Teaching Your Kids To Live With A New Puppy

We have always heard people say "Dog is man's best friend". True! One can hardly deny this. For ages, this wonderful creature has provided man with love, fun and security.

However, let's not forget one simple fact. A dog is an animal too! It could well have all the savage instincts that the wild cats and deadly African dingos have. This savage behavior can sometimes be dangerous, inflicting severe injuries that can also prove to be fatal.

To prevent any such catastrophe, it is therefore necessary to train the dogs at a very young age. Also, your children should be educated about the correct ways of dealing with the dogs. It is absolutely necessary that a child and dog are left together only under the observation of the adult.

It is very important that your child understands that the puppy is not like the other lifeless toys that it has. Children like being pampered by the adults, but they also get irritated when they are cuddled or kissed too much. This also applies to dogs as well.

They too love being pampered but need their personal space. They do not like anyone bothering them when they are sleeping, eating or simply want to be left alone. But since the poor animal cannot express their feelings in words they exhibit them in actions.

Children love to play with dogs. While in play the children often make the dogs chase them which lead to play biting. The equally innocent puppies perceive the child as one of its kind and with all that excitement an injury can occur, which is just why the adult supervision is necessary.

Adults at times foolishly over-stimulate an excitable puppy one minute and then yell at it for the same thing a minute later and even worse, hitting it the next! Both adults and children should avoid playing rough games with puppies, as it may not only result in injuries out of aggression, but could also be the reason for behavioral issues in dogs. Similarly, rude behavior or trying to make your puppy jealous can have similar impacts.

It is good if children learn to ignore puppies unless the puppies call for attention. Like us, animals, including dogs, do not like close face contact which can irritate them. Hence children must not push their faces into the dog's or give it a stinging pinch. You should also encourage your child to keep its toys out of the reach of the puppy so that it does not claim those toys as its own and also the possibility of pup swallowing anything which may be harmful for it.

Most importantly, your child should learn to show respect for the animal. You must make them understand the need to give a dog space, let it have peaceful time and also to be gentle while playing with it. As long as they understand the dog, your kids will have great fun and joy living with this wonderful animal. There are several benefits for your child if you teach him the right ways of dealing with 'man's best friend'.