How to keep your kids safe around dogs, part 4

Rule #4 Give your dog a safe place.

Following this rule and being firm about your kids following it too will prevent all sorts of behavior problems and negative interactions.

Give your dog a safe place. This can be a bed, kennel, or room. Other examples would be under an end table or on a blanket (my dog loved being under a futon couch we had.) I genuinely don’t care what you use (or what your dog chooses,) but make this their sacred space. When your dog is in/on their sacred space, nobody goes near them, and I mean nobody. Training the kids is just as important as training the dog. The bigger the family, the more there is going on, the more important this rule becomes. I knew one family who put a big fluffy dog bed in the parent’s room and if the dog went in there to lie down, they would close the door so the dog would have some space and quiet time.

Every dog is different, and some dogs tolerate the glorious loving chaos of big families just fine, but even the most tolerant dogs need a place they can go to get away from it all. This is especially true of dogs that are injured, sick, or under stress.

If you’re having trouble finding that kid/dog balance in your own household, please reach out, I can help.

I hope this knowledge find you well.

Have a Barking Good Day.