Children and Dogs

All children should be taught to respect other living beings, be they animal or human, even if your household does not contain animals, your children should still be taught the basics. Dogs do not like hugs and kisses. Many dogs tolerate this as they have been exposed to it as puppies but they do not particularly like it. Dogs may feel threatened when hugged. Teach your child to scratch the dog on the chest and shoulders or rub behind the ears from the side. If a strange dog approaches your child, teach them to 'BE A TREE'. Trees are boring and the dog will eventually go away. 'Be a tree' means: stand still, fold your branches (arms) together and look at your roots (feet). Children can even use this technique if their own dog gets to boisterous during play. Dogs are stimulated by movement and sounds. The erratic movements and high pitch sounds that children make can cause some dogs to view them as prey and a chasing or wrestling game can become seriously dangerous.