A childhood spent with a pet is special, but you want to ensure your children interact appropriately with their four-legged friend. Our Boca Midtowne Animal Hospital team understands that children and pets have an affinity for each other, and we explain how to teach your children and your pet to interact appropriately, ensuring everyone stays safe, comfortable, and happy together.

Choose the right pet for your family

When adopting a pet, ensure you choose the right four-legged family member. Consider the following:

  • Activity level — Young pets can be boisterous and may need extensive training before they can safely interact with small children. Older pets who are already trained may be a better choice if your children are of toddler age or younger.
  • Temperament — To ensure a pet likes children and has no behavioral issues, spend time with them and introduce this potential furry friend to your child before bringing them home.
  • Fragility — A young child cannot understand that a small pet is extremely fragile, and they may handle their furry pal roughly, potentially injuring them.

Socialize your pet appropriately

A properly socialized pet is more likely to grow into a well-adjusted, well-behaved adult pet. Follow these socialization tips:

  • Start young — Pets are most receptive to socialization when they are between 3 and 14 weeks of age. 
  • Introduce your pet to various situations and people — Introduce your pet to many different sights, sounds, smells, people, animals, experiences, and situations.
  • Go slow — Puppies and kittens can easily become overwhelmed. Make introductions gradually, and if your puppy or kitten exhibits fear or anxiety, remove them from the situation and try again another day.
  • Make experiences positive — Use treats and praise to make each new experience positive for your puppy or kitten.

Teach your child to respect pets

Children easily become excited around pets, and they may not understand that certain behaviors, such as pulling tails, pinching, and grabbing ears, are unacceptable. Teach your children to recognize that pets are living creatures who deserve respect. Ensure your children approach a pet slowly, so as not to frighten them, and to ask permission to touch by extending their hand. Teach your children that if the pet turns away, their furry pal prefers to be alone, and your youngster should not force the issue. 

Ensure your child can decipher pet body language

If you have a well-behaved, sociable pet, your child may not understand that some pets aren’t as amenable to being patted and hugged. Ensure your child knows how to recognize when a pet expresses friendliness and when they are communicating that they do not want to be approached. If a pet is growling, showing their teeth, hissing, or avoiding eye contact, teach your child to leave them alone. 

Supervise your child around pets

Pets can be unpredictable, and even if they are usually well-behaved, they can have a bad day. In addition, a pet can become excited when playing with your child, and in their enthusiasm, can inadvertently injure your youngster. Always supervise your children when they are playing with pets, and if you can’t keep an eye on their interaction, separate them by putting your pet in a crate or your child in a sturdy playpen.

Spay or neuter your pet

Pets who haven’t been spayed or neutered are more likely to be territorial. In addition, unspayed female pets may behave erratically when they are in heat, and unneutered male pets may be focused on finding a mate when they detect a female pet who is in heat, which can lead to a dangerous situation for your child. By having your pet spayed or neutered, you also help protect them from health complications, such as pyometra, and mammary and testicular cancers, conditions that can limit your child’s time with your pet. 

Don’t let your child feed your pet

Some pets become upset if they believe another pet or a human is threatening to take away their food. Teach young children that they shouldn’t put their hand in your pet’s food bowl. Only adults should feed a pet, and ensure your child steers clear of their furry pal while they are eating.

Teach your child to feed your pet treats safely

Children love to give treats to pets, but an enthusiastic pet may accidentally bite more than the treat. Only let your child give your pet treats when you are supervising them, and have them place the treat on the floor and walk away. 

Teach your pet to say no thank you

If your pet moves away when they are playing with your child, praise your dog or cat, and ensure your youngster lets their furry pal leave the interaction. This teaches your pet they can avoid interacting with your child when they would prefer to be alone, which may prevent escalating tension if your dog or cat believes their boundaries aren’t being respected. 

Ensure adults clean up after your pet

Children have a higher risk than adults for contracting bacterial and parasitic infections from pets. If your pet has an accident, your child should not clean up the mess. To help prevent disease transmission, an adult should take care of this chore.

Ensure your child washes their hands after playing with your pet

Your pet may have a disease they can transmit to your child. To help prevent your child from contracting an illness from your pet, ensure they wash their hands after playing with or petting their furry pal. 

Follow these guidelines to help ensure your child and your pet interact safely. If you are concerned about your pet’s behavior toward your child, contact our Boca Midtowne Animal Hospital team, so we can determine the reason for your furry pal’s inappropriate behavior and help find a solution.