Simple steps on how Kids should act and interact with dogs
Many children do not know how to interact with dogs some are overzealous, and others are so shy that they do not know where to look and can be so scared that they become paralysed with fear or run as fast as Usain Bolt in a major panic screaming, which is very enticing for most dogs!
Both can be very dangerous, but both can be managed if a child is educated in a way that does not instill more fear or more unauthorised confidence in a child!
We expect a lot from our dogs and how they should behave around our children, and they should instinctively know how to act. Dogs learn how to behave around people through experience and handling when a pup, it is not instinctive it is taught! We need to teach our children too!
This blog is about the overzealous, overconfident, overbearing child.
Have you heard a mother or father say ohh my son just adores dogs or my daughter loves every dog and they love her back, my child is so good with dogs, they are so natural with animals! Yes, it is lovely that your child is an “animal lover” but do they understand the basic signs of animal behaviour and the signs that a dog could be distressed, in pain, or showing signs of anxiety, fear or anger?
Climbing on a dog, pulling, hugging, prodding and just getting into their space is a big no-no, should they cross these boundaries they are at an increased risk of being bitten. Should your child be itching to get up close and personal it is so vitally important that they understand that dogs, no matter how well you know them value their personal space and like us humans have boundaries, just some are more tolerant than others!
Interactions between a child and a dog should be a good experience for both! Instilling fear into them is not advisable. Ask a child to do simple tasks, games, and basic training that will help build a relationship, teach a child how to be in control, and how to read basic body language and warning signs that a dog is giving off.
Tasks involving Positive Reinforcement
- Sit
- Lie Down
- Stay
- Come
- Ball playing
Teach your child to give simple commands to not overuse its name. You can assign a name for your child to use that is not used in training for example pup, or pooky! Children tend to overuse a dog’s name and they can very easily become numb, deadened, to it! Therefore if the overuse of their name is used when it comes to commands such as recalling then you can have a whole feast of problems.
This should be supervised to ensure timely rewards are given and they are both interacting safely and calmly.
How to make the interactions as positive and as safe as possible. Talk to the child before introducing them to a dog. Tell them that sometimes we are unable to see if a dog is in pain or if a dog is unhappy so it is best to let a dog approach you rather than the other way round, and always ask the owner if it is OK to touch.
Highlight to a child that if a dog is sleeping, eating or has taken itself away then it is to be left alone.
Playtime is for outside only! This is so very important to maintain a level of calm in a house, plus a dog outside can flee should it need to (in a secure back garden/yard ). In a house there are walls and they can feel trapped therefore the fight instinct may be the only option they have if they are cornered.
Direct Supervision you should never leave your child alone with a dog always supervise, be calm and help them to build a harmonised, respectful relationship.
If you cannot supervise all the time, give the dog a space where he or she can chill without being disturbed by a child, and ensure the child understands that when they are in this space they are not to be approached.
My child wants to hug my puppy how do I stop them? Some dogs do not mind being hugged by a child, but many do. Your pet Labrador may be very tolerant of this, but what happens when your child goes to a friend’s house where they have a dog who does not tolerate being smothered. It can end in dire consequences. The child can be bitten very easily!
It is therefore so vitally important that boundaries are set for children, that they are told that not all dogs like cuddles! That they must always ask the owner first. Stop before approaching, Ask the owner, Wait for a response and be Calm and Gentle! Good dog owners should always talk to a child before they get a chance to smother it with love or remove the dog from the situation putting it in a safe quiet place where it can be on its own and not bothered.
I had a situation with my dog when a 2-year-old came running up to him. We were outside, my dog was on a lead and under control. My dog does not appreciate being touched by strangers. 9 times out of 10 he would be fine but it only takes that one time for something unfortunate to happen! Luckily I was able to stop the child before she came into contact with him, but I had to put my hand up to provide distance between her and the dog. Unfortunately, it resulted in tears due to my quick reaction, but it could have been a lot of lot worse! The thing that amazed me the most was her mother, who put her on the ground to go and touch the dog without asking me, I was shocked at how she put her child in danger purely through lack of education. Should we be able to educate children who will eventually become adults we will have a lot fewer incidents of children being bitten by dogs, and dogs being unfairly euthanised or rehomed.
It is nice for humans to hug each other but for a dog, it can make them feel confined, threatened, and claustrophobic. Imagine someone holding onto you for a prolonged period of time or a stranger coming up to you and placing their hands on you, don’t you think you would try whatever you could to get away. So why do we expect our dogs to tolerate this and not react?
The best way that a dog knows how to handle an unfavorable situation is that they move away ( they would rather flee a situation than fight), ensure your child does not follow them if the dog gets up and removes itself from a situation, and allow this, allow them to set some boundaries as you do too! Recognise the small cues the dog is giving out don’t ignore signs such as licking of the lips, cowering, tail between its legs, ears flat to their head, yawning, looking away, snarling, growling etc… these are all signs that the dog is uncomfortable.
Dogs are dogs they are not robots we expect so much from our dogs but they all have their individual personalities and have their own stories they can all react so very differently from each other. Keep our children safe keep our dogs safe!
Harmonised living between person and pooch!
