Mum and qualified dog trainer Mel Ritterman of Cooper and Kids answers parents’ questions about their pets and children. First up, is a question from Kirsty.
Make sure your dog has a ‘safe’ place.
You also need to ensure that your dog, Myla has an escape route, somewhere to feel safe if she needs it. That way, if she is feeling uncomfortable at any stage, she can take herself outside or into a room, where the baby can’t get in.
It’s one thing I’ve always said about my dog Cooper. My kids are obsessed with him and he’s incredible with them. But they are now just old enough to know that if he moves away, they must leave him, it’s his sign that he’s had enough.
At our house, we have a doggy door, so Cooper often puts himself outside when he’s had enough. However, at Bella’s age, she’s too little to understand that, so it’s up to you to ensure that Myla is safe. Make sure that Bella doesn’t back her into a corner where she can’t escape. As this is often when dog bites occur.
As soon as your child is interested in your dog, start educating her about the boundaries around your dog.
I know you might be thinking that this is silly as your child is too young to understand, but I can’t stress how important it is to start educating your kids as early as possible about how to interact with your dog.
Teach Bella that she can’t play with the dog’s food or water bowls. Teach her not to watch the dog eat and not to take the dogs food out of her bowl. Teach her not to pull thing out of Myla’s mouth. Not to climb on the dog. Not to ride Myla (yes Paxton tried riding Cooper this morning, but I got to him in time). Not to pull her hair, ears, tail, etc.
Setting these rules from the very beginning is SO important. Even if you think your dog won’t react, you never know, especially if one day Bella creeps up to Myla while she’s asleep. Plus, these are great skills and boundaries to learn when dealing with other people’s dogs that may not be as friendly as your own.
Never leave your dog and child alone together.
In saying this, all it takes is one second for you to turn your back and something to happen. Myla might be eating or sleeping and Bella may step on her tail by mistake… whatever it may be, please be careful, don’t take risks, never leave your dog and baby/kids unattended together.
Kirsty, I hope this has answered your question… Good luck! Please get in touch if there is something else I can help you with. I would love to hear how you go. So please keep us up to date with your progress. Although, I’m sure Myla will do great.
Please feel free to comment below with your questions or get in touch via email mel@cooperandkids.com . I would love for you to send me through 3-4 questions you may have about your kids/babies/mumlife/dogs and if you get lucky, I will feature your questions in a blog post on my website!