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Welcoming one or more dogs into your family is a special moment and one to treasure. However, if you have children in your home, you should ensure that they know how to safely interact with dogs. Doing so will help ensure that this transition phase goes as smoothly as possible and sets the stage for positive future interactions between them.
These recommendations can also be applied when your children are interacting with dogs elsewhere, such as at a friend’s house.
Respect Dogs’ Boundaries
Teach your child to respect dogs’ boundaries, similar to how they should be respecting the boundaries of other people. For example, if a dog’s communicating that it doesn’t want to be interacted with, that should be respected.
Importance of Being Gentle and Kind
Instruct your young ones to be gentle and kind with dogs, especially for the first meeting, when the dog may be especially nervous and on edge. Things that can be done at this time include moving slower and speaking softly.
Be Aware of Anxiety in Dogs
Children should be able to recognize many of the common signs of anxiety in dogs so that they know to be especially careful and caring in those moments. Examples include the tucking of its tail, it backing away or it avoiding making any eye contact. Generally, leaving the dog alone at this time is the best decision.
Let Dogs Eat in Peace
Dogs should never be bothered while they’re eating. This is not only because they should be allowed to eat in peace but also because dogs can get aggressive if they feel like someone’s going to take their food. The latter point can be even more likely if the dog isn’t used to being around your children yet.
Don’t Go Face-To-Face
Instruct your children to not put their face next to the dog’s. That’s because dogs can feel threatened when another face is so close to their own and may growl or snap as a result. This is something that might change in time, such as when the dog gets used to and likes your children, but your youngsters should avoid doing this in all circumstances early on.
Hugs Should Be Avoided
Perhaps you have children who love hugging others, whether that includes you, their friends or others. However, hugging dogs that they’ve just met should be avoided as most don’t like this act. That’s because animals often feel like they’re being confined, like they can’t escape, when they’re being hugged. Again, this may change in the future, but hugs should definitely be avoided early on.
Don’t Pull the Tail
If your child’s especially young, they may view a dog as a toy in a way and want to do things like pull its tail. Teach kids that tails shouldn’t be pulled, and neither should paws or ears.
Ask the Owner First
Ensure that if your children come across any dogs away from home, such as at a friend’s house, the owner should be spoken to before any interactions with the dog occur. Not only is this the polite thing to do, but it’s also important to note any of the dog’s personality traits that aren’t readily apparent. Of course, one of the most important ones is whether or not the dog bites.
Conclusion
Safety with dogs is of the utmost importance for children because even a friendly, well-behaved dog could bite if startled. Children are especially susceptible to dangerous injuries from dog bites, in one part due to their shorter stature which can put their organs, face and neck more vulnerable to a dog’s bite. Bonds made between children and dogs can be so special, and children learning how to safely interact with these animals plays a significant role in this. Following these suggestions will help that be the case.
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