I am a huge believer that animals are amazing friends for kiddos! But we need to be aware of the interactions between our fur babies and our human babies so we can keep them all safe!
Everyone has heard stories about a dog who bit an infant or toddler. If you are a dog owner, it is your biggest fear. When we hear stories about a once-trusted dog that bit the child it always loved, everyone is confused and the question on everyone’s mind is “why?”
It starts with us.
We often see our children bothering our beloved fur babies and believe that because our pup doesn’t react, they will just continue to deal with any annoyance without ever exploding. The sad fact is that is not always the case, and a dog who reaches their boiling point can lead to tragic endings.
We must teach our babies and toddlers which interactions are appropriate and which ones aren’t. As adults, we are able to recognize the signs of annoyance or irritation in our pets, but our babies do not, so we need to be aware and interfere when necessary.
Let’s discuss the most common occurrences. When we think about it, many of the instances that lead a dog to bite are the same that lead parents like us to need breaks from our own children.
Pet Safety Tip #1: Give Safe Space
Have you ever had a day where your child is literally in your face and won’t give you any space? Almost all children need to be taught what is a socially acceptable distance.
Now, imagine having no control over the child’s actions. Imagine not being able to say “please stop.” This is a dog’s reality. It can be incredibly uncomfortable for a dog and lead them to react in unexpected ways. Sometimes the best thing you can do is move your dog to another space, outside, a bedroom, or a crate if they are comfortable.
Parents need to ensure that children do not bother dogs in their space. If the child would like to interact with the dog when they are in their private area, they can call them, and the dog can then choose to get up or stay. If the dog chooses to stay, it would be wise to let it be.
Pet Safety Tip #2: Teach Respect and Gentle Hands
Children can sometimes invade your personal space. Nobody likes their personal space invaded, including dogs.
When a toddler steps on your chest or elbows your ribs, it makes you react. A dog also reacts when you step on their tail or elbow their ribs. A dog’s natural instinct when faced with pain can often be to snap or nip in order to warn us, but this can lead to injury when it’s a fragile toddler. This is what we are all trying to avoid.
Why do kids think jumping out of nowhere to scare us is hilarious? It is the absolute worst and always puts me on edge. Dogs are much more sensitive to sounds than humans and can be easily frazzled by screaming.
It's important to teach even young children to step carefully around resting dogs and use gentle hands and voices. This can be a great tool for teaching kids empathy and help keep everyone safe from a nasty startle reaction that is no one's fault but ends in tragedy.
Pet Safety Tip #3: Respect food and things
Imagine you get your favorite food, and just when you are in the middle of enjoying it, you see tiny hands sneak in to take your food.
I am big on sharing, but most people aren’t. Dogs feel the exact same way. They don’t want anyone bothering them during mealtimes, and parents should teach their children to leave their dogs alone during mealtimes.
Kids are ridiculously fast and can quickly get into our stuff if not being watched. Dogs have their own belongings that they don’t necessarily always want touched. If the dogs are having playtime with the children, then it is acceptable, but if a dog is cuddling with their favorite soft toy and your child takes it from them, this would lead to irritation.
Dogs make it very clear when they are uncomfortable, and I will be discussing those behaviors in a future post. For now, we would all be wise to keep an eye on our children’s interactions with our furry pets.
Teach children to respect pets' space, things, food, and bodies. This is a great time to start teaching empathy and care for others and can lead to a beautiful life long friendship. When we prioritize pet safety, everyone wins.
In the end, all we want is for all our babies (animal and human) to love each other and give us some sweet moments.
Got a question about pet care and safety? Let us know in the comments below!
