Safer interactions with Fido and Spot

By Heather

by Heather

To prevent dog bites, you can prepare the dog and you can prepare the child. When Holden was bitten by his grandparents’ dog, we had done neither. The dog, Luke, was a nice-enough dog with very little exposure to children. Poor Luke went from living with an older couple in a small apartment to having three children under age 3 visiting regularly, making strange noises and playing with his toys.

And Holden, at that time, was fearless.

Tips for the dog

Never leave your dog alone with children younger than age 5
Provide a crate where the dog can escape from stressful situations

Tips for the kid

Let a dog sniff your child’s closed fist before a child tries to pet it
Do not run from a dog, wrestle with a dog or play tugging games; the dog will win. Even lying next to a dog or hugging a dog can end badly
Teach children to give dogs plenty of space while they eat
Make sure you really know the dog in question before starting to play

Here are two good articles on the safe mixing of dogs and children:

Dog Safety

Kids and Dogs: Safety First

If you’re a parent and a pet owner, what do you do to keep everyone safe?

One Response to “Safer interactions with Fido and Spot”

RookieMom Heather says:

June 8, 2009 at 11:53 pm

The kids were regular guests, they just came from nowhere for a boisterous weekend of making Luke’s peaceful home into a daycare center.

Here is the story of Holden’s dog bite: http://blog.rookiemoms.com/a-rough-ending-to-our-family-vacation/