This is a collaborative post: Pets are a source of unparalleled joy and pleasure in one’s life. And if you are lucky to be blessed with these furry angels and tiny tots, your household will be a cacophony of laughter and bliss.
However, toddlers are unpredictable, and so are dogs, so it is crucial to place preventive measures to prevent conflict between them. Keep in mind that it is a dangerous notion to think that either your dog or child will grow out from negative behavior. You will need to nip any issues in the bud to prevent accidents in the future.
Never Leave A Dog And Toddler Unsupervised
This is absolutely important for the safety of both the toddler and the dog. Remember that no matter how friendly the dog is, it is still an animal and has the potential to harm your child, whether unintentionally or otherwise. Toddlers, too, are too young to know how to behave with dogs and may aggravate the animal.
The presence of a responsible adult can prevent any unfortunate accident from taking place. This is why it is imperative not to let toddlers and dogs be alone for any time.
Start With Command Training
Before you childproof your dog, you will need to teach them basic commands like sit, let go and down. Command training has an important significance in controlling dog behavior. It enables you to better understand your dog’s moods and mannerisms and establish a relationship with it.
Move on to advanced training after your pet has grasped the basic commands. This can range from teaching them to be patient when their tail is tugging, not chew on baby toys, and avoiding colliding with toddlers when they are walking around.
Expose Your Dog To Children Beforehand
Children are very different from adults both in terms of behavior and appearance. They are unpredictable and have a different scent that can overwhelm any dog meeting them for the first time.
The only way to rectify this is to introduce them to their future playmates. They need to be familiar with children before you can introduce your little ones to them. Start off with older, well-behaved children among friends and family, and if that goes well, switch to younger ones. Observe them during the interactions, reigning in any bad behavior and rewarding them for good ones. This will gradually train them how to behave around young children.
Use Crate Training
An escape route or a safe space will make your dog behave better around your children. That is why understanding your dog better is essential to creating a safe environment for your pet and child.
Train your dog to retreat to the crate when they need it. You will also need to teach your kid that the crate is off-limits to them for the method to be effective.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog to behave around young children. You need to let them associate favorable interactions with children with good things like treats and praises. As a result, they will be well-behaved around children.
Let The Dog Acclimatize To Baby Sounds And Scents
Another way to improve the relationship between kids and dogs is to let your pet get used to the sounds and scents of babies. They should also learn to become familiar with toys, prams, and other baby stuff. This way, you can rest assured that your pet won’t be startled and behave erratically when they encounter babies for the first time.
Establish Some Ground Rules
Dogs are obedient by nature and will be quickly able to pick up appropriate behavior through proper training. That’s why you need to establish strict rules in the household for both the kids (furry and non-furry) and adhere to them. For instance, prevent your dog from eating off your child’s plate and vice versa. You will also need to teach your kid to avoid playing with chew toys with safety hazards.
The baseline is whatever rules you establish, make sure that it is followed by all parties involved. You will also need to take extra care when you are traveling with kids and pets in tow.
Put Up Baby Gates
If you are especially worried about your dog and child’s safety, you may want to put up baby gates. Install the gates across doorways, allowing them to interact and play together while keeping both parties safe. Keep in mind that you should never leave toddlers and dogs together unsupervised.
Practice Handling Your Dog
Toddlers are naturally curious beings. Once your pet starts living together with them, they are bound to explore the new addition to the family. Suddenly touching or prodding is bound to irritate your new pet. Thus, it is essential to acclimate them to such behavior beforehand.
Practice handling your dog by rubbing its ears, lightly tugging its tails, and holding its paws. They should learn to associate handling with good things, which can be reinforced through treats and praises for better outcomes.
Teach Your Child How To Pet Your Dog
Training your furry friend isn’t enough to ensure safety; you will also need to teach your kids how to behave with their new friend—practice interaction exercises with your dog and toddler. Start with letting your dog sniff their hands and teach your tot to pet them gently.
If your toddler is too excited or irritable, let your toddler calm down and try again. These supervised exercises will slowly instil good petting behaviour in them. Furthermore, this will also prove helpful when they are faced with other dogs outside the family.
Know When To Get Help and Give Up
As parents of both pets and kids, you must always stay vigilant to prevent injury and accidents. Any sign of aggression such as low growls, or wide eyes should be dealt with with immediate professional help such as an animal behaviorist. Remember that not all dogs are safe to be around children, so prepare to adopt pets with that factor in mind.
Conclusion
It is essential to exercise caution when it comes to matters involving pets and kids. A little effort goes a long way to help ensure a safe environment for your kids and dogs. Training your pup and teaching your toddler are all ways to combat any unfortunate accident. Keep these tips in mind if you plan on a furry addition to your family with small kids.