Miami Valley OKI Lab Rescue

We usually think of “toddlers” as children under three years of age. If you have a child in this age category and are considering a pet, think it through carefully. It is better to already have a dog when you are pregnant so that your child grows up with the dog, rather than to try to integrate the dog into “the pack” as the new member of the family. If you already have your toddler and are planning to adopt a pet, start out the right way.

Take your children, including toddlers, to the homes of friends who have a dog. Make sure in advance that your friend’s dog is tolerant of children. Let your child interact with the dog, watching the child carefully and teaching the child how to properly treat a dog. Pulling ears and tail, poking at eyes, jumping on the dog are inappropriate behaviors. Though there should never be an excuse for a dog to bite a child, dogs are also living creatures, can be hurt and deserve respectful treatment. Teach your child about gentle handling of the animal with hands and voice. Let the child know that loud and rough play will invite the dog to respond in a like manner.

Read stories to your child that will teach lessons about caring for an animal. A child should be taught that the dog’s food and toys are the animal’s belongings and the child needs to learn to respect that concept.

If your pet growls at your child, consider it as a warning that the dog is being aggravated by the child’s behavior. Growling is the only language that the dog has and you need to listen to it. Let your child know that the dog is saying that he has had enough!

Children should always be supervised around canines so that both of their behaviors can be monitored and corrected at all times. It is wonderful to see a small child interacting in a kind and gentle manner with a pet. If the child is allowed to be less than kind and gentle, the fault will be with the parents when the pet has to be placed in a new home because the animal has been grumbling or worse - biting.

Make sure that you make an educated choice when you are deciding on a new pet. Study about the characteristics of breeds of dogs before you choose one.
Select a dog that has had positive experience with children and has had some training. Introduce your child to the dog before taking it home, keeping in mind that your child should not be the one who decides which pet to choose - the child will be determined to have them all!