Introducing your dog to a young child can be an exciting but delicate process. The key is to take it slow and make sure both your pup and the child feel safe and comfortable.
Dogs and young puppies may find babies and small children challenging because children can be rough on them, pull their fur, tail or ears, scream and cry loudly, throw toys and food around, among things.
This can often overstimulate a dog or puppy’s nervous system and make the dog anxious, nervous, over-excited, and so on.
So what do you as the pet parent and child’s parent? Below, I provide some simple tips you can implement.
- Keep calm. Staying calm will help both dog and child stabilize when there is an outbreak
- If the child is old enough, teach the child how to better interact with the dog
- If the dog or puppy is exhibiting aggressive or anxious behavior, have a professional dog trainer do an evaluation. I work with people to complete a behavior and temperament evaluation on all dogs I train.
- Give your dog safe space. All dogs and puppies require a safe space and this helps keep your dog's nervious system calm and in-check.
- Reward your dog or puppy with praise and treats when it shows good behavior toward your child
Helping Your Child Acclimate and Interact with the Dog
Start by having them interact while you’re present, offering treats and praise to the dog or puppy, when they behave well around the child or baby.
Teach the child gentle petting techniques and supervise all interactions. In most cases, if the child is gentle with the dog, the dog will respond positively and affectionately
With patience and positive reinforcement, your dog/puppy and child can become the best of friends!
If you still have difficulty, please reach out to me.
