Dog Owner Information

Children and Dogs

1. Children who have a dog tend to think that all dogs will be friendly, remind them that the rules about approaching strange dogs still apply.

2. A puppy will take a lot of your time and attention and it is natural for children, especially young ones to become jealous. You can help them to overcome this by treating the situation much the same as you would for the arrival of a baby.

3. Never allow a child to tease or torment a dog.

4. Don't let your children smother the puppy with attention. When the novelty wears off, the puppy will still expect and demand the same attention.

5. Young children and dogs don't always remember to respect each other's rights.

6. For everyone's sake, never allow them to play together unsupervised. Older children and teenagers need guidance, as well youthful exuberance can lead to things getting out of hand in a hurry.

7. Some games, like tug of war and rough house are inappropriate for a child to play with a dog, as they can induce serious aggression problems. Don't count on the kids remembering and being able to enforce the game rules

8. Children shouldn't be allowed to take dogs for walks on their own. They can't be expected to cope with unpredictable situations like a stray dog approaching.