I have had my kids involved in a small fashion for a long time. My son, 21 and now in Iraq, would sometimes decoy for trained dogs and occasionally handle dogs I was doing decoy work with.
My daughter 16 y/o is less involved. I always invite the kids, from the time they were little. In fact I used to put them in back packs while I taught tracking to the dogs.

I won't push them into dog sports or PSD training, but if at any time they would have become more interested I would have involved them as much as they wanted.

Any more the only involvement my daughter is interested in is kennel cleaning....since she gets paid pretty well to do it.

As far as handling the dogs on a daily basis, the kids have handled themselves fabulously. They respect the critters, feed them, move them about, sometimes walk them, and in fact my kids have shown great aptitude in doing so. Of course they have never not been around working dogs or their training.

Funny enough the only injury one of my kids ever had that was more than a scratch was from a big yellow lab that bit my son's hand. Just an unruly thug of a dog that wasn't particularly nasty, just knew he was big and strong and didn't have to listen if he didn't want to.

You expect such things to come from Mals or GSD's. Of course, I have had some dogs they were told not to mess with, and they never ever failed to follow that direction.

My 17 year old daughter grew up with horses and dogs and has an easy affinity for both. She's more enthusiastic about horses than dogs, but loves both dearly. When she was very small she helped me with foster dogs and gentle boarders....it was really cool. She has amazing patience for puppies.

When she was around ten years old she worked in a Dobe kennel with a friend and I, and handled herself with such maturity that the kennel owners gave her her very own Doberman. She worked so hard in the kennel (She knew she didn't have to do ANYTHING, but she wanted to) that the owners jokingly referred to her as "Slave-girl". She was very good about taking direction where the more difficult dogs were concerned, and wouldn't touch a dog that we had asked her not to so I was able to trust her.

She's paid her dues mucking stalls in the horsebarn too, for sure.

Now that she's older she's into other things, but she's still everybody's favorite dogsitter, and the sense of responsibility and empathy she acquired while working with the animals has carried over nicely into other aspects of her life. I think it's part of why she's always been more of an active, outdoorsy type, and never really into video games.

I'm glad she took an interest in animals. I think it's better for kids to have some involvement to the degree it's appropriate and safe.

Labs have the highest reported bite incidences of any breed in the USA. But goldens are on the rise and may challenge that record soon.

Isn't that most likely because of frequency of ownership?

I would also assume that many bites by smaller dogs are not reported because they do not require medical attention.

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Labs have the highest reported bite incidences of any breed in the USA. But goldens are on the rise and may challenge that record soon.

Unless you narrow it to "resulting in death" ..... then Labs and Goldens drop off the national compilation "lists-by-breed."

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

.... I would also assume that many bites by smaller dogs are not reported because they do not require medical attention.

I would assume so too.

Back on topic, even though my dogs aren't ppd/sport dogs....

My son loves my two hounds, and tolerates the husky.

I have him help with filling food bowls, pooper scooping (its all hands off), and he plays fetch with them. Loki also sleeps on the foot of his bed a lot of nights and I will hear him talking to Loki, which I imagine is pretty therapuetic for a kid. I know I used to talk to our cats and dogs when it seemed like no one else would listen.

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

... I will hear him talking to Loki, which I imagine is pretty therapuetic for a kid. I know I used to talk to our cats and dogs when it seemed like no one else would listen.

Good point, about the acceptance kids perceive/experience from animals. I did too!

Loki has a knack for looking straight into your eyes with this look of utter adoration when you talk to him.

It really does feel like he is listening.

Let me also say that he is proven to be completely safe around children, actually preferring them to adults or I would never let him sleep with my son.

Looking back, Thor has always been well loved by all three of my kids. I feel like at times there was enthusiasm about training or working him but for the most part.....you can't put an old head on young shoulders....they were busy being kids.

Or so I thought.......... but then how is it Thor knows how to play goalie, run on the word "GO" following Ready, On your mark, Get set, Go! He can play dress up and lifts his head to have his bonnet tied on (poor bastard). He knows how to use all the equipment in a playground and can pull a wagon. I've also been told he's a babe magnet for my 18 year old son when he goes jogging.....

The scary thing is I don't know when he learned all this (I thought I always supervised all their interactions?) but I do know who the teachers were; those three kids who I thought were too busy for their dog.

If you look beyond what we perceive as working the dog; you may find your child's imprint in there somewhere.