14 Things To Keep In Mind Before Introducing Your Kids To Your Dogs

Dogs and children are an incredible combination – but in order to make sure it’s a good relationship, you need to make sure your kids are ready.

1. Teach them to be kind and to have empathy for dogs.
2. Remind them that the dog will also need personal space, just like other people.
3. Ensure that your children understand what responsibility is, and what that entails.
4. Talk to them about how dogs too have feelings – and how those feelings should be respected.
5. They should learn about how dogs communicate.
6. Dogs do not have the same level of English comprehension we have.
7. Make sure they learn to identify safe and unsafe situations with the dog.
8. Always supervise each and every interaction between the two.
9. Use videos to show your children examples of healthy dog-people interactions.
10. Ensure they learn how to identify key dog body language signals.
11. Remind your children that your dogs are not human, and can’t think accordingly.
12. All dogs are different – teach your children to understand your dog on a personal level.
13. Show your children the appropriate and respectful way to interact with your new dog.
14. Give your dog an escape plan always, while you de-escalate any tense interactions between child and dog.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay