People often pose the question - should I let my child have a dog? There is no reason why you shouldn’t introduce a dog into your family if you have children, but it is worth remembering that very often the behaviour of a dog is highly influenced by the behaviour of the children around it.

This is usually because the children often spend considerably more time with the dog than adults do. Dogs offer wonderful companionship for children and often give them a sense of responsibility and security. As dogs have a shorter lifespan than humans, they can also help children understand bereavement and coming to terms with it.

Unfortunately children can sometimes tease and be cruel to dogs and encourage the types of behaviour you want to avoid (e.g. jumping up, nipping and begging). It is therefore really important for this type of behaviour to be firmly discouraged and instead to make sure that all the family treat the dog in a consistent way. If training is not consistant it will be difficult for your dog to understand what his desired behaviour should be this will result in him feeling confused and leave you feeling frustrated.

Likewise, dogs who have experienced negative or cruel behaviour from children can grow up to treat children with caution, so it is important for dogs to have as many positive experiences with children as possible and that children, as well as adults, are educated in good training and behavioural management practices.

A dog cage can be a good training aid if used responsibly and properly. A dog cage not only allows your dog a safe, secure “den” to escape to when he has had enough of the rough and tumble, noisy play children often enjoy but also allows you, the owner, to call time as well.

A dog cage helps with many of the problems that cause stress and anxiety to new dog owners. Dog cages serve a useful purpose to prevent (and rectify) problems associated with destructive behaviour, fear of strangers, house training, with visitors who are afraid of dogs and when travelling in the car on public transport with your dog.

The best places for dog cages are in the corner of rooms, away from too much heat and cold drafts. Because your new dog will like to be near their new owners, it is best to try and locate the dog cage where your dog can see and hear you. It’s a good idea for the dog cage to be your dog’s only dog bed to start with, this way he will soon see his cage as a place of refuge. Some dog cages have wheels attached which makes them easy to wheel around the house with you and they all collapse for easy storage and manoevreability.

The dog cage should never be used as a form of punishment and your dog should never be forced in there against his will. Far better to leave the door open, put a soft, warm dog bed or some nice comfy bedding in there along with a toy and some treats and let him make his own way in there in his own time. This way will eliminate any stress for all the family.

If your dog has not been socialised with children, it is safer to exercise caution during initial introductions. The best way to introduce dogs to children is to ask the child to put a dog treat on the palm of their hand with their fingers close together and let the dog approach them to retrieve the titbit. Advise the child to hold their hand beneath the dog’s mouth level and keep it still. If the child is nervous, hold their hand steady as if they suddenly pull away with the treat the dog could try to snatch the treat.

Children should be encouraged to stroke or gently scratch the dog under the chin or around the throat, rather than patting them on the head as patting on the head obstructs a dogs sense organs and can be easily misconstrued as an act of aggression which could make the dog nervous or defensive.

It is very unwise to let a child hug or cuddle a dog that has not been fully socialised as this could cause the dog to become very nervous and threatened and could result in the dog snapping at the child.

It is always advisable that any interactions between children and dogs are closely monitored and supervised by adults.