Dogs And Kids - A Dangerous Mix?

---

     All of us have heard the horrible stories of dogs attacking young children. In spite of having heard these stories, parents rarely consider the facts when bringing a new dog into the family home.

But there is a reason behind this strange behavior on the part of parents. It is called ignorance. As a matter of fact, very few families ever go through this terrible situation of having their child bitten or attacked by the dog. In fact, most dogs love kids just as much as kids love them.

But you need to ensure that you create the ideal surroundings for your kids and dogs and take some basic precautions, Most parents never imagine or are prepared for anything horrible happening, either to your kids or to your dog!

Experts in the field differ in their opinion on various topics. However when it comes to kids and dogs together, there are certain points that most of them agree upon. For those who have kids as well as pets to take care of, you should know what these points are.

Firstly, if your children are very young, say under 6 years of age, you should never leave them alone with your dog. Your dog is not a wild ferocious beast, however it is very playful and is like a child itself. It will definitely not make a planned attack on your child, but he may simply respond in a never-before-seen way if it is hurt or harmed by your child during their play. It's just that you should not consider your dog to be more mature than your little prankster.

Also discourage your kids from handling your dogs roughly. Larger dogs like Newfoundlanders can sustain it without being irritated but other, smaller breeds may suddenly become frantic and may harm your child. They may also knock over your kids unintentionally. As for smaller breeds, they may simply bite your child to protect itself if it feels endangered. Therefore, you should strictly discourage your child from rough handling.

Thirdly, avoid bringing home a dog which is not trained enough, especially when you have kids. The seller may well try to sell you an untrained dog, assuming that you can train it later, however it is best to bring home an already trained dog.

Getting a trained dog is important because improper training can turn your dog into a dangerous animal and further worsen the situation. Aggression can happen with even the most caring owners, so having a fully-trained dog can give you peace of mind and can also ensure the safety of your kids.

If you plan to train the dog yourself, be certain the your children and dog are never left together unsupervised until you are absolutely certain that it is safe.

This is indeed one very important point that you should consider while bringing home a dog or any pet to that matter. Nevertheless, if you take some time to plan things out and create the proper environment to your dog, you will be giving your child a loving, faithful, and life-long friend.