Kids and their furry friends

So what’s good dog etiquette? When children want to pet someone else’s dog in the park or at a neighbor’s home, adults should chaperone them. Teach them to ask the owner if it’s OK to touch the dog. They should also learn how to approach a dog with their hand down and back of hand extended toward the animal.

“Parents should also always keep an eye on the animal’s behavior," says Maloney. "Dogs always give warnings before they bite — growling, yelping, nipping. If any of this happens, you know it’s time to back off.”

Be clear about who's the boss
When dealing with your own family dog, Spaulding says, you need to repeatedly show the animal that you and even the youngest of the children are the bosses. “Remember that dogs are always opportunistic and they’ll take the upper hand if you give it to them. They need to know the pecking order: they’re on the bottom,” says Spaulding.

That means your children and you should not play games that teach the dog to challenge humans. For example, playing tug-of-war isn’t a good idea. “If the child wins, he’s dominant. But if he doesn’t, the dog will think he is. It’s better to teach the dog to fetch and drop,” says Spaulding.

Another good way to show your dog the pecking order is to always make him last out any door. “People should go first and the dog should wait at the door until he’s given permission to come out. This is a good idea to protect the dog’s safety but it also teaches the dog, again, that you’re the boss,” says Spaulding.

She also recommends working with children on basic dog obedience. Their high-pitched voices are often the problem. Left to their own devices, children tend to scream a command 10 times in a row. In a dog’s mind a high voice isn’t viewed as dominant and it may just excite him. Teach kids to say “no”  or “sit” only once and in a low voice. If the dog doesn’t obey, the parent should interject and make the dog obey.

It’s also critical for the child’s safety to teach him not to go near the dog’s food. Many otherwise mild-mannered dogs are food-aggressive and will growl or nip if someone comes close to their dish.

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