Everything You Must Know About Teaching Dog Safety to Children

Short coated white and brown puppy on stairs

All children must be taught how to respectfully deal with other living beings, be it humans or animals. And it is the responsibility of the parents. From the very initial stage of their age, they must be imbibed with the fact that there are some things that they cannot do with or while around the animals.

Children need to behave gently – and it should be a common phrase in your house. Whether you have a pet in your house or not, teaching these qualities (do’s and don’ts to deal with animals) is one of the most crucial life lessons you will ever impart.

Let’s now check out the important basics of teaching dog safety to your children and see how you can make the most of your time with both pets and children.

Know and Follow the Right Approach

Knowing and following the right approach is very important. Make your child understand the right approach to behave with the dog. So what’s the right approach?

  • Before approaching the dog, always approach the owner first and ask for permission. No one knows the dog more than the owner, and his company will also make the dog calm.
  • Always greet with hello after the permission is given.
  • Make a slow approach and never ever run to the dog.
  • Hold the hand out with your palm down and let the pet sniff you. Also, allow some time to choose how he wants to be close.

In most of the cases, pets love kindness, but the initial moments are very crucial. The right approach will make the dog inch closer to kisses and hugs.

Behave Gently

In most of the cases, parents do not pay heed to the way their children behave with their pets. But having a gentle hand will prepare the children to deal with any situation in life and not just interact with the animals. Every time your child approaches a dog, teach them to be gentle towards the pet, and it should be done in a friendly and calm way. Don’t let them pull the ears or fur. Rather teach them to pat them gently or slowly.

One precautionary tip for every parent is that if your child has a heavy hand, it is better to allow him/her with a stuffed animal in place of a real dog. It is because dogs are not that patient or tolerant; we think with a grabbing hand.

Deal With the Fear Factor

It is suggested never to bring your child to fright all dogs, even if you do so. A child taught with fear of dogs will always have strange behaviour towards a dog that will make the condition poorer. The best way would be to explain to them to show respect to the dogs as well as other animals and not to run away from them. Let your child understand that the pet is a part of the family and should be respected equally.

Never Leave Your Child Unattended With a Dog

Accidents are always unfortunate and can happen in the blink of an eye, even when everything seems to be alright. Reports suggest that even the gentlest family dog will bite when in pain or when he has enough.

Apart from installing an extreme in-ground electric dog fence to protect the dog from strangers, always create a barrier between your child and the pet until there is a sense of friendship between them find out more. Never ever leave your child alone or unattended with the dog. It is just a matter of time; any mishap may happen but rest assured that the pet will not come and harm first.

Not to Approach Dog While Eating

This should be basic common sense that every parent should teach, no matter whether you have pets or not. In case your dog is protective over the food, the dog owners need to consider training him. Initially, it might seem unimportant, but with time as the dog gets adult, it will become something you wish you would have invested time to impart.

Get in touch with animal control in case a lost dog threatens your child or even you. These are a threat, and the careless pet masters should be charged with the responsibility. Following and maintaining the dog safety tips is crucial as this will gradually let your child know how to get familiar with the dog. Please feel free to ask in case of any query or suggestion you want to give below in the comment section.

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash