Kids and Pets
Copyright
©1996, 1997 HomeVet
Pets
as Children
To many owners,
pets can symbolize children. They depend on us for attention,
social direction, food and shelter, or care when they
are injured or ill. Acquiring a cat or dog is often
one of the first joint decisions made by new life-partners
and the first focus of shared responsibility. Young
couples frequently experiment with "parenting" a pet
before having children. When the real children arrive,
however, pet owners may suddenly be reminded that pets
are animals, after all.
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Introducing
Your Pet to a New Baby
The first rule
of introducing your dog or cat to a new baby is that
it must be a gradual process. Pets, especially dogs,
need time to adjust to a new family member. When you
learn a child is on the way, review basic obedience
skills daily with your dog so that it will reliably
and consistently obey you. The commands to "sit/stay"
and "down/stay" are essential to control your dog and
give direction for desirable behavior.
A curious and
affectionate pet can unintentionally harm a baby. A
child may be accidentally scratched or even dropped
when a friendly dog jumps up on you to investigate.
Keep your pet's nails well trimmed. If your pet has
any type of behavior problem, resolve it now while your
life is still relatively uncomplicated.
In anticipation
of a baby's arrival, take preventive measures. If you
are before the baby comes. Pre-existing behavior problems
are often magnified with time, especially as seen through
the eyes of a sleep-deprived new parent! New parents
who are thinking of obtaining a pet soon after a baby's
birth should carefully consider the additional investment
of time and energy required and deserved by any pet.
If you have any doubts, don't adopt a pet until later.
When the baby
comes home from the hospital, it is probably best to
isolate him or her from your pet for the first few days.
To minimize excitement, greet your pet calmly without
the baby there. Though new parents are often tired,
you should make extra effort to spend "quality" time
with your faithful pet.
Reserve positive
interaction between you and your pet to times for when
the baby is present, minimizing attention at all other
times. In this way, your dog is unlikely to view the
baby's presence negatively, which could result from
reduced owner attention. Some of the following suggestions
may be initiated even before your baby arrives home:
Present a blanket
with the baby's scent to your pet. Let the pet explore
this new odor under positive circumstances.
Reward your pet
with gentle words and caresses so that it forms a positive
association with the baby even before they are introduced.
If your pet has
a special place to sleep, place the baby's blanket there.
It may help to
carry a doll as an imaginary baby and to pretend to
do chores, such as diaper changes, associated with baby
care. This mimics the changes that will be part of your
lives.
Teach your pet
to hold a "sit/stay" position in the presence of the
doll. Allow your dog to investigate the doll only if
the animal remains calm and controlled.
Make a tape recording
of your crying infant and play this at gradually increased
volume while you practice obedience commands and praise
your pet for desirable behavior. When your dog is undisturbed
by the recording, continue training sessions with the
tape recording and doll.
By the time you
introduce your baby to the dog, your pet will be more
likely to adhere to basic training despite its curiosity.
When you are
ready to introduce the dog and baby, have an adult hold
the pet on a short leash in a controlled "sit/stay"
or "down/stay" position across the room, while another
adult holds the baby. Proceed slowly over several days,
bringing the dog (as long as it is well-behaved) closer
to the baby.
Keep the dog
under control with a reassuring and relaxed manner.
After several weeks of consistently successful sessions,
cautiously allow your dog off its leash. No matter how
well you trust your pet, an infant should not be left
alone with any animal.
If your pet has
a history of guarding its food, hunting for small prey,
escaping to roam free, resisting obedience training,
undisciplined or wild behavior toward people, excessive
fear in new situations or with strangers, or aggression
toward you or anyone else, you must proceed with extreme
caution (or perhaps not at all).
If you have any
reason to suspect that your dog may harm the baby, a
muzzle is a wise precaution during training. While some
dog breeds are more likely to attack children, a dog
of any breed can injure your child under certain circumstances.
If you are not certain that your pet is trustworthy
(because of its history or your lack of time, skill
or commitment in training it), your child's safety must
come first. Do not allow your child, or your dog, to
become a statistic. Hire babysitters that have experience
with pets, and carefully instruct them on keeping child
and dog separate.
During visits
with friends who have pets, in your home or in theirs,
do not let your guard down. Infants should be closely
supervised at all times, even with the most trusted
pets. No one, especially children of any age, should
be left unattended with an animal they cannot control.
Keep soiled diapers
in a "pet-proof" hamper. Dogs may be tempted to investigate
and even eat soiled diapers. This normal parental behavior
in adult dogs is directed toward keeping their den area
clean. Their purpose is to keep their offspring (your
newborn) healthy and safe from predators that might
otherwise detect their odors.
Dogs and cats
may urinate or defecate on baby blankets or baby clothes,
or on your bed. Some cats may urinate or defecate in
a newborn's crib. These are not acts of malice or jealousy.
Territorial marking relieves a pet's anxiety, covering
the baby's scent (or yours) with its own. Do not scold
your pet for this behavior, as this will only increase
its stress during adjustment to new circumstances. Prevent
access to its targets and spend more time with the pet.
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Training
Your Pet to Tolerate Children
Problems between
a pet and a child begin at the toddler stage. When the
baby learns to crawl and then to walk, it enters a new
phase, and your pet's view of the child may change.
A dog with a strong instinct to hunt small creatures
may not immediately recognize this new, ground-level
moving target as the same baby that days earlier was
carried from place to place. Predatory behavior may
be awakened in pet dogs that have never displayed any
interest in hunting or any intolerance of your child.
Many dogs and cats fear small children. Rather than
approaching a baby, they are more likely to run away
from it. Parents should be watchful when the baby begins
crawling and walking. Keep your dog by your side in
a "sit/stay" position while the baby moves about. Reward
its controlled response with caresses and calm words
of praise.
A toddler is
less likely to be intentionally injured by a cat (unless
the cat is defending itself), perhaps because a domestic
cat's predatory instincts are triggered by much smaller
prey.
Even gentle cats
and dogs can be provoked by toddlers and young children.
When your baby becomes a toddler, take time to reassure
your pet during supervised interaction. Remain watchful
and teach your child to respect your pet. More often
than not, you will need to protect your pet from your
child.
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Training
Your Child to Be "Pet-Wise"
A child should
be taught to interact appropriately with pets from the
time he or she begins to crawl and walk. From the moment
they begin to crawl, children investigate everything
around them, including your pet. Your pet's toys, food
or water bowl and a cat's litter box are fair targets.
To your pet's
misfortune, young children have no perception of the
pain they can inflict by biting, stepping or jumping
on, kicking, squeezing, hitting, pinching, twisting
or pulling various parts of your pet's body. A child
may lift and toss a pet that is light enough, and not
fast enough to avoid it. Many children delight in waking
a sleeping pet by screaming in its ear or persistently
chasing it, giving it no peace. Your children's friends
should also be monitored when your pet is nearby.
Under adult supervision,
children must be taught how to treat pets. Children
must learn that pets are not toys and are living beings
that feel pain. It is not enough to tell them what not
to do. Children must be taught to substitute unacceptable
behavior with acceptable behavior toward your pet.
Children must
be shown which parts of a pet's body can be touched
and how to gently pet them. Teach them not to disturb
an animal while it is resting or sleeping, eating a
meal, or playing with or chewing on a favorite toy or
object. Teach your child not to pursue a pet that runs
away from them. Teach them not to restrain a pet that
is trying to break free. A child must be made to understand
its own physical strength and the consequences of its
behavior.
In some cases,
role playing is helpful. A child can pretend to be a
dog or cat while an adult mimics the child. If your
child is uncooperative, it may be best to keep pet and
child separated until the child demonstrates more maturity
and self-control. It may be necessary, and indeed humane,
to place your pet temporarily or permanently in another
home. No pet should be made to suffer unnecessarily.
Every pet has limits to its own tolerance and even the
kindest, most reliably patient animal has a breaking
point. It is unfair to everyone to allow your child
to continually harass a beloved pet.
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Reasons
for Adopting a Pet
Parents who are
considering acquiring a pet to teach their preadolescent
or adolescent child to be responsible should reconsider
their motivation. Your expectations must be realistic.
More often than not, pet care falls on the parents'
shoulders.
Some adults consider
it educational for their child to watch pets mate, become
pregnant and deliver a litter. Parents who want to teach
a child to be responsible should have pets neutered
before sexual maturity. Your child can learn about reproduction
from other appropriate resources.
Please note:
The information provided here is meant to supplement
that provided by your veterinarian. Nothing can replace
a complete history and physical examination performed
by your veterinarian. - Dr. Jeff
I greatly value your feedback. Please let me know what
you think of this site and what you would like to see
on it. drjeff@homevet.com
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Last modified
at 11:34 AM on 9/27/98.
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