Host: How can the whole family participate in taking care of a dog?

Michelle Otis: I think it is important for the whole family to decide from the beginning even before the dog comes home, what role is each person going to play in the dog's care. The whole family can participate every step of the way in the dog's care. It is important that the adults be the primary caretakers and that they not play too much responsibility on the children. Kids are kids and they have short attention spans most of the time and want to go outside and play and do a lot of things that kids do and it is up to the parents to ultimately take responsibility for the care and the feeding and the walking exercise needs of the dog that they bring home. So it is important that everyone be involved so that everyone has the opportunity to bond with the new dog, but at the same time it would be a good idea to establish before you bring the dog home who is going to be the primary caretaker and who is going to be responsible for what activities on any given day.