The Family Secrets For Raising A Baby Around Your Dog

Many people decide to get a dog before they have children. It is always wonderful getting a new baby and it sometimes may take time and patience to help your dog adjust to the adorable new family member. However, once the baby grows up into a toddler, many dogs find that they need to have patience with the active and mischievous little one.

It may be one thing teaching your doggie to get used to the baby, but once that baby grows up, you may need to do a little more teaching and training…and that is primarily for the baby! Toddlers often love animals, and dogs and cats make for wonderful objects of fascination. Many young children love to scream or shriek at family cats and dogs, and they also love to pull tails at any chance they get. Cats and dogs are also tempting creatures to chase once the little one is able to walk and run.

Though it may feel like you are constantly chiding the dog for snapping or the child for pulling tails, it is possible to work with both so that they will grow together and be best friends for many years to come. Whenever you train your dog, you know that it is important to be repetitive, to praise your dog when they do things right, and to be consistent; most of all, however, you know that it takes time to get the proper results.

If your spunky toddler likes to pick on your dog (for examples, screaming, tail pulling, or patting their head too roughly), it is your chance to begin teaching your child to be gentle. Next time you catch your toddler trying to pet the dog but instead they are hitting it, take the time to sit down with Jack and Fido, and teach your child how to gently pet the dog. A good way to do this is to take your toddler’s hand, and gently run it over the dog’s head, repetitively saying ‘gentle, be gentle. Fido likes gentle.’ Though it may not work immediately, with time and practice your child will enjoy petting your dog in a gentle manner. When you see little Jack doing it right, be sure to show him your pleasure, and give the dog a treat for being patient with your little one.

Most dogs have a lot of patience (some have a good deal more than humans!), but it is important to not take advantage of your pup’s incredibly good humor. It is easy to understand that even a loving and docile dog can snap or nip when their tail have pulled one too many times or they have been hit in the face ten times in a single day. Remember that, eventually, your dog’s patience may run out. Because of this, be sure to teach your child early on, and it will help avoid any issues in the future. Many people are of the opinion that every child needs to grow up with a pet dog. There are many good cases for this argument, and a child will always remember their first best friend. Good luck in your training and teaching endeavors!