• Before You Get A Dog
• Safety Around People
  • Keeping Children Safe
• Legal Responsibilities
• Dog Care Checklist
• Dog Training
• Trouble Shooting

Keeping Children Safe

• they can unwittingly provoke an attack, for example by trying to take a bone away from a dog, hugging or kissing it
• dogs might get excited by games being played and jump on or chase a child
• a child's height in relation to a dog means that children are often bitten on the face, head and neck, and are therefore more likely to suffer serious injuries
• dogs might try to dominate a child because of a child’s small size.

• be around dogs, including puppies, without adult supervision
• put their face down to a dog’s face, hug or kiss it
• play with a dog’s food, feeding bowl, toys or bedding
• wander into neighbouring properties where there might be dogs.

• remember any dog that is provoked or frightened could growl, snap at, or bite a child
• young children learn by example, so adults should model safe behaviour with dogs.
• put your dog in another room on occasions such as children's parties where it could become over excited
• do not allow children to tease the dog either physically or verbally
• children should not be allowed to shriek and leap around a dog as it may cause the dog to react badly. Similarly do not let a child sit on a dog or grab its tail
• keep children away from a dog that is sick, tired or has puppies
• socialise your dog with children
• don’t let children tease your dog, hurt it, tightly hug it or put their faces close to its face
• do not let a small child pick up or carry a puppy, it may squirm and fall or bite in an effort to get away
• if you are concerned by a visiting child’s unsafe behaviour around your dog, separate them and explain your concern to the child’s parent or caregiver
• ensure your dog is under your control at all times around children, it must respond quickly to commands including "Sit", "Stay", "Drop", "No" and "Come".

• if you have children in your household, it’s sensible to select a breed that has a good reputation as a family pet
• puppies will instinctively try to work out their place in the pecking order by mouthing, biting and rough play. It’s important to establish your and your children's dominance early on, through good training, so dominant, aggressive behaviour does not become entrenched
• start teaching your children dog safe behaviour before your new puppy or dog arrives. For more information, see Keeping Children Safe, and Dog Safety For Kids. If you are thinking of getting an older dog, it’s sensible to assess how well it is socialised to children, before you decide to take it
• don't expect the dog to be patient with your child unless you have taught it how to behave
• involve your children with training and feeding the puppy or dog, to reinforce that children are higher in the pecking order than the dog.

• train your dog not to enter the baby's room
• introduce your dog gradually to the new baby
• stop any rough or aggressive behaviour
• reward gentle, good behaviour - make the new baby a pleasant experience by rewarding your dog with praise or treats when it is well-behaved around the baby.