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Teaching Children Dog Safe BehaviorsParents make a lot of effort to teach their children safety out in the world. They teach them to look both ways before crossing the street, to not talk to strangers, to fasten their seat belts and many other essential safety rules. Sadly, many parents don't realize the need to educate their children about safe behaviors around dogs - including the family dog. There are some important safety rules when it comes to dogs that all children should be taught:1. Never run up to someone else's dog and pet it. Always ask the adult with the dog "may I pet your dog?" If the adult says "yes", then allow the dog to sniff your hand and gently pet him/her on the shoulder. If the adult says "no", then say "okay, thank you" and walk quietly away. 2. Don't stare into a dog's eyes. While it is normal for people to make eye contact, this is perceived as a threat to a dog. You should look over the dog's head rather than directly at his eyes. 3. Don't wrestle with the dog. Some dogs might tolerate this, but they should never be expected to accept this from children (or adults). Allowing the dog to wrestle can encourage inappropriate physical behavior with people. 4. Don't hug and kiss your dog or any other dog. While people enjoy sharing affection in this way with each other, most dogs don't perceive this as something positive. This type of behavior from a child is frequently the cause of a dog bite and generally the bite will occur on the child's face. One option is to teach the child to kiss their own hand and then pet the dog with the "kiss". Adults should avoid hugging and kissing the dog at least in the presence of children because it gives a bad example. 5. Don't run and scream around dogs. This type of behavior from children results in arousal behavior in dogs, and will encourage the dog to chase and bite. If the child wants to run and play and be noisy, put the dog in its crate. Also, make sure the child never runs and screams around other non-family dogs. 6. Don't tease, pinch or poke the dog. Children need to understand that these behaviors anger and hurt the dog and can result in a bite. Show the child how to play ball or some other appropriate interaction with the dog. 7. Don't follow or chase the dog. When a dog walks or runs away from an interaction with a child, it is a sign that the dog has had enough and does not want to interact with the child anymore. Continuing to follow and bother the dog can result in a bite. Children need to learn to respect the dog's desire to leave. Back to the Dachshund Resource Library |