Dogs & Kids: Happy Together

Dogs and kids, it's a combination that at it's best can be the stuff of childhood dreams. At it's worst, it can be a source of heartache and pain and even injury. How can you ensure that your child and Man's Best Friend have a loving and safe relationship? Mostly, it's the responsibility of the adults of the house to teach toddlers and even older children that a dog is not a toy. It's a living, breathing creature that feels pain, shame and humiliation as much as love, pride and happiness. A dog that bites a child may only be defending itself the only way it knows how. But to minimize ever having to worry about a parent's worst nightmare, family animal psychologist, Larry Lachman, M.S., offers the following advice:

SAFETY PREVENTION TIPS TO TEACH YOUR CHILD:

  • Do NOT reach for a dog's head the first time they meet a dog nor excessively rough house around their own dog's head and face.

  • Do NOT look a dog straight in the eyes, which could be seen as a threat or challenge by the dog.

  • Do NOT run up frantically to a dog, which may react fearfully and defend itself or jump and bite at the child's face.

  • Do NOT scream loudly at a dog, which could stress a dog or startle it, causing an aggressive response.

  • Do NOT bother the dog while it is eating or chewing on a chew toy, which could trigger an aggressive guarding response, especially if the child is under seven years of age, where he/she is looked at by the dog as a competing animal in the pack.

  • Do NOT hit, kick, slap, ride, or tease the dog in any manner.

  • Do NOT leave the child and dog alone until the child is older than 7, and can control its impulses.

Adults Should Take The Time...

  • To show the child HOW TO POSITIVELY interact and pet the dog under direct supervision.

  • To show the child how to be a junior dog trainer, and get the dog to sit with a treat, under parental supervision.

  • To only give the dog attention when the child is also receiving attention so the dog makes a better association with the child.

Following these tips will minimize conflict and teach your child to respect your dog and treat her as a member of the family.

About The Author

Gene R. Sower
Lucy The Wonder Dog, LLC
"For The Health & Wellness Of Your Dog"
http://www.lucythewonderdog.com

This is a Free-Reprint article. The only requirements for publishing this article are: You must leave the article and resource box unedited. You are not allowed to change our recommendations, nor are you allowed to change the context of the article.

You may not use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email). Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only.

We ask that you forward a copy of the ezine or newsletter that contains the article inside to the author at: mailto:gene@lucythewonderdog.com

If you post this article on a website, you MUST set any URL's or Mailto addresses in the body of the article and most especially in the Author's Resource Box as hyperlinks. We request that you also send us a copy of the URL where you have posted this article.

If you find any of the rules to be unsavory or unacceptable, please do not publish this article. While we are happy to make the content available to you for your own use, we must insist on having our rules and *Terms of Reprint* honored in full.