Most children want a pet. Most of those pets they want are dogs. You’d think they would go together perfect but they don’t always. In order to get a great relationship, it takes time, training, and patience. My oldest daughter is 3 years old and she can sometimes be rough or unaware she might hurt our dog. Our dog Lulu is very small and old…so even though they are comfortable with each other, my daughter still shouldn’t carry her like a baby or get too rough just in case of injury of her or the dog. I’ve been researching tips and techniques to practice with them.
I narrowed it down to four helpful tips to help your dogs and children happy and safe together.
- Supervision
Children (especially younger ones) should be supervised around your dog. Playing rough, moving too quickly, or making a scary noise for your dog could result in defensive growling, snapping, or biting. Don’t let your little one carry around your dog or let them bring them alone to another room..you never know what could happen…with the dog or your child.
- Respect
Sometimes not all dogs enjoy or appreciate the company of children. Don’t force it—this could negatively affect their opinion of children as a result. I tell my daughter, “Lulu does not like it when you do that” or “you are going to hurt Lulu’s feelings if you do that”…so she stops. She wants Lulu to like her and be happy just as much as I do. If your dog doesn’t like their proximity, contact a trainer or behaviorist.
- Teaching Good Manners
Teach your dog boundaries for your child’s safety. For example, approaching your dog from the side or back instead of hovering over him Encouraging your children to play calmly, avoid direct eye contact, and to not try to pick the dog up. Explain that sometimes your dog needs alone time and that he should have some space to eat his food. Every dog should be taught to sit, stay, drop it, come, and down. A dog that is trained with the basics is much easier to manage around small children.
- Rewarding Positive Behavior
Obviously the best motivation for your dog to keep behaving well is with positive reinforcement…like dog treats! Every time they listen to you or play well with your children, give him a treat. Telling your children how well they are acting and how proud you are of how good they are being with your dog will remind them that they need to keep doing it. Doing all this will help strengthen their connection and safety.
Doing these little things little by little has already helped calm my daughter down and has stressed my dog out less. I hope you find them as helpful as I did!
