag as a sweet reminder of your pet waiting for you at home.

Drawing dogs and writing stories that include them, or telling stories if your child is too young to write are natural activities to try as well. Inspiration could come from some of the numerous books available. Reading them with your child and talking as you look through the book over and over is an excellent activity to do with your child. Their knowledge and vocabulary will grow quickly as they have fun.

Here are some popular dog books. Doggies (Boynton) and Where's Spot?(Hill) are boardbooks. Go Dog Go and Big Dog, Little Dog are good vocabulary building books. Biscuit, Harry the dirty Dog, The Poky Little Puppy, Kipper and Clifford the Big Red Dog are books for young children. Because of Winn Dixie, Old Yeller, Lassie, Balto and The Incredible Journey are samples of more advanced books. Then of course there are ook series like Paw Patrol, Scooby-Doo, DogMan and the Dog Diaries Series. Movies like Lady and the Tramp, Homeward Bound, Bolt, Beethoven and 101 Dalmations can provide additional enjoyment when the family wants to sit together and watch something about dogs on TV.

Internationally, dogs exist in our communities and most people have interacted with a dog. They are also common choices as pets. If you have a dog of your own, the list of activities grows as you feed them, walk them, train them, groom them and play. Regardless, I am sure you and the child(ren) in your life will enjoy these activities relating to dogs.

Be sure to share your favourite activities in the comments section to expand this list!