Having a dog in the home benefits both you and your children. Bonding with your dog can help you become healthier and happier. Children, even at their young age, can develop stronger social skills while playing and interacting with a pet. Being able to help kids bond with the family dog can be lots of fun as well.
Your children also engage in physical activity when they are playing with the dog and this contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Besides physical activity, children also develop personality traits which can help them become happier adults. Their bond with the family dog can help them develop feelings such as empathy and to learn responsibility.
However, if they are left unsupervised, it can lead to unwanted accidents. This article can help pet owners decide what to do when their kids and dogs are bonding to ensure their safety. If you help kids bond with the family dog, you make it much safer for them to play together.
Help Kids Bond With The Family Dog With Proper Supervision
Always provide supervision when your dog and kids play with one another. You have to make sure that they are safe and in a stress-free environment. Monitor their body language carefully and check for any signs that may indicate a problem is brewing.
As an adult, it is your responsibility to show the child how to pet and handle the dog properly. In this way, they can bond safely and comfortably. It is important for you to teach your child to play with your dog gently so that your dog will not learn to bite or be aggressive.
While playing, your dog may steal your child’s toy. In this case, you should train them to drop any object on command. The dog should be taught to play with their own toys.
Your child should learn to stop playing with the dog if he appears to be uncomfortable or irritated in any way. An adult should be close by to guide them and to make sure the environment is safe.
Behavior issues
Do not make or allow your child to train or discipline your dog. If the dog engages in unwanted behavior, the child should be instructed to come to you and not to address the issue themselves. If you let them discipline your dog, your child may get scratched or bitten by your pet.
You, as a pet owner, should enforce a reward system instead of giving punishment to your dog when they engage in bad behavior. Children will copy all the things you do. So, when they play with your dog, your child will not punish them. Instead, they will give your dog positive reinforcements.
Personal space
As an adult, you know the importance of giving your dog and your child their own personal space and private time. Your dog should be trained to go to their “safe place” when they are anxious, afraid or uncomfortable. You should also teach your child that if your dog escapes to their personal space, they should leave them alone until they are ready to safely engage in playtime again.
Help Kids Bond With The Family Dog In A Positive Environment
At the start, an adult should always be close by when young children and pets are playing with each other. If they are old enough, they may be left unsupervised in their playtime. You can leave them alone if they know and respect the limitations you have set and once you have established a safe environment.
You should also reward your child for a job well done to reinforce good decision making. This positive environment not only helps your child to grow up happy and well adjusted, it also helps the family develop a strong bond with a well-adjusted pet as well.
Any photo not from our family photo album is from Pixabay.
