Whether you have a family dog, you’re thinking of getting one or you just want to keep your family safe around other people’s dogs, we’ve got some advice that’s going to work well for you. Nothing is more important than safety, and that’s certainly true when it comes to spending time around dogs, especially if you have young children to protect.
Read on and start learning all about how you can stay safe and protect your family around dogs. The steps you’ll learn about are all easy and straightforward, but they do the job.
Lay Down the Law
First of all, you need to teach your children about what’s acceptable and what’s not when it comes to being around a dog. There are certain things that are always going to provoke a bad reaction, even from the most placid dog. The sooner you teach your young children about the laws you need to follow when interacting with a dog, the sooner they’ll begin to understand the importance of their own behaviour around animals and dogs in particular.
If You’re Searching For a Family Dog Now, Choose the Right Breed
There are certain breeds that are better than others when it comes to looking for the perfect family dog. You want a dog that is going to be calm, friendly and won’t react too badly to testing situations involving young children. Golden retrievers, beagles and labradors are particularly good for families because they’re so good around children. Whichever breed you choose, do your research and consider the pros and cons involved. It’s worth taking your time because this is a huge decision.
Spay/Neuter Your Family Dog
Spaying or neutering your family dog can have a big and positive impact on their behaviour, and after the procedure has been carried out, it’s likely that they’ll be much better suited to a family setting with young children. Dogs are calmer and more laid back after being spayed or neutered, meaning accidents and incidents involving bites and scratches become less common. It’s something that you should definitely do as a responsible dog owner if you haven’t done so already.
Train Your Dog
A simple bit of dog training can go a long way for your dog and your family. When you train your dog the proper way, you can ensure that they never fail to understand what kind of behaviour is expected from them. These days, there are enough guides and online tutorials out there that will help you to train your dog if you don’t know where to start with all that. On the other hand, you can take the easier route and hire someone to help you with the training of your dog.
Teach Your Kids to Keep Their Distance Around Unfamiliar Dogs
Staying safe around your family dog is much easier than doing so around unfamiliar dogs. They’re more likely to be on edge or excitable around your kids because they don’t know them. The result of this is usually fine, but sometimes bites and things can happen if your kids act in the wrong way. If an attack happens and it was unprovoked, dog bite lawyers can help you. But normally it’s about teaching your kids to keep their distance when around unfamiliar dogs.
Exercise Your Dog to Prevent Frustration
Your dog can get really frustrated if it’s trapped in the house is not able to get any exercise. That’s understandable and the responsibility lies with you. Every good dog owner should understand the importance of taking their dog for regular walks. Ideally, they should also get the chance to do some running around in open spaces that are safe and suitable. If not, their behaviour in the home will get worse and someone could feel the brunt of their frustration.
Don’t Forget the Importance of Respect
Respect is perhaps the most important factor of all when it comes to interacting with dogs, and that’s something you and your children should understand. If you don’t respect a dog and treat it poorly, it will probably not treat you with respect in return either. You don’t want to let that happen, so work on this as soon as you can.
Dogs rarely present a serious threat to you and your family, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful. Minor accidents do happen, and even more serious injuries can be incurred if you don’t take the right steps. So remember what you’ve learned here and implement the advice given.
