Having a pet can teach children about responsibility, empathy and emotional intelligence. However, safety is important when bringing a pet into a household with children; the initial introduction lays the ground of a lifelong and happy companionship. Here is a guide on how to introduce a pet to a child.
The first day when a new pet comes home with you, it might be under a lot of stress as it is a complete change of environment and surroundings for him, which leaves him feeling nervous and confused. So, you must give your new pet plenty of quiet time for the first few days to prevent him from feeling stressed. The most important thing to do when introducing children and pets is to always supervise interactions between them.
During the initial days, don’t leave the pet alone with children. Take the dog on a walk and bring the children along. If you’d rather introduce them at home, choose a large room and set a relaxed atmosphere. Children are prone to making abrupt movements and are often noisy and high pitched, which can intimidate cats and dogs. Keep the child calm and seated as you bring the pet into the room. You may want to keep dogs on a leash and give cats a safe escape perch that’s high up. Have the dog ‘sit’ and make introductions calmly. If your pet seems curious about this new person, you can encourage the children and pets to interact. However, if the pet seems hesitant or nervous, delay the entire process. Look for your pet adopting a stiff posture, freezing, hunching up or backing away from the child — this is their common body language when they feel threatened.
Before petting, let the dog sniff the child. Dogs use their sense of smell to say ‘hello’ and find out who you are. Stand still, allowing the dog to sniff around you and your child. Let the animal come to you. If you are introducing a baby to a dog, bring the little one’s blankets to let the dog smell it before the big introduction. To pet a dog, the child should start with a closed fist. Once the dog seems happy with that, encourage the child to stroke it. Start under the chin or on the neck, rather on the top of the head, and avoid sensitive areas like the tail, legs and belly. For cats, ask the child to reach out slowly and gently stroke the cat on the head or back. Avoid sensitive areas like tail, feet and belly.
Avoid giving treats or using toys on the first greeting. Some dogs get excited at the sight of a treat and might snatch it roughly from the child’s fingers. Though toys are great ways to play with dogs, these can also cause territorial issues or undue excitement.
Teach your child to always ask permission before approaching a dog that doesn’t belong to you. This simple gesture can prevent unsafe situations from developing.
Try involving older kids in caring for the pet with small tasks like replenishing food and water or grooming. Young children can sometimes regard pets as stuffed toys and can be rough with them because they don’t know when they are hurting them.
Set some ground rules about contact with animals — both pets and street animals. Pets are not toys. Always be gentle when touching them. Avoid sensitive areas on their bodies. Stroke the fur the right way, never pull it. Don’t touch whiskers or tails. Don’t touch pets when they are eating or sleeping.
By teaching our sons and daughters the appropriate way to approach new pets and remain calm around animals, we can lay the foundation for a lifelong friendship.
The author is a former corporate executive actively involved in rescues, rehabilitation and re-homing of dogs.