Safe Child-Dog Meetings

Children often love to meet new dogs. Here’s how to keep those meetings safe…

Following a plan for meeting a new dog can take the guesswork out of an encounter between a child (or anyone) and an unfamiliar dog. Since we can’t know in advance how a particular dog will react to a new person, especially if that person is a child, it’s safest to follow a game plan that will help the dog feel relaxed, minimize stress for both dog and child, and keep that first meeting safe.

A safe plan is especially important if you’re out in public, perhaps in a park or other place where dogs are off leash. Those dogs may be running around, playing with each other, or engrossed in sniffing and inspecting the environment. Under those circumstances, some dogs will just not want to stop what they’re doing in order to meet people.

Children who are eager to interact with dogs can sometimes get excited by all the dog activity and try to get dogs’ attention. But a safe, relaxed meeting between dog and child can only happen when the child is calm and relaxed and the dog is willing to meet.

Following the guidelines below will help to keep dog-child meetings calm and safe.

WAIT FOR THE DOG TO COME TO THE CHILD, rather than moving toward the dog. For many children, waiting patiently for a dog to approach can be a frustrating proposition: the dog may ignore the child, he may start to approach and then get distracted and move on, or may come near and then back off.

Parents, you can help your older child by explaining to her that the dog may be busy with what he’s doing, or that he may be a bit shy about meeting a new person. If your child is a young toddler, find an explanation that fits your child’s level of understanding.

Even though waiting for the dog can be frustrating, it’s an important part of keeping contact between children and dogs safe; some dogs may feel threatened by an approaching child, so parental supervision is important here!

TEACH YOUR CHILD TO KEEP HER HANDS BY HER SIDES when the dog comes near. It used to be thought that it was a good idea for children to extend a hand toward the dog’s face so the dog could sniff the child’s hand and thereby feel more familiar with the child.

However, anything moving toward a dog’s face or head can feel threatening to the dog and can cause him stress. Anyway, dogs’ sense of smell is so strong that the dog will already have picked up the scent of anyone nearby.

ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO STAND QUIETLY when the dog approaches: don’t move toward the dog, don’t talk or make other noises, and don’t extend a hand toward the dog. It can be reassuring to the dog for your child to turn her head to the side so she’s not looking directly at the dog.

TELL YOUR CHILD ALWAYS TO ASK IF IT’S OKAY TO PET THE DOG, then ask if it’s okay to pet the dog. If the answer is yes, pet the dog’s side or chest, not his head or face. For very young children, a parent can hold the child’s hand, guiding the petting. Keep petting very brief, just 2-3 seconds, then take a break.

Even if the dog’s owner gives permission, if you, as an adult, don’t feel comfortable with your child petting a particular dog, even if you can’t identify the reason, simply move on and avoid what could be a tense situation.

ONCE THE MEETING IS OVER, MOVE ON!

Lengthy contact with a new person can become stressful for some dogs, and that’s especially true when the new person is a child; some dogs have limited tolerance for children. So it’s always a good idea to keep meetings between dogs and children very brief, just a few seconds.

If the dog really wants to continue interacting with your child, he will show it by his continued interest, perhaps by asking for more petting, or by initiating play. If this happens, just make sure that you, as an adult, keep supervising closely, and if you see the dog becoming increasingly excited, it’s a good idea to end the meeting. Excitement can quickly turn into rough play, so stop before the dog’s energy gets out of hand. And make sure your toddler or young child doesn’t try to play roughly with the dog.

Calm, relaxed meetings are always best!