Pets and Young Children

Getting a puppy is a huge decision and with that decision and a very big responsibility.  I believe that as parents we should make an informed decision rather than a decision based on a child’s wants or a parents desire to “teach” the child how to be with

Toddlers are prime targets to get bit and if you take a look at the news, it is usually a toddler that has been attacked by a dog.  What they never tell you is what events led up to the child being bitten.  Several factors can trigger an aggressive nature in a dog and two things I can list are:  Scruff Shaking and Tug of War. 

If we take a step back, you will find out that dogs are the descendants of wolves.  Wolves by nature are terrified of us humans and will not even come close to us.  Of course you hear in the news about this or that wolf attacking a jogger was it really a wolf or was it a wolf hybrid?  It was a wolf hybrid.  People mistakenly think that having a wolf hybrid is cute or cool and in fact it really is not a good idea and can be very dangerous.  And that is another story which I will put it on my personal blog at a later time.

So a dog is a descendant of a wolf and with that come some instincts.  For example, a dog will go and bury a chew toy or bone and won’t really know why he is doing it.  Most people will say, “How cute, he buries his things.” 

In fact, this is a behavior inherited by wolves.  When a wolf hunts and they catch their intended target and its dead, they often times bury it partially to come back and eat it later.  Usually they retrieve the rest of their pack for the feast.

So we know the wolf hunts.  How exactly is it that the wolf kills his target?  Sometimes they shake it from side to side.  So close your eyes and picture this and then picture someone grabbing a dog by the face and shaking it.  This innocent shaking can trigger aggression in the dog.  This same type of aggression can be triggered by playing the innocent game of tug of war with your dog.

It is so vitally important to be informed about our companion animals.   Taking your pet to an animal behavior school is a great way to better prepare your self for what lay ahead.   

And it may make it easier on you and the puppy. 

If you really want to make it easy on yourself, hold out until your child can truly understand that what he or she is doing to the animal hurts them.  Small children, toddlers, are still discovering things and unless you can watch your child every second with your pet, you may not have an easy time and may end up with an injured or dead pet.  It’s not that the child does this on purpose; it’s just that the child does not know. 

And on the other end of that, you could end up with a child that gets seriously injured because he or she was bitten by the dog.  A growl is usually enough for an adult to stay away but to a toddler it appears funny and cute and they won’t necessarily walk away. 

A dog does not have a voice so we have to be the voice for that animal.  There are so many things that I learned about Companion Animals that I could go on and on.  My experience working in a Zoo gave me great insight as I worked with Wolves. 

Does this make me an expert?  Nope.  But it does give me the extra details that we as parents might not normally be aware of.

So with these couple of examples, I hope that it shed a little bit of light into how big of a responsibility owning a dog is.  Cats are a whole other post lol.

But for the woman that is worried about her new puppy and her toddler, I would not let the child be alone with the puppy under any circumstances.  Put the puppy in a safe place away from the child or it can end up tragic for the toddler or for the puppy (depending on how much of a puppy you are talking about).

In conclusion, as parents we should make informed decisions before bringing home that cutie pie puppy.  And always keep in mind that they do not stay puppies forever and as they grow, their needs grow as well.  I have seen too many times of people getting pets and after they lost their “Puppiness”, they abandon the animal.  How is that fair to an animal that did not choose to be your pet in the first place?

Ask your local veterinarian his or her advice before bringing home a pet and if you have a pet, ask them for advices on what to do if you have small children. 

Check in your local area for a Companion Animal Behavior course so that you have more insight of what to expect as your puppy grows.

Check in your local area for a specialist that can help you train your puppy or dog how to behave and socialize.  Socialization is very important.

We can’t go wrong by informing and arming ourselves with knowledge.  It just makes us wiser and better prepared to handle situations, should they arise, with the new four legged additions to our families.

And just a little note:  How many think that a dog ages seven years to our one year?  Show of hands? 

This is not true, a little fact we learned in class as my entire class, including me, raised our hands when asked this question. 

A puppy grows seven times faster than we do during their first year of life.  After this, they age year by year, one at a time.  The health of the dog does play a factor in determining their age as well.

A puppy, once it has reached its’ full growth, is not necessarily an adult dog either.  A puppy usually is considered an adult dog when they reach the age of three.  They are considered, Socially Mature.  

I hope that this helps some out there considering a pet for their children and please keep in mind, I do not claim to be an expert and I am strictly speaking based on what I have learned and experienced in my own life.  If you have any questions please email me here on Minti and keep eyes out for the post regarding wolves.  I am passionate about the Wolf issue so it shouldn’t take me too long to get that one up.
 

Have a Wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Aaliyah