Mollie's Safe, Greyt Holiday

Mollie & Emma

                          Dogs and Kids,

Mollie & Kiowa

What a greyt rich mixture!

                          Stir the bowl,

Add respect and gentleness,

                          Thought and love,

And the recipe you create,

                          Becomes a forever fixture.

        

Summer is a wonderful time to spend with grandchildren.  Our lives proved lucky to have our granddaughter, Mollie, visiting us this past week.  She’s five years old, and she had never been with us at our home without her parents.  We prepared ourselves by anticipating activities she might like.  We explored several beaches, motored around in the boat, stopped by a friend’s farm to meet the animals, and had things at the house to keep her busy.  But, by far, she enjoyed the companionship of Kiowa and Emma the most.  

Quite the movie star

Our granddaughter loves our greyhounds, and they feel the same about her.  I felt this the perfect time to teach Mollie some dog safety rules.  She already knows not to put her face in the dogs’ faces and not to disturb them while eating or sleeping, but I thought it wise to expose her to some general rules about being safe.  

According to njsheltierescue.org, “the Humane Society of the United States says that 50 percent of children will be bitten by a dog before their twelfth birthday” with more bites connected to children under five.  Children dart around quicker than adults, and a dog’s chasing instinct and prey drive could be triggered.  

Their high pitched voices can surprise and alarm a dog.  They are also closer to the dog’s eye level which could prove threatening.  Less knowledge of dog body language limits a child’s ability to understand what the dog thinks.  Supervision of dog and child by a responsible adult goes without saying.

What a cutie!

All children need instruction when meeting a dog they do not know.  They should always ask the dog’s owner if petting the dog is allowed.  If the answer is yes, have them extend their hand with a closed fist, palm down, to let the dog sniff it.  If the dog isn’t interested, respect its space.  If the dog wants to be petted, pet his back not on the top of his head.   

Our greys are very mellow, don’t jump, and love Mollie.  Some other dogs may jump on small children so I spoke to Mollie about becoming a tree.  According to doggonesafe.com, dogs get bored with trees.  If a strange or too energetic dog approaches a small child, they should become a tree.  A tree stands perfectly still, tucks in its branches (arms), and looks at its roots grow (feet).  I explained that the excited dog will get bored (except, of course, if he’s a male dog, and he needs to lift his leg-LOL), and leave her alone.  She became the perfect tree.

Putting Kiowa to bed

This year was the first time I allowed Mollie to walk one of the dogs without me holding part of the leash.  She learned how the leash goes around her wrist and how to shorten the leash so the dog walks right next to her.  We use a six foot regular leash.  She learned that the dog should be on her left side.  (Since she’s a leftie that wasn’t too difficult.)  I also explained that she needed to be the boss of the dog, to be kind but stern.  She became a very astute dog walker while she visited us.

Njsheltierescue.org suggested some important rules for children’s safety around dogs:

Feeding the dogs with Pop Pop

1. Never touch an unknown dog.
2. Always ask permission from the owner before petting a dog.
3. Respect the dog’s body space.
4. Never stare at a dog or put your face close to a dog’s face.
5. No teasing allowed.
6. If a dog is tied up, keep hands to yourself.
7. Respect the dog’s space while it is eating or sleeping.
8. If dog is playing with a toy, leave him alone.
9. Be a tree.  Don’t make loud noises or run away from a dog.  
10. If you don’t know a dog’s intentions, back away to a safe place.
11. If you see an unknown dog loose in your neighborhood, tell an adult.
12. A dog is an animal not a cuddle toy.  Be gentle.

Nice Pose

These were just some of the rules in the article, Guide to Children and Dog Safety, on njsheltierescue.org.  If you want to read more, check it out.

Taking off a collar

We had a great Mollie visit, and she had a safe and fun time with Kiowa and Emma.  When she left with her parents to go home, she hugged the dogs good-bye first.  I guess you know where we are in the pecking order. 

Bye-Bye

Resources:

www.njsheltierescue.org:  Guide to Children and Dog Safety, Victoria Stilwell, 

www.victoriastilwell.com

www.doggonesafe.com:  Dog Bite Prevention Through Education, Dog Safety 

for Kids

www.avma.org:  Teaching Children How to Prevent Dog Bites