Safety Precautions for Dogs and Children

There should never come the day when your long-time faithful companion and friend bite your young child. Even the most placid dogs are still carnivores deep down inside, and dog owners would be wise to remember that. That's not to say that you will ever have an incident; however, the smart thing to do would be to never give the dog the opportunity. Never, under any circumstances, leave your dog and young child unsupervised together. Accidents can happen, and it only takes one time for permanent damage to be made. This is for your child's and your dog's protection. Many accidents could have been avoided if parents would have been in the room at the time or taken the child with them. And many dogs are put down each year that for the majority of their lives have been great household pets.

Many things that do children do naturally are very stimulating, and can be triggers to a dog. An energy-packed child that is running and shrieking through the house can excite a dog easily. Your child should be taught not to roughhouse with the dog so the dog never has the opportunity to "lose himself" in the game and forget how delicate his play partner is. Encourage your child or children to be calm and quieter when interacting with the dog, playing nicely and petting calmly. There are many dogs that do not like to have their fur pulled by small hands and might snap if cornered; teach your child the proper way to respect your dog's space as well as interact with him in a calm manner.

Teach your child which games are best to play with your dog. Any fetching game or hide n' seek are great games that children can play with their dogs. It also helps keep both entertained, and gives the dog the exercise he needs. These games will enhance the relationship between dog and child, and make accidents less likely. Tugging games should never be played between child and dog since the dog is likely to be much stronger depending on the age of your child and the size of your dog. You don't want to teach your dog that he has dominance over your child; stick to relationship building exercises instead.

In turn dogs should be taught from the time they are very litter to tolerate petting all over their body, and being hugged. Hugging is very unnatural for you dog, but he can be taught to tolerate and even enjoy it when he's little. If you child grabs or hugs your dog, this way you know he wont' react aggressively. You should still try to limit the behavior, but it's an added comfort knowing you've taught your dog well.