TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL

Teaching your children to respect dogs (and all animals)

- Adam Bailey

What’s more beautiful than the sight of a child with his or her beloved dog? But sadly, in reality, many children haven’t been taught how to respect and treat dogs, sometimes resulting in dogs being rehomed or even euthanised when a child gets growled at, nipped or even bitten after teasing or mistreating a dog.

Teaching your children how to behave around animals, and dogs especially, can be the difference between long and happy days with your dogs and a really bad situation where children and dogs can both get hurt.

RESPECTING BOUNDARIES

No matter how adorable dogs are, they do have boundaries.

For example, knowing that your dog doesn’t like to be disturbed whilst eating is vital information that your children need to learn.

Perhaps your dog doesn’t like to be picked up or teased with a toy? You need to understand your dog’s own unique personality and likes and dislikes and teach your children to respect those boundaries.

As a rule, dogs don’t like to be disturbed when they’re eating or sleeping, and they don’t like children sitting on them. A dog won’t be happy if it’s being teased, poked or prodded. They don’t like their hair or tail being pulled.