What to Know Before Introducing Your Pet to Children

As every graduate knows, making a good impression is critical on the first try. Similarly, a positive introduction between a child and a pet is essential to overall success. While companionship is never guaranteed, relationships are much more likely to flourish when everyone gets started on the right foot…or paw!

Before introducing your pet to children, The Pet Experts at Elmhurst Animal Care Center have compiled a few tricks to smooth out any social wrinkles and keep everyone safe.

Why it Matters

The number of preventable dog bites is astounding – especially when you consider that kids are the primary victims. What’s more alarming is that most offending canines are typically not strangers. Indeed, it’s common for family pets to bite (or scratch) in reaction to the unpredictability of children.

Tips for Success

To mitigate future spats or attacks, we recommend introducing your pet to children with great care and planning. A negative or upsetting experience could taint your pet’s future interactions with kids in general. Therefore, a positive introduction requires your total and complete attention.

Subtle Hints

If your pet has never interacted with children or is frightened or skittish, it’s best to proceed with sensitivity and caution. Tips include:

Introducing Your Pet to Children

Of course, you want to aim for the most positive and pleasant encounter between your pet and the kids in your life. However, it doesn’t always work out right away. In that case:

Please contact us if we can be of help when it comes to introducing your pet to children. The Pet Experts at Elmhurst Animal Care Center are always happy to assist!