Big families are fun. However, they can also be tough to manage, as there always seems to be something to do. In fact, it can be enough of a job to keep on top of the needs of all the kids, let alone the pets as well. Of course, that’s not to say getting a dog doesn’t enhance the life of a larger family, as it definitely does. It’s just that you have to be careful that their care doesn’t get left out or put to the bottom of the pile. Something that you can find out more about in my post below.
Integrate them into your routine
First of all, by integrating your dog into the family’s daily routine, you can ensure that none of their essential care is missed. What this means is assigning feeding to one of the kids. Something that can be done every morning before breakfast, and each night before they sit down to dinner.
Similarly, allowing the kids to have a caring role and asking them to walk your dog before and after school can make sure that no matter how busy you are, Fido always gets what he needs. Of course, the fact that this teaches your kids a great lesson in responsibility and provides them with the opportunity to form a lasting bond with the dog are added bonuses.
Feed them right
Food and a big family can be a problem when it comes to taking care of a dog. The reason being that there is always someone that can’t take those puppy dog eyes at dinner, and caves in, giving them some of their human food.
Of course, this can seem like they are including Fido in family life, but it can actually be dangerous for him. In fact, not only can human foods like chocolate and onion be toxic to dogs, but too much can lead to a problem with obesity as well.
With that in mind, it is much better to limit your dog’s meals to something like this dog food twice a day. In fact, as you can buy it in bulk, online, you can make sure you are feeding your dog well for a lower price. Cost, of course, always being something to bear in mind when you also have a large family to take care of as well.
Provide a quiet space
Now, I know most of the post is about how to make sure your pup doesn’t get left out of family life. However, what many people forget is that most dogs also need a place where they can go and not be disturbed for a while.
In fact, without this, they can get overstimulated or even stressed, and that is often where behavioural problems start to happen. Of course, with a big, busy family, the likelihood of this is only increased, especially one that has a lot of younger kids.
With that in mind, you must find a place for a dog bed in a quiet corner of the house. Your pup can then retreat there when they need to. Something that can help improve their behaviour when they are involved with and spending time in the family’s presence.