Dog Safety 101 for Parents of Little Kids
Teaching babies about dog safety begins at 6 months old.
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Last month, I wrote a story for Yahoo Life about dog safety for little kids—and it was one of the most revealing and informative pieces I’ve written in a while.
When my husband and I met, he had a 3-year-old pup named Moose and I came into our relationship with my 10-year-old cat, Capt. Jack Sparrow. Although Jack is gone (and we’ve got two other kitties), Moose is happily still with us.
I love him and dogs in general but I admit that I’m more of a cat person, so I was especially nervous about what would happen once we brought a baby into the house. Moose—despite his 65-pound body and love of jumping on people—is not even remotely aggressive. But he is a very excited dog who still acts like a puppy even though he’s about to turn 11 years old.
While writing this story, I realized that there are some basic dog safety rules that even I still need to learn and remind myself of as my kiddo grows.
But even if you don’t have a dog yourselves, one of the experts I interviewed for the story made a very good point about why all parents need to know dog safety 101.
“Even if your family does not have a dog, it would not be unusual for a child to encounter a dog at some point,” Aimee Hoflander, a staff educator and facility dog handler at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, tells Yahoo Life.
I mean, if you plan to take your child to a park at any point in the future, they and you will likely come across a dog. And while it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure a dog and child can interact safely, you, as the parent, are ultimately responsible for teaching your child how to be safe around dogs.
And so, here is my story for Yahoo Life!
Dog safety for kids: What parents need to know
Yes, that’s my son, husband, and our dog, Moose, in the photo above. Aren’t they adorable?
Anyway, the #1 thing that parents need to learn when it comes to dog safety is boundaries with dogs—and you need to know these for yourself first. Here they are, according to the experts I interviewed for my Yahoo Life story.
Dog Safety Boundaries 101
Always ask the handler if you may pet or approach their dog
Pet a dog in the direction from their shoulder toward their tail
Do not pet the top of the dog's head
Speak in a low voice and move gently to help dogs feel safe
Never approach a dog if you have food in your hand or pocket
There are a lot more tips in my article, so be sure to click here to read it. Even as a dog and kid parent myself, I didn’t know some of these.
Honestly, this is one of those pieces that I’ll be saving for myself and reviewing as my child gets older—especially the tip about being “doggie detectives” together. Trust me, it’s a good one. Read the full story here.
Join me in conversation… Are you a dog owner who has a child? Who came first and how did you prepare the other for a new arrival? Are you a parent who doesn’t have a dog and are not sure how to teach your child dog safety but found my article helpful? Do you have any fun dog/kid stories? I’d love to hear from all of you!
Talk soon,
Irina (she/her) - raising a March 2020 Gen Alpha kid
I worked in an animal shelter for years and these are great tips! If a dog is overstimulated, it’s best to turn around and face the other direction to give them space. Kneeling in an “S” shape, is the advice we gave to adults. I’d love to make a tiny zine about this topic!