A strong bond between dogs and children creates a positive home environment, but it needs structure, supervision, and understanding. Teaching both sides how to behave safely reduces accidents, builds trust, and helps your dog feel calm and secure while your child learns to interact confidently and respectfully.

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Our Top 10 tips for preparing your dog and child

Teach Gentle Behaviour – Show children how to stroke slowly, avoid grabbing, and never pull ears or tails. Calm, soft movements help your dog feel relaxed rather than startled, building positive associations that reduce fear.

Practise Boundary Respect – Create areas where your dog can retreat without being followed. Teach your child that dogs need space, especially when resting or eating. Clear boundaries prevent accidental stress.

Model Gentle Handling – Demonstrate how to stroke your dog softly along the back rather than grabbing or hugging. Explain that sudden squeezes or face-to-face contact can overwhelm dogs.

Reward Calm Behaviour – Reinforce your dog for relaxed behaviour around children using treats and praise. This builds a positive emotional link with the child and reduces the likelihood of overexcitement during interactions.

Introduce Sounds Early – Expose your dog gradually to children’s noises like laughter, shouting, or toys using controlled sound clips. Keep sessions short and positive, pairing sounds with rewards.

Teach Your Child Dog Signals – Explain simple cues like tail tucks, yawns, or turning away. Helping children recognise stress signals makes interactions safer and encourages empathy.

Use Controlled Play – Start with low-energy games such as gentle fetch or calm treat searches. Avoid rough-and-tumble play that can escalate quickly. Structured activities help your dog stay regulated and teach your child how to interact safely.

Rehearse Supervision Rules – Tell your child that an adult must always be present during early interactions. Explain that adults help keep everyone safe and can step in if the dog looks overwhelmed. Consistent supervision builds trust and prevents mistakes.

Build Consistent Routines – Keep feeding, walking, and rest times predictable during the transition. Dogs feel more secure when daily rhythms stay stable, allowing them to cope more easily with the new dynamics and higher household energy.

Set Up Safe Management Tools – Use baby gates, crates, or pens to control interactions when things get busy. Safe management helps you prevent accidental overwhelm and gives your dog protected quiet time whenever they need to decompress.

Our Top 10 Tips for daily life with dogs and kids

Supervise All Interactions – Stay close and actively watch when children and dogs are together. Early intervention prevents incidents, helps redirect rough behaviour, and gives dogs confidence that you will step in before things feel unsafe.

Teach Calm Play – Encourage games like fetch, sniffing activities, or puzzle feeders instead of high-chaos play. Calm interactions lower arousal, reduce nipping risks, and help both dog and child stay relaxed and focused.

Protect Mealtimes – Keep children away while your dog eats to prevent guarding or anxiety. Allow uninterrupted meals in a quiet space. Clear separation reduces tension and helps your dog feel secure during important routines.

Avoid Overhandling – Discourage children from climbing on, hugging, or grabbing the dog unexpectedly. Encourage gentle strokes and respecting the dog’s choice to walk away. This prevents fear-based reactions and supports mutual respect.

Monitor Shared Toys – Teach children never to take toys from the dog’s mouth. Swap items calmly using treats or offer alternatives instead. Allowing choice prevents guarding, frustration, and unnecessary conflict around valuable items.

Create Rest Zones – Ensure your dog has quiet areas where children are not allowed. Rest is essential for wellbeing, and predictable safe zones help your dog regulate energy and avoid becoming overwhelmed by constant activity or attention.

Support Predictable Routines – Maintain stable schedules for walks, training, and quiet time. Dogs thrive on structure, and predictable rhythms reduce stress, helping them cope with a lively household and frequent interruptions.

Teach Children Slow Movements – Encourage children to move gently around the dog, avoiding sudden running, shrieking, or grabbing. Calm movement reduces startle responses and keeps interactions smooth, safe, and reassuring.

Promote Respectful Sharing – Show children how to offer toys or treats with an open palm and not snatch things away. Respectful exchanges help your dog develop trust and reduce anxiety in collaborative play.

Intervene Early in Tension – If your dog stiffens, turns away, or lip-licks excessively, calmly separate both parties and allow a break. Early intervention prevents escalation and teaches children how to respond responsibly to warning signs.

From the experts – Never skip supervision when dogs and children interact; even friendly dogs can become overwhelmed by unpredictable behaviour. Keep learning your dog’s cues, and if you’re ever unsure about stress signals or worry about safety, ask Max for guidance. Max can interpret early warning signs and help you prevent problems before they escalate.

Got questions? Max is hanging out on the right of your display - give him a shout!

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