Dogs and Children

One very dangerous myth that exists is the assumption that, in some mysterious way, all dogs will automatically be gentle and loving with any infant or a child. This is a dangerous assumption, unless a dog has grown up with small children surrounding it then the animal may not be accustomed to children’s sudden moves or frantic noisy behavior.

Kids unwittingly scare dogs, especially when they are very loud and boisterous. Ultimately, it is the parents whom are responsible for teaching their children to respect and to approach all animals with caution, even a family dog. The two basic rules that children need to know are:

1. You never approach any dog or pet without having the owner’s permission.
2. When you do have permission, always treat the dog very gently and with kindness.

If your dog is not as comfortable with children as you would like, you can make the effort to reduce this uneasiness by making it a point of taking it for walks near playgrounds and parks where children are playing so it becomes used to the sounds and noises that children’s voices make. Also, allow your nervous dog to be pet by children but making sure to totally protect the dog with your arms so it knows that it is safe.

If your dog has always been raised around adult there may be a problem if you have friends and family with children that come to visit your house. Regardless of how well trained and well mannered your dog is, it can prove to be quite the opposite when in the presence of noisy and flamboyant kids.

Your dog could become confused and frightened which may cause him to strike out in self defense, even though the children are just playing. But in your dog’s point of view, these noisy little strangers whom are playing with it’s toys, chasing his tail around, and messing with it’s food bowl, are actually invading his territory.

Should the above situation happen, simply remove the dog from the area. Take him into another room while the children are visiting and make frequent stops into the room to pet him and offer treats. If you make the effort in getting your dog acquainted with little children, then eventually you will not have issues with when your dog is in company of kids.