SEPTEMBER 2007 ISSUE
Raising children and pets together can be among the most
rewarding aspects of both parenting and pet ownership. Did you know that
children develop confidence and enhanced self-esteem by caring for a pet?
Pet ownership also teaches a child about comfort,
friendship and loyalty, as well as responsibility and respect for all living
things by providing a crucial link to the natural world. Including family
pets helps children to learn empathy and to understand and accept birth,
illness, loss and other natural cycles in life.
Though appropriate pets include many species, we’ll
concentrate here on tips and guidelines with dogs.
One of the most important aspects of a good child/dog
relationship is that a relaxed parent (the Alpha ‘top dog’) is manning the
helm! There are sites available online (How to Become a Pack Leader in
a Human/Canine Pack) to teach owners some
basic skills. Please remember never to leave a baby or a child under four
unattended with a pet.
Assuming that your dog as mastered basic obedience
commands, following are some guidelines:
v Before bringing a
new baby home, ‘introduce’ your dog by carrying a baby doll wrapped in a
blanket you will be using. After the infant arrives, let the dog sniff an item
of clothing or so that he can familiarize himself with the new family member’s
smell.
v Though many dogs
display an intuitive tolerance and protection of children, don’t assume this is
always the case. It can depend on the breed (Golden Retrievers, for example)
and the dog itself. Get a sense of your pet’s stress and tolerance levels.
v Just as your dog
takes his cue from you as pack leader, children will best learn appropriate
behavior by watching you, the parent, as the role model. Responding patiently and
consistently to your pet will teach your child the humane treatment of animals.
v Give
your child age appropriate tasks. If a child is too young to feed, walk, or
groom, involve him in selecting a toy or collar. Even if your child is
too young to participate in a particular task, include him by explaining what
you are doing for your pet.
v Encourage children to respect a pet’s need for privacy and
not to try to play while the animal is eating, resting or sleeping.
v Be sure your dog has
a ‘safe’ place (a crate, for example, can serve as its natural den) where it
can retreat and re-charge without being bothered.
v Remind
your children never to approach a pet they don’t know; all animals are
different, and a friend’s or another family’s pet may be very different from
your own.
v Instruct your child
how to interpret a pet’s vocal and body language. Don’t punish your dog
for growling; growling is a natural warning signal of stress. If your dog
learns that it can’t communicate a warning, it will feel more stressed and
could resort to biting (for more information, type ‘The Gift Of
Growling’ by Pat Miller into an internet search engine).
v Barking,
barred teeth and raised hackles also indicate displeasure or possible danger.
Teach your child to disengage from a scared or threatening dog by not touching,
moving too quickly, yelling or staring into its eyes. Because running could
encourage the dog to chase and attack, explain how important it is to avoid
confronting the dog and to walk slowly and calmly away.
Your patience is a model for your child’s early years and
will guide him to become a caring and responsible adolescent and adult in
relation to both animals and humans.
Books recommended by the Humane Society include: Dog
Training for Kids, by Carol Lea Benjamin and A Dog’s Best Friend, by
Lisa Rosenthal.
Employment Opportunities:
All three of our locations (
FEATHERLE PET CARE
703-378-9500; featherlepetcarechantilly@verizon.net
703-430-0414; featherlepetcaresterling@verizon.net
703-221-3647; canineclipperschool@verizon.net