At Dog Star Rescue, teaching children how to positively interact with dogs is critical. As owners, volunteers and foster, adults must advocate for this at all times to ensure that everyone is safe and respected. Positive relationships between kids and pets don’t happen automatically; they require guidance, supervision, and consistent teaching. When children learn how animals think and communicate, they are less likely to accidentally scare or hurt them, which helps prevent potential injuries and stress for the animal. It also teaches empathy, patience, and responsibility.
Here are some tips to help advocate for positive child and dog interactions.
Always:
- Be polite and kind to pets
- Learn to recognize when a dog is scared or anxious
- Play appropriate games with pets such as fetch, teach training tricks (like roll over, shake, etc.), going for walks, and playing hide-n-seek
- Supervise all interactions; accidents can happen in a split second
- Train your dog to associate kids with positive experiences so he’ll be more likely to tolerate your child in case he/she accidentally interacts inappropriately
Do not:
- Bother dogs when they are eating
- Taking dogs’ bones or toys away
- Put your face in a dog’s face/personal space
- Bother animals when they are resting (please let sleeping dogs lie)
- Grab a dog’s tail and ears
- Climb on or trample a dog.
- Allow your child to “ride” your dog. Even though it may seem cute, this can be very upsetting and lead to bites.
- Hug a dog (most dogs do not like it)
- Holler or shout – which can be upsetting to dogs. Use your inside voice!
Please consult a reputable, licensed trainer or dog behaviorist if you have questions or concerns about child/dog safety.