How To Promote Safe Interactions Between Dogs And Children

Bringing a new dog home is an exciting time for every member of the family – especially children. If you had dogs when you were growing up, you may recall the anticipation you felt as you went to meet the newest four-legged member of your family. In the same situation, your kids will feel the same way that you did.

While there are overwhelmingly positive arguments for bringing a dog into your home and having them live in harmony with your children, it does significantly alter the dynamic of your household. Depending on the type of dog you pick, it could lead to a large increase in the energy levels in your home, and all of that noise and energy can be difficult to control. When a situation gets out of control, accidents happen. Those accidents could affect the way your child perceives dogs for the rest of their lives – and vice versa.

With all of this in mind, this article sets out a framework for introducing new dogs to the children in your home. Following this guidance can ensure that you, your kids and your new dog can live together – if not peacefully (because kids + dogs isn’t a recipe for complete silence, after all), then at the very least, safely.

Before you bring the dog home

Before your dog even sets a paw inside your home, there are a couple of things you should consider. Giving careful thought and preparing in advance can make it easier for the dog to integrate with your family.

Choosing the right dog

The ‘right’ dog is subjective, and will differ for every family based on their lifestyle, living space, free time, and many other factors. However, you can set yourself for success with a couple of sense checks.

Think about where you live – specifically, how much room do you have in your home? For example, if you’re in an apartment and pressed for space, does it make sense to bring a large, energetic dog who could charge into furniture, prized possessions, and even your children? Additionally, choosing a dog who needs an abundance of exercise when you’re already time-poor could create a scenario where your dog becomes bored and destructive. Choose a dog that is suitable for your family’s circumstances, including the age and maturity of your child.

Remember, your dog will likely live with you for over a decade – their entire life could be spent around your kids. Researching the breed can help to increase the likelihood of a positive integration into your family’s life.

Teach your child proper etiquette around dogs

Yes, kids are kids. It’s natural for them to be loud, excitable and full of energy, particularly when a new pet enters the fold. While you’d never want to completely eliminate your child’s enthusiasm, you can teach them how to safely interact around dogs to help prevent any future flashpoints.

Before bringing a dog into your home, you could ask a friend or family member who owns a dog to help. It is all about building a sense of respect for the dog’s boundaries, so you should demonstrate how a dog should be petted, and also emphasize what not to do (ex: don’t pull on any part of a dog’s body; don’t disturb a dog if they are sleeping or eating; don’t steal a dog’s toys from them; don’t go inside a dog’s crate; and so on).

The list of ‘don’ts’ is far longer than the list of ‘do’s’, but all of these examples are designed to keep your child safe. Kids are kids – but dogs are also dogs. Putting behavior boundaries in place will decrease the possibilities of unfortunate incidents occurring once the child has a dog of their own.

How to manage the dog-child relationship

Once you have selected your dog and brought them home, you’ll see the initial interactions between the two of them. Your child may be nervous, afraid, excited, or hyperactive; your dog may also be experiencing many of these same emotions. Take these first steps very slowly. Don’t force them to interact, and if your dog seems uncomfortable in any way, make sure your child doesn’t bother them unnecessarily. This is a new environment for them, and there is nothing to be gained by rushing. There will be plenty of time to build a positive relationship in the future, but the process will take longer if the dog and child build negative associations with one another.

In these early stages, always allow the dog to lead the situation. Keep your dog on a leash, and wait for them to approach your child. Even if your dog seems hesitant at first, their curiosity will eventually cause them to want to sniff. At this point, as the dog begins to relax, you can encourage your child to gently, and slowly, pet the dog.

Only you can judge how harmonious the interactions are between your child and your dog. As the responsible caregiver for both, the onus is on you to know when things are going well, and when they may need to take a step back. You will have a different approach with a very young baby than with a toddler, simply because toddlers are more interactive and bring more unpredictability to the table; with a baby, it is generally more likely that the dog will be more curious than the child.

There are also other tips you can implement to keep the interactions between your dog and your child positive, ensuring that everyone remains comfortable and safe.

Constant supervision

This is the number one tip, without question – never leave your dog and your child unattended together. Even if they appear very comfortable with one another, sometimes a child will do something unexpected that startles a dog. In this scenario, all bets are off, and if no adult is present to spot the situation before it happens, there could be severe consequences. Babies should never be left sleeping alone in the same room as a dog. Always make sure you are present.

Create a safe space for your dog

There will be times when your dog has just had enough and simply needs a break. Creating an area of your home that is just for them – whether that’s a crate, or the corner of a room – can help them to relax and unwind. It is vital that you convey to your children that the area is off-limits and only for the dog. Don’t allow your children to jump and play in the dog’s crate or bedding.

Don’t leave toys lying around

Leaving toys around – both dog toys and children’s toys – is an accident waiting to happen. All it takes is a child to start wielding the dog’s favorite toy to unintentionally make the dog extremely animated. There have been instances where kids have been bitten by a dog trying to get a toy from them. At the same time, you don’t want to leave your kid’s favorite stuffed animal in a place where your dog can easily get a hold of it and rip it to shreds – causing a potential choking hazard for themselves and definite heartbreak and anguish for the child. It is worth being diligent about picking up after everyone when they have finished playing with their respective toys.

Train your dog

As important as it is to teach your child how to interact correctly with dogs, it also works the other way – if you’re a responsible dog owner, you should train your dog to behave properly around kids. As children are more at a dog’s eye level than adults, dogs do tend to behave differently around them. A basic obedience program – particularly private lessons in your home, where a professional dog trainer can study the intra-family dynamics – can give you more control over your dog’s behavior. This can be built upon with frequent socialization and generalizing the behavior in different contexts when children are present.

In conclusion

Adding a new pet to your home – particularly if you have kids – should be an incredibly exciting time for your entire family. The experiences your child has at this age will likely last with them for the rest of their lives.

As a parent (whether that’s of humans, pets, or both), we want to make sure those we are responsible for are always out of danger. It is natural to be anxious, but preparation and constant supervision can help to mitigate any of the problems that can arise when children and dogs are together.