Let’s base this discussion around the most popular pet…the chinchilla.

Just kidding! Here are some ways your DOG can help your child’s communication skills.

Articulation

If your child is working on a specific sound, choose vocabulary words that are related to your pet. For example, if your child needs to practice the “L” sounds, you might choose words such as “lick, love, little, leg, leash, collar.”

Expressive Language

Labeling

Your child can practice labeling items or actions, or putting two-word phrases together. There are so many vocabulary words that are related to dogs, including tail, nose, wag, catch, jump, run, eat, smell. The list goes on!

Expanding Phrases

Your child can practice expanding their phrase length to include more parts of speech by combining nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

-“Here (insert dog’s name here)”

-“Go fetch”

-“Catch ball”

Describing

Oftentimes when you are out walking your dog, you may see several other dogs that live in your neighborhood or around town. You can start a conversation with your child about how your dog is similar or different in relation to other dogs they see. More specifically, how the dogs relate in terms of color, size, temperament, or what they like to play with around the house.

Receptive Language

Following Directions

Everyone loves a treat, right?!

A pet can model following directions for your child. For example, have your child watch as you hold a treat up and give a command such as “sit” or “shake.” As a parent this is an opportunity to emphasize how the animal is being attentive via body language (e.g., proximity to the speaker/body facing the speaker/looking in the speaker's general direction). Pets can also be helpful in increasing complexity and listening skills, as you provide instructions to your child on how to care for your new member of the family. For example, you may tell your child “Scruffy needs to be walked every day at 8:00am and 5:00pm, and will need 6 ounces of food twice a day.” When given that information, your child should execute the tasks appropriately, or ask for clarification when needed.

Executive Functioning

Scheduling

Being a pet owner is hard work and takes time and energy. This is a chance for children to develop time management skills, remember the responsibilities before and after school, and gain an understanding that the pet’s needs may often come before their own desires.

Feeding

When you have a dog, they have to be fed several times a day. This gives you multiple opportunities to work with your child on a variety of skills including accessing the food or requesting help if it is out of reach, telling time, and measuring the amount of food to give them.

Walking

Children often say “Mom, if we get a dog, I promise I will walk him everyday!” Well this is not only a test of responsibility and follow through, but also a way to practice gathering the items needed (bags, leash, water bottle if it’s hot) and navigating the neighborhood on their own. Also, creating a calendar is a great way to keep track of who is responsible for taking the dog out each day and setting a schedule of duties.

Pets bring so much joy to our lives and they can help children expand their speech and language skills in so many ways. But… when the going gets “ruff” and you aren’t sure who to turn to for speech and language questions….Call us for a free consultation.

Northern Virginia:
info@owlstherapy.com
(703) 470-6957

Philadelphia’s Main Line:
philadelphia@owlstherapy.com
(610) 579-0914