During the past few adoption tips, we’ve been talking about keeping your new dog safe in the home as well as around other dogs. But it’s also important to keep dogs safe around humans, especially kids and vice versa, keeping humans safe around dogs. It’s a two-way street. Kids need to be taught not to run around dogs, or pull their tails; not to tease or taunt them and in general, to be respectful. This keeps the dogs safe as well as the child. Children also need to learn how to read dog body language.
Of course, this is up to the adult to be learning so they can then help teach it. An adult must always be supervising children, yet I know, as a mom, that’s not always possible. So you need to make sure that there is a crate around or a way for children to be separate from dogs i.e. via a baby gate, always being mindful of “safety first”. In addition to a crate, we use leash tie-outs which is just a leash attached to a table that you can clip your dog onto so he can be in the same room as everyone, but out of the way.
Here is today’s tip:
It is so important for kids to learn how to be safe around dogs, as well as keeping dogs safe from kids who just don’t know any better.
There are some great posters and infographics available that teach humans how to read dog body language, some of which are in What To Expect When Adopting A Dog. One of the best training tools I have found is a company called The Family Dog. They have incredible videos and a fun way to teach safety. Check them out and have fun!
