Adding a new pet to the family is an exciting experience for everyone. If your family includes young children, then the selection process is doubly fun. Careful selection will be very important to ensure your new pet is a good fit for your family. When selecting a new canine companion at the animal shelter, we encourage you to involve and bring along your whole family (children too!)
When introducing a dog to your children, the dog should approach the children freely, almost preferring the kids to the adults. The dog should have a relaxed, wiggly body with a wagging tail that sweeps from side to side.
Signs a dog
A dog's wiggling butt and a wide, wagging tail are good signs.
An open-mouthed dog with his tongue hanging out is a relaxed dog.
The dog is interested in interacting with you and your children.
You see the dog frequently coming over for rubs and engaging in toy play with you.
Signs a dog is
The dog's body is not wiggly or relaxed.
The dog slinks along the floor or his tail is tucked underneath his belly.
The dog moves away and chooses not to interact with the children.
The dog stares at the children with ears forward, tail up and with his mouth closed.
Once you've chosen your new dog and bring him home, here are some guidelines to help you and your children be safe and happy with the new dog. If you have very young children, it is important to supervise interactions between your new pet and young children.
how to interact
Let the dog approach you and your child on his own and offer him yummy treats.
Never hug or squeeze the dog on first greeting.
Do not run away from or scream at the dog on greeting.
Leave the dog alone while eating, sleeping or chewing on a new item.
Ensure that children understand that the crate is the dog's special place and only the dog is allowed inside.
When it comes to cats, until you are certain your new cat and children are safe together, make sure you keep them separate unless supervised. Remember a cat may need 7 to 14 days to just relax in her new environment, so take things very slowly. Learn to read a cat's subtle body language when he is around children. If there is ever a moment when you think your cat is trying to harm your child, separate them and call us if you'd like our help. In another article, we'll discuss more ways to welcome and introduce a new cat into his/her new home and all of the family members.
If you would like additional support, please call our Training and Behavior Center at 303-442-4030 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Lindsay A. Wood is Director of Animal Training & Behavior for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. The Training Center is located at 2323 55th Street in Boulder and offers public classes every day of the week. Info: www.boulderhumane.org