Making Friends — With Children

greyhound_kid_cartoonChildren and dogs are a natural combination. They’ll become the best of buddies when they both learn how to play and interact with each other.

Greyhounds are a very tolerant, non-aggressive breed and will allow children to handle them extensively. However, just because they are one of the most easy-going dog breeds, they are also a live, adult animal with all the accompanying instincts and needs. Please be smart, and never allow your children alone with any dog.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

No dog should be disturbed when sleeping. If you’re going to interrupt his sleep, call his name before startling him. A greyhound needs a place of his own to rest undisturbed.

Teach Children How to Act

Small children often want to express their affection for the pet greyhound by hugging or clinging on the dog. Though greyhounds will endure all sorts of treatment initially, in silence, their limits will be reached and they may growl, bark or even snap. Greyhounds never intend to do harm, but if the child’s body is in the path of their snap, harm could unintentionally occur. They’ll also start avoiding your children and will cringe when they approach. You don’t want this to happen. So teach your children the correct way to handle a dog by gently stroking the neck and shoulders or brushing instead. Also enforce that tails are private things, not play things.

Also have your child feed the dog, and go out of a door before the dog. Don’t leave children alone in the yard, screaming and running, with the greyhound chasing them. This reinforces the child as part of the pack, and you’ll start to see your greyhound play with the child as if the child were another pack member.

Teach your Dog How to Act

It is important to reinforce the idea with your dog that children are not litter mates to the dog. Even though a child may be eye level, your dog must understand that it is still a person and must respond appropriately, not as if the child were another dog.

If you let the greyhound share your child’s bed it encourages the dog to think of the child as a brother or sister and respond accordingly. If one dog rolls on or kicks another as they sleep, the dog naturally responds with a growl or a disciplinary nip. The greyhound will do this to the child, not inflicting or intending harm, but it could scare the child.

Playing Outdoors

Outdoor games with your greyhound should be closely supervised, especially initially and until both child and dog are fully introduced. No dog, and especially no greyhound, can be expected not to chase after an excited, squealing child. And sometimes the greyhound’s idea of fun is to play “imaginary hunter” using the child as a lure. Being run down by a large dog would hardly be classified as fun by most kids.

Instead, encourage your child to join you as you stand in place and happily encourage your dog to come to you, with each person taking a turn. This provides exercise for the dog and reminds him that all people are in control — large or small.

In summary, the main rule to keep in mind concerning children and dogs is easy — safety first. This applies to both the dog and the kids. Do not ever leave young children and dogs alone together.

Although protection of the children is your first concern, you must also protect your dog. Your greyhound could be seriously injured as a youngster decides to “play horsey” on his back or tries painting his nose.

There is a book, Childproofing Your Dog: A Complete Guide to Preparing Your Dog for the Children in Your Life, that I recommend all adopters with children purchase and read prior to adopting a greyhound. It is the definitive book on children and dog interactions.

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