Children and Dogs: Important Information for Parents Font Size: [small] [medium] [large] continued from previous page Puppies, because they are babies, are somewhat fragile creatures. They may become frightened, or even injured, by well-meaning, curious young children who want to constantly pick them up, hug them or explore their bodies by pulling on tails or ears. All interactions between children and puppies should be closely supervised to minimize the chances of either being injured. Puppies, although they can be very active and playful, also need quiet times to rest and sleep. They may also need to be fed three to four times a day, depending on their age. Parents will need to be sure a puppy's eating and nap times are consistently provided for, just as the children's are. Dogs that grow up with children from puppyhood may be more tolerant of children, especially if they had good experiences with kids. However, older puppies (6 months to 1 year) and adult dogs can still do just fine with children with some help from you. Any dog new to a household is going to require some training, but not as much as a young puppy. Although puppies are wonderful, and it is exciting and rewarding to help them grow into wonderful companions, they WILL require significantly more time to train and supervise than an older dog. Are you up to the task? Breed Many families ask for a dog that is "good with kids." Although some general statements can be made about breeds, the characteristics of an individual dog are just as important, if not more, as its breed. Small breeds of dogs such as toy or miniature poodles, Chihuahuas or cocker spaniels may not be good choices for young children as they are more easily injured than a larger dog, and may be more easily frightened by lots of activity and by being picked up. When frightened, dogs can snap or bite in order to protect themselves. Larger dogs may be better able to tolerate the activity, noise and rough play that are inevitably part of having children. Many of the sporting breeds such as Labradors and golden retrievers make good family pets. Breeds that have been selected for protective behavior such as chows and Rottweilers may not be as good for families. It may be difficult for them to comfortably tolerate the many comings and goings of lots of children and their friends — who may be perceived as territorial intruders. continued on next page < back to original page