Children or young toddlers are highly sensitive and need to be handled with great care. They need to play in clean and safe environments and they need to be washed or bathed on a daily basis. If precautionary measures are not taken care of on a daily basis, youngsters can fall sick and weaken very easily since their immune systems are not strong enough. Adults however, have stronger and much bacteria resistant immune systems which keep them safe from everyday germs.
In a house where dogs and children both reside in, parents/dog owners need to take special care of their children and keep them under supervision at all times. At the end of the day, children are too young to be around dogs since dogs can react in different ways in front of different individuals. Dogs are loyal pets however, they are potential biters as well and in order to avoid dog bites, below are some important steps that need to be followed so that toddlers and youngsters are safe from pet dogs.
These steps should be followed by a pet owner who may have children around the house at times or even parents with children where guests bring their dogs along.
Always keep both under supervision
In a situation where children and dogs are present under the same roof, both need to be kept under a guardian’s supervision whether a person is the parent or the pet owner. If supervision is not possible then it is better to separate the children from the dogs so that both have a safe environment to play in.
Keep children away from dog food and water bowls
Another very risky situation is where children get their hands on the dog’s food or its water bowl. In addition to the germs children get from these items, dogs also react when their food is touched or taken away. For this purpose, children should not be allowed to roam around dog food freely where there might be a chance of a dog reacting to it. Children should also learn to wash their hands after they pat their pet dogs and after every time they play with their feline friends.
Do not allow children near a sleeping dog
If a dog is sleeping, the first thing to do is to leave that room or make sure that no children are present in the same room to make noise. Dogs act spontaneously and unexpectedly which is why making them sleep in a quiet and secluded corner is the right thing to do. Young children or toddlers may want to play with the dog while it is sleeping and a dog might react unexpectedly to a child’s wish if it is sleepy.
Consider facts like breed and age of the dog
Puppies are harmless in most ways however fully grown dogs especially those which belong to particular species may not be the perfect pet to be around children. Some dogs are naturally friendly however some belong to special species which are known for their dog bites and their attacking features. These dogs should be kept outside of the house or in an area where children do not have direct access.
Even though dogs can be the safest and kind pets a person can own, they may not be the perfect pets to be around children due to safety and health reasons. With 10,000 people going to hospitals due to dog bites on a yearly basis, parents and pet owners should take special care of their young ones who cannot take care of themselves around pets.
Author’s bio: Jessica Doug is a long-timer worker at repair reputation repwall and also freelances for an SEO company in North America. She is a workaholic and cannot get enough of helping other professionals out in different ways.