Dogs and Kids

Dogs and children can form the greatest bond and be best friends forever, but both the dog and the children need to show some manners and respect if they are to live alongside each other happily, particularly if you are bringing a new rescue into your home who is not used to children.

Children can be noisy, move around quickly and are un-predictable for dogs which can be very frightening for new rescues. Also, children have a tendency to act before they stop to think, so they might reach out to stroke a dog, or give them a big hug without checking whether the dog is happy with this first.

Down the line, parents can become way too trusting. Particularly if the dog has always been good with the children, they allow their children do whatever they like and assume that the dog will continue to tolerate it. I regularly cringe when I see photos of children climbing on their dogs, hugging them round their necks, dressing them up, forcing them to walk around with them on a lead, or lying in the dog's bed. Not only is this disrespectful, it is dangerous as eventually your dog might have had enough and snap.

So here are a few pointers to help you and your children.

Introducing a new rescue into your home

Most new rescues are unlikely to be used to young children so please be aware of the risks for your child of bringing a dog into your home. When introducing your new dog to children please do this very carefully and under strict supervision. NEVER leave a dog with any child unattended.

Please teach your children some basic rules before the dog arrives home - particularly around understanding some dog body language and consent for touch and the basic NO's below.

When introducing your dog to the children, ask the child to sit down, stay calm and not to jump around or make noises. Whatever happens DO NOT RUN or the dog is likely to become more excited/agitated and may chase or nip. Whilst the children will undoubtedly be excited about the new arrival, it may take some time for the dog to learn to trust them, before they can interact safely.

If the children want to give the dog a treat, then start by throwing the treat on the floor away some distance away from them. Do not be tempted to lure your dog towards your child with food as they may come in for the food, but then panic if the child reaches out to touch them. Once you feel confident, the child can progress to holding the treat low and with an open hand, do not hold the treat over the dogs head where they will be tempted to jump up and snatch.

If the children want to stroke the dog, then they should keep their hands where the dog can see them and gently stroke under the chin and around the dog's shoulder. Do not let them lean over or reach over the dog's head as this is intimidating for dogs. Keep movements slow and steady. After a few seconds, stop stroking - if the dog comes towards you then it wants more, if it turns away then it doesn't. The video below is really helpful.

Checking consent for touch

To build a positive bond with your dog, you need to be able to read his/her body language. Our dogs talk to us all the time, if only we can understand what they are trying to tell us.

When getting to know your dog, look out for lip licks, yawns, head turns which are all signs that your dog is feeling stressed and is trying to communicate to you.

This training video helps you identify whether a dog wants to be stroked. The dog is showing lots of signs that he is unhappy, but it's easy to miss them if you don't know what to look for.

Teaching your children about dog safety

Even the friendliest of dogs sometimes need to be left alone. This video is one to watch with your children and will teach them what signs to look out for.

To all parents:

Your child should not sit on your dog while reading a book
Nor should he ride your dog like a pony.
Never sprawl across your dog whilst he is napping
Never grab your dog’s face, pull on her skin or tail
Never get into your dogs bed - it is their sanctuary so you must leave them in peace
Never stick a hand into the dog's food bowl.

No matter how brilliant, tolerant and patient your dog is with the children, you should always look out for your dog and never let your children take advantage of their good nature.

Stop the 77

This video is very powerful and shows how all those cute photos of the dog being cuddled or dressed up by the child can be viewed differently from the dog's perspective.

77% of dog bites come from a friend's dog or the family's very own dog.

Dog Body Language Resources

If you have never owned a dog before, it is important to understand how to interpret your dog's body language. Dogs quickly learn how to read our body language, so its only fair that we do the same for them.

Here is a great video that shows some of the signs that your dog is feeling stressed or anxious and tells you when to leave dogs be and when to intervene.

This is another great resource that will help you understand how dogs communicate. https://www.silentconversations.com/introduction-to-dog-body-language/

There is also a dog-decoder app that is great for teaching children with quizzes https://www.dogdecoder.com/

Head over to the dog body language page for more free resources - the lily chen images are great for printing and sticking on the fridge!

What if my child is frightened of dogs?

This useful website provides resources for helping anxious children feel safer around dogs. There are also links to trainers with specialist skills. https://kidsarounddogs.co.uk/

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