Kids and dogs just belong together. Having a best friend that wants to play all the time, loves snuggling, and is there for you when you are upset is good for anyone, but especially children. Having a dog can help teach responsibility, and just makes life better and your home complete. But it can take time to train puppies, and children, how to co-exist safely. From accidentally hurting the puppy, to your child getting bitten, there are many things that can go awry when introducing a new pet to your household, even for experienced dog owners. Here are some tips for making sure that both your kids and your puppy remain safe, and become best friends.

Teach Your Children that Dogs are Not People

One of the biggest mistakes that pet owners make, and particularly children, is by assuming dogs think and act as we do. The problem is compounded by cartoons and movies that attribute human characteristics and thoughts to animals, and even make them speak. We need to remember that dogs are descended from wolves and that their first response to any situation will be instinctual, and often considered inappropriate by human standards. It’s important to consider your dog’s perspective when determining what may have caused an inappropriate behavior.

Teach the Kids the Dog is Not a Toy

Young children are apt to try and force a dog to submit to their will. While we need to instill the idea that dogs don’t think the way we do, we must reinforce that they are thinking and feeling creatures, and that they can be hurt and upset. Dragging the dog around like a stuffed animal may seem harmless, but at some point, the animal may become fed-up and snap, especially as they grow older. Discourage this kind of treatment from the beginning, and you’ll have much less chance of a bite happening later on.

Involve Your Children in Training

Discussing a rewards-based method of training and having your children participate in the training is critical to establishing a proper set of boundaries. The dog will view your children as part of the pack and while you may well have established yourself as the alpha, the other relationships may be a bit more confusing. In a pack, pups will often vie for dominance with each other, and they may view your children as littermates. If you don’t make sure that your children also demonstrate a higher status over the dog, you may find the dog trying to assert dominance over your children as they get bigger, which can have disastrous results. Teach the dog that your children are to be obeyed as well.

Teach your Children How to Read a Dog’s Body Language

It would be great if our dogs could tell us what they are thinking or feeling in words, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t communicate with them. Dog’s do have an easy to understand language that we can learn, much easier than they can learn to speak. If the dog is cowering in the corner with its ears back, it’s probably scared and should not be approached. If the dog is relaxed and open, it’s probably safe to walk up to the dog. Body-language is too nuanced and detailed to get into in this article, but there are plenty of resources available to learn. Make sure that you are explaining to your child what and why a dog is feeling a certain way, and how you can tell by looking at the dog.

While there is no “magic” recipe out there that will guarantee that your child and your dog won’t have a problem, following these tips can help ensure that both the child and the dog remain safe, and your family happy.

Mia Williams is a mother of two and a great animal lover. She's working in Sydney's Rufino store selling luxury leather goods for pets.